Spring 2010

"As Dean of the Faculty of Law, I am very happy to present to you the spring issue of University of Groningen Worldwide. With 5 international Master’s degree programmes and one international Bachelor’s programme, our Faculty is highly internationally oriented, with many students and staff members from all over the world. The Faculty of Law gives high priority to the international dimension of teaching and research. One example is our Groningen Centre of Energy Law, which coordinates legal research on the energy sector, where cross-border issues are becoming increasingly important.

This year is the 15^th anniversary of our LLM programmes. To celebrate this, our international office is currently in the middle of preparations for the LLM Reunion 2010, which will bring together LLM alumni from many different countries. This reunion will take place in Groningen this summer on 7, 8 and 9 July. We hope that the LLM reunion 2010 will be just as successful as the first reunion in 2005. Just like then, alumni from all over the world can come back to Groningen to get back in touch, meet other alumni, remember their time in Groningen, network and much much more. Looking forward to meeting you this summer!"

Prof. L.C.A. Verstappen, LLM

Dean of the Faculty of Law

Zernike Institute for Advanced Materials in Times Higher Education top 10

The University of Groningen’s Zernike Institute for Advanced Materials is one of the ten best materials research institutes in the world. Groningen’s top research school came ninth in the ranking published this month by the renowned Times Higher Education journal. The University of Groningen is a newcomer in the top twenty, trumping prestigious universities such as Princeton, Stanford and Cambridge, as well as the Max Planck Institute. At the Zernike Institute for Advanced Materials, physicists, chemists and biologists collaborate on research into new materials. > website THE

Aletta Jacobs prize awarded to Neelie Kroes

On 8 March, the University of Groningen awarded the Aletta Jacobs Prize 2010 to Neelie Kroes, European Commissioner for the Digital Agenda. She received the prize in honour of the major social impact of her work and the clear, exemplary role she plays fulfilling powerful positions. Kroes, who has been on the Forbes list of the 100 most powerful women in the world for several years, is an example for women from many generations. She fulfils a significant role in the field of female emancipation. In this sense she is following in the footsteps of Aletta Jacobs, the first female student in the Netherlands, who studied medicine at the University of Groningen.

University of Groningen alumnus Dr Robert Manurung and the Jatropha plant: an interview

University of Groningen alumnus Dr Robert Manurung recently visited the University of Groningen to help launch a research project that aims to make remote regions in Indonesia more self-supporting by generating added value with agricultural produce, including a toxic tropical plant, Jatropha Curcas. Dr Manurung gained his PhD in Chemical Engineering at the University of Groningen in 1994. He is currently scientific advisor for a number of companies worldwide and associate professor at the Bandung Institute of Technology. His specialism is the application of biofuels (especially jatropha curcas) in developing countries. > read the interview

Take part in our international alumni Queen's Day Quiz and win a prize!

On 30 April the Dutch celebrate the Queen's Birthday. Maybe you remember the celebrations and the many activities organized throughout the whole country. 30 April is again approaching, so enjoy the Queen's Day atmosphere, take part in our Queen's Day Quiz and win a prize! > to the quiz

EU awards EUR 2.7 million grant for European science shops network

The European Commission has awarded EUR 2.7 million to the Science & Society Group of the University of Groningen to strengthen the European network of science shops. The aim of the Commission is to involve its citizens more in academic research. Through science shops, social organizations such as community groups or clubs can commission research projects by students under the supervision of professors without the usual high costs. This originally Dutch idea is catching on all over the world. Even the University of Cambridge recently set up a science shop. > read more  

Winter School in the Humanities at the foot of the Acropolis

From 1-5 February 2010, the four strategic partner universities of Groningen, Ghent, Uppsala and Goettingen organized a Winter School in the Humanities, entitled Identity and Cultural Transfer in Antiquity. The venue for this Winter School was the Dutch School of Classical Studies, which is located right at the foot of the Acropolis, impressive as always. More than 30 PhD students and staff members of the four universities attended to discuss their projects, thesis subjects and methods. > read more  

Professor Philip McCann: appointed as a Special Adviser to the European Commissioner for Regional Policy

Professor Philip McCann from the Faculty of Spatial Sciences in the University of Groningen has been appointed as a Special Adviser to Johannes Hahn, the European Commissioner for Regional Policy. Philip McCann will work alongside the other Special Adviser Fabrizio Barca, Director General of the Italian Ministry of Economy and Finance. Both Special Advisers will provide expert counsel to Commissioner Hahn on matters relating to the reform and future development of European Cohesion Policy. The period of appointment is from 1 April 2010 until 31 March 2011. > read more

Did you know?

• A University of Groningen student has been awarded the Women in Business Award
• The Protestant Theological University returns to Groningen
• The University of Groningen offers a web based discussion platform for scientific debate

New building for 'healthy ageing' research facilities

On Wednesday 17 March, Prof. S. Poppema (President of the Board of the University) and H. Dedden (CEO of Friso Bouwgroup) signed the contract for the construction of a new research building on the site of the University Medical Center Groningen (UMCG). This ERIBA building will accommodate medical and biological researchers working to expand our knowledge of healthy ageing. > read more

Dutch government resigned over Afghanistan: new elections on 9 June

Those who are interested in the political situation in the Netherlands will certainly have taken notice of recent developments. The Dutch government – a coalition formed by three parties, CDA (‘mainstream’ Christian democratic party), PvdA (social democrats) and CU (Christian democrats too, yet more heavily religious than the CDA) - had to resign on 20 February 2010 for failing to reach an agreement as to whether or not continue Dutch military support in Afghanistan. > read more

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