The National University of Dubai has appointed Victor Van der Chijs as its inaugural President, putting an experienced European higher education leader in charge of building the institution from its foundational phase.
The appointment matters for Dubai's push to position itself as a hub for research and higher learning, giving the new university a leader tasked with shaping its structure, partnerships and academic direction from the ground up.
A leader with three decades in higher education and industry
Van der Chijs brings more than three decades of international leadership experience spanning higher education, research, innovation and industry. He served as President of the Executive Board of the University of Twente from 2013 to 2021, and in the same period led the European Consortium of Innovative Universities as its President from 2015 to 2021.
His background also extends into industry and finance. He was Chairman of Deltalinqs, the Netherlands industry association representing Rotterdam's industrial and logistics cluster, and served as President of the Board of BOM, a Netherlands regional venture investor. Earlier in his career, he held senior leadership positions at OMA, Schiphol Group and ING.
Building an institution from its foundational phase
The National University of Dubai is currently in its foundational phase, meaning Van der Chijs steps into the role at the earliest stage of the institution's development, before its academic and operational structures are fully in place.
