Chris Diederiks

Chris Diederiks works as Lecturer and Internship Supervisor at the Faculty of Spatial Sciences. In addition, he trains students to become (geography) teachers for secondary education, and he also serves as Study Advisor. After his secondary education in Emmeloord, Chris went further north to Groningen to study Human Geography & Planning, mainly because he found geography an interesting subject and Groningen seemed like a nice city. Since then he has not left, and he has been working on a wide range of tasks at the University of Groningen for quite some years now.

How did you come to be at the University of Groningen?

After my studies, I first taught geography at a secondary school. Then I got the chance to use my teaching experience at the University of Groningen. Several years later, I was asked to train geography teachers.

What is it like working for the University of Groningen?

I really like working at the University of Groningen, thanks to the enormous variation in my tasks. As Lecturer, one of the highlights of my work is to supervise international fieldwork with students of the Bachelor's programme Human Geography and Planning. As International Supervisor, I gain insights in the ins and outs of many different career options for our students. In contrast, as a study advisor, I feel useful when I help students with their questions and problems.

How would you describe your work?

My work is dynamic and challenging, in which I get to utilise my skills and knowledge to educate and empower students while contributing to the organisational goals.

What makes your job at the Faculty Spatial Sciences so much fun, and interesting?

The great thing about geography is that the education takes place away from the designed learning environment (‘the classroom’), and one of the great things about teacher training is visiting students (who are training to become teachers) at their internship sites and learning about their professional growth and experience.

What is the University of Groningen like as an employer?

In these difficult COVID-19 times, the University of Groningen has shown that it is a reliable employer, especially having a staff of dependable and trusted employees who have stepped up to join the fight against the spread of the coronavirus.

How would you describe the University of Groningen to outsiders?

The University of Groningen is a great city to study, and it is a university where good education is just as important as good research. As efforts continue at national and global levels to battle the coronavirus, the University of Groningen has shown that the health and wellbeing of its employees and students together with that of their families, and the city of Groningen continue to be one of its primary focus. This demonstrates both the University’s commitment and dedication to stepping up and meeting challenges head on, especially in these unprecedented COVID-19 times.

What is it like to work and live in Groningen?

The fact that I continued to live in Groningen after my studies and even returned to the University of Groningen says enough. Groningen is a welcoming city with local charm, and the quality of life is exquisite. Think of Forum Groningen and everything that happens on the “Suikerunie Terrein”.