Hans van Dijk appointed as Professor Leading Inclusion
August 26, 2025 | 2 min read
Tilburg, August 26, 2025
Tilburg University Appoints Dr. Hans van Dijk as Professor of Leading Inclusion at TIAS School for Business and Society
Effective September 1, 2025, Tilburg University has appointed Dr. Hans van Dijk as Professor of Leading Inclusion at TIAS School for Business and Society. At TIAS, Van Dijk teaches and conducts research on the conditions that foster inclusive organizations and the causes of growing resistance to inclusion.
Research
“Inclusion—the experience of being valued and belonging—is crucial for both employee well-being and motivation, as well as for organizational performance,” says Van Dijk. “At the same time, increasing diversity within teams and organizations can lead to feelings of exclusion, which means that the potential benefits of diversity are not always realized.”
Despite these benefits, resistance to inclusion is on the rise. “This resistance has been further amplified by the current anti-diversity and inclusion policies in countries like the United States. It is particularly interesting that inclusion, which is rooted in the ideal that everyone matters and should be brought together, is precisely what generates so much pushback,” Van Dijk explains.
The Leading Inclusion chair focuses on two key questions: First, how can inclusion in organizations be promoted, and what roles do leaders—both formal and informal—play in this process? Second, why does the current narrative around inclusion trigger so much resistance and division, and what can be done about it? Van Dijk elaborates: “The starting point is that inclusion brings significant benefits. So the first question is how to foster it. But given the current challenges, it’s also important to critically examine the prevailing inclusion ideal.”
According to Van Dijk, the answers to these questions are of major societal relevance. “Division is visible not just within organizations but throughout society. Think of the growing gap between rich and poor, political polarization, and the hostility and fragmentation surrounding Gaza. How do we ensure that people truly connect with one another? That they don’t value their own group above others? And that they’re willing to engage with opposing viewpoints? The answers to these questions are equally vital for organizations and for society as a whole.”
Impact and Education
With the appointment of Hans van Dijk, TIAS School for Business and Society and Tilburg University strengthen their academic profile at the intersection of leadership, inclusion, and governance. The Leading Inclusion chair is a key pillar within TIAS’s Business & Society Framework, in which inclusion plays a central role. The appointment underscores the ambition of TIAS and Tilburg University to bridge science and practice, and to educate leaders who contribute to an inclusive and sustainable society.
Prof. Dr. Jenke ter Horst, Dean of TIAS School for Business and Society, adds: “With Hans van Dijk’s appointment as professor, we enhance our academic positioning on a topic of great importance to both organizations and society. His expertise and dedication align seamlessly with our mission to develop leaders who make a meaningful difference to both business and society.”
In his educational role, Van Dijk will contribute to programs on leadership, governance, and inclusive organizational development. He is committed to translating academic insights into practice through executive programs, seminars, and training sessions. He also supervises PhD candidates within the field of inclusive leadership.
About Hans van Dijk
Dr. Hans van Dijk studied Policy and Organization Studies and Work and Organizational Psychology at Tilburg University, and Applied Ethics at KU Leuven. In 2013, he earned his PhD cum laude at Tilburg University with his dissertation “Diversity, Status, and Performance.” He then spent ten years at the Tilburg School of Social and Behavioral Sciences before transitioning to TIAS School for Business and Society. In 2022, he co-founded the Including Behavior Institute, an international center of expertise and training for inclusion.