In late March, thirty Nyenrode alumni in Washington DC and New York, members of the Dutch embassy staff in Washington DC, and a number of deans and university administrators at Georgetown University and George Mason University welcomed Nyenrode rector Miša Džoljić and heard about Nyenrode’s progress. The rector’s visits were organized by American Friends of Nyenrode University Inc (AFNU).

Progress towards the Nyenrode 2020 Vision
Rector Džoljić’s message was a good one. The progress towards achieving the “2020 vision” - becoming a top twenty European business school - is continuing. Nyenrode’s students, faculty and staff are brimming with talent, Nyenrode is in sound financial shape, the university was re-accredited by Equis and Nyenrode has plans to apply for the American AACSB accreditation.

Naturally, many Dutch and American alumni were enthused about the launch of the on-campus three-year BSc in business program in September 2016. Also, Nyenrode has for several years been recognized in the Netherlands as the leader in Open Executive programs in areas such as finance, corporate governance, and supply chain management. Faculty and PhD research output is increasing, and applications for the degree programs are rising. Altogether, lots of good things are happening in Breukelen!

Rector Džoljić applauded AFNU’s fundraising initiatives - including the Delft Blue miniature castle - and emphasized that the ability to grant tuition support is a key ingredient to attract top-notch applicants to Nyenrode. He also expressed his thanks to AFNU and a number of US-based alumni for assisting a number of American applicants to the new BSc program.

Visits to the Embassy, Georgetown and George Mason Universities
Accompanied by AFNU board members Jack Roepers and Albert van Servellen, the rector visited deans and administrators at Georgetown University to explore student exchange programs at the undergraduate and graduate level.

In the 1970-1990 period, no fewer than fifty Georgetown students spent their “junior year abroad” at Nyenrode, while dozens of Nyenrode students completed graduate degrees at Georgetown’s prestigious School of Foreign Service. Gillette Hall, a former Georgetown exchange student at Nyenrode and currently a Georgetown faculty member, voiced strong support. A visit with Sarah Nutter, the dean of George Mason University’s business school, was equally positive. After an introduction from Nyenrode alumnus Kees de Kluyver (a former George Mason dean and currently dean emeritus at the Lundquist School of Business at the University of Oregon), the seeds have been planted for the relaunching of future student and faculty exchanges.

The Nyenrode delegation also met with Ambassador Henne Schuwer, the Dutch ambassador in Washington and members of the embassy staff. The embassy and various consulate-general offices across the US have –for many years-- been very helpful to Nyenrode and AFNU in many areas, including alumni gatherings, MSc research projects and, more generally, marketing Dutch higher education. AFNU board member Albert van Servellen presented Ambassador Schuwer a Delft Blue miniature Nyenrode castle.

Alumni meetings
In the true Nyenrode tradition, the hard work of “selling Nyenrode” was followed by a fun cocktails-and-dinner evening with alumni at the Virginia home of Jack Roepers and his wife Nadereh Chamlou. As if Jack’s work on behalf of AFNU isn’t enough, Nadereh - a former senior advisor and economist at the World Bank - has worked with the Dutch government and Nyenrode faculty members in various research studies.

After three busy days in the Washington DC area, the Rector and Albert van Servellen traveled to New York to meet for drinks-and-dinner with twenty alumni at the Netherland Club at Rockefeller Center. Organized by AFNU’s Johan de Voogd, the New York alumni gathering was - like the Washington alumni meeting - a welcome update on all that’s happening at our alma mater. And on Saturday, Rector Džoljić boarded the train to Boston to attend the three-day annual AACBS meeting in Boston.