Bart Noordam, Dean of the Faculty of Science (FNWI) of the University of Amsterdam (UvA), will leave the University to become vice president of research at the hi-tech company ASML as of 1 November 2012. In the next few weeks, the Executive Board will consider how to fill the vacancy created by Noordam’s departure as soon as possible.

Bart Noordam was one of the driving forces behind the creation of the Amsterdam Academic Alliance, for which the UvA and the VU University Amsterdam (VU) signed a declaration of intent in May. The Executive Board of the UvA is sad to see Noordam depart, but also understands his reasons for taking on this new challenge.

Louise Gunning, president of the UvA-HvA Executive Board: ‘We are pleased with the work that Noordam has carried out for the UvA, specifically with respect to the deepening cooperation between the science faculties of the UvA and VU. Furthermore, we are both proud and disappointed. Proud because Bart Noordam is making the switch to an internationally-renowned company such as ASML. Disappointed because he will not be able to complete his task, as dean, of creating a new science faculty.’

Bart Noordam has been Dean of the FNWI since May 2009. He also worked simultaneously as Professor of Experimental Physics at the UvA. Before this, he had been Professor by special appointment of Atomic and Molecular Physics at the UvA from 2004-2009. From 2008-2009, Noordam worked as director of the Imaging Department at ASML. Noordam studied Physics at the UvA and obtained his doctorate in 1990 with a thesis titled Ultra Short optical pulses and atomic electron wave packets.