Han Dolman appointed new director of the Netherlands Institute for Sea Research (NIOZ)
The board of the Institutes Organization of NWO, the Dutch Research Council, has appointed Prof. Dr. Han Dolman Director of the Royal Netherlands Institute of Sea Research (NIOZ) for a period of five years. As of 1 November 2021, he will succeed current director Prof. Dr. Henk Brinkhuis, who has completed his two legal terms of five years (2011-2021).
Dolman, professor of Earth Sciences at Vrije Universiteit (VU) Amsterdam, is looking forward to the appointment. "I would like to further strengthen the internal cohesion within the institute, using my professional academic background. I have worked a lot with young talents, aiming to ensure diversity and a safe social and technical working environment. In addition, I see opportunities to link my field of expertise to marine research".
Professor Dolman's scientific expertise focuses on climate science, especially the interaction of the terrestrial biosphere with the hydrological cycle, biogeochemical cycles and the atmosphere. This includes, for example, monitoring natural and man-made greenhouse gas emissions. Dolman brings with him a large network through his involvement in many (inter)national programs on climate change. For example, he is chair of the Global Climate Observing System (GCOS) steering committee and honorary professor at Nanjing University of Information Science and Technology.
The choice for Dolman follows (inter)national recruitment and positive advice from the appointment advisory committee and the works council of the NIOZ. "He has a broad background in Earth Sciences and is used to building bridges between disciplines (biology, geology, climate) and in this way can add something new to the NIOZ. We see him as an inspiring and approachable leader who can further strengthen and consolidate the role of the NIOZ and maintain its position as a key player on an international level”. So said Marcel Levi, Chairman of the NWO-I Foundation Board and Chairman of the Nomination Committee. "We are confident that Han will be able to build on the successful period of Henk Brinkhuis. We would like to thank Henk for his great efforts for the NIOZ". Brinkhuis will return as a researcher at Utrecht University and the NIOZ. Brinkhuis was also recently elected Chair of the international scientific forum of the world-wide International Ocean Discovery Program (IODP).
Dolman sees many opportunities: "In this UN Decade of the Ocean, the NIOZ, together with the Dutch marine research community, is doing fundamental research into detecting and understanding trends, processes and tipping points in our oceans and coastal seas. In this way, the NIOZ makes important contributions to solving societal problems such as warming and acidification, rising sea levels, coastal protection and biodiversity conservation. My ambition is that in a few years’ time NIOZ will be seen even more as the 'KNMI of the sea' (KNMI is the Dutch national weather service). To achieve this, not only do the young marine scientists have to be given the opportunity to excel, but the NIOZ will also seek more cooperation and make itself heard more often."