Founder and former director of the Asser Institute has passed away

We have received the sad news that the founder and former director of the T.M.C. Asser Instituut, Dr C.C.A. (Bert) Voskuil, passed away on 29 April 2019. Bert Voskuil was the first director of the institute since its establishment in 1965 and continued to fill this position for 30 years until his retirement in 1994.

Dr Voskuil defended his PhD on “De internationale bevoegdheid van de Nederlandse rechter” [The international jurisdiction of Dutch judges] in 1962. From 1966 he acted as plaatsvervangend rechter [deputy judge] and from 1975-1994 as politierechter [police magistrate] for the Amsterdam District Court.

After defending his PhD in 1962, Dr Voskuil was appointed as head of a special office set up by the University of Amsterdam to prepare the foundation of the Institute. In 1964, this so-called ‘provisional Central Office’ moved to The Hague and Dr Voskuil was appointed director of the future institute and commissioned with its staffing and the preparation of the research and documentation programmes.

During the period he served as the director of the Asser Institute, he has built an impressive oeuvre of articles and books in the field of private international law.

Upon his departure in 1994 he was presented the Asser Medal of Honour for his academic achievements, especially in International Private Law, as well as for guiding the Asser Institute into a mature organisation for cooperation between universities in the area of international and European law.

After the latest move to the institute’s new premises, the T.M.C. Asser Instituut’s reading room and library were named “Bert Voskuil Library” in honour of the first Director. We will remember Bert Voskuil for many years of inestimable contribution to the institute.