Radboud University and Radboud university medical center are examining demerger

News items Radboud University and Radboud university medical center are examining demerger

9 September 2019

Stichting Katholieke Universiteit (SKU) is going to examine the possibility of the administrative demerger of Radboud University and Radboud university medical center. At present the two act as a single institution in administrative, legal, tax and financial terms, which means they are entirely dependent on each other. The aim is to make both organisations more efficient within an increasingly dynamic and complex environment, and to ensure ongoing oversight in the future. The organisations will keep working with each other in substantive terms based on their own responsibilities.

For the time being both organisations constitute part of Stichting Katholieke Universiteit (SKU). The SKU Board oversees the situation prevailing within Radboud University and Radboud university medical center. Radboud University and Radboud university medical center wish for an increased scope to make their own strategic assessments and to bear responsibility for those assessments themselves. This would yield better opportunities for focused profiling. A new, appropriate organisational structure would also make it possible to acquire more specialist expertise in a supervisory capacity.

Continued collaboration

Stichting Katholieke Universiteit (SKU) and the Executive Boards of Radboud university medical center and Radboud University stress that the organisations will continue to collaborate with each other in substantive terms, despite a different organisational structure. Daniël Wigboldus, President of the Radboud University Executive Board, says: “Radboud University’s faculty of medicine will remain incorporated within Radboud university medical center.” Paul Smits, Chair of the Radboud university medical center Executive Board, adds: “In addition, we share our origin, which make us distinctive now and will do so in the future.” Both organisations will draw up a common strategic agenda for this purpose, although they will not be responsible for each other across the board within the new organisational structure which is envisaged. Based on their own aspirations and a common strategic agenda, both organisations expect to be able to achieve a greater social impact.

Decision in 2020

During the months ahead a project team established by SKU will examine the type of structure best suited to both organisation’s further operations, how a supervisory structure may be devised, and what the legal, organisational and financial implications would be. Consequently, discussions will be held with all of the parties involved as well as the participational bodies. A final decision is planned for the end of 2020.