When the TU’s supervisory board hired McKinsey consultants, they thwarted Dr. Guus Berhout’s research strategy.”You have to be patient to make alterations at an university.
Engaging McKinsey consultants to quickly determine the research strategy won’t work,” concludes Dr. Guus Berkhout, former vice president of the executive board. Berkhout was responsible for research strategy, but he resigned on May 1.
”I’ve agreed with the supervisory board not to reveal what happened in the past, but the final result is that I haven’t succeeded in convincing them to keep McKinsey away from the TU. That’s painful for TU Delft,” Berkhout says. At the end of March, it appeared all members of TU’s executive board would leave the TU within a year. Neither the supervisory board, who took this decision, nor the executive board members, wanted to comment on this startling turn of events.
Berkhout wanted more information about the international value the TU research groups are credited with: ”Publications show what scientific fields are dynamic internationally and how the university is rated in those fields. Are you working on interesting subjects? Publishing your work in the right magazines? And are your publications gaining sufficient attention? Presently, it’s possible to gain this strategic information and with it to decide if we’re working at the (top) levels we’re aiming for.”
An assignment to gain this information has yet to be carried out by Leiden specialist Van Raan. ”Instead, McKinsey has been hired. But before you can determine a strategy, it’s essential to know how each research field is valued in the world. Because if you don’t know where you stand, how can you plot your strategy? How can you get people to stand behind you?”
So, Berkhout is resigning: ”I had already discussed my strategy thoroughly with the faculties. I’m not needed for the process that has now been chosen.”
McKinsey wasn’t the only moot point within the executive board. Earlier, Berkhout had handed his real estate portfolio
over to TU executive board president, Dr. Nico de Voogd. Also, De Voogd’s pronouncements in the press concerning the merger with Leiden University were ‘utterly unfortunate’, according to Berkhout. ”We’d agreed on close co-operation in fields where synergy could be achieved.”
A merger with the Eindhoven Technical University has many more advantages, in Berkhout’s opinion: ”The childish fighting with Eindhoven is terrible. I consulted extensively with the board members of Eindhoven and Twente. Eindhoven and Delft resemble each other so much that we could form one university with two auxiliary branches. One president of two executive boards would be an elegant way of drawing them closer together. I suggested this to the Minister of Education.”
When the TU’s supervisory board hired McKinsey consultants, they thwarted Dr. Guus Berhout’s research strategy.
”You have to be patient to make alterations at an university. Engaging McKinsey consultants to quickly determine the research strategy won’t work,” concludes Dr. Guus Berkhout, former vice president of the executive board. Berkhout was responsible for research strategy, but he resigned on May 1.
”I’ve agreed with the supervisory board not to reveal what happened in the past, but the final result is that I haven’t succeeded in convincing them to keep McKinsey away from the TU. That’s painful for TU Delft,” Berkhout says. At the end of March, it appeared all members of TU’s executive board would leave the TU within a year. Neither the supervisory board, who took this decision, nor the executive board members, wanted to comment on this startling turn of events.
Berkhout wanted more information about the international value the TU research groups are credited with: ”Publications show what scientific fields are dynamic internationally and how the university is rated in those fields. Are you working on interesting subjects? Publishing your work in the right magazines? And are your publications gaining sufficient attention? Presently, it’s possible to gain this strategic information and with it to decide if we’re working at the (top) levels we’re aiming for.”
An assignment to gain this information has yet to be carried out by Leiden specialist Van Raan. ”Instead, McKinsey has been hired. But before you can determine a strategy, it’s essential to know how each research field is valued in the world. Because if you don’t know where you stand, how can you plot your strategy? How can you get people to stand behind you?”
So, Berkhout is resigning: ”I had already discussed my strategy thoroughly with the faculties. I’m not needed for the process that has now been chosen.”
McKinsey wasn’t the only moot point within the executive board. Earlier, Berkhout had handed his real estate portfolio
over to TU executive board president, Dr. Nico de Voogd. Also, De Voogd’s pronouncements in the press concerning the merger with Leiden University were ‘utterly unfortunate’, according to Berkhout. ”We’d agreed on close co-operation in fields where synergy could be achieved.”
A merger with the Eindhoven Technical University has many more advantages, in Berkhout’s opinion: ”The childish fighting with Eindhoven is terrible. I consulted extensively with the board members of Eindhoven and Twente. Eindhoven and Delft resemble each other so much that we could form one university with two auxiliary branches. One president of two executive boards would be an elegant way of drawing them closer together. I suggested this to the Minister of Education.”
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