Farewell symposium Henny van der Windt

Associate Professor Henny van der Windt retired this year. Henny van der Windt has worked continuously at the University of Groningen (UG) since 1981. In this context, on 17 June 2022 there was a pleasant and interesting farewell in the form of a symposium at the Energy Academy Europe where various well-known speakers contributed with regards to the field in which Henny van der Windt worked.

The speakers and their topics were:

• Jos Dekker - Nature conservation in transition, past, present and future
• Riyan van den Born - Human-nature interactions, citizen science as a pathway towards green
• Tjisse van der Heide - Ecosystem engineers and the Wadden landscape; ecological restoration in a changing climate
• Marjolijn Tijdens - A green and social energy transition, practical examples and challenges
• Chris Zuidema - Energy transition ad the new energy landscape
• Henny van der Windt - Green transitions as scientific and societal learning processes

Henny van der Windt was surprised after the symposium with the honourable presentation of the silver Academy Plaque. ESRIG director Professor Harro Meijer presented the plaque to Henny van der Windt as a token of appreciation for his many years of dedication and his valuable scientific contributions to the UG.

The Academy Plaque was created in 1909 for the the inauguration of the Academy Building. The Executive Board has decided to designate the plaque as a token of appreciation and a memento of the UG for employees who leave the UG after a long period of employment. The silver plaque can be awarded to an employee with an employment of at least 40 years or after an exceptional track record.

There was a full house during the symposium attended by colleagues, relatives, (former) employees and (former) students of Henny van der Windt. This was followed by a reception where a gift was offered to Henny van der Windt on behalf of the colleagues for the purchase of Interrail tickets. His wife was presented with a beautiful bouquet of flowers.

Henny van der Windt will remain active elsewhere in the organization and looks back on a remarkable and valuable day.