WILLEMSTAD - Stella van Rijn will assume the position of rector magnificus at the University of Curaçao on December 3rd. She succeeds Francis de Lanoy, who has served as rector magnificus since 2011 and has completed three terms. Since 2011, Van Rijn has been the Secretary-General of the Ministry of General Affairs and Foreign Relations of the Curaçao government. She has worked under all eight prime ministers that Curaçao has had across ten administrations since 2010.
Van Rijn holds a doctorate in social studies from Nyenrode Business University, earned in 2017, and an MBA-IT from the University of the Netherlands Antilles, obtained in 2003. She has several academic publications to her name and has held various key positions throughout her career, both in the private sector and government.
Born in Rotterdam, Van Rijn began her professional career in journalism in 1986. She provided written and audiovisual reports for various Dutch news media, including De Volkskrant, NOS Journaal, Radio 1, and World Radio, covering economic, political, and cultural developments in the Caribbean region.
In 1995, she was the editor-in-chief and co-founder of the startup newspaper Algemeen Dagblad, Caribbean Edition in Curaçao. In 1998, she embarked on a second professional career with her own consultancy firm, specializing in change management and communication projects.
Van Rijn also served as the director of the Antillean Contractors Association and project director of a labor market platform (Plataforma Kòrsou na Trabou). Additionally, she was a co-founder and editor of Coaching, a professional magazine for managers.