Letter: universities need to move away from Big Tech

Dutch universities are working on at least 28 technologies and products with European funding that could also be used by the Israeli military. This was reported by investigative platform Follow the Money (FTM) on Thursday. Since 2007, Israel has received more than 3 billion euros from Horizon Europe, a European subsidy fund. Although projects funded by these subsidies have been required to have a civilian purpose since 2020, the European Commission does not check whether the end product is used for military purposes, according to FTM. The University of Groningen (UG) is also collaborating with Israel in three Horizon projects. The university already disclosed this in May of last year. At the time, the university stated that the projects did not have military objectives. It reiterates this in the FTM report.

A new dating method has revealed that some of the Dead Sea Scrolls are older than previously believed. Two fragments have even been dated to the same period in which their authors lived — specifically, the second and third centuries BCE — making them very recent copies of the original manuscripts. The discovery was made by researchers from the project The Hands That Wrote the Bible, led by University of Groningen researcher Mladen Popović. Previous datings relied on handwriting analysis alone. In this new study, that approach was combined with C14 dating. The combined data were processed using Enoch, a machine learning model that analyzes raw images of handwritten manuscripts to estimate their age. The model produces dating results with a margin of uncertainty of just thirty years.

The UMCG and the medical faculty took part in the national moment of silence for Gaza on Wednesday morning. The initiative began last week in Leiden and is continuing this week as a relay across the other six university medical centres in the Netherlands. Through this action, the hospitals aim to draw attention to the severe lack of medical care in the war-torn region. By observing two minutes of silence, they hope to underscore the urgent need for unrestricted access to healthcare, particularly in Gaza. According to a UMCG spokesperson, around two hundred people gathered in Groningen.

Trade union FNV and others are calling on all UG staff to take part in the new nationwide education strike on Tuesday 10 June. Under the slogan ‘Stop the Demolition’, thousands of people are once again expected to travel to the Malieveld that day to protest against the millions in budget cuts the current government is imposing on higher education. This strike follows the relay strikes at the end of March and beginning of April, when universities took turns striking. The UG also joined on 18 March. That strike culminated in a gathering of around 2,500 people on the Grote Markt. The trade unions had already stated they would continue demonstrating until something changes.

Three professors from the University of Groningen have been appointed as new members of the Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences (KNAW), the association of the country’s most prominent researchers. They are Jingyuan Fu, Lisa Herzog, and Helga de Valk. Jingyuan Fu has previously conducted research in which she combined large-scale data on human genes, the gut microbiome, and environmental and lifestyle factors. Her aim is to gain a better understanding of individual differences in health and disease. Philosopher Lisa Herzog investigates how the distribution of knowledge in society affects our democracy. Helga de Valk studies the life courses of young people and adults, with a particular focus on the role of migration.

From next year, students will be allowed to spend a maximum of 957 euros on study-related expenses in addition to their tuition fees. This represents a 2.8 percent increase compared to this year, matching the rise in tuition fees. Study-related expenses include books, course readers, and digital learning materials. No cap applies to optional modules, minors, or programmes such as the Honours College. Laptops are not covered under the study cost scheme. This is seen as problematic by several members of the university council, as many courses still recommend that students bring a laptop. However, students cannot be denied access to lectures or exams if they do not have one.

More than five hundred students and staff members have signed an open letter calling on the university to reduce its reliance on Big Tech. They are urging the university to develop a plan to achieve this goal within three years. The opportunity to sign the letter closed last Wednesday, with a total of 503 signatures. The Young Academy Groningen has also expressed its support. 'There is also contact with the University Library, the Centre for Information Technology, and the privacy officer, all of whom support this movement', says initiator Oskar Gstrein. 'There appears to be broad agreement that this is an important issue.'

American Studies will host a symposium on the Trump administration on Tuesday, 20 May. Guest speakers include Debora van Nijnatten, a professor at Wilfrid Laurier University (Canada), who will discuss U.S.–Canada relations. Photographer Nicola Moscelli will also be present to speak about his book Dead End, which explores the past and present of the U.S.–Mexico border. In addition to these guest speakers, experts from the American Studies programme’s teaching and research departments will also contribute. You can register for the symposium here.

Professor Inga Kamp has been appointed the new director of the Kapteyn Institute in Groningen, effective April 1. She will serve a three-year term, succeeding Professor of Astrophysics León Koopmans, according to astronomie.nl. Kamp has been affiliated with the University of Groningen since 2008, initially as an assistant professor and, since 2017, as a full professor. Her research focuses on star and planet formation, as well as the composition of planet-forming disks — the cradles of new planets. With her appointment, Kamp also becomes a board member of the Netherlands Research School for Astronomy (NOVA).

Professor of active molecular systems Nathalie Katsonis has been awarded the Ammodo Science Award 2025. Katsonis will receive the award and a monetary prize of 350,000 euros for her research on molecules that can work together in a coordinated manner. Through this collaboration, materials are created that can, for example, pulsate, curl up, stiffen, and explode—functioning like molecular machines. As a result, they can continuously adapt. In the future, such materials could be used for medical applications, and as alternatives to steel and ceramics. The award ceremony will take place on 7 May at the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam.

The film night on April 25 featuring actor Guy Pearce, organised by art history and arts, culture & media student association IK, sold out within two minutes on Wednesday. The evening will include a screening of the acclaimed 2000 film Memento, followed by a live Q&A with Pearce, who played the lead role. Memento tells the story of a man suffering from memory loss, who uses note cards, Post-its, Polaroid photos, and tattoos to search for his wife's killer. The film was directed by Christopher Nolan, who later went on to direct blockbusters such as Oppenheimer, Interstellar, and Inception.

Of the international students who graduated in Groningen between 2014 and 2018, 22.1 percent were still in the Netherlands five years later. This is according to research by Nuffic, the organisation for internationalisation in education. This figure is slightly lower than the national average for that period, which was 25.3 percent. The highest retention rate was in Eindhoven (48.9 percent), followed by Delft (38.7 percent) and Utrecht (36.3 percent). Groningen graduates from outside the European Economic Area (EEA) were more likely to stay (29.1 percent) compared to EEA graduates (19.8 percent). Notably, only 3.1 percent of all students who remained in the Netherlands found employment in the Groningen region.

Robotics professor Ming Cao will receive a 2.4 million euro AiNed growth fund grant from Dutch research council NWO. With this funding, he will spend the next five years investigating the obstacles to implementing artificial intelligence (AI) in SMEs within the technical industry. If adoption does not speed up, it could harm the Netherlands' competitive position and increase dependence on foreign industries. Cao (science and engineering) will collaborate with researchers from law, medical sciences, and economics and business to explore ethical, legal, social, and economic challenges. He is also working with TU Twente, Tilburg University, and thirteen industrial partners.

Two pennants that astronaut and UG alumnus Wubbo Ockels took on his space mission in the 1980s are now on display in the Academy building, near the senate chamber of the Faculty of Economics and Business. One features the UG logo, while the other bears the logo of the city of Groningen. The pennants were part of the 1.5 kilograms of personal luggage each astronaut was allowed to take into space. They orbited the Earth 111 times, covering nearly four million kilometres. After the mission, they were stored in the depots of the municipality and the university. Last Friday, they were unveiled in honour of Ockels’ posthumous 79th birthday—he passed away in 2014.

The University of Groningen (RUG) ranks 28th in Times Higher Education's ranking of the most international universities. This ranking is based on international reputation, determined by surveying scientists about the most prestigious universities in their field. It also considers the number of international students and staff, as well as publications with at least one international co-author. Last year, the RUG ranked 33rd. Now, at 28th place, it ranks above institutions such as MIT (33rd) and Harvard (45th). 'A justifiable and welcome recognition in these times of announced budget cuts', says university president Jouke de Vries.

More than four hundred people have already signed up for the online Gronings course launched in early March by the University of Groningen and the Center for Groninger Language and Culture. The MOOC (Massive Open Online Course) lasts four weeks and gives people the opportunity to master the basics of the Gronings language at their own pace. A fun detail: during the lessons, we follow Enno and Iefke on a road trip through the province. The lessons are presented as videos and WhatsApp conversations, which together form a romantic comedy. You can still join via www.groningsleren.nl.

From 19 March until 11 April, Landleven, the street that runs along the Kapteynborg towards the sports fields on the Zernike Campus, will be closed. A number of UG buildings will be connected to the campus heat grid. This means that the walking routes between the Duisenberg building (FEB), the Kapteynborg and the Foodcourt will be less accessible. There is an alternative wheelchair-friendly walking route via the deck next to the Duisenberg pond. Along there, the main entrance to the Kapteynborg can also be reached.