TU Delft appoints Hester Bijl as Rector Magnificus

Professor Hester Bijl will join the Executive Board of TU Delft as Rector Magnificus. The Supervisory Board has appointed her with effect from 15 January 2026. She is currently Rector Magnificus at Leiden University.

Hester Bijl studied Applied Mathematics at TU Delft and also obtained an MA in English Language and Literature at Leiden University. In 1999, she obtained her PhD in Computational Fluid Dynamics from TU Delft. From late 1999, she was an assistant and later associate professor at the Faculty of Aerospace Engineering (AE), where she was appointed full professor of Computational Fluid Dynamics in 2006. From 2007 to 2013, she was the head of the Aerodynamics, Wind Energy, Flight Performance and Propulsion department (now known as the Flow Physics and Technology department). She was also the director of the Delft Energy Initiative from 2011 to 2013. In 2013, she became dean of the Faculty of AE. Shortly before the end of her first term, in late 2016, she left TU Delft to join Leiden University, becoming Vice Rector Magnificus and a member of the Executive Board. Since 2021, she has been Rector Magnificus there.

Roles in scientific and civil organisations

Hester Bijl has always combined her main academic and administrative positions with roles in scientific and civil organisations. For example, at the turn of the century, she spent several years as a visiting scientist at the NASA Langley Research Centre in Hampton, Virginia, USA. In 2005, she became a founding member of the inaugural board of The Young Academy of the KNAW. She has served as a board member of Universities of the Netherlands (UNL). She has also been a member of the TNO supervisory board since 2018 and of the Impuls Zeeland regional development company supervisory board since 2021.

Wealth of administrative experience

“We are delighted to announce the appointment of this esteemed scientist, seasoned administrator and TU Delft alumna as the new Rector Magnificus of TU Delft. As the former Dean of the Faculty of Aerospace Engineering, she knows the university inside out. At the same time, she brings a wealth of administrative experience with her. We are extremely pleased that Hester Bijl is returning to us as our first female Rector Magnificus,” said Luc Soete, acting chair of the Supervisory Board. “The new Executive Board faces considerable challenges next year. With drastic budget cuts on the horizon, the need for continued attention to social safety and within an increasingly complex geopolitical context, TU Delft is committed to maintaining its reputation as a top university. We are fully convinced that Hester Bijl is the perfect person to meet these challenges as Rector Magnificus.”

Valuable contribution

Hester Bijl: “I will return with great pleasure to my roots in Delft early next year. Like other universities, TU Delft will face major challenges in the coming years. I am looking forward to working alongside the entire community to help overcome these challenges, because I strongly believe in the valuable contribution that the TU Delft can make to society. This does mean that I will unfortunately be leaving Leiden University earlier than planned. However, I am confident that we will continue to meet regularly, especially given the strong ties between Leiden and Delft.”

Hester Bijl will succeed Tim van der Hagen as Rector Magnificus next year; Van der Hagen has been in office as Rector Magnificus for more than two terms. The festive change of rectorship will take place during the Dies Natalis celebration on Thursday 15 January 2026.

This article was first published on 17 July by TU Delft.