Iris Vis appointed as Dean of Industry Relations

On 1 September, Prof. Iris Vis was appointed as Dean of Industry Relations at the University of Groningen (UG). By appointing Prof. Vis, who is also a full professor at the Faculty of Economics and Business, the UG intends to strengthen and develop its existing relationship with industry.

‘The UG has a long tradition of collaborating with industry. Joint projects undertaken with Tata Steel and Philips Drachten and the agreement to house Avebe’s new innovation centre at the Zernike Campus are examples of such collaborations,’ says Jan de Jeu, the UG’s Vice President. ‘The contacts and efforts of our Research & Valorisation department, the Centre of Entrepreneurship, the Alumni Relations and Fundraising department and the Ubbo Emmius Fund have resulted in many successful relationships with the corporate sector. It is our intention to develop these interactions and collaborations even more. By appointing Iris Vis as Dean of Industry Relations we want to foster this ambition. As a matchmaker between industry and University, she will be able to contribute to structural and lasting relationships.’

Lasting relationships

Vis wants to help establish connections between the corporate sector and the University in the fields of teaching and research. Links with non-profit organizations will also be strengthened. ‘Current themes will form the basis of new and lasting collaborations between the UG and these organizations,’ according to Prof. Vis. ‘Our starting point is that we will jointly explore how best to organize such collaborations and the aims we should pursue.’

‘Collaborations can develop in various ways. Researchers can look for an industrial application of the outcomes of their fundamental research. Conversely, a query from a company may provide a starting point for research conducted by UG scientists. The main thing is to create synergy between the corporate sector and the University, to develop innovations in a joint effort. Collaborations also create teaching opportunities, for example in the area of professionalization programmes.’

Sharing knowledge

The new Dean of Industry Relations hopes to combine questions from various parties to enable the sharing of knowledge within networks. ‘We also want to show,’ says Prof. Vis, ‘what great things the UG is already doing. Industrial relations management is an important part of my work as Dean, which focuses on helping all parties to achieve their goals. In this way project collaborations can develop into lasting strategic cooperation relationships.’

More information

Contact: Prof. Iris F.A. Vis, Dean of Industry Relations, tel: +31 (0)621575621