Jan Borgman (30 November 1929 - May 26, 2021) was a Dutch astronomer and university administrator. He was professor of astronomical observation technique at the

University of Groningen The University of Groningen (abbreviated as UG; nl, Rijksuniversiteit Groningen, abbreviated as RUG) is a Public university#Continental Europe, public research university of more than 30,000 students in the city of Groningen (city), Groningen in ...

from 1968 to 1988. During this period he served as rector magnificus from 1978 to 1981 and chair of the board of governors from 1981 to 1988. Borgman subsequently became chairperson of the Netherlands Organisation for Scientific Research.

Career

Borgman was born in

Groningen Groningen (; gos, Grunn or ) is the capital city and main municipality of Groningen province in the Netherlands. The ''capital of the north'', Groningen is the largest place as well as the economic and cultural centre of the northern part of t ...

on 30 November 1929. As a high school student Borgman together with Maarten Schmidt knocked on the door of the Groningen astronomical laboratory, to be informed by Adriaan Blaauw of the possibilities of a study of astronomy. Borgman studied astronomy at the

. Together with

Pieter Johannes van Rhijn Pieter Johannes van Rhijn (24 March 1886 – 9 May 1960) was a Dutch astronomer. Born in Gouda, he studied at Groningen. He served as director at the Sterrenkundig Laboratorium ( Kapteyn Astronomical Institute) in Groningen. He died in Groni ...

he did research on interstellar reddening with the use of the university telescope. In 1956 Borgman obtained his PhD in

photometry Photometry can refer to: * Photometry (optics), the science of measurement of visible light in terms of its perceived brightness to human vision * Photometry (astronomy), the measurement of the flux or intensity of an astronomical object's electrom ...

under Hendrik Brinkman, with a dissertation titled ''Electronic scanning for variable stars''. He became lector in the field of astronomy in 1964. In 1965 Borgman became director of the newly opened Kapteyn observatory (Dutch: ''Kapteyn Sterrenwacht'') in

Roden Roden is a name of Germanic origin, originally meaning "red valley" or an anglicization of the Gaelic name "O'Rodain". It may refer to: Places * Roden, Bavaria, a town in the Main-Spessart district of Bavaria, Germany * Roden, Netherlands, a tow ...

. In 1968 he became professor of astronomical observation technique. At the observatory Borgman set up a work group in photometry, which later became involved with the Astronomical Netherlands Satellite. Borgman remained a professor at the university until 1988. Borgman served as rector magnificus of the University of Groningen from 1978 to 1981. He was chair of the university board of governors from 1981 to 1988. Borgman then moved to

The Hague The Hague ( ; nl, Den Haag or ) is a city and municipality of the Netherlands, situated on the west coast facing the North Sea. The Hague is the country's administrative centre and its seat of government, and while the official capital of ...

to become chairperson of the newly formed Netherlands Organisation for Scientific Research. During this time he had to reorganize the underlying institutions. From 1994 to 1997 Borgman was the first chairman of the

European Commission The European Commission (EC) is the executive of the European Union (EU). It operates as a cabinet government, with 27 members of the Commission (informally known as "Commissioners") headed by a President. It includes an administrative body o ...

European Science and Technology Assembly. Borgman was elected a member of the

Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences The Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences ( nl, Koninklijke Nederlandse Akademie van Wetenschappen, abbreviated: KNAW) is an organization dedicated to the advancement of science and literature in the Netherlands. The academy is housed ...

in 1978.

References

External links

Profile
at the Mathematics Genealogy Project {{DEFAULTSORT:Borgman, Jan 1929 births 2021 deaths 20th-century Dutch astronomers Members of the Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences Scientists from Groningen (city) Rectors of universities in the Netherlands University of Groningen alumni Academic staff of the University of Groningen