Healthy Cities in Toronto, Hong Kong and Utrecht (pp. 14 –17)
Alumni Magazine July 2016
Utrecht International Utrecht University – Attracting and developing international talent
A First
Content
New questions, new knowledge I can hardly recognise the restaurants, bars, shops, festivals and theatres abundant in Utrecht today. Things have certainly changed in that respect since my time at the ‘university of life’. Despite all the cosmetics, I must conclude that very little is able to alter the inherent atmosphere of the town, an atmosphere that brought me the fun and happy times I was enjoying at the time. If I have to point out anything that has, then I can only point to a positive development, i.e. internationalisation. Seeing more and more foreign students and teachers bustling through the corridors of the university and the streets of Utrecht fills me with great pride. The university’s improved reputation has increased the number of applications by talented foreign students and scientists alike. “We should embrace the diversity this brings,” according to Rector Magnificus Bert van der Zwaan and Distinguished University Professor Naomi Ellemers as they addressed the morning crowd on University Day at the Domkerk on Saturday 2 April of this year. Different cultures and nationalities lead us to wonder and ask new questions and asking new questions enables us to acquire new knowledge. This edition of Illuster is published in both Dutch and English, a point I should emphasise here, as it is the very first of its kind and one marking the next step towards greater internationalisation and a powerful and attractive development taking place at your Alma Mater. Robert S. Croll LLM Chairman Utrecht University Fund
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July 2016
4 In Utrecht 6 Generation UU 8 My career… Marjan Minnesma 10 Money well spent 11 Message from… Geneva 12 JAN — Young Alumni Network 14 UU Central 18 Born 1993 19 DUB 20 Utrecht Science Park 22 In the spotlight 24 Chatting with… Erbil 25 In the frame, then 26 Recap 26 A pick of what’s on offer 28 In the frame
Utrecht in Chinese social media
18
Born 1993
12
The next step in my career JAN
Towards Healthy Cities UU central
Chatting with… Erbil
26
Alumni around the world Recap
A different perspective on life
14 24
‘I post just about anything to do with daily student life in Utrecht.’ — MengLin Wang, page 18
Acknowl edgements
Text Harold Kerkhof Photo Ed van Rijswijk
Opening up
Becoming a Bright Mind
Illuster is a publication by Utrecht University and the Utrecht University Fund, published three times a year and issued to Utrecht University alumni. This is a one time English issue. Editors Robbert Jan Feunekes, Nicoline Meijer, Armand Heijnen, Hanneke Olivier, Xander Bronkhorst, Joost Dankers en Harold Kerkhof (executive editor). Editing Board Arie Smit, former director TeleacNot;
–– In 2004, Portuguese student Sabrina Santos Oliveira had
David Veldman, magazine
completed a pharmaceutical
manager/copywriter
sciences research internship
Uitgeverij Virtùmedia; Olfert
at Utrecht University as an
Koning, communication
undergraduate. After taking
advisor GGZ Nederland; Marianne Hoornenborg,
a degree from the University
entrepeneur De Recht &
of Coimbra she wasted no time in returning to
Krom Producties. This
Utrecht. Almost 12 years later, she received a grant
international edition also
from the European Research Council to conduct a
came about thanks to the
promising research project into targeted therapies
joint efforts of University College Utrecht (UCU)
for several types of cancer.
alumni Thijs van Himbergen
And then what? I completed a degree programme at Coimbra and together with Gert Storm and Raymond Schiffelers applied for a Portuguese grant to fund a PhD research project in Utrecht. We wanted to silence a protein that is over-expressed in various types of cancer tissue. Shortly after I obtained my PhD, I worked as a postdoc investigating the use of nanobodies in cancer imaging (at the Cell Biology division). After that, I was awarded a veni grant from the Netherlands Organisation for Research in 2012, which allowed me the opportunity to start my own research programme. It allowed me to combine my interests in cancer imaging and therapy, and that is when I developed targeted photodynamic therapy using nanobodies.
and Somaye Dehban, both the editors of UCU’s alumni magazine Post. Translations Robert Smith, Roos van der Wardt, George Woodham. Art direction & design Flow design + communicatie, Utrecht. Printed by Xerox ISSN 1338-4703 21st volume, #77. © Utrecht University The articles in this copyrighted publication may be reprinted or reproduced subject to an acknowledgement
Tell us about your research. The aim of my project is to make photodynamic therapy more selective. This type of therapy involves the administration of a photosensitizer (mostly via intravenous injection), which within a few days is locally activated by a harmless light that triggers a mechanism able to destroy cancer cells. We’re now testing a targeted version of this type of therapy using nanobodies. They are able to ‘deliver’ the photosensitizer selectively to cancer cells and more rapidly throughout the entire tumour tissue, thus allowing treatment of the patient within hours instead of days, as well as leaving healthy surrounding tissue untouched.
of their sources. Illuster is printed on FSCcertified paper. Follow us on Facebook en LinkedIn: Alumni Universiteit Utrecht Email: alumni@uu.nl
How did you end up in Utrecht? In my final year in
Coimbra, I felt a desire to see what it would be like to conduct a PhD research project. At that time there weren’t many options in Portugal. I’d heard about Utrecht as one of the top places and the people I’d spoken were very positive. My good grades gave me the opportunity to take on a six-month internship at the Pharmaceutical Sciences department.
In what way does Utrecht University distinguish itself from the University of Coimbra? People here are very open to teaming up and collaborating with you and expensive resources are shared very easily here, too. The scientific environment in Portugal is, in general, more competitive, you see? Which makes researchers less inclined to share such resources. Plus, here, a researcher will have a lot more options at his disposal, be it in terms of funding or facilities. Have you ever considered returning there, or perhaps venture on elsewhere? Well, the Dutch food and weather certainly won’t keep me here. And it took me a while to get used to how forward Dutch people are. I have considered other universities around the world, but I’m enjoying the city and have since built up a good network here. With me starting my job as an assistant professor soon, I don’t think I’ll be considering moving elsewhere in the near future. Plus, all this straight-talking the Dutch do does have some advantages.
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July 2016
In Utrecht
#DareToBeGrey
Students to battle it out in Washington on behalf of nuanced opinions and diversity
Utrecht University students running the #DareToBeGrey social media campaign have been asked to present the method and results of their efforts at the United States Department of State in Washington D.C. The US government appealed to 45 universities across the globe to develop a social media strategy against extremism and radicalisation. The teams behind the five best strategies have now been invited to Washington D.C. The Utrecht team opted to ‘voice’ those views and opinions that don’t tend to make the headlines, because they carry too much nuance, i.e. don’t qualify as ‘news’. Those on the extremes do, however, if only for the reactions they trigger in society. According to the Utrecht students, the application of such a mechanism involuntarily feeds the polarising of opinions, radicalisation and even extremism. The #DareToBeGrey appeal has been able to reach out to a large global audience. An Utrecht delegation of the appeal had already been asked to present its case at the Global Summit of the international Strong Cities Network in Antalya, Turkey. The Strong Cities Network was founded by the UN in September 2015 in an attempt to counter all forms of radical extremism.
––
Robbert Dijkgraaf and Sander Dekker to attend the opening of the Academic Year 2016 – 2017
Distinguished guests to attend the opening of the 2016 – 2017 Academic Year at the Domkerk, Utrecht. Leading scientist and uu alumnus Prof. Robbert Dijkgraaf and Sander Dekker, State Secretary for Education, Culture and Science are both scheduled to appear. The theme to this year’s ceremony is ‘The impact of science’ in light of the National Science Agenda. The year-opening event is set to emphasise the roles
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July 2016
of both fundamental research as well as valorisation. President of the Executive Board, Utrecht University, Marjan Oudeman llm will discuss the topic according to Utrecht University’s new 2016 – 2020 strategic plan. Sander Dekker will offer his views from a government perspective. Finally, Prof. Dijkgraaf will put forward science’s take on the topic.
––
Unitas S.R.’s Memorial Plaque
This spring Unitas S.R. student society unveiled its very own war memorial plaque. The plaque commemorates the society’s members who gave their lives in pursuit of freedom during wwii. The monument references the sun of justice motto emblazoned on the Utrecht University arms. Willibrord van Beek, the King’s Commissioner for Utrecht, unveiled the commemorative plaque in a ceremony on 29 April 2016. “Unitas s.r. student society”, he said, “is a special
institution, as it’s the only student society that welcomes and has welcomed all who have come to join it. Certainly in 1940 such an approach stood out and was indeed unique. That is why it is all the more fitting to have this commemorative plaque adorn the wall of the Symposion, a place where the young people listed here would come together. A place that shaped their identities. It also offers recognition of the suffering of the victims and of the loss suffered by those left behind.” The plaque is partially funded by the Utrecht University Fund.
www.uu.nl/news
––
The Utrecht University Fund introduces Agnites Vrolik award On the occasion of Utrecht University’s 380th birthday, the Utrecht University Fund will be introducing an annual prize for talented scientists conducting research with a significant impact on the societal questions of our time, the Agnites Vrolik award. Agnites Vrolik (1810 –1894), a former Dutch Finance Minister from 1854 to 1858, was the inaugural chairman of the Utrecht University Fund in 1886. The fund has introduced the award in an attempt to show the extent to which scientific development affects society and our daily lives. Entries for the award will be judged by a jury of leading scientists and alumni. Its winner will be awarded EUR 25,000 in prize money along with the Agnites Vrolik medal. The award is funded by a bequest left to the Utrecht University Fund in 2014 by the late Mrs Cobi de Bree.
––
Utrecht knowledge institutes join hands to help refugees
The hu University of Applied Sciences Utrecht and Utrecht University will be coming together to help educate refugees and prepare them for the job market. Utrecht’s knowledge institutes are currently setting up a preparatory study year that will aid refugees in acquiring study skills, gaining a command of the Dutch language and teach them how to select the next step in their education.
The hu University of Applied Sciences Utrecht and Utrecht University are promoting the recruitment of qualified refugee employees within their ranks. Both institutes have signed a collaboration agreement with the Foundation for Refugee Students uaf. Apart from their joint effort, the institutes have also come to individual arrangements with the uaf on aiding the education of refugees. Marjan Oudeman, President of the Executive Board, Utrecht University: “Our society finds itself faced with a steep increase in the number of people seeking
refuge in this country. We as a university can, and want, to contribute to offering those refugees with higher vocational or academic qualifications by creating opportunities for them to develop themselves in the Netherlands.”
––
Future-proof Skills Employers offering students professional skills training
Utrecht University has teamed up with several leading employers in developing a programme aimed at better preparing its Master’s students for the job market. The Future-proof Skills programme sees organisations such as the Dutch Tax Authority, ing, Michael Page, ns and Arriva offer students job-market skills training. The university initiated the programme in an attempt to meet the country-wide call for a better level of professional skills among those graduating from Dutch universities. The Futureproof Skills are an important addition to current undergraduate skills training.
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July 2016
Generation UU Historians Ido de Haan (Western European History, Utrecht University) and R. Bin Wong (Chinese history, global economic history, University of California, Los Angeles) both welcomed the opportunity provided by the ucla-Utrecht Exchange Program to work and live abroad. But what exactly makes this experience so valuable?
It’s healthy for us all to change our vantage point Exchange programme expanding horizons in Los Angeles and Utrecht
‘Many people there view Europe as a sort of picturesque Disneyland.’
Different worlds IdH : I was at ucla for a
whole year, combining the teaching exchange with some research I had funding for. It’s an extraordinary place to be, very different from Utrecht. The research library is just marvellous — in fact it’s so huge I got lost the first time I went there. And their collection on Dutch history is even larger than ours! I also had the chance to attend a variety of seminars and lectures. Everyone who wants to be someone in History will eventually give a talk at ucla, so my stay there was a remarkable networking opportunity. RBW: I’ve been in Utrecht since late April to serve part of my teaching load at ucla here. The excitement and challenge of teaching here is that the students have no background in my field. People have been very warm and welcoming. And there is simply no real substitute for the feeling of being in Europe. Utrecht is one of the loveliest European cities because so much of the old city remains. Asia, where I spend around 15% of my time, is mostly built of wood so it doesn’t last. People do rebuild things, but it’s not really the same. What makes this exchange programme so valuable? RBW: Personally, I am a strong believer in the principle
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of international exchange and I feel deeply engaged and challenged intellectually. This exchange experience is both familiar enough and different enough to engage you — an extension of the familiar that takes you into challenges you hadn’t anticipated that are actually quite different. IdH : The range of topics people are working on in la is much broader than ours. Just look at professor Bin Wong, nobody in Utrecht is working on Chinese history. So it’s interesting for us when people come to teach on topics we don’t normally cater for. It enriches our own insights within the department as well as temporarily broadening the curriculum for our students. A lasting impact RBW: It also provides opportunities to build
collaborations with international colleagues in and beyond Utrecht, something I have been working on for some time. I feel networks in Europe are somehow tighter than in the us. Of course from a us point of view, Europe is quite compact so I am now able to say yes to invitations I would otherwise have had to decline. In fact, I just returned from Uppsala, which is not a flight you want to do from la for a 2 – 3 day visit. IdH : In that sense the programme has a lasting impact: After people have been here they tend to come back. Both universities also host a series of lectures where
Text Emma van Opstal Photos Ed van Rijswijk
people from the exchange programme come to speak. People become partners with whom we can work in the long run. Asserting European relevance IdH : Another purpose of the exchange
programme is to promote Dutch Studies at ucla, to increase the visibility of Dutch history as something that can be understood as an integral part of European and even global history. I had the impression while I was there that many people view Europe as a sort of picturesque Disneyland where you can go on holiday. I think this kind of explains the somewhat marginalized position of European History within the history department. In general people on the West coast tend to think of Europe as the past. RBW: It’s interesting though, because intellectually my department is very committed to Europe — some of our best scholars are European historians. But in the broader social context, Americans generally don’t have much of a sense of history. Even visiting Europeans can feel this. They are often immediately struck by the scale of spaces. Two separate French visitors each remarked that they didn’t feel the weight of tradition in California, they just felt an openness. So our societies are different enough that we are impressed by different things. How do you see the future of the programme? IdH : From our side it’s clear we want
the exchange programme to continue — in fact the department here is looking to expand international partnerships. The exchange with ucla has been a model for a number of collaborations we are setting up with other universities across the world. ucla will remain our most important American partner. RBW: Our department is committed to the programme as well. I think it’s healthy for all of us to have this sort of opportunity to change our vantage point. That’s why our department is quite clear to the people who get to decide our budgets that this really matters.
–– The UCLA-Utrecht Exchange Program The UCLA-Utrecht Exchange Program facilitates the exchange of lecturers Do you feel you’ve brought something
and students between the history
back from your exchange?
departments of the two universities.
IdH : Definitely! I would say I’ve brought
It gives lecturers the opportunity to
back an attitude in life: California is very different from grumpy Europe. People really are much more optimistic in la
teach and do research abroad, as well as exchange ideas with international colleagues and strengthen academic networks. Students can participate
‘An extension of the familiar that takes you into challenges.’
at the undergraduate as well as the graduate level. Prof. Ido de Haan Professor De Haan was at UCLA for a full year in 2006 – 07. He specialises in Modern History of Western Europe.
even though life there can be quite hard — it’s not a welfare state. That optimism is an important thing I brought home. And also the idea that you can go somewhere else and work. An idea my daughter has taken to heart, as she is now studying in the us herself. RBW: I’m not really in a position to say yet, but I can imagine — you have a café culture here that we don’t have. What can I take back from enjoying a good Belgian beer in an Utrecht bistro…? A longing and a memory that I still had those opportunities in la I guess!
His focus includes the impact of regime changes and large-scale violence, the development of citizenship, state and civil society in Western Europe and Dutch political history. He is the Dutch coordinator of the exchange programme. Prof. R. Bin Wong Professor Wong’s faculty exchange in Utrecht started in April 2016. He specialises in Chinese history, and global economic history, particularly patterns of political, economic and social change in comparison to European and American patterns.
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July 2016
My career… Marjan Minnesma
Marjan Minnesma
‘It is up to you to keep your eyes open’
O
n Utrecht University’s
Didn’t want to wait until 50
380th anniversary, Marjan Minnesma (Law and Philosophy, 1990 –1996)
was declared the university’s first ‘Alumna of the Year’. In 2007, she co-founded Urgenda, which aims to accelerate sustainability in the Netherlands. In 2015, Urgenda won the ‘Climate Case’ against the Dutch State. She has also managed to generate considerable attention from the international media for ‘The Climate Miles’, her march to Paris during the Climate Change Summit, along with hundreds of prominent people in the field of sustainability.
Looking back, she concludes that her study and career choices were the perfect preparation for her current position as founder and Director of Urgenda Foundation. She studied business, law and philosophy, where she learned the vocabulary she needed to deal with businesses, law suits, treaties and ethical viewpoints. After her studies, she worked for organisations as diverse as Shell and Greenpeace, and in roles varying from consultant to manager. “I have never thought: I am going to be this or that. Life presents many different paths, so it is up to you to keep your eyes open.”
“I had always wanted to be a veterinarian”, Minnesma tells. “But when I visited the open day at the university during my last year of secondary school, I learnt I would have to conduct tests on animals. I didn’t want to do that, so I had to choose something else at the last moment. All I knew for sure was that I wanted to do something that was relevant to society and that was an intellectual challenge. So I enrolled in the International College of Business Administration. I thought that it would help me keep all my options open.” She went on to earn an mba in London and worked at Shell for a year. “That was anthropologically very interesting, but I didn’t want to wait until I was fifty before having a bit of clout.” She decided to enrol in Utrecht University’s law and philosophy degree programmes, simply out of interest. Despite also holding a job as a part-time business consultant, she managed to graduate with honours for philosophy, and received the Thesis Prize for — Marjan Minnesma Philosophy and Cognitive Artificial Intelligence. As part of her philosophy studies, she did an internship with novem, the Dutch Organisation for Energy and Environment. “My supervisor was a very inspired
‘I didn’t want to wait until I was fifty before having a bit of clout.’
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July 2016
www.uu.nl/alumni
Text Monica van der Garde Photo Michael Kooren
My Utrecht Marjan
But she also discovered that managing was not what she enjoyed doing most. “Team leaders have ideas of their own, so I had to be a very serving leader. And I missed being out in the field, thinking of new things to do and building them with my own hands.”
My degree programme(s) Law
The greatest impact
and Philosophy, 1990 –1996
Three years later she was asked to become programme manager of the Institute for Environmental Studies at the vu Amsterdam. There she managed a number of international scientific programmes. In 2004, Prof. Jan Rotmans asked her to become co-director of drift, the Dutch Research Institute For Transitions, which he was setting up at the time. It was a new pioneering challenge. “But one day we asked ourselves: what changes can we make in society with our research?” They decided to formulate an urgent agenda describing what a sustainable world could look like in 2050. “At a festival where we presented our agenda, a journalist asked us: ‘Great agenda, but are you going to implement it as well?’. That’s how we decided to found Urgenda, a contraction of ‘urgent’ and ‘agenda’.” “Urgenda demands all the skills, network and knowledge I gained in the past 25 years, and I still feel very much that this is the right place for me. In this position, I can help to bring about an enormous change in society. That’s the most important thing to me at the moment: how can I realise the greatest impact? Maybe tomorrow someone will turn up at my doorstep claiming I am needed elsewhere in order to make a difference. But personally I can’t come up with something.”
Where I lived “Moved around a lot. Have lived at the Huppeldijk adjacent to the traveller site. Also lived in a house boat on the Merwedekanaal at one point. Loved the dips in the canal in summer!” My favourite spot “The Twijnstraat and all the terrasjes around there :)”
man, and wanted to set up a programme for what was then called Eastern Europe. I wrote a proposal for an eu competition, and we won a 3.5 million guilder grant, so I created my own job. In the five years I spent with novem I learned a lot, both about sustainability issues, as well as about cooperation between cities and regions and investing with European money.” With my own hands
In 1998, Minnesma was approached for the position as Campaigns Director for Greenpeace Netherlands. “Working for Greenpeace was one of my ultimate dreams. As a child I had posters of baby seals above my bed. At that time, Greenpeace had a lot of influence and fought for issues that were very important to me. It was also a very interesting position, since my department included not only the campaign teams, but the legal, the action and the scientific team as well. It was the biggest step in my career, being just 30 years old and coming from outside the organisation.” She enjoyed the dynamic combination of action, the in-depth scientific and legal considerations and the enormous creativity of the team leaders she managed.
––
Appointments
Marjan Minnesma Philosophy (1990 –1996) Declared Alumnus of the Year 2015
Thera Adam van Straaten Dutch Law (1992 –1998) Is appointed partner at Kneppelhout & Korthals Lawyers Brigitte Bloksma Theatre, Film and Television Studies (2000 – 2005) Is appointed member of the Council for Culture Ruth de Bock Dutch Law (1982 –1989) Is appointed Attorney General of the Supreme Court Mariëtte Boerstoel-Streefland Medicine (1979 –1986) Is appointed Senior Vice-President, Head, Global Drug Safety at Shire Ineke Koele International Law (2002 – 2007) Is in the IFC Power Women Top 200 Marc Kuipers Dutch Law (1986 –1992) Is appointed Inspector General of the Ministry of Social Affairs and Employment Steven Martina Economics (2000 – 2004) Is appointed CEO at The Greenery Caroline Princen Psychology (1986 –1992) Is appointed Chairman of the Monitoring Commission Talent to the Top
Drs. Fenna Hanraets International Busines (Maastricht University 1996 – 2001) Is appointed Director of Alumni Relations and University Fund, Utrecht University. See next issue of Illuster.
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July 2016
Money well spent
www.uu.nl/international-alumni
Perseverance always pays When scientists from different universities have the chance to ‘get into the trenches’ together the rewards can be considerable, says
an outsider. When I was young and got to interact with scholars of some stature I saw the intangible value of it.
Indiana University’s Professor Loren Field, a pioneer of research into heart tissue regeneration. Field recently collaborated with
As a researcher with a successful career, what’s your advice
scientists at Regenerative Medicine Utrecht (RMU) during a visiting
for young scientists?
professorship, an opportunity made possible by our alumni circle
90% of success is having the courage to keep going. Sometimes you have to take many steps backwards for every solid step forward. But if you’re doing your job well and persist you will probably hit the home run. If not, you’re still positively contributing to the field.
de Hofvijverkring. Here he discusses the nature of his research with Utrecht and the ‘’intangible value’’ that personnel exchanges can offer scientists. Describe for us the nature of your research.
For thirty odd years I’ve been studying heart tissue regeneration, specifically how to regenerate cardiac muscle following a heart attack. We have achieved this in mice, and I have little doubt that within the next five to ten years it will be possible in humans too. Why did you choose Utrecht University for your visiting professorship?
I have had a working relationship with Utrecht for a long time and was looking to extend our research collaboration. It’s invaluable to get in the trenches and work together; it gives you a better flavour for what you can do together and the quality of research at Utrecht is very high.
What’s the next step for you in your career?
I’d very much like to do a mutation-based screen in mice for genes that activate the cell cycle in the heart. This would be a great thing to explore.
––
The Hofvijver Circle Several alumni based in the The Hague area took it upon themselves to set up a donor group with the aim of “providing financial contributions to Utrecht University’s wider scientific research and teachings.” The Circle’s members will pick a
What research are you conducting with RMU?
project that appeals to them and then support its scientist
We have developed a new imaging system that generates a 3d map of where cell regeneration in the heart is taking place. We were looking for labs with interesting observations we could apply our model to. Utrecht has such a lab and has done a lot of research on cell-based therapies. The next step is funding a personnel exchange so that the researchers can come to my lab.
over a period of a number of years. In turn, the scientist will update his donors on ‘their’ project’s progress. Their contributions have enabled the Regenerative Medicine department to develop the Hofvijver Visiting Scientist Programme. Three international scientists are currently sharing their knowledge with their Utrecht peers. The next visiting scientist will be Professor of Biofabrication,
How beneficial are fund-raising initiatives such as these?
Working in another lab is beneficial for any scientist. For those working with a visiting scholar it’s an opportunity to interact with
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July 2016
Prof. Paul Dalton of the University of Würzburg.
Message from… Geneva
Text Iveta Cherneva
Mixing disciplines really pays off I discovered international human
It was the rare combination
rights law with Prof. Fried van
of my education that helped
Hoof. At the time, I didn’t know
me draft psychology-based
what human rights were, but
recommendations in relation
because the course was offered
to a human rights problem,
and I was curious, I went to the
the solution to which was also
first class after a friend literally
grounded in international
brought me there. Eventually,
law and ethnic relations, with
human rights would become
politics in the background
my field of practice. Parallel to it,
When I got to University College Utrecht thirteen years
Iveta Cherneva from Bulgaria took a Bachelor’s in Liberal Arts and Sciences from University College Utrecht (ucu). She is not only a human rights adviser at the United Nations (un) in Geneva, but also a writer of several books on social issues.
ago, I didn’t know exactly what I wanted to do but I knew I would get into international politics. Eventually. My first book looked into
UCU helped me get to a point
I could study social psychology
where today — I am happy to
with Prof. Christel Lutz. Later on,
say — I have a solid publications
psychology would help me think
track record behind my back,
of policy recommendations in
and experience with five UN
‘It was the rare combination of my education that helped me draft psychology-based recommendations in relation to a human rights problem.’
agencies, including the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights, the Human Rights Council, and finally, UNICEF, where currently I draft a one-ofa-kind framework for financial
the human trafficking of beggars
relation to social problems. This
institutions in relation to
and argued why this constituted
is where UCU was indispensable.
children’s rights.
trafficking in persons under
I am not aware of any other
Mixing disciplines really pays
international law. These efforts
place which would help you
off. My advice is: take all you
put my name on the publishing
understand psychology in a
can from the multi-disciplinary
map. From that point onwards,
mix with international law, and
approach that this University
I would become an author which
politics alongside culture studies.
offers because you are lucky
in turn got me to the UN in
It is that unique mix that set
to be able to. Choose funky
Geneva. Let me explain quickly
me apart from all those that
combinations and topics. Don’t
how this first work is related
specialized in a single field,
pay attention to those that make
to what I learned at UCU.
and perhaps became excellent
fun of the educational choices
lawyers but had little to offer
you make. Challenge your mind;
Utrecht University played a
in terms of understanding social
develop your own ideas.
role. What is rare, I studied
relations, or perhaps studied
both international politics and
political science, but were
international law; I went deep
clueless about international
into both psychology and ethnic
legal regimes. And this showed
relations.
in my first book.
The education I got at
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July 2016
Alumni up to the age of 35 have the opportunity of joining the Young Alumni Network (JAN). JAN organises activities and events for you to expand your network in an informal way.
Wanting to go abroad during your studies is one thing, but to actually do it is another. Karin Prummel went to San Francisco during her Master’s and decided to do her PhD in Zürich. JAN asked her about her choices and experiences.
‘The next step in my career’ Graduate tips on moving abroad When did you know you wanted to go abroad, and why Zurich? I went to San Francisco for a research project
during my master’s program. This was an amazing experience: I worked in a great and internationally renowned lab, made friends for life from many different countries, and I visited beautiful places in California. The science community was especially amazing, everyone welcomed me with open arms. When I came back from San Francisco, I started talking with friends, old and new colleagues, and my professors about “what next”. Some suggested having a look outside the Netherlands for my PhD, but that wasn’t my first choice. The Netherlands is a great place to be, right? But perhaps I started with the Netherlands because it felt the easiest, safest and the most familiar? During my search for possible PhD positions, I stumbled on to some very interesting PhD programs in Europe. One of them was in Zurich, and it ticked all my boxes. I had heard positive stories about that city from friends. With two high-ranked universities, the academic world there is big and very international. The PhD program offers a variety of courses, has active student participation, and a good supervisory structure: every PhD needs to gather a committee of professors with whom he or she must meet once a year. Besides all that, the city has a lot to offer and is beautifully located on the lake, and the mountains are really close by. Since I love the water and enjoy hiking in the mountains, this was just the perfect place.
‘Use the possibility to do a semester or an internship at a good company or lab in another country.’
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July 2016
I decided to take a bold step and go for it: so I applied to Zürich. How did you prepare? What logistic challenges did you face in making the move to Switzerland? The interview
process at the Life Science Zürich Graduate School lasted three days. It was my first visit to Zürich, but I had been to Switzerland before on holiday and as part of a high school exchange project. I decided to stay on a bit longer after the interviews and explored the city, hiked in the mountains, and visited ‘my lab’ again. I gathered all the information I needed about moving out of the Netherlands and what to arrange in Switzerland. In Zürich, as in every other big city, you need a bit of luck to find a nice place to live. I visited Zürich again a month before my official move and found the place I am still living at. So I guess I was a bit lucky with that. The last thing to do was pack everything up, wave Utrecht goodbye, and move my personal stuff through Germany towards the mountains. What will this international experience mean for your future career? Whether my future career will be in
academia or not, the international experience I am having now will enable me to build up a wide network of people who can advise me about the options in different career paths. Going abroad is an opportunity through which — besides growing in your profession — you learn how to adapt to an unfamiliar environment, become flexible and develop the skills you need to debate and work with people with other opinions and cultures.
www.uu.nl/young-alumni-network
What are the biggest cultural differences you notice between working in the Netherlands and working in Zurich? In general, I have not
experienced any big differences between the working environment in the Netherlands and Switzerland. Everything is very well-organized in Switzerland, but this sometimes tips over into inflexibility. And where the Dutch are more confronting and open in their thoughts and opinions, the Swiss are in general more reserved and step aside from discussions. Sometimes I miss that Dutch mentality. And I also miss certain elements of Dutch cuisine. Nothing is better than a ‘broodje kroket’! What would you advise people to do if they are aiming for an international career?
If you are still a student: use the possibility to do a semester or an internship at a good company or lab in another country. Then you will experience what being abroad is like and you’ll soon know if it is something you would like to do. During this time, you will create a network of people who can give you advice and help you out when you want to go international after your studies (or just want a holiday address). Most importantly: be open-minded when you want an international career, and trust your gut feelings. I’m glad I took this opportunity.
My Utrecht Karin My degree programme(s) BSc Biomedical Sciences, 2007-2010; MSc Cancer, Stem Cells and Developmental Biology (CSND), 2011-2014 Student Association M.B.V. Mebiose My favourite spot Lepelenburg! ‘The Garden’ of my old house. Lovely place for a picnic, a glass of wine overlooking the Dom tower, and the starting point for a run around the Singel.
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July 2016
UU Central
Text Armand Heijnen & Harold Kerkhof Photo Maria Salaru
Towards healthy cities ‘Science more in tune with policy’
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July 2016
www.uu.nl/healthy-urban-living
With Utrecht mayor Jan van Zanen looking on, Utrecht University recently concluded an agreement with the universities of Hong Kong and Toronto. The institutions agreed on a partnership in conducting research into‘healthy cities’. The signing of the agreement triggered Illuster to take up the matter with Associate Professor Roel Vermeulen, who will be directing proceedings with regard to the life sciences component of the partnership and Utrecht alderman Lot van Hooijdonk, entrusted with environmental issues on behalf of the city.
M
any threats to public health exist in an urbanised region such as the Netherlands, e.g. air pollution, high temperatures and noise. Vermeulen: “The average citizen should take extra care of his health. But he can’t do it alone. Local government must come to his aid. Does your city sufficiently stimulate a healthy lifestyle, exercise and moving outdoors? Does it offer sufficient opportunities for cyclists and pedestrians? Are there enough green spaces to go round?” Policy Supported by Science
Van Hooijdonk adds another reason why local government should contribute to public health in the city: “Busy, bustling cities with lots of traffic can create a lot of stress. As a local government we need to do something about that. Research has shown that cycling, for instance, is always the better transport option. Even if the down-town air in your city is polluted, or if you account for road accidents — with the cyclists obviously always the more vulnerable party — taking your bike over the car is still the wiser choice. The health benefits to cycling are so huge, they heavily outweigh the disadvantages. We have been made aware of this by research conducted by Utrecht University and we can now use that knowledge in our urban planning. We’re putting these kinds of questions, e.g. about the health effects of certain policies, about the city experience, to the knowledge institutes in our area, i.e. not just the university, but also the National Institute for Public Health and the Environment (rivm) or the hu
University of Applied Sciences Utrecht.” Van Hooijdonk is aware of Utrecht’s improved public health over recent years. “And that figure’s improving year on year, partly because of what the national and local government are doing, e.g. issuing tax rebates for cleaner cars and purchasing cleaner buses or introducing the green zone. But several tough issues still need to be tackled. The new 130 kmh speed limit on some of the motorways, for instance, isn’t really helping. It’s near motorways that we see the biggest problems arise in terms of air quality.” Vermeulen: “Utrecht’s aim with respect to air quality is to meet the World Health Organization (who) standard, one much stricter than the national or eu standard. The who standard is one backed by science. And it is interesting to see that the most progressive political approaches tend to be the local ones instead of the national ones.”
‘It is interesting to see that the most progressive political approaches tend to be the local ones instead of the national ones.’
Similar Cities
“The idea behind teaming up with Hong Kong and Toronto is that we want to be able to quantify what it is people are exposed to,” the environmental epidemiologist continues. “The partnership is as much a technical one — e.g. how to develop sensors for measuring air quality, or apps that can register where people are and what their health experience looks like — as it is one on content, e.g. how do different factors that affect health relate to each other? The thing is that we know that a healthy diet, not smoking, clean air and the like contribute to good health, but how these relate or even correlate, we know too little about still. And being able to do that from a comparative
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July 2016
UU Central Towards healthy cities
––
––
Lot van Hooijdonk is the Utrecht city alderman for Traffic &
Dr. Roel Vermeulen is Associate Professor at Utrecht University’s
Mobility, Energy and the Environment. As a member of the
Institute of Risk Assessment Sciences and a Visiting Professor
Green Party (GroenLinks), she is an active politician at local,
with Imperial College London. The research he conducts is of a
national and European level. Having spent many years working
highly multidisciplinarial nature and focusses on environmental
as a senior advisor at the Ministry of Infrastructure and
risk factors to cancer and neurological diseases. Some of his main
Environment, she then moved to become vice-president at the
areas of research look at creating new methods for quantifying
Utrecht Federation for Nature and the Environment. Lot van
the impact lifestyle and the environment has on the human
Hooijdonk studied History, Political Science and Foreign Relations
biological system. Vermeulen has sat on several committees,
at the universities of Utrecht, Florida and the Clingendael
including the World Health Organization and the US National
Institute. She has written many articles on sustainable mobility.
Toxicology Program. He also sits on The Health Council of the Netherlands’ Dutch Expert Committee on Occupational Safety.
perspective, as the differences between the participating cities are vast, is exciting.” Van Hooijdonk: “Comparing cities in this way, I’m sure, will yield many new insights. But even in Utrecht we are able to point to lots of differences. Even though we all live in the same city, people in Overvecht differ from those living in next door Tuindorp in terms of their health. Something like that implies that health not only has a physical, but also a social component. To me, cities such as Toronto or Hong Kong appear a bit too metropolitan to allow a good comparison with Utrecht; we’re looking out for a comparison with so-called similar cities, e.g. we’re in touch with traffic officials in Portland, usa, and we’re very interested in how the Belgian city of Ghent is evolving its ‘living street’ concept, or how Vancouver is approaching urban compaction. We ourselves have also gained national interest with our ‘Better diet, more exercise’ programme in Overvecht.” Health and Well-Being
Van Hooijdonk also points to other benefits to a healthy city policy, in that respect also envisaging a role for science: “Being able to explain to people that city traffic affects air quality and causes noise pollution isn’t all that hard. But convincing people of the added freedom of riding your bike to town is a bit trickier.
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July 2016
But what about all those kids in the US who have to sit around waiting to take their driving test to finally cast the shackles of parental oversight from them. In Holland kids get up and about on their bikes as early as the age of twelve. Plus the bicycle brings people back to the street theatre. You can actually see the people, instead of having to look at the machines they drive themselves around in. That too, is a contributing factor to the quality of urban living. The measures you have to take to promote things like this are often intuitive and hard to explain to people.” That is one of the things international collaboration will help to further, according to Vermeulen: “Knowledge institutes are looking to increasingly team up with cities to better understand their inner workings. You can ‘monitor’ lots of things, which will allow you to quickly gauge the effect a particular policy. That’s the story we want to bring to the fore. And this doesn’t merely concern death and disease, it also concerns well-being. And that is where our partnership with Toronto and Hong Kong can come in. It allows us to take a more integrated approach and initiate research that has the potential to directly affect policy. What intervention options do we have at our disposal? How do the factors relate and correlate? I.e. we don’t just limit ourselves to asking: What are the health effects? We’re now allowing science to become more in tune with policy
www.uu.nl/healthy-urban-living
issues. And that is something scientists don’t do enough of.” Painful Measures
Policy measures on the environment or infrastructure always serve to cause a stir among the public. So having the correct underlying figures readily available is vital. Take urban compaction, or an expected increase in Utrecht’s population by 70,000 in 2030. Van Hooijdonk sees this as a positive development: “As a member of the Green Party I am a big supporter of urban compaction. It is environmentallyspeaking a much more sound option, as it will centralise facilities and thus reduce the need for cars, as all of these facilities would be easily reached on foot or by bike. And a compact city doesn’t necessarily imply the need for high-rise construction. Utrecht, certainly when compared with The Hague or Amsterdam, has always preferred low-rise architecture. Usually two-story builds. This could quite easily be increased to a five or six-story standard, as we have already put into effect in the development of the derelict industrial area at the Veilinghaven. Utrecht has more areas like it, e.g. along its outer canals, that could accommodate this type of low-to-midrise architecture.” Another controversial measure is the non-admittance of diesel engines that don’t carry a diesel particulate filter into green zone. Van Hooijdonk: “That has led to a 30 % reduction in soot emission among light city traffic. Old diesel engines are, of course, not the only emitters of soot and on the grand scale of things, will probably not lead to a big swing, but I can think of very few other measure that have had such an impact.” “There’s also a moral component to it”, Van Hooijdonk continues. “Air pollution is still in the top three causes of early deaths. And people can do very little about
it. One simply cannot choose which air to breathe and which not to. How long are we going to allow people to suffer the consequences? That’s why, in Utrecht, we’ve decided to go with the green zone and why we’re helping people find alternatives. The measures have helped a large group of people with respiratory deficiencies.” Vermeulen: “Exactly. There is certainly an argument behind the green zone idea. There’s your large group and the smaller one affected by it isn’t completely limited in its movement, i.e. they are allowed to drive their cars, just not some particular models.” Vermeulen does not have any specific wishes he’d like to see come to fruition in Utrecht’s environmental policy: “But I would like to see a more integrated approach to environmental issues between the university and the knowledge institutes; the city council and its residents. That way we can have scientific renewal and scientific application better meet the needs of the city and its residents.”
‘The human standard had appeared to have been abandoned, but it is now back.’
That attention to quality of living and health is the real turnaround that has been made in politics and urban planning. These had previously centred around the motorist, which is one of the reasons parts of the canal system were filled back in and Hoog Catharijne shopping centre was built. The human standard had appeared to have been abandoned, but it is now back on the main stage with proper attention given to the people that live in a certain area.”
–– Utrecht, Toronto and Hong Kong join forces in research into healthy cities. Utrecht University, the University of Toronto and the Chinese University of Hong Kong are set to conduct a joint research project into healthy urban living. The project marks the first time expertise and insights into urban health issues from three different urban areas from different parts of the world are combined. The research should trigger the discovery of new, sustainable solutions to the global challenges accompanying the growth
A message of hope
Van Hooijdonk would like to conclude the interview with a message of hope: “The main issue often comes down to balancing the interests of the individual with that of the group. At first glance, people appear to want to get things sorted in their own back yards, e.g. ‘Can you get me a parking permit and a 30kmh zone for my street?’ But if you ask the next question, i.e. how people would like to use public space? They’ll tend to have ideas that stretch beyond the realm of their own street. Then they’ll come up with visions of green spaces, where they can exercise and relax and meet other people. We’re now increasingly involved in dialogues with our citizens and entrepreneurs and these have yielded some very good ideas.
in urban populations. An increasing number of people worldwide are currently living in urban areas. This makes research into urban issues, such as health, city life and urban dynamics a global challenge. The strength and expertise of three universities are now joined together to strengthen the impact of scientific research into the urban living environment. The partnership focusses on migration, the role of citizens in the rules of society and public health in urban areas. www.uu.nl/healthy-urban-living
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July 2016
Born 1993 MengLin Wang — The 2016 student
Photo Iris Tasseron
Chinese student MengLin Wang is doing a Bachelor’s in Economics at Utrecht University. Affordable tuition fees and
Utrecht University in Chinese social media Weibo.com/utrechtuniversitynl WeChat: utrecht university
the university’s good reputation made him apply two years ago. And he wasn’t to be disappointed: “Tutorial group sizes are small and both students and teachers come well-prepared. The atmosphere is very open and interactive and people are generally very friendly.” Besides being enrolled as a student, MengLin is also employed by Utrecht University to liaise on its behalf on Chinese social media platforms Weibo and WeChat: “I post just about anything to do with daily student life in Utrecht and answer lots of practical questions that come up, e.g. how to enrol, or how to apply for a visa.” Utrecht University has some 1,000 followers on WeChat at the moment and another 4,000 on Weibo. Those figures are still quite modest. MengLin wants to promote Utrecht University among the Chinese: “Attending a university in continental Europe is still a relative unknown option among potential students in mainland China.” His job at the university comes with more perks than just the obvious financial one. It can also benefit his professional career: “Being enrolled at a reputable university can prove a really important first step onto the job market.”
Utrecht in Chinese social media 18
July 2016
DUB, the Digital University Magazine, is an independent medium of Utrecht University. Check out www.dub.uu.nl [Dutch language] for the latest news, backgrounds, discussion and columns on teaching, research and student life.
dub.uu.nl
How Dutch lost its students Last April the Dutch faculty was throwing a party. Cause for the celebration at the Lutheran church was the faculty’s 200th anniversary. But how is it that a degree programme that was attracting hundreds of students not thirty years ago is now under threat of being marginalised? In the 1970s every academic year would kick off with at least two hundred newly-enrolled students of Dutch. It seemed at the time that everyone wanted a degree in Dutch. The number of new enrolments began its steep
suggested that Dutch has failed to properly
graduates are shown to have landed a job
decline midway through the 1980s. Today,
adapt itself to the digital age. Figures also
at academic level.
the faculty is lucky to be able to enlist as little
show that the influx of students is mostly
as sixty new students. The formerly sizeable
fed by those on Culture & Society profiles
We live in an increasingly globalised and
section now resorts with the Department of
in Dutch secondary schools. And then there’s
globalising society. Literature should
Languages, Literature and Communication.
the job perspective that accompanies a
be studied in its international context.
degree in Dutch. What jobs are out there
Generative linguistics looks at universal
be the introduction of the Languages and
for those with a degree in Dutch? According
linguistic development, with communication
Cultures curriculum. It has also been
to the university’s figures only 35 percent of
theory also not restricted to the Netherlands.
UU students in the Olympic Games
UU to ‘lecture’ refugees
Communication Serious Games
Long distance swimmer and gold medal
Utrecht University helps refugees integrate
Much higher demands are set of our future
winner Maarten van der Weijden. Was he
into Dutch society by offering them training
doctors, pharmacists and psychologists.
ever a student at Utrecht University? Indeed
courses. One example of these is the Utrecht
Professor of Information and Computer
he was. So was speed skater Paulien van
Center for Entrepreneurship’s business
Sciences, Johan Jeuring and his students in
Deutekom. The Digital University Magazine
training programme, which the centre is
collaboration with a team of Communication
(DUB) started a special project inspired by
set to offer at a new refugee facility.
lecturers have developed a serious game
the upcoming Olympic Games, tracking
This is part of a push by Utrecht city council
that allows students to practise these skills.
down all UU students who ever participated
to begin integrating newcomers to the city
Jeuring was recently granted a second award
in the Olympics, from fencer Alfred Joan
immediately. The Faculty of Humanities has
of funding from the Utrechts Education
Labouchere (London, 1908) to beach
been offering lectures since December of
Incentive Fund. He would like to put the
volleyball player Madelein Meppelink (Rio
last year. Remco Raben, university lecturer:
money towards having the game
de Janeiro, 2016). You can find a complete
“My initial idea was to give a lecture on
permanently included in the curricula
overview with additional information for
international politics and history. It turned
of the four degree programmes involved.
each athlete. The most successful UU
out that I had aimed a bit too high for now.
Jeuring: “To date we’d not progressed
Olympian is hockey player Marilyn Agliotti,
Most of the refugees were still very much
past the experimental phase. Now, though,
who won two gold medals. This September
taken up with more immediate needs.
we’re looking to have Communicate fully
an overview of Paralympic Games
My initial idea had evolved into more of
incorporated into communication skills
participants will follow.
a course in Dutch society.”
training.”
One of the reasons for this is said to
Perhaps it’s also a sign of the times.
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July 2016
Text Nicoline Meijer
Utrecht Science Park on an international stage Floris de Gelder Utrecht Science Park Managing Director
It’s 21 October 2014. In Doha, Qatar, the International Association of Science Parks and Areas of Innovation (IASP) is kicking off its 31st World Conference. Participating in the bid to host the conference’s 2016 edition is Utrecht Science Park. Its rivals are Moscow and Istanbul. In the end, Moscow triumphs, but not before Utrecht Science Park has put the Netherlands firmly on the map and got everyone buzzing about the ‘Utrecht Model’ of creating impact through partnerships.
FROM UTRECHT TO MALAGA Luis Sanz himself lived in Amsterdam between 1973 and 1981. Fleeing from the Franco regime in Spain, he benefitted from the political refugee status granted him by the Dutch government. During this time, Sanz continued his studies in linguistics and philology and worked as a journalist and presenter for Radio Netherlands Worldwide. He also worked as a translator and interpreter, established a company specialising in business support services,
UTRECHT COALITION MODEL
Since 2013, Utrecht Science Park has been
and taught Spanish language and literature
Among Europe’s most competitive
a member of the International Association
at Utrecht University for several years. In
regions, Utrecht is ranked number one.
of Science Parks and Areas of Innovation
1996 Sanz became director general of the
Close cooperation between knowledge
(IASP). One of the world’s most influential
Malaga-based International Association
institutions, trade and industry, and
science park alliances, IASP has 375 members
of Science Parks and Areas of Innovation.
government — the Triple Helix — and
in 74 countries on all continents and offers
its extension to include citizens — the
access to innovation and research
Quadruple Helix — has been a contributing
organisations globally. Every year, IASP
I GIVE AND YOU GIVE BACK
factor in this success. Utrecht Science Park
members from different parts of the world
The mission of IASP is to be the global
is a prime example of this model. In any
gather at the World Conference and at
network for science parks and areas of
attempt to tackle major societal challenges,
regional events. Directing the organisation
innovation, and to drive growth,
collaboration is essential. In fact, forging
from its headquarters in Malaga, Spain,
internationalisation and effectiveness for
coalitions is the key to success, making
and Beijing, China, is CEO Luis Sanz.
its members. As Sanz points out, ‘The culture
it possible to create impact by building
of our association is strongly based on the
meaningful partnerships.
Do ut des principle, which is Latin for “I give and you give back”. As IASP members,
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July 2016
The Utrecht Science Park Foundation is an independent organisation jointly set up in the beginning of 2013 by Utrecht City Council, Utrecht Province and the major knowledge institutes residing at the USP. The foundation protects the common interests of all USP residents. http://www.utrechtsciencepark.nl/en/home
a vibrant pop-up-festival-venue. We worked very hard to develop a programme of festivals and sports events which help to bring people together and to give our science park a heart and a soul. In 2015 we were very lucky that we could host the Grand Départ of the Tour de France, but of course also with smaller events it is possible to create a community with a shared commitment to the park’.
science and technology parks (STPs) and
have realised that they’ve got to focus not
areas of innovation (AOIs) have immediate
solely on companies, but also on people.
and direct access to a vast network of
Locations that want to be attractive and
’USP represents a beautiful example of
colleagues throughout the world. They can
valuable to companies must also be attractive
a vibrant and liveable place’, adds Sanz.
contact the network’s experts, STP and AOI
to knowledge workers. This implies the
‘The daily presence of huge numbers of
professionals who are ready to transfer their
need for significant changes. They have
university students lends a different “face”
own knowledge and provide peer-to-peer
to become more user-friendly and be open
to USP that makes it different from many
advice, and IASP staff can assist members
to true hybrid usage as places where people
other STPs. Even just walking around here,
to find the specific colleague who has the
can work, live and have access to leisure and
you can feel the dynamism of the whole
particular piece of knowledge they are
culture, and where companies can find
area, and the presence of highly educated
looking for’.
suitable facilities to locate’.
young people paired with the impressive university facilities makes it easy to see why companies are eager to locate to this
‘Being a part of IASP allows our members to significantly shorten their learning curve’, continues Sanz. ‘This is of particular importance for newcomers to the STP/AOI sector, but I see that more expert and seasoned managers are also learning new things every day thanks to our network. Essentially, you can sum it all up in two words: knowledge flow’.
‘USP REPRESENTS A BEAUTIFUL EXAMPLE OF A VIBRANT AND LIVEABLE PLACE.’— Luis Sanz, director gene ral of the International Association of Science Parks and Areas of Innovation.
environment. Furthermore, the area adjoins the city, and there will come a time when the transition from one to the other is so blurred that USP will be regarded as a natural urban outgrowth of the city. The USP formula is what I have been supporting for many years, but I want to praise how carefully and masterfully this formula has been achieved in Utrecht in particular’.
This formula has been the core business
A VIBRANT AND LIVEABLE PLACE
of Utrecht Science Park. Floris de Gelder,
The mission of STPs is to help companies and
director Utrecht Science Park, ‘A social
entrepreneurs be more competitive in the
enterprise, founded by our own students,
new global knowledge economy. According
invented our yearly Roof Garden-event,
to Sanz, ‘In the last five to ten years, STPs
turning the roof of a parking garage into
21
July 2016
In the spotlight
Text Monica van der Garde
This year, the Institute for Marine and Atmospheric Research Utrecht (imau) will celebrate its 50th anniversary. An interview with alumnus Michiel van den Broeke, Professor of Polar Meteorology. He is a frequent speaker in the media and among his peers, and has been honoured with awards including the Louis Agassiz Medal from the European Geosciences Union.
50 years of adventure and science
W
hy did you choose this field?
“When I was nine years old, the Netherlands had a very harsh winter. We could skate on the streets because of the frozen rain, and parts of the country shut down completely because of blizzards. I was fascinated to see how powerful nature can be, and that we as humans can do very little in the face of that power. My parents were also really adventurous. We drove our Citroën 2cv with second-hand skis on the roof to a little house in the Austrian Alps, with no hot water. I still love doing that to this day. As soon as my own children were old enough to stand on skis, we took them along.”
‘A lot of people think that the measures to limit climate change are extremely drastic.’
July 2016
rest? “What makes Utrecht’s polar research so unique
is our combination of observations and modelling. Most groups do either one or the other. But we believe that you have to make observations yourself in order to be able to create good models, and vice-versa. My research focuses on the relationship between the climate and the ice sheets on Greenland and Antarctica. Those enormously thick ice sheets also hold data about the climate of the past. Combined with measurements from today and theoretical insights, that helps us to create better and better models. With the expertise we’ve accumulated over the years, we can now provide a good explanation about why the ice sheets are losing so much of their mass today.”
Who was your most important teacher? “Our institute, the
imau, celebrates its 50th anniversary this year, and 25 years ago my mentor Hans Oerlemans was appointed as full Professor. He is a real glaciologist, and has conducted ground-breaking research into ice sheets and ice ages. Up until then, scientists mainly used models. Hans thought it was time to measure the interaction between ice and the climate. So in 1990 he organised the first climate expedition to Greenland, where very little research had been done before. We installed seven measuring stations on the tundra and the ice. Nothing on that scale had ever been done before. We still conduct measurements there, so we have the longest series of data on Greenland.”
22
How does Utrecht’s research differentiate itself from the
You’ve been issuing warnings for years, but still governments are hesitant to take corrective measures. Is it time to build barricades in the streets? “A lot of
people think that the measures to limit climate change are extremely drastic. And politicians only think ahead to the next election. There’s a conflict there, and I understand that. My job as a scientist is to conduct research and to carefully and objectively inform policymakers and the public at large about the results. The ipcc, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, is one example of that. That is more cautious than it is alarmist. More and more people are starting to understand the problem. I’m absolutely convinced that changes can be made quickly once the politics and society have the will to do so. Studies show that there is still time mitigate the rise in sea levels, but we must act now.”
www.uu.nl/imau
Michiel van den Broeke
Do we still need the Master’s in Climate Physics programme? “Absolutely!
We know more about the moon than we do about Antarctica. For example, in 2011 scientists discovered an enormous reservoir of water in the Greenland ice sheet. How long has it been there? We have no idea. So there is still much
to do for young, intelligent people who want to contribute to a solution for the climate problem. The climate is such an unbelievably complex system. The atmosphere, oceans and cryosphere all influence one another, and therewith climate. The unique aspect of the Utrecht Master’s programmes is that you can
study all three — the atmosphere, the ocean and the cryosphere — as a coherent whole. And because we conduct our own measurements, it’s also adventurous at times. I went to Greenland twice for my Master’s studies. Adventure and science is the best combination on Earth!”
––
“The Master’s programme trains you very well for a scientific
IMAU and the Master Climate Physics
career, but it also offers you an insight in other career
Fiona van der Burgt (25) graduated from
opportunities as well. Another big difference with most other
the Climate Physics Master’s programme
programmes in this field is that it emphasizes mathematical
in 2015. She now works with the start-up
models. This is the only way to gain real understanding of the
Weather Impact, which develops tailored
complex systems that make up the climate.”
solutions to protect businesses from the risks of extreme weather events and
“The most interesting subject to me was oceanography. Oceans
climate change.
play a very important role in our planet’s energy budgets, much
“During my Bachelor’s in Physics in Nijmegen, I switched to
of which we don’t know about yet. During my Master’s, I also
Utrecht University because of the Climate Physics Master’s
conducted experimental research. I even had to sail aboard a ship
programme. The programme appealed to me because of its
on the North Sea in order to measure the water temperature and
relevance. Studying the climate is fascinating physics, while at the
amount of sediment. That’s when you really realise how vast and
same time it’s an important topical subject.”
complex oceanography is.”
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July 2016
Chatting with… Erbil
Text Thijs van Himbergen
University College Utrecht alumna Tamara van der Putten is an Assistant Manager in Erbil, Iraqi Kurdistan, working with refugees and internally displaced people (idps) for Swedish ngo Qandil. Another ucu-alumnus, Thijs van Himbergen, spoke with her over Skype to the sounds of animated chatter and cups clinking on saucers in the background.
A different perspective on life How’s Erbil?
Wikipedia told me that the
How would that work if
the Netherlands and worked
It’s an interesting place. I just
city is 7000 years old and was
somebody invited you for
in a hotel for a while. It was a
came back here after a short
founded by pre-Islamic
dinner at their house?
bridging period. Then someone
trip to Italy, and the contrast
settlers.
They basically describe the
posted the Qandil vacancy on
is incredible.
The most famous landmark is
house and the main points
Facebook and I went in for an
the citadel, which is considered
nearby, like a supermarket
interview. The next day I was
Why is that?
to be the oldest inhabited
on the corner or a hotel
offered the job.
The affluence of Europe and
settlement in the world.
across the street.
the beauty of Florence
It has a good view of the city.
compared to Erbil; it’s not very
The Christian neighbourhood
And then you just knock
going to the region?
pretty here. Not to be too
is livelier though, with some
on a door and hope it’s the
None at all. But I also had no
negative, but it’s just blocks of
cafes and such.
right one?
idea what to expect. I thought I
Yeah. It’s foolproof.
would just come here and see.
cement and many unfinished
Did you have doubts about
buildings. Then again, the rural
It sounds like you are in one
areas and the mountains are
right now.
How did you end up in Erbil?
safe. Being here I realise that it
wonderful.
Yes, close to my place. It’s on,
I was in Athens, organising
is. You don’t notice that ISIS is
um… actually it’s funny: there
crowdfunding and distribution
only 50 km away, in Mosul.
are no real street names here,
events for refugees. Then I
My parents were a little worried
so nobody really knows where
went to Lesbos where I was
but I said: Don’t worry! People
they are. Mail takes months
really confronted with the…
are just drinking their tea and
to arrive.
[she pauses, looking for words]
smoking shisha!
People told me Erbil is pretty
with the boat arrivals. That’s where my motivation grew to continue working in this field. The plan was originally to stay in Greece but I ended up going back to
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July 2016
It sounds like a pretty
How would you describe
Are you hopeful?
You see that a lot in
modern city.
the mood in Erbil? Fearful,
I’m not sure that’s the right
humanitarian work in general,
They thought Erbil was going
optimistic?
word. What gives me strength
but that’s not the right image.
to be the next Dubai before ISIS
There’s a lot of faith in the
is how courageous people are,
I am just here to lend support.
came in 2014. Now the region
military, the Peshmerga.
and the gratitude that you
Sometimes the only thing
is in economic crisis. The Kurdish
They’re seen as heroes, having
sense from people in terrible
you can give someone is a kind
economy is mostly reliant on
liberated many nearby villages.
conditions who have lost
smile.
oil exports, and ISIS is blocking
Also, ISIS is on the defensive
everything. For being alive,
those.
here. Still, people worry things
and for having some friendly
are not going as fast as they
faces around. It gave me a
should. The operation to
different perspective on my
liberate Mosul, for instance,
own life. There’s a resilience in
is probably going to take years.
them, they’re capable of fending for themselves. Sometimes Europeans see themselves as saviors and refugees as helpless victims.
In the frame, then
Erasmus Student Network The 2015 – 2016 academic year currently has 770 international students enrolled into one of Utrecht University’s full Bachelor’s or Master’s degree programmes, with another 1,000 exchange students also attending Utrecht University this year. Most of them come from Germany, Italy and Great Britain. Some 600 of these international students have arrived here courtesy of their membership of the Erasmus Student Network (esn). The esn was founded in Utrecht in 1989 by the current vice-chairman of the Utrecht School of the Arts, Desirée Majoor. Having joined an exchange programme of her own while taking a degree in Media Studies from Utrecht (1983 –1989), she decided to set up an organisation for foreign students looking to attend Utrecht. esn’s aim is to stimulate and improve international mobility among students. The organisation introduces international students to Dutch culture and the city of Utrecht through various
Introduction Day at the Erasmus Student Net work, 200 0.
activities. These activities can have a social or cultural character or even take the form of a sports event and aim to integrate the international student into Dutch society, e.g. a mentor programme, an extensive introduction and Dutch language classes. The students are also offered practical assistance on issues such as buying a bicycle or filling out paperwork. esn has grown to now boast 502 sections in 38 countries. esn Utrecht is, of course, the network’s oldest section. All countries have a national board coordinating their respective esn sections. The organisation also has an international board seated in Brussels.
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July 2016
Recap
www.uu.nl/international-alumni
communities. Approaching it this way, we were able to quickly forge strong mutual ties. We’re convinced of the continued necessity of peer support, a commodity of particular value to those about to venture onto the job market. That’s why we want to remain a community of learners, especially since the formal structures the uu offers undergraduates during their time at university will not be at their disposal once they graduate.”
Alumni around the world Indonesia
Indonesia hosted no less than two alumni events over the past few months. A Law, Economics and Governance faculty delegation enjoyed a dinner event with alumni in Jakarta on 26 February. The evening was well attended, with alumni enjoying meeting each other as well as reacquainting themselves with the university. Some had also attended the event’s meet-ups with prospected Indonesian exchange students. A seminar on 20 April of this year saw alumni, students and colleagues invited to attend a lecture on Life Sciences and Health by Dr Nikmah Salamia Idris on the importance of clinical trials and recent developments in the Utrecht-Jakarta research projects. International Career Services event
Utrecht University is increasingly looking to have its degree programmes meet the needs of the job market. It also aims to have its international students and its young alumni enjoy better employability. To this end University College Utrecht hosted a workshop on the Dutch job market on 9 June. The international alumni currently working in the Netherlands are, of course, 26
July 2016
‘I felt goosebumps when the first pictures of Utrecht and the University appeared on the slides.’ Spain, Bulgaria, England and China
best positioned to illustrate the difficulties foreign students might encounter when looking for a job here. Their contribution to the workshops and the networking drinks have thus proven invaluable.
International honours alumni network
As of April 2016 Utrecht is able to boast a new alumni network, i.e. the Young Innovators Alumni Network. Sprung from the Young Innovators League, an Utrecht University honours programme, this network is the first international honours alumni network of its kind in Utrecht. With the aim of stimulating alumni to remain committed to innovation and entrepreneurship, several alumni and students moved to set up an alumni network of their own. As the network’s chairman, Roy van Run, puts it: “We’ve been collaborating on the honours programme for a full year. We’d split up the group into tiny
Over the past months several Utrecht University alumni and interested students met up at various events in places such as Barcelona, Sofia, London, Beijing and Shanghai. They were kept up to speed on the current academic community at our university. Prospected students came up with a multitude of questions on life and studying in Utrecht, while many alumni shared their stories of the great times they enjoyed there.
–– More meetings Utrecht University will reacht out more and more to their alumni living beyond Dutch borders. Would you like to stay informed on these meetings? If so, send us an email with your contact details at: alumni@uu.nl.
Alumni Programme. For the latest updates, www.uu.nl/alumni/agenda please check
A pick of what’s on offer
Pubquiz: www.uu.nl/jan
Dutch Harp Festival
Betweter Festival
––
Alumni Programme
Alumnidag geneeskunde
Thursday 27 October Night of the Holy Books
For the latest updates, please check: www.uu.nl/alumni/agenda
Thursday 11 August
Opening its doors to Utrecht University alumni only, the Museum Catharijne convent will, in collaboration with the University Library, host an evening on a wide and diverse range of topics.
Alumni dinner in Shanghai
Dinner with Utrecht students of the Netherlands Asia Honours Summer School.
Saturday 5 November
Elections. Ciconia Consort will be playing American classical pieces from the 19th and 20th centuries, with historian Maarten van Rossem narrating. Special alumni offer available. See uu.nl/alumni/agenda
––
University highlights
Faculty of Medicine’s Alumni Day Tomorrow’s Care
Thursday 6, 13 and 20 October Breaking Beta
The Hague (Brasserie Berlage)
The event will feature interactive working groups on topics such as medical leadership, e-health, science in transition and healthcare innovation.
Guest lecturer: dean of the faculty of Geosciences prof. Piet Hoekstra (in Dutch)
September – November
Thursday 22 September Thematic dinner alumni network
––
Saturday 15 & Sunday 16 October
Dutch Harp Festival World-class harpist Remy van Kesteren will be leading the world’s best harpists on a journey through the world of music, ft. pop music, electronic, club music and classical. The event will also feature lectures by Utrecht scientists. TivoliVredenburg, harpfestival.nl
The American Dream
A series of English lectures on the most exciting questions science is attempting to answer at an event hosted at the Utrecht Science Park Café. Will we ever be able to travel through time? What happened to antimatter after the Big Bang? Can you imagine yourself marrying a robot?
A series of performances in Amsterdam, The Hague, Eindhoven and Utrecht marking the 2016 us Presidential
is free; no advance booking required)
More information: www.sg.uu.nl (admittance
––
Friday 30 September
Betweter Festival
This brand new festival at the Tivoli/Vredenburg aims to allow you to explore and improve your understanding of the versatility of mankind. An evening to stimulate the brain and the senses, featuring experiments, art, musical interludes, lectures, talk shows and even a philosophy darkroom. Have a drink and listen to what several famous minds have to offer; see what’s behind science and art, what it does and what it can achieve away from the laboratory, the library and the studio. For information and tickets, visit: betweterfestival.nl/
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July 2016
Rector’s Assembly League of European Research Universities On 20 and 21 May 2016, the rectors of the League of European Research Universities (LERU) gathered at the Academiegebouw
In the frame
––
in Utrecht for the 30th Rectors’ Assembly. The university heads discussed various current research related topics. The LERU is a consortium of some of the most renowned research universities in Europe, such as University of Oxford, University of Cambridge, Universíté Pierre et Marie Curie, Universität Zürich, Universität Heidelberg and of course Universiteit Utrecht. Founded in 2002, as a partnership of 12 leading multifaculty research universities, it expanded its membership to 21 universities in 2010. LERU aims at furthering the understanding and knowledge of politicians, policy makers and opinion leaders about the role and activities of research-intensive universities. Drawing on the impressive academic potential and expertise of its network, LERU has a strong and significant impact on research policy in Europe. www.leru.org
Photo Kees Rutten
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July 2016