Professor Kurt Deketelaere has been reappointed to a second term as Secretary-General of the League of European Research Universities (LERU). The LERU Rectors’ Assembly announced the appointment on 18 May in Leiden, Netherlands.
Kurt Deketelaere has led LERU since July 2009. LERU is an association of 21 European research-intensive universities founded in 2002. It exercises significant influence on science and research policy in Europe. LERU is also an important platform for consultation and best practice exchange between member-universities.
“With Professor Deketelaere as Secretary-General, LERU has made significant progress,” says Professor Bernd Huber, LERU’s chair and President of LMU Munich. “Our current broad spectrum of activities and our contributions to the research policy debate have established LERU’s reputation as a major stakeholder in the European Union. LERU now has an important and well-respected voice in the discussions about the future of Europe’s research policy.”
“I am honoured to be reappointed to this position and I look forward to a continued excellent collaboration with our member universities and external stakeholders,” says Professor Deketelaere. “In the years to come, LERU will continue to influence policy on a broad set of issues and intensify cooperation among like minded organisations worldwide to stress the importance of universities for research and innovation.”
The LERU universities are: University of Amsterdam, Universitat de Barcelona, University of Cambridge, University of Edinburgh, University of Freiburg, Université de Genève, Universität Heidelberg, University of Helsinki, Universiteit Leiden and KU Leuven.