Jasper's day
Jasper Knoester is the dean of the Faculty of Science. How is he doing, what exactly does he do and what does his day look like? In each newsletter, Jasper gives an insight into his life.
Wednesday 16 October
‘At eight o’clock, I leisurely cycle to Wijnhaven, the main building of our university’s Campus The Hague. It’s going to be a warm day, probably the last one of the year. I’m looking forward to it, to the sunshine and to the day’s appointments. Hanging from my handlebars are my work bag and a garment bag with a suit, a few shirts, and ties.
At Wijnhaven, I have a phone call with our Rector Hester Bijl to provide her with some information for a board meeting our Executive Board will have with the NWO Executive Board this afternoon. That’s quickly done, and we spend the rest of the time reflecting on the government letter from Minister Bruins that was released yesterday about the “Internationalisation in Balance” law, which is supposed to limit the international intake in our programmes. It’s a real thorn in my side, as it is for many others. The tone of the letter especially troubles me: as if the influx of international students and the use of English in our programmes pose a major threat to the Netherlands. In my view, the university is where international talent comes together to learn and grow. The international character is essential for our teaching and research, and it’s been long proven that international students contribute positively to the Dutch economy. Additionally, I’m a firm believer in the “soft diplomacy” that international academic contacts promote and its importance for the world. It’s dramatic for the future of our country that the political climate is so nationalistic at the moment, and unfortunately, the Netherlands isn’t the only country facing this issue.
After the call with the Rector, I have a meeting at Wijnhaven with Erwin Muller, who recently became the vice-rector for organisational development. We talk about our new faculty governance model, with three-member collegial institute boards, and about improving and harmonising support processes within the university—something we’re also working hard at Leiden Science.
Afterwards, I hurry to Leiden, where I handle a few emails and short phone calls before being picked up by Christi Waanders (Communications and Marketing) for an extensive photo shoot for various communications materials. The photos are taken by Monique Shaw, whom I’ve worked with on several occasions. I feel completely at ease with her. Hundreds of photos are taken of me alone, with different colleagues, with a group of students from the Leidsche Flesch, and in front of the building with my trusty folding bike. Halfway through, I change outfits. After an hour and a half, it’s enough for Monique and certainly for me as well. We agree that these photos should last for the next three years.
After several work meetings in my office, I host UNL chairman Caspar van den Berg and two staff members in the late afternoon. Together with Pieter Schipper, I give them a tour of some of our impressive research facilities. Along the way, we discuss political developments, particularly around language policy and the international student intake—a challenging issue for Van den Berg.
After this visit, Pieter gives me a lift home, so we can finally have dinner as a family for the first time in weeks—Xuefei returned from a trip yesterday. After dinner, I do the dishes and then read through some documents for tomorrow, still with enough time left to get some exercise. Today, it’s a mix of floor exercises and swimming laps, as always finishing with a 15-minute sauna session. At home, I help both children with their math and physics homework, and then we all head to bed around midnight. Tomorrow’s another full day with meetings running into the evening, so a good night’s sleep is welcome. After a day full of activity, that shouldn’t be a problem.’