Elmer Sterken next University of Groningen Rector Magnificus

The Supervisory Board of the University of Groningen has decided that Prof. Elmer Sterken will succeed Prof. Frans Zwarts as Rector Magnificus of the University on 1 March 2011. Zwarts’s appointment, which was to end on 1 September 2010, has been extended until 1 March 2011 by the Board. Zwarts was appointed Rector in 2002.Sterken’s appointment will be for a period of four years.He will join Prof. Sibrand Poppema (President) and Prof. Koos Duppen (Vice President) as member of the Board of the University of Groningen.

Dean

Sterken has been Dean of the Faculty of Economics and Business since 1 September 2008. He is also Chair of the National Committee of Deans for Economics and Business. In addition, Sterken is a member of the boards of the Stichting Academische Opleidingen Groningen (AOG Foundation) and the Energy Delta Instituteand of the Raad voor de Bedrijfsvoering Facilitair Bedrijf (University Services Department Management Council) of the University of Groningen.

Curriculum vitae

Elmer Sterken (Apeldoorn, 1961) has been Professor of Monetary Economics at the University of Groningen since 1996. He graduated with honours in Econometrics at Groningen in 1983, where he also gained his PhD in Economics in 1990 with a thesis entitled DUFIS.An econometric model of the Dutch financial system. He subsequently led a successful career at the University of Groningen and was appointed professor-director of the National Network for Business Economics in 1994. He has been visiting professor at universities in Germany (Munich), Japan (Osaka and Kobe) and the US (Atlanta).

Note for the press

– More information: Piet Bouma, Head of the Communication Office of the University of Groningen, p.bouma rug.nl; +31 50 – 363 5445
- University of Groningen staff page: www.rug.nl/staff/e.sterken