With our current president of the Executive Board (EB), Robert-Jan Smits, retiring soon, TU/e has successfully completed the search for his successor. The new president will not only shape the university's strategy and policies for future generations but will also play a role in fostering entrepreneurship, building collaborative networks, and strengthening TU/e’s external representation and positioning.

Finding the right person for this important role is a long and detailed process. The vacancy includes a profile which describes the desired characteristics and capabilities of our new president. The University Council (UC) has a role in shaping the profile, offering advice to ensure the interests of the TU/e-community are heard. Both a staff and a student member of the UC are a part of the appointment advisory committee, the BAC (from the Dutch “benoemingsadviescommissie”). As the student representative in the BAC, your role is to bring the perspectives of students and co-determination bodies into the process. After the BAC finishes its work, the UC advises on the proposed appointment. The decisions made by the BAC have long-term impacts that unfold over many years – well after you have graduated.

Similarly, in the work of the UC, the goals are clear: express opinions from the TU/e community and reflecting on decisions made by the EB. However, because the UC works at such a strategic level these efforts take time to bear fruit, sometimes long after the process has begun.

As a student, you witness the beginning of the appointment, but the impact of the BAC’s advice reveals itself over time. The BAC’s decisions unfold slowly, their full form only becoming visible later. You contribute to a process that shapes the university’s future. The long-term impact of this work will continue to unfold, influencing students and staff long after you graduate.

Much like origami, the work done within the UC involves careful, deliberate folds – consulting stakeholders, gathering input, and advising on decisions. All these actions together shape the university that future generations will experience. As student members of the UC, you might not always get to see the complete design in your short term, but you are contributing to a process that unfolds into something meaningful for the new generation.

Jeannique Wagenaar - master's student in Applied Physics - is a member of the University Council on behalf of student faction ONS.