Studyportals CEO Edwin van Rest appointed as Director of the Royal Holland Society of Sciences and Humanities

The Royal Holland Society of Sciences and Humanities (The Koninklijke Hollandsche Maatschappij der Wetenschappen) is the oldest ‘Learned Society’ in the Netherlands. Since its establishment in 1752, the KHMW has been involved in promoting science and building bridges between academia and society.    

Appointments follow a strict nomination and selection process and are for life, and despite that it only has approx. 500 global ‘members’ and approx. 400 ‘directors’ (non-academic members with notable societal impact). Past members include Marie Curie, President John Adams and Albert Einstein, among other Nobel Prize laureates, and leaders of large societal impact.  

The Society awards numerous prestigious awards and fellowships. Including the 100,000 euros Brewer Confidence Award. 

Edwin says “It is an honour to be appointed as Director alongside such distinguished peers. This Directorship aligns with my strong purpose to leverage the power of education and academia to transform society for the better and make our world a more tolerant and equal place.”  

The appointment comes alongside other accolades Edwin has been honored with, such as the ‘Change the world’ award from Entrepreneurs Organisation and the ‘Rising Star’ award from the European Association of International Education.

 This photograph includes five Nobel Prize Laureates. It was taken at a KHMW dinner in honour of Lorentz’ golden doctorate in 1925. Among others, the photograph features Hendrik Antoon Lorentz, Marie Curie, Niels Bohr and Albert Einstein.  

Edwin van Rest, co-founder and CEO of Studyportals 

About Edwin van Rest 

Edwin van Rest is co-founder and CEO of Studyportals – the global marketplace for higher education. He is a grateful beneficiary of and a true believer in international education. As part of his engineering studies, Edwin spent time in Japan, Greece, Italy and the Netherlands, where he learnt first-hand how international education enriches lives and can connect our world.    

About Studyportals  

Studyportals is the global study choice platform. Their mission is to empower the world to choose education by making study choice transparent, globally. Over 52 million students use Studyportals platforms per year to find and compare their study options across borders and select the right program. At the same time, their results-based channels help universities with marketing and international student recruitment, by enabling them to reach a global audience and diversify their student population. Studyportals’ mission is to make the world understand and access the power of learning and does this by making education choices transparent and accessible to students worldwide.