Policy Tilburg University
The university gives account to its stakeholders and to the community at large on its operations and achievements. As part of its commitment to transparency and public accountability, Tilburg University has published a number of documents to provide access to its annual reports and the budgets, among other things.
Strategy 2018 - 2021
Every four years, Tilburg University outlines its policy in a Strategy. It sets out the principal themes and formulates ambitions for the next four years.
Concerted action
The Strategy 2018-2021 is the consolidated result of concerted action during the first six months of 2017. During this period, both internal and external stakeholders were consulted extensively to develop a broadly endorsed vision and strategy for the university’s future.
In order to accomplish our mission and implement our vision, we have formulated ambitions for our three primary processes, i.e., education, research, and impact generation, as well as a strategy and objectives for growth, location, culture & governance, and operational excellence.
Download the Strategy
It is our conviction that the Strategy 2018-2021 will move Tilburg University into a new era and will provide us with new and challenging prospects that are nonetheless grounded in and reflect our traditional values.
Educational profile
Students at Tilburg University are educated to become knowledgeable, self-aware, and engaged academics, who understand society and want to play a significant role in it, driven by solidarity, entrepreneurship, a sense of responsibility, and empathy: values demanded by our society.
Research profile
Quality, innovation, making connections, internationalization, and effectiveness drive our research and teaching. The basis is a high-quality research in the fields of Economics and management, Law, Humanities, Social and Behavioral Sciences and Theology.
This research meets international quality standards.
Societal impact
We focus on social issues from various disciplines: the complexity of subjects like pensions and the aging population, security, sustainability, the labor market, and care requires an integral approach.
Our Impact Program connects Tilburg University researchers with other knowledge institutions, authorities, citizens, and the business community to cooperate on three important themes: Empowering the Resilient Society, Enhancing Health and Wellbeing, and Creating Value from Data.
Open Science
To ensure that the results of our research are broadly available to society at large, Tilburg University has opted for Open Science publication wherever possible.
We also invest in our PhD students who, as the new generation of researchers, are of vital importance to the knowledge-based economy. We offer PhD programs for our own and for external PhD students and are partner in various international joint PhD programs.
Research quality care
Tilburg University attaches great importance to the quality of its academic research. Therefore, all research conducted at Tilburg University is periodically reviewed by national or international panels consisting of renowned scholars. Such external peer review is carried out every six years.
The Tilburg University Executive Board is responsible for research assessment. The Standard Evaluation Protocol 2015-2021 (SEP), formulated by the Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences (KNAW), the Association of Universities in the Netherlands (VSNU), and the Netherlands Organisation for Scientific Research (NWO), is used as a template for these peer review exercises. The procedures for peer review and midterm review are set out in a memo entitled Administrative processing. The Executive Board itself can assess the reviews or it may outsource this task to quality assurance agency QANU or a different approved quality assessment agency (Visiterende en Beoordelende Instantie).
Reports
Educational innovation
The wide-ranging digitalization of society and the increasing diversity among our students call for innovation of the education we offer. Society demands professionals and leaders that can deal with changes in a flexible way and find solutions to complex problems.
To educate these professionals and future leaders, Tilburg University invests in education that meets the expectations of the new generation of students as well as meeting the demands of the job market.
Sustainability
The UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) make it clear that the world faces major sustainability challenges. Examples include poverty reduction, ensuring health and well-being, gender equality, the transition to clean energy, responsible consumption, restoring ecosystems, and combating climate change and its consequences. Gaining more insight into these problems and contributing to solutions are central to Tilburg University's mission, vision, and ambition. That is why we are committed to sustainability in education and research, in the day-to-day management of the campus, and in the management of our assets.
More information on sustainability can be found on our website (in Dutch only).
Gender policy / Diversity
Tilburg University values a culture of openness and inclusion. We unite people from many nationalities and backgrounds and embrace the diverse range of perspectives this brings about.
At the same time, we realize that our campus does not - yet - show a fair representation of women and diverse groups on all levels. Measuring diversity from student to top, student composition shows proportionate heterogeneity. Top positions, like the academic rank of professor, are still fairly homogeneous. We will strongly focus on (gender) diversity and offering equal opportunities for all. Student diversity serves as an example for faculty.
Regional strength
Tilburg University is central located between the ports of Rotterdam and Antwerp and the German Ruhr District. Regional partners in this area work together on innovation and entrepreneurship in national and international networks. The province of Brabant has an international reputation as a European top region as regards innovation and knowledge, with an inspiring business environment. This earned European Entrepreneurial Region (EER) of the year 2014 label.
Brainport and Midpoint
As a partner in Brainport, Tilburg University is closely connected to the region. Brainport’s philosophy is to work towards increasing wellbeing and prosperity through the Triple Helix: intensive collaboration between knowledge institutions, the business sector, and local and other governments. This has made Brainport one of the three pillars of the Dutch economy. Its success was also borne out by the fact that Brainport was proclaimed the economically best performing regions in the Netherlands in 2014, after it had been declared the smartest region of the world in 2011.
In Midpoint, the region is working on economic development through social innovation. Core themes are logistics, leisure, care, and aerospace&maintenance. Some examples include the establishment of L-Logic, that helps logistics companies improve operating efficiencies and Into D’mentia, in which people can experience what it is like to have dementia.
Tu/e, Tias and Graduate School
Tilburg University and Eindhoven University of Technology are in relatively close proximity. They are natural partners and their cooperation is intensive. TIAS School for Business and Society is the Business School of both universities. According to the Financial Times, TIAS ranks first among the Business Schools in the Netherlands.
Eindhoven University of Technology (TU/e) and Tilburg University (TiU) intend to set up a Graduate School, an academic training center with three Master tracks: Data Science, Entrepreneurship, and Governance. The universities will join force to develop the fields of data science and big data given their crucial importance for society and the business sector. For that reason, there will be an international curriculum for PhD students s, Master’s studies, and entrepreneurs.
Social Innovation: Brabant Alliance
During her working visit on March 18, Her Majesty Queen Máxima witnessed the signing of the Brabant Alliance. The President of the Tilburg University Executive Board, Koen Becking, signed on behalf of the knowledge institutions in the region. The other signatories were Tilburg mayor Peter Noordanus, representing the local authorities, and Peter Struik, representing the regional business community. This Alliance contains commitments to work on social innovation now for tomorrow's generation in the areas of labor, care, and sustainability.
Honorary doctorates
Exceptional scientific accomplishments can be rewarded with a honorary degree. This title can also be bestowed upon a person who rendered exceptional community services. The Honorary Doctorates are awarded at anniversaries and at special occasions during a ceremony on the Dies Natalis at Tilburg University.
Professor of Practice
In 2017, Tilburg University introduced a new position, that of ‘Professor of Practice’, for innovative business leaders or entrepreneurs working in internationally oriented companies. By making this position available, Tilburg University wants to sustainably strengthen its impact on society and its ties with practice.
Inspiring role model for students
A Professor of Practice needs to be an inspiring role model for students and shares his/her practical experience and entrepreneurial enthusiasm with students. In the field of research, he/she contributes to the social impact of our research and to applied science.
Business administration expert Ronald de Jong (1967), Chief Human Resources Officer and a member of the Executive Committee at Philips, was the first to be appointed as Professor of Practice. Since 2014, De Jong has been chairman of the Philips Foundation, an initiative to establish lasting social change and access to health care for disadvantaged communities through innovation and collaboration.
International orientation
Tilburg University operates from an international academic orientation. International cooperation is a prerequisite for realizing our ambitions in teaching, research, and valorization. The university is increasingly focused and selective in its collaborations to be able to define its profile more sharply also in international relations.
Erasmus
Participation in ERASMUS+ is key to the realization of Tilburg University's internationalization goals. We are
dedicated to conducting high quality exchange of both students and staff with our partner institutions, and are
committed to supporting students and staff engaging in these activities. Do you have questions regarding Erasmus+ cooperation? Please send an e-mail to: erasmusplus@tilburguniversity.edu
International research networks
Tilburg University actively participates in various international research networks focused on knowledge-sharing and advocacy. These networks often give rise to consortia that focus on European or global research themes such as the Seventh Framework Programme. Tilburg University participates in Entracte, Brainage, Repopa, Integrate, A4Cloud, Fi Star, CobaCore, Mopact, Glamurs, Citysdk, en Dasish.
These and other networks also facilitate international mobility in education. The university cooperates with various universities in the area of education, enabling students to gain international experience through Master’s programs with multiple degrees, internships, exchange programs, or a summer school.
Questions?
Do you have questions regarding Erasmus+ cooperation? Please send an e-mail to erasmusplus@tilburguniversity.edu
Martinus Cobbenhagen
The name of the priest and academic, Martinus Cobbenhagen, and Tilburg University are inextricably bound to one another.Cobbenhagen was the first in the Netherlands to propagate the notion that the practice and ethics of economics go hand in hand; an idea that to this day forms one of the corner stones of the university's identity.
Cobbenhagen essays