Dr M.N.C. Aarts (1957) has been named Professor by Special Appointment of Strategic Communication in the Faculty of Social and Behavioural Sciences at the University of Amsterdam (UvA) as of 1 September 2008. This is a new chair, which has been established in connection with the Logeion Foundation.

As Professor by Special Appointment, Noëlle Aarts will be fulfilling a mediating function between the science and professional practice of communication. The UvA special chair in Strategic Communication reflects the Logeion communication trade association policy of promoting professionalisation in the field of communication. This special chair will complement the UvA's existing teaching and research expertise in the wide-ranging discipline of communication science. Aarts' arrival marks part of University plans to launch the next phase of its development of a Centre for Strategic Communication, which will target strategic communication issues affecting government, businesses, organisations and society as a whole. The centre is envisioned as a forum for scientists and career professionals, where field practitioners will be invited to teach as guest lecturers. Drawing on her broad practice-oriented research and teaching experience, Aarts will be taking charge of these developments.

Aarts' teaching and research activities centre on communication in relation to planning and policy. Of particular note are her contributions to the development of theories and methodologies surrounding various themes, including communication and interactive policy formation, conflict management and the facilitation of negotiation processes, communication in relation to administrative innovation, and communication and interaction as related to the ambivalence and uncertainty resulting from innovations.

Aarts has worked in the Communication Strategies research group (formerly Communication Management) at Wageningen University since 1991, where she was appointed Senior University Lecturer in 2003. She is an active member of the International Association for Conflict Management - a global community of scholars engaged in developing new insights in the area of conflict management and negotiation.

The special chair in Strategic Communication is made possible in part by the Municipality of Amsterdam, APG Groep, Berenschot Communicatie, Bex* Communicatie, Boer & Croon Corporate Communication, Gasterrra, Hollander Van der Mey/MSL, HVR, Maatschap voor Communicatie, KPN and OnlyHuman.