[Interview] New managing director Kasper Vrolijk: “Many people I speak with are surprised to learn we accomplish so much with such a relatively small team” 

The Asser Institute's new managing director, Kasper Vrolijk, speaks about his first six months at the institute. With a background in economics and a passion for global affairs, Vrolijk discusses the Asser Institute's academic excellence, its role in society, and his plans for innovation. “My colleagues are fantastic, and truly dedicated to the Institute and our shared mission. What has surprised me the most, however, is the number and diversity of the stakeholders we are involved with.” An interview.  

Can you tell us about your professional journey and what led you to the Asser Institute as managing director?  
“My academic background is in Business Administration and Public Policy. An early role at the United Nations fostered a passion for international affairs and global trends. Seeking a deeper understanding of the underlying economic factors, I then pursued a PhD in Economics. 

“Throughout my career, I've cultivated a keen interest in the intersection of science, policy, and public debate. This led me to the German Institute of Development and Sustainability (IDOS), a research institute and think tank, where I focused on the transformation of economics and social systems. When I saw the Asser Institute vacancy, the opportunity to work at a globally renowned research institute was immediately appealing. But what truly sets the Asser Institute apart, however, is its exceptional commitment to knowledge dissemination and public engagement. The institute's diverse valorisation initiatives, from educating professionals to engaging in teaching, and holding documentary screenings and public lectures, demonstrates to me a profound dedication to knowledge sharing and societal impact.” 

How does your non-legal background and your PhD in Economics influence your approach to your current role? 
“My background in human development and my specialisation in development economics actually connects quite closely with the Asser Institute’s research themes on important global topics such as human rights and artificial intelligence. My background in Economics has further taught me to view things empirically, and to envision different scenarios, which is particularly useful for managing an organisation and thinking about its long-term financial strategy. I intend to leverage my evidence-based approach by ensuring that our activities reflect the Asser Institute’s mission while keeping an eye at the numbers to see what we are achieving and how that fits with our multi-year strategy.”  

Can you tell us a bit more about your primary responsibilities?  
“As the Institute’s managing director, and member of the executive board, my main responsibilities are the Institute’s finance, administration and personnel. In my day-to-day routine, I run the Institute together with my colleague Christophe Paulussen, my fellow board member and the acting academic director. Together, we focus on managing our core asset, which is of course our excellent researchers and support staff, and we also think strategically about the Asser Institute’s future for the coming years, thereby following our mission and vision.”  

Developing and implementing a funding acquisition strategy is a significant part of your role. What are some challenges that you face in this and how do you overcome them? 
“The Asser Institute’s research portfolio and knowledge base is extremely diverse, so we receive funding from many different sources. We have exceptional research projects that are, for instance, being funded by the Dutch Research Council NWO and the European Union, as well as smaller projects that are funded by The Hague Municipality and Nuffic, the Dutch organisation for the internationalisation of education. This is very exciting and unique, but also brings some challenges when it comes to acquiring and managing projects. Working with many different funders and having a high diversity of projects means that we continually have to find a good balance between the partners we have and projects we engage in, to the end that it feeds into our mission and vision, and that it ensures a financially viable organisation.” 

You have worked at the Asser Institute for about half a year now. What is your experience?  
“It has been amazing to work at the Asser Institute, and I would say that the Asser community really feels like one big happy family [smiles]. My colleagues are fantastic, and truly dedicated to the Institute and our shared mission. What has surprised me the most, however, is the number and diversity of the stakeholders we are involved with. I have been introduced to people working in academia, the ministries, the courts and tribunals, the embassies, but also to people working within NGOs, the Municipality of The Hague, and fellow-research organisations such as ICCT The Hague. 

“Even more astonishing is to meet so many external stakeholders that sometimes know little about the Institute itself, but that have seen or heard about our many activities and free events. Based on our excellent research, training programmes and public events and activities, and given the wide scope of our legal knowledge, people tend to assume that we are a big organisation, with some-three hundred or more employees. They are always very surprised to hear that we are much smaller, with a staff of around fifty people and as visible and energetic as a large organisation. I think that this is really something to be proud of. And it is something that I will continue to cherish, as I am extremely pleased that we can do so many different things with our relatively small but enthusiastic and dedicated team.”  

Could you tell us a little bit about your approach to executive education and research valorisation at the Institute? 
“When you compare Asser to most universities, which primarily cater to students, I think that the Asser Institute is quite unique in its focus and expertise on delivering excellent executive education. Earlier this year, for instance, we organised specialised training programmes on adjudicating international crimes for judges from Ukraine. But we have also educated high-level legal professionals from West Africa in a French-speaking course on international and transnational criminal law, and we had a Spanish course in international criminal law for legal professionals from Colombia. 

“We also conduct excellent academic and policy-oriented research and are leaders in various areas of legal expertise in public and private international and European law. In addition, the Asser Institute also makes sure that our knowledge reaches policymakers, legal specialists, and other groups in society. This is crucial, given the numerous societal challenges that we see today, such as climate change, conflicts, or the rapid developments in artificial intelligence. We therefore also place a large focus on multi-year (research) projects to accumulate expert knowledge and assist institutions and other partners in evidence-based decision-making processes. Our mission is to contribute to the development of international and European public and private law, and to disseminate that knowledge as widely as possible, because we believe in justice, and in ‘law, not war’, if I may quote the late Benjamin Ferencz.”  
 
Despite not being a lawyer, how do you perceive the major challenges and maybe opportunities in international and European law? 
“We live in challenging times, with conflicts and human rights violations taking place in Europe and globally. Many of these issues are of course closely related to international and European law. Where there are many heated political and public debates taking place, and misinformation is rife, it is important for us as a knowledge institution to remain independent, highlight international and European legal norms, and share knowledge on how international or European law should be interpreted. And I think it is important that we work with a diverse set of partners – be it governments, NGOs, or other stakeholders – because we need these partners to make sure we can address these societal challenges.”    

What role do you believe the Asser Institute plays in society and the international legal community at the moment? 
“The Asser Institute was founded in 1965 as an independent inter-university network, in which all Dutch law schools participate. For the last few years, we have been closely affiliated with the University of Amsterdam, and the Amsterdam Law School in particular. But we still cherish our inter-university network, in which we actively promote the collaboration with and between Dutch law schools. For example, we coordinate inter-university research networks such as the Netherlands Network for Human Rights Research (NNHRR) and CLEER, the Centre for the Law of EU External Relations.  

“On top of that, we possess a truly international network, exemplified by our connections to the international courts and tribunals and the international organisations here in The Hague, but also by our partnership with foreign institutions, such as the War Crimes Research Office of American University’s Washington College of Law. Our network is truly a unique asset, that I believe really is of value to the diverse Asser community.  

“With regards to our role in society, we work on many different themes and issues that are relevant to the public, also by collaborating with government ministries, diplomatic missions and, for instance, the Municipality of The Hague.  Whether it is through art exhibitions, our free lectures, or our education programmes, we are often addressing societal issues and interacting with the public, also through partnerships with for instance the Movies that Matter film festival, and with Hague-based art schools and museums. Together with the academic director, I want  to explore how to build the organisation given the societal goals we have as the Asser Institute. Which partners do we need and how do we engage them? And how do we complement efforts by others in addressing societal challenges?”  

How do you foster innovation within the Institute and what new initiatives or new projects are you excited about? 
“I think it is very important to be innovative as a research institute, especially because our society is constantly evolving. Therefore, it is imperative to always evaluate and question where we stand. I always try to push people to think about the activities we are doing, and to be open to new opportunities and ideas. For an organisation, I think it is crucial to give people the freedom and ability to be creative and try new things. Some of these ideas might work, some might not.”    

Read more  
A new management team for the Asser Institute in 2024 
Kasper Vrolijk will be starting as the Asser Institute's new managing director and member of the executive board on 1 February 2024. Together with Christophe Paulussen, the recently appointed acting academic director and chair of the executive board, Vrolijk will be responsible for managing the institute. Read more. 

Dr Kasper Vrolijk