What led her to Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam? What makes it stand out? And: how does she navigate this period of budget cuts?
Strong DNA of VU
De Bakker came from Utrecht University, where she was deputy director for Students, Education and Research. Her choice for VU Amsterdam was a conscious one: “What struck me immediately was the diversity among students. That really sets VU Amsterdam apart from many other Dutch universities.”
“Back in Utrecht, I was already involved in inclusive education, but I didn’t expect to find so many amazing initiatives here. The Mixed Classroom, A Broader Mind, the dialogue sessions from Life is Better in 3D. These aren’t just projects, they’re really part of the fabric of the university. It’s in the DNA of VU Amsterdam. That’s something special.”
Close to more than three hundred colleagues
SOZ includes over three hundred staff members, including student assistants. “The teams are incredibly diverse. From the sports centre to the theatre, from student support staff to policy officers. In my first few months, I visited all 21 teams. I want to keep doing that: hearing every year what’s going on, what people are proud of, and what they need. That really helps me do my job better.”
Of course, there’s a big managerial side to her work; budgets, meetings, HR matters, you name it. “But everything I do, I do to make sure we provide good education and strong student support.”
“And lecturers play just as important a role in that as students,” she adds. “I come from a real teaching family. My father was a primary school teacher and deputy head in Tilburg. That inspiring example still stays with me.”
“Just pop into a lecture hall”
De Bakker gets a lot of energy from being around students. “There’s so much potential and personal growth. I find that stage of young adulthood fascinating; when students start discovering who they are and break away from their background. My daughter is a student now too, so as a parent I also see up close how intense and formative those years can be.”
VU Amsterdam’s slogan ‘At VU, you don’t just become something, you become someone’, really resonates with her. “I want to actively contribute to that in my role.” At the same time, she acknowledges how hard it can be to stay connected to students as a policymaker. “I’d like to just pop into a lecture hall more often. Just to see and hear what’s going on. It's fun, but it’s also essential for good policy. You can’t do that from behind a desk.”
