On a cold December morning, yESHPM (Young ESHPM) welcomed professor of victimology and international law Rianne Letschert in their midst for a talk as part of a series of inspirational meetups for early career researchers. Letschert – one of the youngest ever appointed rector magnifici in the Netherlands and ‘Topvrouw van het Jaar 2019’ – opened the debate in the Netherlands on a number of issues: gender equality, diversity, and recognition & rewards of academics. How does she combine this vocation with a busy job as rector magnificus of Maastricht University? An inspiring monologue on unpredictable career paths, passion, and the future of academia.
For a rector whose university was this year not only confronted by a pandemic but also the aftermath of a cyber crisis, Rianne Letschert makes a remarkably relaxed impression. In these times where video calling sometimes seems the only way to interact, the border between informal and formal fades. With the click of a button, you enter a room, and with that same click you leave, not knowing how many people are in that room, and you are immediately aware of that one conversation going on. Before Sanne officially gave the ‘floor’ to Rianne, they chatted about Christmas holiday plans. Letschert is a great fan of winter sports – alas, last year she had to skip the trip due to said cyber crisis, and this year the situation is obvious. So, this Christmas, Letschert and her family planned to dedicate time to upholstering the garage and turning it into an official home office – the contrast with the 17th century Franciscan monastery from which she usually works could not be bigger.
In 2016, Letschert became rector magnificus of Maastricht University. Now, she is at the beginning of her second term. But how did she end up there, and what aspects played an important role in her way to the board room? Let’s start with remarking that Letschert does not plan her career. She makes sure to always be a team player and stay visible, then goes with the opportunities popping up on her path. While writing her master’s thesis, her supervisor asked if she wanted to pursue a PhD. During her PhD trajectory, she engaged in matters that did not necessarily relate to her scientific career. According to Letschert, female candidates tend to invest more in such extracurricular activities compared to men. This paid off for her, but she acknowledged: “In many cases it is not as fruitful as in mine.”
After finishing her PhD, it was that same supervisor who asked her to become a university lecturer. Not long after that, Letschert was appointed research director of the International Victimology Institute in Tilburg. After a couple of years, she got frustrated with the fact that she couldn’t get more funding and that she couldn’t give junior staff more perspective. It was at that moment that she clearly saw the limits of the academic system. An academic system in which, if you know the right people, you can get a position. She remarked that the way she got her positions were not always very transparent or inclusive – one of the things that she likes to see changed in Dutch academia.
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Young ESHPM (yESHPM) is the PhD community of ESHPM. Their goal is to create a space for PhD candidates from different sections to meet and interact. Through organizing regular activities, yESHPM functions as a platform for sharing experiences, difficulties, and questions related to being a PhD candidate at ESHPM.
