President of Utrecht University Executive Board, Anton Pijpers, will step down at the end of this year
Prof. Dr. Anton Pijpers will step down as President of the Executive Board of Utrecht University (UU) effective November 1st, 2025. Pijpers has been part of the Executive Board since October 2014, first in the role of Vice President and since 2017 as President. This fall, his second term as President will end, and Pijpers will retire.
Anton Pijpers feels he is a “UU’er at heart.” “I studied Veterinary Medicine at UU, received my doctorate here, became a professor and held various administrative positions. With the exception of a nine-year period, I have always been associated with this wonderful university. It is therefore strange that this chapter is coming to an end after more than forty years. At the same time, I am also looking forward to my retirement and that there will be more room for family and hobbies such as cycling. I will never completely let go of the university in my heart, and will continue to follow the developments of the organization with great interest.”
The Supervisory Board of UU is grateful to Anton Pijpers for his dedication over the past years. Karin Laglas, President of the Supervisory Board: “We will miss Anton as President. He has a deep connection to UU and knows the university inside and out. He has always paid special attention to strengthening collaborations. Within the university, but also with other universities, with “The Hague” and with the world around us.”
“Under Anton’s leadership, UU significantly raised its profile as a key player in research consortia focused on social issues,” Laglas continues. “We are grateful to Anton for his resilience and his ability to build connections, even in challenging circumstances. His unique blend of academic insight, business acumen, results-driven focus, managerial skill, and pleasant demeanor were important ingredients to the success of his tenure on the board.”
Besides Anton Pijpers, the Executive Board consists of Rector Magnificus Prof. Dr. Wilco Hazeleger and Vice President Drs. Margot van der Starre. Niels Vreeswijk is Student Assessor on the Executive Board until September 1, 2025. The procedure to find a successor for Anton Pijpers has started, the vacancy can be viewed via this link – you can download the brochure (in Dutch) here.
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