Thomas Cleij reappointed as Dean of the Faculty of Science and Engineering

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.