Leiden University College The Hague
Distinguished Fellows
Distinguished Fellows of Leiden University College The Hague are acknowledged for their extensive and outstanding expertise in the private or public sector, and for their intellectual contributions to LUC’s academic programme and scholarly community.
After having been appreciated members of LUC’s academic staff, they continue to contribute to LUC for example through guest lectures, providing advice to staff and students, and acting as thesis supervisor. In this way, they form a strong bridge between the professional and academic worlds.
Distinguished Fellows at Leiden University College
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Prof. de Hoop Scheffer has been involved with LUC since the opening of the college in 2010. He has been instrumental in the establishment of our college and the building of our network in The Hague and worldwide. He taught courses on Diplomacy and International Relations, and Multilateral Institutions, both at LUC and at other programs of the Faculty of Governance and Global Affairs, until April 2020. Hundreds of students and staff have enjoyed his classes and contributions, drawing from his enormous international diplomatic and political experience and knowledge. These experiences added a unique perspective to the programme. He also participated with enthusiasm in LUC’s community events.
Prof. De Hoop Scheffer studied Law at Leiden University. He started his career in in 1976 in diplomacy, working for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in various positions. In 1986 he moved to politics, being elected to the House of Representatives of the Dutch States General for the Christian Democratic Party (CDA). He served on the Standing Committees on Foreign Affairs, Justice, European Affairs and Defense and chaired the Standing Committees for Foreign Affairs and Development Cooperation; he also was a member of the Parliamentary Assemblies of NATO and the Council of Europe. He was the Party leader of the CDA between 1997 and 2001. In 2002, he was appointed Minister of Foreign Affairs. Prof. De Hoop Scheffer was the Chairman-in-Office of OSCE until he stepped down as Foreign Minister on 3 December 2003. From January 2004 to August 2009 he was Secretary General of NATO and chairman of the North Atlantic Council. Since then he served on the Board of Air France-KLM as a non- executive Director (2011-2020) and was a member (2010-2014) and chair (2014-2018) of the Supervisory Board of the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam.
Currently, Jaap de Hoop Scheffer is the Chair of the Advisory Council on International Affairs for both Government and Parliament. He is a member of the Advisory Council of VNO-NCW, the Dutch Employers Organization. He is a member of the “Trilateral Commission”, a trustee of the Brussels based “Friends of Europe”, a Council member of the European Council on Foreign Relations and serves on the Board of the Center for European Policy Studies in Brussels. He is the chair of the Netherlands Civil Honours Advisory Committee. On June 29 2018 he was appointed Minister of State, a highly honorable position by royal appointment only for former politicians and statesmen with exceptional track records.
