Ruud Bleijerveld
HUMANE President, 2000 to 2005
It is with great sadness that we announce the death of Ruud Bleijerveld, former President of HUMANE from 2000 to 2005.
Ruud was the long serving Secretary General of the University of Amsterdam and a highly active member of the HUMANE network.
Under his visionary leadership numerous initiatives were launched, each achieving significant success within the network. Since 2003 the HUMANE Winter School, a one-week leadership and professional development programme brings together every year some 40 senior leaders and managers of universities for a powerful learning experience.
To date HUMANE has 700+ Winter School alumni. During his presidency, Ruud also established the high-level thematic Study Visits, which have become a yearly activity, offering members an in-depth exploration of a single university’s strategy and operations. Additionally, his efforts led to the organisation of multiple events that expanded university participation in the network, contributing significantly to HUMANE’s membership growth.
Ruud’s boundless energy and dedication to driving innovation within HUMANE were evident in his tireless collaboration with the Board, the General Assembly, and the Secretariat. As a truly European university leader, he was always eager to engage with senior colleagues across Europe – whether they were the German university Kanzler, the Italian direttore generale, the UK registrar, the Scandinavian university director of administration or the university gerente in Spain.
An active listener, he was always open to exploring diverse university perspectives and management approaches, fostering invaluable institutional and personal connections that continue to shape HUMANE today.
We mourn his loss alongside his partner, family, and friends, but we are also deeply grateful for Ruud’s lasting contribution to the higher education sector in Europe and the profound impact he made on our association.
Ruud Bleijerveld, born 27 September 1941 died 4 February 2025.