Bilingualism remains standard for employee participation at UG
The UG board considers the use of both Dutch and English in the employee participation process the best option for an inclusive employee participation. »
‘Discussion about internationals at the university is unequal, unfair, and unethical’
The political debate about fewer foreign students and more Dutch-speaking education, argues RUG professor Lucy Avraamidou, stems from only one thing: xenophobia. »
 The Feringa Building is great, but there are some teething problems
It’s light, it’s airy, and most of all, it’s brand new. The Feringa Building is definitely a step up for all the researchers that have just moved into it. But it does need a little tweaking here and there. ‘The temperature in my office rose to 26 degrees over the past few weeks.’ »
Faculty councils want to decide for themselves which language they use
The faculty councils of the Faculty of Science and Engineering (FSE) and the Faculty of Economics and Business (FEB) do not intend to conduct meetings in Dutch, as the UG wants them to. »
Dining with Natalie #1: Talk of the Town
As a native of culinary melting pot Malaysia and the daughter of a restaurateur, UG student Natalie Voo knows her food. Every other week, she’ll be reviewing Groningen’s student-friendly dining scene. This time: Talk of the Town (TOTT). »
Drugs are becoming an integral part of the student experience
Nestled in a modest nail salon, I was unexpectedly amused by a casual jest regarding the unorthodox utility of long nails – not for their elegance, but rather for their efficiency in scooping cocaine. This fleeting moment of humor shed light on the remarkably blasé approach to drug use among students, an observation both amusing […] »
PhD ceremonies are lovely but time-consuming performances
Getting your PhD in the Netherlands is nothing more than a fancy diploma presentation, says columnist Dirk-Jan Scheffers. There’s nothing substantial about it. He thinks things could be different and better. »
Interview with Donya Ahmadi: ‘Nobody can say I haven’t done my due diligence’
Iranian Donya Ahmadi thought she could safely study Iranian feminism from her position in the Netherlands. But it didn’t quite go as she’d hoped. ‘I need to see it through to the end, even if it is extremely difficult.’ »
University wants to abolish compensation for laptops and tablets
The UG no longer wants to compensate employees for a computer or tablet, instead providing them with that equipment itself. »
Unions want 4.3 percent pay rise
In the collective labour agreement negotiations with the universities, which are set to begin on March 27, the unions are aiming for a 4.3 percent pay rise and an increase of 150 euros to every salary scale. This would mean that lower scales would grow relatively faster than higher scales. Additionally, the salary scales should […] »
Ran plays for the national team: ‘Korfball being my job is a dream come true’
Ran Faber was the best korfball player under 21 for three years running. Last year, he and TeamNL became world champion, and he became most valuable player of the championship. On top of that, he also studies econometrics. ‘But it’s going to take me four years.’ »
Why I hate LinkedIn
LinkedIn, the app where you can ‘manage your professional identity’, ’build and engage with your professional network’ and ‘access knowledge, insights and opportunities’, has one billion users. It ranks in the top used apps with competition like Instagram, which has two billion users, and Facebook, with 3.5 billion. So if it is so popular, why […] »
Former rector Cisca Wijmenga is new chair of NWO committee
Cisca Wijmenga, the first female rector of the University of Groningen (2019-2023), has been appointed as the new chair of the Permanent Committee on Large-Scale Scientific Infrastructure (PC-GWI). This decision was made by the board of directors of the Netherlands Organisation for Scientific Research (NWO). Wijmenga is a professor of human genetics at the University […] »
FEB research master receives ‘excellent programme’ designation
The research master in economics and business at the Faculty of Economics and Business (FEB) has been named an ‘excellent programme’ in the latest Keuzegids Masters. »
UG accused of censorship for blocking screening of Palestinian movie
The UG has stopped Groningen for Palestine from showing a pro-Palestinian movie at the university on Tuesday evening. The student organisation is accusing the UG of censorship. »
Partnerships throughout the North: what does it get the UG?
Once, the goal was for the university to be as internationally oriented as possible, with plans for a branch campus in the Chinese city of Yantai as its highlight. But under president Jouke de Vries, the UG has gone in a different direction. He wants to marry the international and local aspects of the university. […] »
Journalists’ union concerned about censorship at university magazines
The Dutch journalists’ union NVJ and the Dutch Association for Science Journalism and Communication are concerned about rising censorship at independent university media. Increasingly, they say, these media experience pressure from university boards not to publish critical articles. This happened last year at several institutes, including TU Eindhoven. There, the editor-in-chief was fired by the […] »
The UG wants students to invest in the Dutch language, but are they willing to?
Both Dutch and international students need to ‘invest’ in the Dutch language, according to the UG’s new language policy. How do students feel about that? UKrant took to the street to ask them. »
How Russian imperialism makes its way into the university
Since I moved to the Netherlands, I have often felt that Eastern Europe exists as one big country in the minds of Westerners. People don’t always know that Lithuania and Latvia are two different countries. Some friends of mine only recently discovered that the Balkans differ from Eastern Europe. Before Russia invaded Ukraine, and sometimes […] »
University board asked to take stance against ‘educide’ in Gaza
The university board has received a letter from staff members asking the university to speak out against ‘educide’ in Gaza. »
The end of a community: ‘Working at Vapiano felt like a hobby’
If you worked at Vapiano, you were part of a community, students say. And now the restaurant has suddenly closed, all that has fallen apart. ‘I don’t care about the job. This is about the people I got so attached to.’ »
Lecturers are sick of the distraction: Laptops banned
Anyone taking classes with Janneke Weijermars or Marcel Brus would do well not to forget pen and paper. They and other lecturers have banned laptops from their classrooms. ‘Students thank me for it every year.’ »
Formal training for study advisors
Starting next year, study advisors will receive training before they take up their role. This is part of the new action plan for student wellbeing which will be discussed in the university council next week. Currently, there is no formal education for study advisors. They do attend various training sessions, but there is no clear […] »
UG should be enforcing smoking policy, but doesn’t have the tools
The university aims to impose sanctions on students and staff who smoke on RUG premises despite the smoking ban. But how do you do that when there is no obligation to show identification? »
Both Dutch and internationals asked to invest in Dutch languageÂ
The UG will always be a multilingual university. Nevertheless, it’s asking its Dutch and international staff and students to ‘invest in their Dutch language skills’. It’s one of the principles of the UG’s new policy on language and culture. »
41 incidents reported to introductory periods committee
Last year, student and study associations reported 41 incidents to Advisory Committee for Introductory Periods (ACI). That’s the same number as in 2022. In seventeen cases, it involved an accident. Arguments and fights occurred seven times. Two reports concerned sexual misconduct. The ACI observes that the associations themselves handle the incidents well. However, it notes […] »
Festival helps students navigate life
How do you navigate a complex world as a twenty-something without losing yourself? That was the central question during Wednesday’s festival How to Conduct Life, organised by the North Netherlands Orchestra in collaboration with UG students. Visitors could attend talks on mental health, but also dance, participate in workshops, and of course, listen to music. […] »
Farewell, ghost flat: ‘Going back to the Van Heemskerckstraat would be the opposite of progress’
Now that the Selwerd flats have all been renovated, it’s time for the student flat at the Van Heemskerckstraat. While the building used to have 229 residents, there are currently only a few left. ‘They’re making the units more independent, which I think is a shame.’ »
New UG statement on Gaza does nothing to appease pro-Palestine students
The UG says it will investigate its partnerships with Israeli and Palestinian parties. But that is not good enough, say pro-Palestine students who protested against the university’s lack of action on Tuesday. »
Fun, exciting, and far-fetched: How to finance your shower thoughts
A Dutch Research Council (NWO) XS grant of 50,000 euros may just be the thing you need to get that weird research idea you had in the shower off the ground. With this grant, UG scientists create PFAS-eating bacteria and try to find out why people refuse to participate in surveys. ‘It’s a bit like dreaming.’ »