The Executive Board of Maastricht University has reappointed prof. dr. Thomas Cleij as Dean of the Faculty of Science and Engineering. Cleij will continue to lead the fast-growing faculty until March 2027.

The Faculty of Science and Engineering (FSE) took on its current name and mission in 2018, when the Faculty of Humanities and Sciences transitioned into a dedicated science and engineering faculty. Since then, FSE has grown into a vibrant community of over 3100 students and 450 staff members.

Cleij led FSE through this transition and has remained Dean ever since. FSE plays a prominent role in the Dutch science and engineering landscape today, with research highlights including the one-of-a-kind physics laboratory ETpathfinder, the founding of the Department of Advanced Computing Sciences, and the initiation of a recycling cluster at the Brightlands Chemelot Campus. The faculty also launched several new educational programmes, notably including the Circular Engineering bachelor’s programme that caters to the need for a new type of engineers working on sustainability.

“I’m particularly proud of how we built this faculty together as a team”, Cleij says. “With staff and students alike. Within the Netherlands, we are a unique faculty in the way we are structured, the themes we tackle, and our mentality. In the coming years I hope to continue building upon the strengths of our faculty and to further develop our engineering portfolio.”

Cleij’s reappointment is for a period of three years, from 1 March 2024 until 1 March 2027. The standard appointment period for a Dean at UM is four years; his current term lasts five years due to the transition FSE went through at the time of his current appointment.