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University Professor

Evelien Tonkens is University Professor. In this special role, Tonkens will focus on the theme of Citizenship in a Polarised Society. Evelien Tonkens is the first University Professor at UvH. The appointment took effect from 15 September 2024 and is for a period of five years.

 

A university professor is a special position for a leading professor with an important academic reputation. A university professor works university-wide to strengthen an important strategic theme of the university.


Evelien Tonkens is Professor of Citizenship and Humanisation of the Public Sector at UvH and considers this appointment a great honour: ‘I appreciate the trust UvH places in me. As University Professor, I can use my broad experience to broaden and deepen UvH's research on citizenship in times of polarisation. Citizenship is under pressure both in the Netherlands and abroad, but at the same time there are countless ideas and initiatives to promote participation, involvement, cooperation and solidarity. I look forward to promoting university-wide and multidisciplinary research into these developments.’

 

Rector Joke van Saane on the appointment: ‘We are very pleased with this appointment. Evelien Tonkens is a particularly inspiring researcher and teacher. As professor and Director of Research, she has already made a major contribution to UvH's research programme and education. In doing so, she has the unique quality of making scientific insights useful and fruitful for the debate on current social issues. With this appointment of Tonkens as the first University Professor, UvH wants to show what the university's spearhead is: high-quality interdisciplinary research that is directly related to complex problems in society, and that is reflected in education.’



About Evelien Tonkens

Evelien Tonkens has been Professor of Citizenship and Humanisation of the Public Sector at the University of Humanistic Studies since 2014. Between 2005 and 2014, she was Extraordinary Professor of Citizenship at the University of Amsterdam. She was also a regular columnist for de Volkskrant between 2007 and 2014, and a supervisor at several healthcare institutions between 2007 and 2021. Earlier, she was a member of parliament for GroenLinks and a researcher at various universities and research institutes. She was and is also a much sought-after advisor to policy bodies and civil society organisations. Most recently, she was a member of the Advisory Group Citizen Involvement in Climate Policy (Brenninkmeijer Committee), the Expert Group Citizenship MBO and the Advisory Committee Strengthening Democratic Rule of Law (Marcouch Committee). Tonkens led dozens of research projects, and wrote and edited dozens of books and hundreds of articles on citizenship and humanisation of the public sector.

The Executive Board has appointed Evelien Tonkens as University Professor. In this special role, Tonkens will focus on the theme of Citizenship in a Polarised Society. Evelien Tonkens is the first University Professor at UvH. The appointment took effect from 15 September 2024 and is for a period of five years.