TU/e university fund TU/e thanks its major donors

December 12, 2025  - University fund UFe thanked its major donors today during a gathering on the TU/e campus. The guests were alumni who personally donated at least 10,000 euros over the past year. Around thirty donors attended, some of whom contribute an average of 50,000 euros annually.

According to Edith Snelders of UFe, the donations support groundbreaking research that is less likely to receive funding through regular channels. “Donors decide which area of research they want to support, such as sustainability or healthcare, but an independent committee selects the specific projects,” she says. One example is the development of a special mat equipped with sensors for premature babies, intended to replace the many stickers with wires. This reduces stress for the infants and allows them to be held more easily. / LvA

Professor Philip de Goey bids farewell at symposium

December 11, 2025  - Philip de Goey came to TU/e as a PhD candidate and never left—until now. He says goodbye to the university after 25 years as a full professor, including 10 years as dean of the Department of Mechanical Engineering. De Goey is best known for his research on metal powder as a sustainable energy carrier. On Friday, December 12, he will mark his farewell with a symposium.

Speakers include representatives from Metalot, the research and innovation campus that De Goey founded to bring together science and industry. “This has led to the first start-ups—now already ten worldwide—that are all connected to us,” he said in an interview with Cursor earlier this year. He will conclude the event with his valedictory lecture, Towards a New Iron Age. / LvA

Rijksmuseum branch to rise right next to TU/e

December 11, 2025 - A new branch of the Rijksmuseum will be built in Eindhoven, the municipality and the museum announced today. ASML, as founding partner, will make a significant contribution. The museum building, covering roughly 3,500 square meters, will be located between J.F. Kennedylaan and the Dommel, opposite of the Bunker. The site borders directly on the university campus and is currently part of the TU/e grounds. The ambition is for the Rijksmuseum in Eindhoven to open in six to eight years. 

TU/e welcomes the plans, according to a statement: “We see this as a wonderful development for Eindhoven and the region: a Rijksmuseum location coming to Eindhoven, right next to TU/e. It aligns seamlessly with the growth and increasingly international character of both the region and the university. We look forward to welcoming the museum as our new neighbor.” / LvA

Studium Generale opens mini library in Auditorium

December 9, 2025 – For those in search of a good read, the Studium Generale (SG) Mini Library is now at your service. The light blue cabinet is located next to the SG office in Auditorium 2.02. Anyone at TU/e who wishes to take, borrow, or exchange a book is welcome to visit.

Donating reading material is also possible. All languages and genres are welcome, as long as the books are in good condition and clean. A guestbook is available for recommendations and reviews.

Anton Pijpers and Sylvia van Es join TU/e Supervisory Board

December 8 2025 - Education Minister Gouke Moes has appointed Anton Pijpers and Sylvia van Es as members of TU/e's Supervisory Board (RvT) as of January 1, 2026. Pijpers, former President of Utrecht University, will be the new chairman of the RvT. Sylvia van Es is President of Philips Netherlands and Chief Privacy Officer of Philips worldwide. She has extensive knowledge on topics such as digitalization, cybersecurity, data and antitrust. 

Van Es and Pijpers succeed Peter Wennink and Louise Gunning, who were members of the Supervisory Board from 2016 and 2020 respectively. Wennink was chair of the Board from 2020. The other board members are Paul Doop, Mariëtte Hamer, and Ineke Dezentjé Hamming-Bluemink. / LvA

Protest against education budget cuts: striking allowed, mandatory classes go on

December 3, 2025 - On Tuesday, December 9, students, teachers, researchers, and other staff members from universities and universities of applied sciences across the country will gather in Amsterdam to protest budget cuts in higher education. Employees have the right to strike; if they participate in the national strike day, they will continue to receive their pay. They are, however, expected to hand over their duties beforehand.

Students do not have the right to strike. Each university or university of applied sciences may decide for itself whether to give all students the day off, but most are not doing so. According to spokesperson Ivo Jongsma, TU/e is following the same guidelines it used during earlier protests against these cuts. Students are free to participate unless they have mandatory exams, labs, or other required classes that cannot be rescheduled. Many other institutions are following the same approach. / HOP & CdW

Scientist goes to court over missed permanent contract

December 3 2025 - A member of the academic staff has filed a lawsuit against TU/e, arguing that her temporary contract—a tenure-track position aimed at academic career advancement—was wrongfully not converted into a permanent employment contract after five years. She believes the university failed to clearly communicate which measurable targets she needed to meet in order to qualify for a permanent appointment. She also fears that her pregnancy and periods of illness may have negatively affected her performance evaluation.

During Tuesday afternoon’s hearing at the courthouse in Eindhoven, TU/e stated that the scientist had repeatedly been informed during annual review meetings about several shortcomings, including an insufficient number of publications in reputable journals. She was also criticized for, among other things, poor communication. The academic staff member disputes these claims and is asking the court to rule on the matter. A verdict is expected no later than January 13, 2026. / BAS

Short | “Unsafe” culture? CvB invites TU/e community to lunch walk

December 2 2025 - The Executive Board (CvB) responds on the intranet to the article recently published by ED. The newspaper reports on its own investigation, which reveals that an “unsafe” culture prevails at TU/e. In their message, the board members express their concern about any fear among staff and students to speak out: “We are an open community in which dialogue is pivotal, and we stand firmly behind this principle.”

Anyone who is hesitant to raise an issue is therefore explicitly invited to come along for a lunch walk and a good conversation with president Koen Janssen, rector Silvia Lenaerts, vice president Patrick Groothuis or secretary Eric van der Geer-Rutten-Rijswijk. / LvA

The news items in this overview were translated using AI-assisted tools and reviewed by an editor