Remembering Hein Schreuder

June 5, 2023

It is with sadness that the UWC Maastricht community received the news of the sudden passing of Hein Schreuder.

Although Hein was involved in the founding of our school from the very beginning, he had his biggest impact during his five-year tenure as Chairman of the School board, from December 2016 until January 2022. During these years, Hein played a leading role in a number of significant changes to our school’s Governance, such as the rewriting of the cooperative agreement and statutes, and a review of the constitution of the Participation Council. Hein was a sharp analyst with a eye for detail and perspective, and he would always ensure that our decisions would be well-considered from a variety of viewpoints. He brought a wealth of experience, based on decades of professional involvement in the academic and corporate worlds, and from his many roles in societal and non-profit organizations. Yet he always remained curious and inquiring, starting every conversation with a range of prompting questions.

As Chair of UWC Maastricht, Hein also contributed to the governance of UWC International, as member of the Chairs’ committee and the UWC International Council. The years before and during the pandemic were not the easiest for the UWC movement. Hein was often courageous enough to articulate what others were thinking, but hesitant to say aloud. He invited the UWC movement to get a better understanding of its long-term sustainability, as co-Chair of the UWC Financial Sustainability taskforce, thus raising the conversation to a new level.

With Hein’s passing we lose a superb leader and wise advocate for UWC Maastricht. We send our warmest condolences to his wife Ellen, his children and grandson.

Hein will be missed. May he rest in peace.