The Supervisory Board considers the appointment of Van Ham an important one for the university. President Jan Mengelers and Rector Magnificus Frank Baaijens  are recent appointments (2014 and 2015 respectively) and the retention of Van Ham is central to continuity within the board.

Current developments also underlie this decision according to the Supervisory Board who cite, among other things, operational and accommodation matters along with the significant growth in student numbers.

Van Ham will go on with his work, as he puts it, with unrelenting energy and enthusiasm. “We are in a healthy position. In the past seven years the campus has taken on a completely different appearance, but we’re not home and dry by far. Add to that the significant growth in the student population and it is clear that we face quite a challenge to keep ourselves financially sound in the light of all these developments. The art will be, for example, to maintain the quality of our education.”

Source: TU/e press team