2. Cooperation in networks and in society (engagement)

Community engagement is a core component of EUR’s profile. As an engaged university, EUR links its education and research to societal issues from a position of academic independence and in close interaction with society. Open Innovation Networks (OINs) are one of the ways in which this engagement is given a sustainable and structural form; they are partnerships in which public, private and civil society partners work on shared challenges on an equal footing. The four Erasmus Initiatives and the internal communities that have formed around the key priorities of the SSH sector plan play a crucial role in firmly embedding these networks.

In 2025, EUR, together with all of its faculties and the Executive Board, explored the contours of Open Innovation Networks. Principles such as reciprocity, co-creation and a long-term focus were central to this exploration. At the same time, a conscious decision was made to adopt a learning-based approach, in which a direction is established through doing, reflecting and adjusting. This learning-based and iterative approach is well suited to the nature of the complex societal challenges that EUR is helping to address. OINs develop in line with the context and the partners involved, and are consistent with the university’s role as a knowledge institution that learns from and in collaboration with experts in the field.

To shape this development, the decision was taken to focus our efforts. In 2025, two themes were selected in which societal urgency, existing momentum and EUR’s expertise converge: Future-Proof Port and Resilient Society.

Ports, logistics and urban development

The link between EUR and the port helps shape the university’s role in society. Research and teaching relating to ports, logistics and urban development provide essential insights into global freight flows, transitions (such as the energy transition and digitalisation) and the interaction between port and city. This not only contributes to sustainable economic solutions, it also strengthens EUR’s position as a knowledge partner at the heart of one of Europe’s most important port regions. This focus on the port is also reflected in collaborative symposia such as ‘Knowledge connects the port and the city’, in which researchers, policymakers and industry partners work together to develop future-proof solutions.

AI Port Centre – From knowledge to impact in the world of the port

The AI Port Centre, a strategic partnership between EUR and Delft University of Technology, has strengthened its mission to link academic AI expertise with practical applications in maritime and logistics practice.

The AI Port Centre works closely with more than fifty partners from the port industry and knowledge institutions to develop and implement AI technologies that contribute to more efficient, sustainable and future-proof port processes.

Over the course of the year, several practice-oriented research projects were carried out, including the Port-Call Data Hub project, which supports the optimisation of port logistics, and various Catalyzer initiatives focusing on explainable AI, responsible AI, cyber security and the application of AI in customs procedures. These projects represent concrete steps towards using AI for, amongst other things, container coordination, disruption management and smart logistics.

The AI Port Centre held two successful knowledge-sharing and networking events, which strengthened the link between academic knowledge and practice and helped raise EUR’s profile as a leading partner in AI innovation for society and the economy.

When Strategy 2030 was launched, the importance of strategic collaboration to EUR’s impact mission was recognised by making it a priority. At a time of increasingly complex societal challenges, both globally and locally, strategic collaboration forms the basis of a clearer understanding and better approach to those challenges. Important alliances, such as the international collaborations under the European University Alliance UNIC, the regional collaboration within the Convergence alliance (EUR – TU Delft – Erasmus MC) and the Leiden-Delft-Erasmus Universities (LDE) alliance, are increasingly an integral part of EUR. Local partnerships within Culture & Campus and Campus Rotterdam, as well as regional cooperation under the Regional Deals, will be strategic priorities over the next twelve months. Partnerships remain an essential focus for EUR.

Convergence

In 2025, the Convergence alliance took a significant step towards becoming a stronger, more future-proof partnership.

Following five years of growth and significant developments – such as TU Delft’s campus plans in Rotterdam – the new Convergence Steering Committee (SteCo) has been tasked with developing scenarios for the development of the Convergence alliance over the next five to ten years. Through this committee, we will be working to create a strong, cohesive and forward-looking ecosystem to meet the challenges of tomorrow.

In 2025, Health & Technology implemented initiatives to structurally link education, research and clinical practice and promote innovation in health care. The Innovation Lab facilitates collaboration in the development and testing of healthcare technologies and training methods. The Smart One-stop Support and four accelerator projects help researchers speed up the transition from the lab to the clinic.

Cross-disciplinary knowledge sharing is encouraged through the Sustainable Health Programmes and the Empower project.

Health & Technology also entered into a new partnership with TU Delft, Erasmus MC and EUR to develop two transdisciplinary Research Master programmes: ‘Sustainable Health’ and ‘Future Health’. 

AI, Data & Digitalisation responded to the growing need for reliable and responsible digital applications. The focus was on generative AI that actually helps healthcare professionals. The ‘Responsible AI in Health Care’ conference brought together a wide audience of researchers, healthcare professionals, designers and entrepreneurs to discuss ethical and practical issues relating to AI in health care. In addition, the RIGH:T consortium was set up in collaboration with other partners to ensure the safe and responsible use of AI applications in health care. To this end, the consortium is developing a validation framework.

Initiatives by the Pandemic & Disaster Preparedness Centre emphasised the importance of knowledge sharing and coordination for effective pandemic preparedness. Realistic simulations of pandemic scenarios brought together policymakers and academics from a wide range of fields. The Dutch Pathogens Portal accelerates the international exchange of data on pathogens and promotes both the early detection of pandemics and the management of their social and health impacts. The Pandemic & Disaster Preparedness Centre also worked on the curriculum for an interdisciplinary minor programme.

Healthy Start demonstrated how co-creation with young people, healthcare professionals and policymakers helps ensure that care is tailored to the needs of parents and children. The toolkit being developed for and in collaboration with children with a congenital heart defect is an example of such co-creation. Through ambition programmes and the Healthy Starters Fund, projects were given space to experiment and take a giant leap forward. For example, a robot for preparing breast milk, developed by TU Delft students, has grown into an ambitious healthcare project that reduces nurses’ workloads. Healthy Start also launched a new transdisciplinary education website for students, researchers, lecturers and professionals.

Resilient Delta – Climate financing and regional impact

With two Regional Deals and a joint investment boost of €20 million from the government, Resilient Delta is working to ensure the future viability of former growth districts and the sustainable development of the floriculture region. In these projects, Resilient Delta researchers work closely with local authorities, water authorities and regional partners to develop integrated solutions that promote both social and ecological resilience.

Two new laboratories were also set up. The NOISELAB is investigating the relationship between port and city noise and health and inequality in port cities such as Rotterdam. The Environmental Harm Lab is focusing on tackling environmental damage caused by industrial pollution in port areas and beyond. Through the work of these labs, Resilient Delta is working to create a healthy environment. In addition, Resilient Delta has established itself within the network where science, policy and practice converge in the fields of climate finance and regional resilience, and with regard to innovative financing solutions for climate adaptation.

LDE

Within the Leiden-Delft-Erasmus Universities (LDE) alliance, EUR works in the areas of education, research and engagement, as well as on operations and processes.

Around 4,800 students took part in LDE education in 2025. Approximately 2,300 students were enrolled in a joint degree programme (spread across five bachelor and five master programmes). In addition, nearly 2,500 students took part in elective courses within the LDE alliance, including minors, honours programmes, joint interdisciplinary projects, electives and thesis groups. 

The LDE board has set out three priorities for the period 2025-2028 with a view to further lowering the barriers to educational cooperation. The priorities are regular alignment of the education portfolios; the ability to log in to partners’ systems using your account details from your own institution (this is being implemented under the name EWUU Alliance, with a pilot in collaboration with SURF and Npuls); and strengthening the eduXchange partnership with SURF and Npuls.

In 2025, the LLOGO project was launched by the three LDE partners, The Hague University of Applied Sciences, the Association of Dutch Municipalities and other external parties. The project was partly funded by a grant from the LLO Catalyst programme. The programme provides applications relating to the heating transition in the built environment. The lessons learned from this innovative approach will be applied to subsequent joint LLO initiatives.

Knowledge was shared and developed within various groups, including the LDE Community of Practice on Interdisciplinary and Transdisciplinary Education, and in groups focusing on minor policies, lecturer professionalisation, STQ, LLO, thesis labs, honours education, microcredentials, and joint degrees and minors. A new course on the migration society was also launched for professionals.

In the area of research, a new LDE white paper was published on the economy of South Holland, with Erasmus Professor Frank van Oort playing a leading role. In addition, various consortia received funding, including in the context of the energy transition and a healthy society in South Holland. The Climate & Biodiversity research network was expanded both within and beyond the universities, and the Global Heritage and Development programme continued. The LDE Centre for Governance of Migration and Diversity celebrated its tenth anniversary with an international conference.

Internationally, LDE is active through four new LDE Global projects, equal partnerships with the Global South, and knowledge sharing in Indonesia, Vietnam and Morocco on sustainable landscapes and port cities.

EUR collaboration with Rotterdam City Council

The collaboration between EUR and Rotterdam City Council was expanded in 2025. AI is a key theme within the partnership with Rotterdam City Council. At the initiative of the city council, the Social AI Lab Rotterdam was established in collaboration with the Erasmus Centre for Data Analytics (ECDA) and the Erasmus Initiative Societal Impact of AI (AIpact). The Future Society Lab Knowledge Development Centre is also involved in the collaboration. The Social AI Lab will help Rotterdam residents participate in an increasingly digital world. In the lab, residents are actively involved in developing, understanding and evaluating AI applications. These range from digital services to applications for health care and education.

To promote future-proof entrepreneurship, Alderman Simons (Port, Economy, Hospitality, Administration) signed a declaration of intent with Erasmus Enterprise, one of EUR’s related companies. The proposed collaboration will focus on access to talent, networks, funding and new knowledge. An additional aim is to use research to gain a better understanding of the future-readiness of SMEs.

In keeping with tradition, the Rotterdam Thesis Prize was awarded by an alderman during the Opening of the Academic Year, as part of the collaboration with the city council. The prize was awarded to Meike van Mierlo, ‘The shock behind the front door: An exploratory study into the experiences of Rotterdam residents with excessive violence directed at buildings'. 

Culture & Campus

The focus in 2024 was on developing the programme and renovating Culture & Campus Putselaan, and work in the building was completed in September 2025. Once this milestone had been achieved, the partners – Afrikaanderwijk Cooperative, BuzinessClub, Codarts, ELIA, Rotterdam City Council, Rotterdam University of Applied Sciences, ICLEI, the Willem de Kooning Academy and EUR – and the programme team, including a new programme director and managing director, were able to put the programme into practice.

The official opening took place on 13 November 2025. The building has now been transformed into a vibrant centre for creativity, knowledge and community spirit. In late 2025, the partnership agreement was signed by the parties involved. That was a significant milestone in the ongoing collaboration and development of education and research in Putselaan.

Campus Rotterdam

In 2025, EUR strengthened its partnerships in the region within Campus Rotterdam. TU Delft, Rotterdam City Council, Erasmus MC, EUR, the Port of Rotterdam Authority, Rotterdam University of Applied Sciences, Albeda College, Delft City Council and the Province of South Holland are working together to position the campus as a hub of knowledge and innovation where education, research, health care and technology converge. Joint steps have been taken to prepare new educational initiatives, including a Bachelor’s degree in Health & Technology. On 2 July 2025, the Strategic Board, chaired by Mayor Carola Schouten, unanimously endorsed the proposal ‘A crucial link in the Netherlands’ transition challenges’. This confirmed the ambition to develop Rotterdam into a European leader in major transitions.

EUR Social Advisory Board

In September 2025, the first meeting of the newly established EUR Social Advisory Board (EUR-MRA) took place. The board comprises seven members and an external chair, and it advises EUR on its strategic ambition to create societal impact through our education, research and engagement. The Strategic Dean for Impact & Engagement plays a key role in implementing the recommendations of the EUR-MRA. The EUR-MRA incorporates an ‘outside-in’ perspective on a structural basis and ensures a link with the wider social arena outside the academic context.

European Universities Initiative – UNIC

At the end of 2025, UNIC was halfway through its second grant period. The alliance works in various ways to promote educational innovation, research collaboration and urban impact in the European context. By linking these together, UNIC develops the skills and knowledge needed for European citizenship and democratic resilience. Through CityLabs, the methodology is firmly rooted in local communities. This leads to the creation of solutions that are anchored in the local context and transferable across national borders.

At the UNIC Thematic Conference in Malmö (May 2025), EUR made substantive contributions in the areas of urban sustainability, societal impact and engaged research. EUR scholars and scientists took part in panels and workshops on Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) and sustainable urban transformation, co-creation with urban partners and methodological approaches to societal impact. 

In November, communities from the various universities came together to discuss the development of joint degree programmes, ensuring the alliance is firmly established for the long term, societal impact and urban partnerships. A number of City Labs also took place, including one in Bilbao on ESG and finance, in which students and researchers from EUR participated. The CityLab offered interdisciplinary lectures and working sessions, direct interaction with local policymakers and stakeholders, and a visit to the Port of Bilbao.

In December, more than ninety researchers and doctoral candidates from the alliance took part in the week-long Hidden Cities programme in Cork, organised by the Department of Theatre and the Future Humanities Institute. The programme focused on innovative artistic research methods, including theatre, music, creative writing, drawing and installation art, and combined theory with hands-on workshops and experiments. These approaches, developed with and within the UNIC network, enable local pilot projects to be scaled up into Europe-wide solutions. The diversity among partner cities is a shared strength.

To strengthen ties in the area of student mobility, UNIC drew up and signed the Multilateral Erasmus Inter-institutional Agreement (IIA) this year. The agreement supplements the existing faculty-specific arrangements regarding student mobility. This simplifies mobility processes and increases UNIC’s visibility within the partner universities and among external stakeholders.

EUR’s Strategy 2030 identifies the diversification of sources of income as a priority. The aim is to increase income from sources other than direct funding. This is closely linked to other priorities set out in the strategy. For example, the OINs form an ecosystem for acquiring external funding and LLO activities also help to increase earning capacity. Within the UNL network, EUR played a key role in establishing cooperation agreements between the Ministry of Defence and the universities regarding the resilience challenge. Another example is the role played by EUR in the Province of South Holland’s agenda on broad prosperity. Alongside these examples of a more substantive focus on diverse sources of income and a stronger focus on policy-driven research, the implementation of the Vidatum project management system is an important step in the professionalisation of the delivery of externally funded projects.

Research grants and achievements

In 2025, EUR academics once again received a wide range of grants and awards from competitive funding schemes. Although grants and awards are often bestowed on individuals and relate to individual achievements, they almost always depend on efforts by a team, with both academic colleagues and professional service staff (such as financial controllers, grant support staff and data stewards) making an indispensable contribution.