With its Institutional Plan 2026–2030, VU Amsterdam is committing to free thinkers and global citizenship, with a focus on climate, health and justice. Executive Board President Margrethe Jonkman reflects on how the plan came together, and the role everyone at VU can play in bringing it to life.
This is the first institutional plan you have worked on as President of the Executive Board. What was that like? What stood out to you?
"It gave me an enormous amount of energy. We really went back to the question: what are we, as a university, good at? What is our strength, when you look at our history, our values, and at the same time at what is happening in the world around us? Think of geopolitical developments, new technologies, and changes within academia itself. That forces you to make choices: where do the challenges lie, but also the opportunities, especially across the boundaries of domains and disciplines?
What struck me was how well this way of thinking fits VU. Interdisciplinary collaboration is in our DNA. We have an enormous amount of expertise in-house, for example in the fields of climate and health, and collaboration already comes naturally to us. Suddenly, the pieces of the puzzle fall into place. This suits us. It fits like a glove. This is where we, as VU Amsterdam, can truly make a difference, and that is exactly what is needed; now and in the future.
We began working on the plan when I had only been at VU Amsterdam for six months. A fresh perspective sometimes allows you to see more clearly what makes something special. And because colleagues, students, alumni and people from outside the university contributed their ideas, many stories emerged. We very consciously asked: what is the DNA of VU? What makes us unique? And apart from a few nuances, the response was remarkably unanimous and positive. That genuinely makes me proud. Proud of our university, and of our community."
This is where we, as VU Amsterdam, can truly make a difference, and that is exactly what is needed; now and in the future
What did you hope to see reflected in this plan? And do you recognise that now?
"Above all, I hoped a clear direction would emerge. That it would crystallise into something shared. That it would not merely respond to developments around us, but would start from who we are ourselves. From our own strengths, and from there connect with the world. I recognise that very strongly in the plan now.
At the same time, it was important to me that it would not remain just a vision or an attractive direction on paper. We have also translated that vision into ambitions for the university’s different responsibilities. That is where it becomes more concrete: what does this mean for our education, our research, our valorisation activities, and the way we work as an organisation? Those ambitions provide direction and make clear where we want to go in the years ahead."
Many staff and students wonder: what does an institutional plan actually mean for me? What would you say to someone thinking: ‘this sounds good, but what is my place in this story?’
"I completely understand that question. An institutional plan can sound large and abstract, while your day-to-day work is often very concrete. That is exactly why we deliberately kept the plan concise. It is not a rigidly defined story, but more of a starting point. What it means for you is that your work matters. We need everyone in order to realise our vision. Whether you teach, conduct research, support students, or help make education and research possible from a professional services role: you are part of this story.
Above all, I hope the institutional plan encourages people to think: how can I shape this within my own team and role? What does this ask of my work, and of my collaboration with others? Sometimes that lies in major decisions, and sometimes in something small: in how you design a course, how you conduct a conversation, or how you include different voices and perspectives. Global citizenship and A Broader Mind are important guiding principles in this."
Whether you teach, conduct research, support students, or help make education and research possible from a professional services role: you are part of this story
Since you mentioned global citizenship… For some people, global citizenship may sound abstract. Where do you already see it reflected within VU today?
"For me, global citizenship is about being able to look at things from different perspectives. Not only learning about your own discipline, but also understanding that an issue can be approached from multiple angles. That something forms part of a bigger whole. This is something that can happen, and already does happen, throughout VU Amsterdam.
As Executive Board, we outline frameworks and a vision, based on input from colleagues and students. But the real implementation happens in education and research, in everyday practice. A document such as the institutional plan does not make a difference by itself. It only becomes meaningful when people ask themselves: what does this mean for me? That can be something major, but also something very small. Impact begins in your own environment.”
What does 'free thinking' mean in the daily work of a university?
"For me, free thinking is about having the space to look beyond the obvious frameworks of your own discipline or role. In everyday work, that means remaining curious, daring to ask questions, and being open to different perspectives. That can be very concrete: in how you design your teaching, in the questions you ask in your research, in how you support students, or in how you, as a professional, make education and research possible by improving processes, supporting teams or developing policy. Free thinking often lies precisely in daring to slow down. In listening, even when you disagree with someone. In not avoiding discomfort when things become challenging or complicated. For me, people are always at the centre of that. Ultimately, it is people who make the difference.
But free thinking is not without responsibility. Academic freedom means having space, while also being careful and thoughtful. Being aware of the impact of what you research, teach or say. I often think of the griffin in our logo. With wings that allow you to imagine and see new perspectives, but with feet firmly on the ground. I think that image is very fitting: freedom and responsibility, imagination and pragmatism. That combination is, to me, typically VU."
The plan places a strong emphasis on how we work. Why is that 'how' so important to you?
"Because the way you work ultimately makes the difference. Of course, we all work within our own fields, but the ‘how’ determines which perspectives you allow in, who you collaborate with, and what impact you make. By collaborating and by taking other viewpoints seriously, you often arrive at different, and better, outcomes. You can study a subject in a very thorough, almost ‘dry’ way within your own discipline. That is often more manageable and sometimes easier. But we believe you go further if you are willing to include other perspectives, to collaborate with colleagues from other disciplines, and to explicitly take the societal context into account. That is not necessarily easier; quite the opposite. It requires more dialogue, more coordination, and sometimes more patience. But the outcomes are richer, and the impact is greater. For me, that is truly where the strength of VU lies. We build on strong mono-disciplinary expertise, but then deliberately seek connection. That enables us to contribute something unique to major issues such as climate, health and justice.
That also requires something from leadership. As Executive Board, but also as deans and managing directors, we should not try to steer too heavily on content. Of course, substantive choices matter, but even more important is that we create space for the VU way of working: global citizenship, interdisciplinarity and open dialogue. If you facilitate that properly, substantive innovation almost emerges naturally. So the ‘how’ is about culture. About mindset. About the willingness to remain curious and broaden your perspective. That may sometimes be more complicated, but in the end it makes us stronger, and more relevant to society."
The plan explicitly presents the university as a community. What does that require from the way we interact with one another?
"If you say you are a community, that first of all means truly seeing and hearing one another. Not simply working alongside each other, but continuing to engage in conversation together. Dialogue is a key word for me in that respect. That requires us to take different perspectives seriously. You do not have to agree with each other immediately, but you do have to want to understand where the other person is coming from. Especially at a university, where critical thinking is second nature, that is important. Through meaningful conversation, you become familiar with other perspectives. That enriches not only you as a person, but also your research and teaching.
It also requires us not to remain in our own bubbles. Not confined to our own ‘square metre’. There is always more than your own discipline, your own department or your own convictions. That can sometimes be difficult, but I genuinely believe it enriches you. It broadens your perspective, and that is exactly what we mean by ‘A Broader Mind’. A community also requires responsibility. Creating an environment in which people feel safe to speak up, ask questions and disagree. Giving one another the space to grow. For me, community means remaining curious about each other, being open to difference, and working together towards something greater than your own individual role. That is when you become more than just a group of people. That is when you truly become a university."
How do we ensure this story becomes ours, rather than remaining only on paper?
"By using the plan primarily as a tool. Read it, discuss it within your team, and ask yourself: what excites me? And how can I connect that to the direction we have chosen together? It does not have to be grand. It starts with beginning the conversation and reflecting on your own role in it. The institutional plan will also be reflected in annual plans, precisely so that conversation continues. And ultimately, the same applies: the story only becomes ours when we put it into practice together."
I hope students look back after their studies and say: at VU, I learned more than just a discipline
Finally: what do you hope staff and students will say in 2030 about what VU stands for?
"I hope that by then, the institutional plan no longer feels like a plan. That people will say: ‘Of course we educate people to become global citizens. That is simply who we are.’ That it feels like something inherently ours, part of the VU DNA. And that the outside world recognises that too. I hope students look back and say: here at VU, I learned more than just a discipline. At VU, you do not simply become something, you become someone. That you can be yourself here, and that this is where you belong. And yes, that also includes a touch of Amsterdamse branie, Amsterdam bravado: we are simply very good at what we do, and we should not be afraid to show it."
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VU Amsterdam seeks and nurtures societal dialogue, is a leader in research, and educates global citizens who contribute to a better world in both word and deed. This is our vision for 2035. Have a look at the strategic plan 2026–2030 here.