René de Vries appointed Harbour Master of Rotterdam

René de Vries (49) has been appointed (State) Harbour Master of Rotterdam, taking office on 1 March 2010. That is the date on which the current Harbour Master Jaap Lems retires. The port of Rotterdam is not unknown territory for De Vries. He began his career with the Port Authority in 1982, as crew member on one of the patrol vessels. Through the years, he has progressed to his present position, as manager of the Traffic Planning & Operations department, which has 220 staff.

The (State) Harbour Master is responsible for the fast, safe and clean handling of shipping traffic in the port of Rotterdam. Under his direction, around 570 people work, among other things, in traffic control centres, the Port Coordination Centre, bridges and locks, on patrol vessels and as inspectors on board visiting ships. This work is largely done around the clock. On one hand, the (State) Harbour Master forms part of the Port of Rotterdam Authority and, on the other, is accountable to the Municipal Executive and the Minister of Transport, Public Works and Water Management with respect to his public duties. The Harbour Master is also port security officer and forms part of Rotterdam’s security staff.

In careful consultation with the municipality of Rotterdam and the Ministry of Transport, Public Works and Water Management, the Port Authority started to look for a new (State) Harbour Master this spring. Following an exhaustive internal and external selection procedure, René de Vries was chosen, due to his combination of experience, knowledge and personality.

The current (State) Harbour Master will remain at his post until 1 March 2010. Jaap Lems will then retire. Lems has been Harbour Master of Rotterdam since 1989. In this period, he has seen the port become considerably busier, safer and cleaner.

Rotterdam history: The case of Han van Meegeren

Marika Keblusek / NRC Handelsblad

Some sixty years after his death, master forger Han van Meegeren (1889-1947) continues to intrigue: in the past few years, not one but three English-language biographies of him have appeared. In 2006, the British journalist Frank Wynne published his (rather simplistic) I Was Vermeer, and now two new books about “the man who swindled Goering” have just come out in America.

The Forger’s Spell by Edward Dolnick and The Man Who Made Vermeers by Jonathan Lopez beautifully illustrate how Van Meegeren’s deceptions can still capture the imagination. But the two authors’ interpretations of that deception–and their ultimate judgments of it–could hardly be more sharply at odds.

The facts of the case are well-known. In May of 1945, shortly after the Liberation, the police rousted wealthy artist Han van Meegeren out of his bed on the Keizersgracht. In the art collection of Hermann Goering, a painting by Johannes Vermeer had been discovered, and it seemed to have been sold to the Reichsmarschall by Van Meegeren. That was collaboration.

During his interrogation, however, Van Meegeren made an astonishing declaration: it was no Vermeer that Goering had on the wall, but a Van Meegeren. And in the same breath, the painter let it be known that the most famous Vermeer in Dutch possession was also his own handiwork: The Supper at Emmaus, in Rotterdam’s Boijmans Museum, was a forgery…

Read the rest of the story at H.v. Meegeren’s ‘The Forger Strikes Back’

Launch of the Erasmus Centre of Behavioural Ethics

Rotterdam, October 2009 — Today’s society is facing a deep economic crisis not seen since the 1930s. The truly noteworthy aspect of this economic slump is that it is not just a crisis of economy – it points to a deeper crisis in moral values and in ethics. Tthe many corporate scandals surrounding AIG, Tyco, WorldCom, Enron, Ahold and other organisations (and individuals, such as Bernard Madoff) demonstrates that unethical and irresponsible behaviour is very much in evidence within business – and in the rest of society.

The numerous reports of corruption and fraud within the business world and the political arena have led to a strong need for better, deeper insights into corporate ethics. Responding to these developments in society, Prof.dr. David De Cremer has taken the initiative to set up the Erasmus Centre of Behavioural Ethics ( ECBE) – a knowledge centre dedicated to this subject – in cooperation with the Rotterdam School of Management, Erasmus University. Unique in Europe, this centre will be taking a leading role in finding answers to ethical and moral questions now being posed by society. Its aim is to gain scientifically sound insights into this subject and eventually find practical solutions to be used by companies and corporate management.

The ECBE will identify the fundamental psychological processes within behavioural ethics that have implications for a wide variety of research areas, such as management, law and the social sciences in general. The search will be on for answers to questions such as: why do good people behave badly? When and how can ethical leadership be effective? How is it that ethical failure does not always undermine trust and confidence? The ECBE will be led by Prof. dr. De Cremer, who has taken it on himself to create an international network of academics taking a keen interest in behavioural ethics

To mark the official launch of this Centre of Expertise, David De Cremer is organising the ECBE Week. A business symposium entitled “Understanding Ethical Failures: A Behavioural Ethics Approach” will take place on Tuesday 20 October is. The full programme and other information are available from this site. Then an academic congress on 21 and 22 October will take a closer look at how behavioural sciences can strengthen our understanding of ethical failure. The week will be rounded off with David De Cremer’s inaugural lecture on 23 October at 4 p.m. in the RSM Auditorium. All stakeholders, internal and external, are most welcome to join this event.

Rotterdam School of Management, Erasmus University is a top-ranked international business school renowned for its ground-breaking research in sustainable business practice and for the development of leaders in global business. Offering an array of bachelor, master, doctoral, MBA and executive education programmes, RSM is consistently ranked amongst the top 10 business schools in Europe. www.rsm.nl

For more information on RSM or on this release, please contact Marianne Schouten, Media & Public Relations Manager for RSM, on +31 10 408 2877 or by email at mschouten@rsm.nl.

Pannenkoekenboot / Pancake Boat

Take a pleasant sail along the imposing Rotterdam skyline while enjoying delicious pancakes. In a relaxed setting, eat as many pancakes as you want. Plain, apple and bacon pancakes are ready for you, and there are all sorts of foods available for garnishing your pancakes, including cheese, ham, fruit, jam and chocolate sprinkles. Of course every table also comes equipped with syrup and powdered sugar. Reservations are recommended to prevent disappointment.

Pannenkoekenboot
Parkhaven t.o. Euromast
3016GM ROTTERDAM Show map
Tel: 010-4367295
Fax: 024-3225832
Website: www.pannenkoekenboot.nl
E-mail: info@pannenkoekenboot.nl

Open:
Departures (1 hour): wed., fri., sat. and sun. at 16.30 and 18.00 h.
Family Cruise (2½ hour): sat. and sun. at 13.30 till 16.00 h.
Pancake Cruise (3 hour): sat. at 20.00 till 23.00 h.
During dutch school holidays in may, summer and autumn extra cruises on tuesdays from tuesday to sunday.

Prices:
1 hour cruise: € 14,50 p.p., 3-12 year € 9,50 p.p.
Family Cruise: € 21,00 p.p., 3-12 year € 16,00 p.p.
Pancake Cruise: € 22,50 p.p., 3-12 year € 17,50 p.p.

Travel info:
Tram 8

Westin Hotel Rotterdam

The Westin Hotel, situated in Rotterdam’s bustling city center, is known as the most modern, luxurious hotel in the city.

Occupying the first 14 floors of the prestigious 149-metre Millennium Tower, it offers a unique view from all the rooms and suites, and guests can enjoy the Westin service that has earned it worldwide renown. It is as centrally located as a hotel can be. Easily accessible by both train and car, due to its ideal location on the Weena across from Central Station, within easy walking distance of an extensive selection of shopping and nightlife, museums and restaurants. All the hotel rooms and suites are equipped with all the conveniences you can expect from a modern hotel these days, including air conditioning, a spacious bathroom with separate bath and shower facilities, coffee and tea in your room and a safe. The trendy Lighthouse Bar & Restaurant, described by those in the know as a real ‘asset to Rotterdam Cuisine’, is a must-do during a visit to Rotterdam. Attractive weekend offers and exclusive theater packages are available in the weekends.

The Westin Rotterdam
Weena 686
3012 CN ROTTERDAM Show map
Tel: 010-4302110
Fax: 010-4302113
Website: www.westin.nl
E-mail: rotterdam.westin@westin.com

Welkom in Rotterdam / Welcome to Rotterdam!

Rotterdam is the second largest city in the the Netherlands, with a population of 584,046.

The port of Rotterdam is the largest in Europe. From 1962 to 2004, it was the world’s busiest port; then it was superseded by Shanghai. Rotterdam is situated on the banks of the river Nieuwe Maas (‘New Meuse’), one of the channels in the delta formed by the Rhine and Meuse rivers. The name Rotterdam derives from a dam in the Rotte river.

Settlement at the lower end of the fen stream Rotte (or Rotta, as it was then known, from rot, ‘muddy’ and a, ‘water’, thus ‘muddy water’) dates from at least 900. Around 1150, large floods in the area ended development, leading to the construction of protective dikes and dams, including Schielands Hoge Zeedijk (‘Schieland’s High Sea Dike’) along the northern banks of the present-day Nieuwe Maas. A dam on the Rotte or ‘Rotterdam’ was built in the 1260s and was located at the present-day Hoogstraat (‘High Street’).

Rotterdam has the highest percentage of foreigners from non-industrialised nations of any Dutch municipality. Nearly 50% of the population is not Dutch-born or have at least one parent born outside the country. Recent figures show that Muslims constitute almost a quarter of the total population. The current mayor of Rotterdam, Ahmed Aboutaleb, is a Muslim of Moroccan ancestry.

The city has its own orchestra, the Rotterdam Philharmonic, directed by Valery Gergiev, a concert hall called De Doelen, many theaters (including the new Luxor theater) and cinemas. The Ahoy complex in the south of the city is used for pop concerts, exhibitions, tennis tournaments and other activities. A major zoo called Diergaarde Blijdorp is situated at the northwest side of Rotterdam, complete with a walkthrough sea aquarium called the Oceanium.

Rotterdam is currently going through a cultural renaissance, with urban renewal projects featuring ambitious architecture, an increasingly sparkling nightlife, and a host of summer festivals celebrating the city’s multicultural population and identity, such as the Caribbean-inspired ‘Summer Carnival’, the Dance Parade, Rotterdam 666, the Metropolis pop festival and the World Harbor days. The city has many venues for pop music like Rotown, WATT, Exit. The club WORM focuses on experimental and cutting edge music. There are also the International Film Festival in January, the Poetry International Festival in June, the North Sea Jazz Festival in July, the Valery Gergiev Festival in September, September in Rotterdam and the World of the Witte de With.

Rotterdam has had a rich hiphop scene since the early 1980s. It is also the home of Gabber, a type of hardcore electronic music popular in the mid-1990s, with hard beats and samples. Groups like Neophyte and Rotterdam Terror Corps (RTC) started in Rotterdam.

Rotterdam has many museums. Well known museums are the Boijmans-van Beuningen Museum, the NAi (Netherlands Architecture Institute), the Historisch Museum (Historical museum), the Volkenkundig Museum (foreign peoples and cultures), the Kunsthal (design by Rem Koolhaas),the center for contemporary art Witte de With, the Maritiem Museum and the Brandweermuseum (Fire brigade museum). Other museums include the tax museum, the nature historical museum, historical museum the Dubbelde Palmboom and the Schielandhuis. At the historical shipyard and museum Scheepswerf ‘De Delft the reconstruction of Ship of the Line ‘De Delft’ can be visited