Bert van der Zwaan

Professor Bert van der Zwaan is the former Rector Magnificus of Utrecht University (2011–2018) and a leading voice in the future of higher education. With a background in geology and biogeology, he held professorships at Radboud University Nijmegen and Utrecht University, where he also served as Dean of the Faculty of Geosciences. He was the founding scientific director of the Darwin Center for Biology and has held numerous academic leadership roles.

Professor van der Zwaan is currently Chair of the Supervisory Board of Nuffic and serves on several national and international boards and committees, including the Growth Fund Programme Sustainable Materials/Circular Plastics NL, the Dutch Research Agenda, and advisory groups at Heidelberg University. His book Will the University make it to 2040? reflects his strong views on the evolving role of universities in a globalized world.