Honors for outgoing rector Frank Baaijens

May 11, 2023

Baaijens was made Officier in de Orde van Oranje Nassau (Officer of the Order of Orange-Nassau).

[Translate to English:] Frank Baaijens met zijn Koninklijke Onderscheiding opgespeld, zijn vrouw Carlijn Bouten en locoburgemeester Stijn Steenbakkers. Foto: Bart van Overbeeke.

Frank Baaijens, who today handed over the rectorship of TU/e to his successor Silvia Lenaerts, received two honors at the ceremony. Baaijens was made an Officer of the Order of Orange-Nassau. Deputy mayor of Eindhoven Stijn Steenbakkers presented the royal decoration. The outgoing rector also received an honor from TU/e via Peter Wennink, the president of the Supervisory Board.

In his speech, Steenbakkers praised the many accomplishments of Frank Baaijens’ efforts as a rector and as a scientist, including the introduction of Challenge-Based Learning, the founding of the TU/e multidisciplinary research institutes, the creation of the large-scale medtech collaboration e/MTIC and the establishment of the alliance with Wageningen and Utrecht. In addition, the deputy mayor was full of praise for Baaijens’ academic work and its impact in the field of regenerative medicine.

Alongside this, Baaijens received the successor to the TU/e honorary medal from Peter Wennink. This object, based on the original Latin TU/e motto ‘mens agitat molem’ (‘the mind sets matter in motion’), is awarded in recognition of individuals who have made a special contribution to TU/e. Each object is unique, and Baaijens received the first of them today.

Frank Baaijens hands over the chain of office to the new rector, Silvia Lenaerts. Photo: Bart van Overbeeke.

Read the magazine on tue.nl/frank

Digital magazine Frankly Speaking

A digital magazine has been created in honor of Baaijens’ retirement as rector: Frankly Speaking. One last time, Frank Baaijens talks about his eight years as rector and gives a glimpse into his own future and that of the university which is so close to his heart.