Henk Pijlman was a senator in the Senate for D66 until June 2023. He has a long track record in higher education. He joined the Executive Board of Hanze University Groningen in 2000 and was appointed chairman in 2004, a position he held until 2021. Henk Pijlman was also chairman of the working group on practice-based research, which in 2017 issued advice on the quality of practice-based research and lectureships in universities of applied sciences. He currently holds various supervisory positions. He is chairman of the supervisory board of Streekziekenhuis Koningin Beatrix, chairman of the supervisory board of Waterleidingmaatschappij Drenthe, member of the board of cooperative De Monnik on Schiermonnikoog and chairman of the Referendum Committee Provincie Groningen.