Pauline van der Meer Mohr

It’s that time of the year again: business week, traditionally organised by EFR. As always, they have managed to stage an impressive line-up of speakers, including NATO secretary-general Anders Fogh Rasmussen and International Red Cross President Jakob Kellenberger for the opening day today. I had the pleasure of welcoming both and when I asked them [...]

It’s been a week of traditional academic pomp and circumstance of the finest quality. It started with the inaugural address of the new Prince Claus Chairholder, hosted by Utrecht University this year. Followed by the inaugural address of professor Balkenende on Thursday, in an auditorium packed with officials. And on Friday, back to Utrecht to [...]

I was video-taped today for Gail Whiteman’s inaugural lecture, and invited to say a few words about my personal commitment to the EUR campaign ’25,000 acts of green’. Good question. I believe in combining leadership accountability and challenging objectives with small but significant personal steps that make a difference. For the university as a whole, [...]

This morning, I read ING CEO Jan Hommen’s letter to the editor in de Volkskrant, announcing the decision to forego managing board bonuses while the bank is still receiving financial support from the government. A fine example of servant leadership, written in exactly the right tone of voice. Not patronising, but sincere. C’est le ton [...]

Great. 5 responses to my open invitation to students to join me for a day. We’ll be in touch with suggestions for dates. Here’s the deal. I invite you to join me, and you give me feedback throughout the day. About what you see, hear, observe, and what you would do if you were me.

The other day, one of our students asked me “what I was doing with my time”, or words to that effect. Interesting question, I said, but rather than me explaining my overall objectives, the big picture as well as the details to you, why don’t you join me for a day, so that you can [...]

Let me add my voice to the voices that have expressed a full range of emotions following the natural disasters in Japan on Friday. This will be one of those occasions where we will remember where we were when we first heard the news, for many years to come. Erasmus University harbours several Japanese students [...]

Just finished the run through of “Seven”, the semi-theatre piece we are staging this afternoon on the occasion of international women’s day. My throat a little soar, nerves a little wobbly, but all systems fired up to go in just over an hour. Some people have asked me why we still have to pay attention [...]