Irmgard Borghouts new Crown-appointed member of the SER
Irmgard Borghouts, Endowed Professor of HRM & Social Security at Tilburg University, has been appointed as a new member of the Dutch Social and Economic Council (SER). The Dutch Cabinet has approved her appointment today. In her capacity as a Crown-appointed member, Professor Borghouts will advise the government in the field of employment security, labor market policy, and social security, including HRM and Lifelong Development. Professor Borghouts has been appointed for the period of April 1, 2024, to March 31, 2026.
Prof. dr. Irmgard Borghouts has been appointed as a new member of the SER, an organization that advises the Dutch Government and Parliament on social and economic policy, because of her multidisciplinary expertise in the field of social policy, social security, and strategic HRM issues within organizations. She is involved in many studies, among other things, those commissioned by the European Commission and the Dutch Ministry of Social Affairs and Employment. For instance, she is one of the members of the Independent Commission on the Future of the Invalidity Benefit System (Onafhankelijke commissie toekomst van het arbeidsongeschiktheidsstelsel, Octas), which has recently presented a report on the future of the benefit system for people dealing with disability and long-term sickness.
Dean Antoinette de Bont of the Tilburg School of Social and Behavioral Sciences is very pleased with Borghouts’ appointment: “With her knowledge of decent work and an inclusive labor market, Professor Borghouts can, as a Crown-appointed member of the SER, provide an important contribution to the future perspective of broad prosperity. Knowledge from the social sciences is indispensable input for the people-centered economy of the future.”
Borghouts is one of the eight new Crown-appointed members. The SER Crown-appointed members advise the government on domains such as entrepreneurship, decent work, sustainable growth, an inclusive society, a fair distribution of income, and broad prosperity.
On the SER and its Crown-appointed members
The Social and Economic Council is the most important advisory body for the Dutch government and Parliament on socio-economic issues. The Crown-appointed members in the SER are independent experts with specialist knowledge in different socio-economic fields. These members are appointed by the King, on the recommendation of the Cabinet. Their task is to contribute knowledge and promote the public interest. They also build bridges between the members representing the employers and employees. Besides the Crown-appointed members, the SER consists of representatives of employers’ and employees’ organizations.
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Prof. dr. Irmgard Borghouts
endowed Professor of HRM & Social SecurityDr. Irmgard Borghouts is an endowed Professor of HRM & Social Security at Tilburg University. The remit of this Chair, which is co-funded by Instituut Gak (a foundation that aims to improve the quality of social security and labor-market policy in the Netherlands by funding projects and scientific research) is focused on the interplay and mutual interaction between social security systems (public and private) and HRM policy within organizations. Borghouts heads a group of driven researchers and PhD students in the field of the inclusive labor market within the Department of HR Studies of the Tilburg School of Social and Behavioral Sciences. She is the director of the People Management Center and visiting professor at University West in Sweden. Borghouts is a Labor Market & Social Security scientist. In 2012, she earned a PhD based on an international comparative study on employment security systems. Prior to that, she conducted research in Spain, Sweden, the United Kingdom, Austria, and the Netherlands on Job to Job Transition systems that contribute to a smooth transition of redundant employees to different jobs. This work was awarded a German science prize in 2016. In December 2022, outgoing Minister of Social Affairs and Employment Karien van Gennip asked her to become a member of the Independent Commission on the Future of the Invalidity Benefit System (Onafhankelijke commissie toekomst van het arbeidsongeschiktheidsstelsel, Octas). Her administrative experience is evidenced by various activities. She is a board member at the Willem II foundation, that initiates, supports, and guides social initiatives in Tilburg and surrounding area, using the power and reputation of Tilburg football club Willem II. Borghouts also serves on the Supervisory Board of the Elisabeth TweeSteden hospital (ETZ).
