07. KEN2022: Breakout Session A - Reward and recognition for an open culture
Channel: Knowledge Equity Network
Date: 28/03/2023

Featuring provocation speeches by Wilma Van Wezenbeek & Curt Rice.


Wilma Van Wezenbeek
Director Student and Educational Affairs, Vrije Universiteit

Wilma Van Wezenbeek is Director, Student and Educational Services at the Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, ensuring that students and education are served in the best possible way; a challenging role, especially during the pandemic.

She worked for fourteen years in the library world, and twelve years in scientific publishing. Throughout that time, she has retained a focus on the academic world, with a passion for open science and open access. Her (inter)national involvement in these areas has been intensive.

Her driving force at the Vrije Universiteit is recognising the importance of other supporting units within academia, along with libraries, to understand, embrace and support what needs to be done to achieve open science and education.


Curt Rice
Rector, Norwegian University of Life Sciences

Curt Rice is the Rector (VC) of the Norwegian University of Life Sciences, a position he has held from 2021. Prior to this, he was Rector (VC) of Oslo Metropolitan University, from 2015–2021.

From 1993-2015 he held several positions at the University of Tromsø, including Director of the Center for Advanced Study in Theoretical Linguistics and Prorector (PVC) for Research.

He led Norway’s Committee on Gender Balance and Diversity in Research between 2014 and 2021. He has been actively engaged in public discussion on related issues throughout his career.