Professors and porters go ‘on the road’ together to visit schools
This spring, to celebrate the 400th anniversary of the University of Groningen, more than one hundred staff members from all over the university will lecture at their children’s schools. They will be going ‘out and about’ in the north of the Netherlands to talk to children and teenagers about their work, from law and medicine to biology and astronomy. On Monday 17 March, the guest lecture series will be launched at a meeting for all staff.
During the guest lectures, staff will also talk about the Gift for Infinity: the scientific research project chosen by the public that the University will carry out to mark its 400th anniversary. The project is a study of healthy ageing: Let Old Be Gold! How can children and teenagers contribute?
Gift for Infinity: Let Old Be Gold
People who play an active role in society remain happier, fitter and healthier as they age. But why do some people remain active, even in later life, while others do not? And what role does voluntary work play? Professor Ronald Stolk’s research team will be joining forces with LifeLines to find the answers to these questions.

Birthday present
The University has launched a crowdfunding campaign to raise the funds needed for ‘the Gift’. Everyone who would like to give the University a birthday present can contribute. The guest lecturers will be taking part in the campaign by encouraging the classes they visit to think up creative ways of raising money for the Gift research project. Schools that raise money will be invited to a concluding lecture in Groningen on Saturday 23 May 2014.
One hundred applications
Staff members will give their guest lectures at the invitation of the University of Groningen Pre-University Academy and the Anniversary Events Office. There is a great deal of interest – more than one hundred members of staff have already applied to give a guest lecture. Wilbert Kolkman, Professor of Private Law, was one of the first to apply: ‘I think it’s really interesting to take part. Normally I only teach at the University. This is an excellent opportunity to talk about my field to a wider audience. My lecture will be about family law, something that everyone comes into contact with at some point in their lives – the death of a grandparent, a divorce, or the birth of a brother or sister.’Last modified: | 13 December 2022 4.43 p.m. |
More news
-
03 April 2025
IMChip and MimeCure in top 10 of the national Academic Startup Competition
Prof. Tamalika Banerjee’s startup IMChip and Prof. Erik Frijlink and Dr. Luke van der Koog’s startup MimeCure have made it into the top 10 of the national Academic Startup Competition.
-
01 April 2025
NSC’s electoral reform plan may have unwanted consequences
The new voting system, proposed by minister Uitermark, could jeopardize the fundamental principle of proportional representation, says Davide Grossi, Professor of Collective Decision Making and Computation at the University of Groningen
-
01 April 2025
'Diversity leads to better science'
In addition to her biological research on ageing, Hannah Dugdale also studies disparities relating to diversity in science. Thanks to the latter, she is one of the two 2024 laureates of the Athena Award, an NWO prize for successful and inspiring...