UG statisticians join forces in a new institute

The iconic building currently housing DOT restaurant faces an early demolition as the operators have decided to close the establishment. DOT originally opened in 2014 as the Infoversum, an initiative led by UG astronomer Edwin Valentijn. It featured a full-dome 3D theatre designed for planetarium shows. However, with an annual visitor target of 250,000, it only managed to attract 50,000. This led to the theatre’s bankruptcy by November 2015, after which Infoversum was transformed into DOT and a city beach was created next to it. The DOT owners held a lease on the land from the municipality of Groningen until 2027. Given this limited time, it seems unlikely a new operator will be found for the remaining period.

The University of Groningen (UG) has a relatively large group of students from Moldova. Therefore, a polling station has been opened in Groningen this weekend for the Moldovan presidential elections. Moldovans can cast their votes on Sunday, November 3, in the second round of the presidential election at the Flonk Hotel Groningen South, located at Corpus Laan den Hoorn 300, between 7:00 a.m. and 9:00 p.m. Voters must bring a valid Moldovan ID card or a Moldovan passport.

Seven UG scientists have been awarded a VIDI grant of up to 850,000 euros from the Dutch Research Council (NWO). With a VIDI grant, researchers can establish their own research group over a five-year period. Laura Baams from the Faculty of Behavioural and Social Sciences received funding for research on the well-being of LGBTQ+ youth across Europe. At the UMCG, Mark Jan Bonder was awarded funding for research into rare genetic diseases, Ranko Gacesa for work on the microbiome, and Cyril Moers for a project aimed at extending the preservation time of donor kidneys using a specialised pump. Within the Faculty of Science and Engineering, Kristina Haslinger will use the funding to study enzymes from various organisms to improve medication, while Julian Koellermeier will employ mathematics to predict natural disasters. Adrià Rofes from the Faculty of Arts aims to enhance understanding of language processing in the brain to better protect patients during brain surgery.

UG archaeologist Anna Moles has received an Early Career Award from the Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences (KNAW). This is a prize of 15,000 euros for young researchers conducting innovative and original research. Moles aims to understand how large-scale social changes affect the lives of individuals and groups. This can involve the integration of the Roman Empire as well as the introduction of Christianity. To investigate this, she studies human skeletal remains, which can reveal details about people's diet and health.

In 2024, the number of people with student debt was slightly lower for the first time in thirteen years. It fell by about 13,000 compared to the beginning of 2023, according to provisional data from the Dutch statistics office CBS. During the same period, the basic grant was reintroduced. In addition, the level of student debt has also decreased among young people up to 25 years old. For young people aged 20 to 25, it averages 13,100 euros, 800 euros less than a year earlier. In contrast, for people aged 25 to 30, the average study debt rose from 22,900 to 24,600 euros. The national student debt rose by 1 billion euros to 29 billion euros.

The University of Groningen has risen from 80th to 79th place in this year's Times Higher Education (THE) ranking. This makes it one of the five Dutch universities in the top one hundred of this global ranking. In total, eight of the twelve Dutch universities have dropped one or more places. According to Phil Baty of THE, this could already be a reflection of the announced one billion euro budget cut in Dutch education. The government's desire to curb internationalisation is also putting enormous pressure on the Netherlands' competitive position in the ranking, he says.

The UG and the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam have jointly established a new special chair titled Museums, Heritage, and Religion. This chair, part of the Faculty of Religion, Culture, and Society, will be held by Dr. Valika Smeulders, head of the history department at the Rijksmuseum, starting from October 1. According to both the UG and the Rijksmuseum, there has been increasing attention in recent years to previously overlooked subjects such as colonial history and the contributions of women to society, art, and science. 'Our understanding of the Netherlands and the world is expanding, raising new questions', says Smeulders. 'These developments in contemporary practice will be academically grounded with this chair, which I am proud to occupy.'

Starting this year, the year-end bonus of 8.3 percent will be paid out at the end of November, instead of the end of December. This change is part of an agreement made between trade unions and universities during the 2023 collective bargaining negotiations. The goal is to help employees manage the costly December period by giving them access to their year-end bonuses earlier. However, there is a drawback this year: the bonus will be calculated over eleven months (January through November), instead of the usual twelve. From next year, the calculation will again cover twelve months (December through November).

Students looking for a room from Groningen housing corporations Lefier and SSH can now register in one place via the national platform ROOM.nl. As a result, they also only have to pay the registration fee of 35 euro once. Previously, each housing corporation registered separately. The number of months that students have already been registered with the housing corporations will not be affected. ROOM.nl offers rooms from other housing corporations in cities such as Amsterdam, Delft, Zwolle and Utrecht as well. Many more student housing corporations are expected to join in the future.

Groningen student union GSb is calling on students to protest the government's plans in The Hague on October 18. The government is implementing major cuts to higher education and intends to introduce a 3,000 euro fine for long-term students. It also aims to reduce the number of international students with the Internationalisation in Balance Act. The GSb opposes these plans, as do WOinActie and Organize the RUG, groups primarily consisting of staff members. All three organisations will be taking action and protesting against the government's proposals in the coming months.

The residential containers on Vrydemalaan are set to be removed, Groningen alderman Rik van Niejenhuis announced to the city council last week. The containers have long been plagued by issues, including being difficult to heat in winter, becoming extremely hot in summer, and frequent problems with pests such as mice and rats. As a result, the housing corporation will start removing the units in 2026. Students who lose their accommodation due to this will be given priority for alternative social housing and will receive a moving allowance of 7,000 euros.

The UG and Forum Groningen are organising the European Researchers' Night on Friday, 27 September. Between 7.30 p.m. and midnight, visitors at the Forum can attend mini-lectures, participate in quizzes, conduct experiments, and explore research setups. The evening's programme, led by the university's four schools for science and society, will cover topics ranging from healthy ageing to artificial intelligence. The European Researchers' Night is an annual European initiative held simultaneously in various cities. In the Netherlands, the festival takes place exclusively in Groningen. Tickets are priced at 7.90 euros, which includes two drink tokens.

The University Library (UB) is taking measures to make working on the roof safer. This after a UB employee fell through a roof hatch and the ceiling below while cleaning the gutters last Thursday evening. Miraculously, the employee suffered only painful elbows and knees. The hatch in question is a known weak spot, says UG spokesperson Elies Wempe-Kouwenhoven. ‘There was leakage here several years ago after heavy snowfall and subsequent thaw.’ The roof hatch will be replaced and a handrail will be installed on the ladders to the roof. 

UG and UMCG professor of clinical genetics Nine Knoers was appointed Knight of the Order of the Dutch Lion on her retirement. This is the highest knighthood awarded to citizens for ‘an achievement for society of a very exceptional nature’. Knoers received the award because of her work in the field of hereditary kidney diseases, which makes the genetics department ‘among the top in the world’, according to the UMCG. She is also a member of the NWO and was previously with the KNAW and the Health Council of the Netherlands, in which she advised the cabinet on scientific policy in the field of genetics.

On Saturday, 21 September, the University Museum will once again participate in Groningen Museum Night. Visitors can explore hidden treasures from the museum's collection, enjoy live music, watch a cabaret show, and learn how to take the best smartphone photos. During Museum Night, guests can access seven Groningen museums for €12.50. Previous editions were all sold out, with over 3,500 people venturing out late into the night. Other participating venues this year include the Groninger Museum, GRID Graphic Museum, the Forum, the Synagogue, Noorderlicht Gallery, and the Museum aan de A.

Researchers Jingxiu Xie and Gosia Wlodarczyk-Biegun from the Faculty of Science and Engineering have secured an ERC Starting Grant. This means that over the next five years, they will each have 1.5 million euros to spend on their research. Jingxiu Xie is conducting research on intensified catalytic processes for converting CO2 into synthetic fuels, which could then be used as sustainable fuel for airplanes. Gosia Wlodarczyk-Biegun aims to develop a new biomaterial made from gel microspheres—tiny gel droplets. With this material, she intends to print tissues for medical applications.

Anyone who joins a trade union in September or October will receive a one-off discount of 100 euro on membership fees. The unions made this agreement with employers again this year. 'In these uncertain times, with upcoming budget cuts in sight, it is especially important for us as a union to have a stronger voice to defend the rights of workers', the unions wrote. Additionally, September and October are designated as 'trade union month'. The unions are organising various activities during this period to help people better understand the work of the unions.