Dr Van Esch said: "I am honoured to take on this role and be more directly involved with the research and education at RSM by connecting the great work we do more to the outside world." She will move from her current role of RSM’s Director of Operations, and brings extensive experience in complex decision-making, and innovating in networked organisations. She gained her PhD in social sciences from Radboud University in 2001.
Engagement is considered as the range of connections between RSM’s external stakeholders – like corporate partners – with RSM’s internal community of faculty members, students and staff. This facet of business education and research at RSM is to be the subject of the new three-year programme that takes a deliberate approach of testing what works best for RSM, and to develop activities that widen RSM’s external network.
The programme to align engagement activities within the school will be directed by Myra van Esch and guided by a steering committee comprising RSM’s Dean of Research Professor Inga Hoever, Dean of Education Dr Mirko Benischke, and chaired by the Dean, Prof Aukje Hassoldt. Two Associate Deans of Engagement will be appointed from among RSM’s academic staff.
Dean Prof. Hassoldt said: “We are very pleased that Myra van Esch will take on the role of Programme Director of Engagement and Strategic Partnerships. In her current role as Director of Operations, she has made many valuable contributions to the development and stability of our organisation, and her past experience working in engagement at [innovation organisation] TNO, her broad external network and strong internal knowledge make her very well placed to take on this role.”
Why more focus on engagement?
RSM already creates significant impact – as indicated by its global 14th ranking in the Financial Times Research Insights ranking 2025. Achievements like this show that RSM’s research findings successfully target relevant topics and are useful for people working outside of academia, such as practitioners in organisations, policy makers, and educators, as well as for other researchers.
Context and society
The effect of changes in international affairs on the context in which RSM operates make this kind of scrutiny essential. Protecting and strengthening its core activities, diversifying its income streams and expanding its network are the steps that can ensure RSM maintains its status among the best research-led business schools in Europe – and a business school that is visibly connected to society.
