Prof. dr. Rianne Letschert (1976) studied International Law at Tilburg University, the University of Amsterdam and the University of Montpellier. She earned her PhD at Tilburg University with a thesis titled ‘The impact of minority rights mechanisms’ (2005), on the role competing international organisations play in making policy and law on national minorities.

In March 2011, Letschert was appointed professor to the new chair of Victimology and International Law at Tilburg University. From April to August 2010 she was a Visiting Research Fellow at the Lauterpacht Centre for International Law at the University of Cambridge (UK), and Research Fellow of Clare Hall, Cambridge, of which she is lifelong member. In 2014, she was Visiting Professor at the University of Barcelona. In 2012, Letschert joined De Jonge Akademie (Young Academy) of the Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences of which she became chairperson in April 2015.

She has authored and edited several book publications and articles in national and international journals. She also served as director of the International Victimology Institute (INTERVICT), where she established a master's degree in Victimology and Criminal Justice, which quickly attracted many national and international students from different academic disciplines to Tilburg. Working in an interdisciplinary team has greatly influenced her own scientific development.

In May 2015, she and her team were awarded a Vidi grant by the Netherlands Organisation for Scientific Research to research the impact of international tribunals on societies and individuals that have been confronted with serious human rights violations and international crimes.

She has always dedicated a lot of time to translating scientific knowledge into societal impact. For example, she was an expert consultant on behalf of the victims at the Special Tribunal for Lebanon, she gave several public lectures and her extracurricular positions are related to socially relevant themes.

On 1 September 2016, Professor Rianne Letschert was appointed rector magnificus of Maastricht University. One of her main tasks as the administrative leader of a national programme by the VSNU is to implement the position paper 'Room for Everyone's Talent'  , not only in Maastricht but in the entire sector.

As of 1 November 2021, Rector Magnificus Rianne Letschert has been appointed as President of Maastricht University. Rianne Letschert combines her role as President with that of Rector Magnificus until the new Rector Magnificus takes office.