Ben Knapen, former Dutch Minister of Foreign Affairs, has been appointed Special Envoy for the Einstein Telescope. This decision was made by the Dutch Council of Ministers upon the recommendation of Minister Rianne Letschert (Education, Culture, and Science).
Also new is the appointment by the Einstein Telescope EMR task force of Anne Ubbels, who has taken up the position of general manager of the project office. That office is conducting the current feasibility study. Nikhef physicist Stan Bentvelsen is the scientific director of the office.
Ben Knapen, as special envoy, is the successor to Sjoerd Sjoerdsma, who recently became Minister of Foreign Trade and Development Cooperation in the new cabinet. Ben Knapen will take up his post this summer.
The Dutch government views the arrival of the cutting-edge scientific instrument, the Einstein Telescope, in the Meuse-Rhine Euroregion as a government priority. Minister Rianne Letschert: “As a government, we want as much international and, in particular, European support as possible for the arrival of the Einstein Telescope. Ben Knapen can play an important role in this as special envoy. He has a large international network, and thus access at the government level.”
Ben Knapen served as State Secretary for European Affairs and Development Cooperation between 2010 and 2012 and, ten years later, as Minister of Foreign Affairs for a time. He also served for many years in the Senate and was a member of the Scientific Council for Government Policy.
Ben Knapen originally comes from a background in journalism. For many years, he was a correspondent for NOS Journaal and editor-in-chief of NRC Handelsblad.
(source: einsteintelescope-emr.eu)
