Marijk van der Wende

Marijk van der Wende is a Distinguished Faculty Professor of Higher Education at Utrecht University's Faculty of Law, Economics and Governance, Department of Public Administration and Organizational Science. Her research focuses on the impact of global trends and international developments on higher education and research systems. She also serves as President of the Supervisory Board of the Open University of the Netherlands and President of the European Higher Education Society (EAIR).

Her research interests span Higher Education Policy, Internationalization of Higher Education, Academic Mobility, and Liberal Arts Education. She examines how globalization affects higher education systems, institutions, curricula, and teaching and learning arrangements across different national contexts. Her work particularly focuses on the relationship between universities and open societies, examining challenges posed by nationalism, populism, and geopolitical tensions to academic freedom and international cooperation.

Professor van der Wende's publications reveal a strong focus on trends in global higher education, with particular attention to US-China-Europe relations, the Belt and Road Initiative's impact on academic collaboration, excellence in undergraduate education, and the concentration of research talent in Europe. Her work spans comparative studies across America, Europe, and Asia, with a special emphasis on the evolving role of Chinese universities in the global knowledge economy.

She has held significant leadership positions including Dean of Graduate Studies at Utrecht University (2015-2017), Founding Dean of Amsterdam University College (2007-2015), and President of the OECD's Institutional Management in Higher Education program (2005-2011).

Professor van der Wende maintains extensive international connections as an affiliate faculty member at UC Berkeley's Center for Studies in Higher Education, a member of Academia Europaea, and involvement with numerous editorial boards and advisory committees including those at Oxford University and the Global University Network for Innovation.