A century ago the Erasmus University Rotterdam was founded by tradesmen and shipping magnets. The city and its surroundings are still the academic working place for development and transferring knowledge. The emphasis is about knowledge that is pragmatic, social and working. In short it’s about knowledge with impact!

 

The director of the Erasmus University Rotterdam and the Chair of the Centennial Committee Mrs Pauline van der Meer Mohr stated that sport is also an important part of the university. Especially in a city as Rotterdam where sport is one of the unique selling points. That is also why the European Universities Games are so special for the university as the big closing event of their centennial year. It is the Universities drive of social relevance and scientific excellence that created the theme of this centennial ‘100 years impact’. The Erasmus University Rotterdam is proud of the impact and that is what they wanted to celebrate during their year of celebrations. The EUGames is an event also for the students from the university so that’s why it is a great way to finish all the festivities of the centennial year.

 

Having started with 55 students in a single discipline, who were provisionally accommodated in two classrooms in the former stock exchange or Beurs, today, the university has around 25,000 students enrolled in around 20 bachelor and 50 master programmes. A quarter of these students come from abroad. A new campus will be festively opened again during the centennial academic year 2013-14. Some things have stayed the same: a knowledge institution for thinkers and doers, one gaze focussing on generating new knowledge, another looking at the application of that knowledge. Thinking power combined with acting power; this is embedded in our university’s DNA. 

 

Given the feedback from our networks and our image surveys, we are certain that our scientists are recognised for being pragmatic and solution-oriented. Our social relevance has recently been measured through what is called the valorisation-index.
The impact on the city where our university was born. The impact on generations of students and graduates. The impact on the local community and global society. That is what we would like to show in our centennial year: the international stature of a city university, filled with ambitions and innovative ideas on a completely renovated campus! Speaking of ambitions, the official kick-off of the centennial year will be accompanied by the opening of our newest international flagship: Erasmus University College in the centre of Rotterdam.

 

Rotterdam has a lot to celebrate in 2013-2014, and the European University Sports Association (EUSA) is happy to celebrate the anniversary together and see the European Universities Games also being a strong mark of the festivities.

 

More information about the University can be found at www.eur.nl and about the Games at www.eugames2014.eu.