Utrecht University of Applied Sciences Celebrates Anniversary and Kicks Off Ambitious New Academic Year

On Thursday, August 28, 2025, Utrecht University of Applied Sciences (HU) officially opened the new academic year. In this milestone year, in which HU celebrates its 30th anniversary, the university looked back together with guests on over 100 years of higher professional education in Utrecht. Chair Wilma Scholte op Reimer stated, “Together we continue to work toward one shared goal: contributing to solutions for the major challenges of our time.”

After the applause for the Utrecht Student Concert died down, Board member and master of ceremonies Gerard van Assem invited everyone in the audience to briefly share their ambitions for the coming year with the person next to them. The room barely settled afterward, a promising start to HU’s 31st academic year.

Room for professionals

The floor was then given to Frans Leijnse. As the first ever lector at HU, former chair of the HBO Council (now the Association of Universities of Applied Sciences), and emeritus professor of education and labor market, he is uniquely positioned to reflect on the history of HU and higher professional education. But he also looked ahead to HU’s societal mission in the coming decades. “Utrecht University of Applied Sciences has often been a pioneer and continues to be so,” Leijnse said. “But past achievements are no guarantee for the future, and not even reliable predictors.” According to Leijnse, the strength of a good university lies primarily in the quality of its teachers and researchers. “It is said that 90% of the quality of education depends on the quality of the teacher.” The same applies to research. He therefore advocates for granting professionals plenty of autonomy: “Those who want to develop excellent education and groundbreaking research must give space to individual teachers, curious researchers, and small teams,” Leijnse emphasized.

Stronger together

As images from 100 years of higher professional education in Utrecht were projected behind her, HU Chair Wilma Scholte op Reimer highlighted the impact the university has made together with its partners in the region. “For us at HU, student success is more than graduation rates. It is important that students not only earn their diplomas but also grow as individuals—learning to think and to act.”

She continued, “Together we continue to work toward one shared goal: contributing to solutions for the major challenges of our time, such as rapid digitalization, the energy transition, and the looming healthcare crisis. The research groups that emerged 25 years ago were an important step in expanding our knowledge and contributing to solutions. We do this not alone, but together—with companies, institutions, colleagues—and of course, with our students.”

Personal development

One of those students is Tamira Vos, who has already had an impressive career within various HU boards. She shared with Gerard van Assem her experiences and aspirations for the future: “By the time I finish, I will of course have a valuable diploma in hand. But what I hope to gain even more is personal development. I have learned a lot about my field during my studies, but also a lot about myself. That is very important to me, both as a person and as a future professional.”

Passing the ball forward

HU Board member Eva Reuling spoke with Trudy Onland, HU alumna and CEO of Stedin Group, about the role alumni can play in society. Onland, responsible for upgrading the electricity grid during the energy transition, emphasized: “This requires many people. I think it is important to have people who can think broadly and work together to innovate. There are enough people who can point out problems; what we need are people who work on solutions, who push the ball forward, see where it goes, and then continue working together from there. The university of applied sciences plays an important role in this.”

After these inspiring words, the Executive Board, together with all guests, counted down: the 2025–2026 academic year was officially opened.