Alumni magazine Illuster (August 2017)

UU on tour in Asia and Australia in October – November. www.uu.nl/alumni/agenda

Alumni magazine August 2017

Literature in the city Utrecht UNESCO City of Literature

Fungi in the museum Without the Olaf Schuiling Fund, my research would have been impossible InclUUsion: buddies and – above all – friends

The kick-off

Content

Utrecht is for life!

Dear fellow alumni, We share something that perma­ nently binds us all together.

It is called Utrecht, and its university. For some of you, the Domstad may be a distant memory, while for others it will be a more recent experience. Either way, Utrecht will remain with you for life.

Utrecht University Fund accompanies you on your journey from fresh graduate to seasoned alumnus. The fund, which works closely with the University’s Alumni Office, provides a bridge between you and the city whose university gave you your academic education. And for many of us also a start in grown-up life.

During this year’s Dies Natalis, Professor Sangeeta Bhatia received an honorary doctorate.

In her acceptance speech, she made an impas­ sioned plea for the importance of diversity in perspectives. Her words resonated with me.

Diversity in perspectives is one of the ways in which Utrecht University sets itself apart, while guaranteeing that its motto — Bright Minds, Better Future — becomes a reality.

Our university seeks to excel, both in education and in research. And to work — often on an interdisciplinary basis — on a wide range of topics, many of which are in the context of the University’s four strategic themes: Dynamics of Youth, Institutions for Open Societies, Life Sciences and Sustainability.

Over the next few years, the University Fund will actively reach out to you to seek your interest and support for Utrecht University.

I hope that you will stay in touch or re-establish contact so that you can experience for yourself the excitement I feel when learning about all that our University has to offer.

After all, Utrecht is for life!

Best wishes, Lodewijk Hijmans van den Bergh Chair of Utrecht University Fund

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August 2017

4 In Utrecht 6 Generation UU 8 My career… Marten Roorda 10 Money well spent 12 JAN — Young Alumni Network 14 UU Central 18 Class of 2015 19 DUB 20 Alumni interview 22 In the spotlight 24 Picture… of the past 25 Message from… Rome and Montpellier 26 A pick of what’s on offer 28 In the picture

Literature is everywhere in the city UU Central

14

20

‘Clean water is a fundamental right’ Generation UU

6

‘We are opening up a whole new field’ Alumni interview

Message from… Rome and Montpellier

25

10

‘Without this funding, my research would have been impossible’ Money well spent

‘Immerse yourself in the local culture’

‘Hiring me was an interesting decision on the part of the Board.’— Marten Roorda, page 8

The opening

Acknowledg­ ements Illuster is a publication

by Utrecht University and the Utrecht University

Text Armand Heijnen Photo Robert Oosterbroek

Looking after our planet and its people

Fund, published three times a year and issued to Utrecht University alumni.

Editors Xander Bronkhorst, Joost Dankers, Robbert

people living on it. It still strikes me as miraculous, our life on this Earth. My studies have given me the opportunity to grow and develop in many different ways — in terms of knowledge, but also through my involvement in the student society and student politics. I’m very grateful for that opportunity.

Jan Feunekes, Sophie van den Elsen, Armand Heijnen (Acting Editor-in-Chief), Stephanie Helfferich, Inge Mathijssen and Hanneke Olivier.

Editorial Board Marianne Hoornenborg, entrepre­

Adaptation or change? Survival of the fittest: those

neur with De Recht & Krom Producties; Olfert Koning, communications advisor at GGZ Nederland; Arie TeleacNot; David Veldman,

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magazine manager/

Feike Sijbesma, CEO of Royal DSM and alumnus

copywriter at Uitgeverij

of Utrecht University’s Medical Biology

Smit, former director of

Virtùmedia.

Art direction & design flowdesign.nl Printed by Xerox.

programme, was named Alumnus of the Year at the most recent Anniversary Day in March.

Sijbesma was honoured with this distinction because he is a key advocate of circular business,

ISSN 1338-4703

thereby serving as an inspiration to students.

Volume 22, #80. © Utrecht University The articles in this copyrighted publication may be reprinted or reproduced provided that their source is credited.

Illuster is printed on environmentally friendly, FSC-certified paper.

Follow us on Facebook and LinkedIn: Alumni Universiteit Utrecht Email: alumni@uu.nl Please notify us of any changes of address via alumni@uu.nl

who are best able to adapt to changing circumstances will be the most successful. I learnt this lesson from Charles Darwin’s work during my Biology degree programme. Adaptation and reinvention are also a prerequisite for successful organisations, and even for us as individuals in our own lives. But it’s not only about adapting in order to keep up. For me, it’s also about making changes with a clear goal — a vision — in mind. That’s what dsm has been doing throughout the past decade and a half.

Previously, Sijbesma received the un’s prestigious Humanitarian of the Year Award for his efforts to combat malnutrition, while the World Bank recently appointed him as a Climate Leader alongside Kofi Annan. In his acceptance speech, Sijbesma emphasised that students and alumni need to be aware of the impact that they can have and that they need to take responsibility accordingly. Illuster had a more in-depth talk with him about this subject.

How have your studies contributed to your vision and ambitions? They have given me a sense of respect,

admiration and even love for the beauty of life and for the field of biology — and, by extension, the desire to promote harmony and look after this planet and the

Impact or responsibility? Over the past 75 years, businesses have had an increasingly larger impact.

With that impact comes a much broader responsibil­ ity. That’s why companies need to stop pursuing only their shareholders’ interests, but also be mindful of the well-being of society and our planet. That approach can be summed up by the phrase ‘people, planet, profit’: it’s about creating economic, ecological and social value at the same time.

The economy isn’t just about turning a profit, that’s not its purpose. The economy is a distribution model for competences and prosperity, which has grown out of trade and which exists so that we can live well on this planet in the long term. In this view, money is a means, not an end. We may have lost sight of that a bit somewhere along the way.

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August 2017

In Utrecht

On tour in Europe and beyond…

–– This June, Utrecht

Living Lab in Kanaleneiland

University went on a tour to eight major European cities in order to meet with alumni and future students.

This event gave students headed to Utrecht next September the opportunity to meet with alumni, who shared their experiences with them and were able to offer them ‘tips and tricks’ ahead of the start of their studies in the beautiful cathedral city. At the same

Alcohol, shopping, food, gambling, sex,

time, the alumni were able to look back on their time in Utrecht and meet other

smoking: how can you help people to resist

Utrecht University graduates living in the area.

all the temptations that they encounter in everyday life? In order to find the answer to

The Alumni Office is planning to organise another tour at the end of the year.

this question, Denise de Ridder — Professor

This time around, the university will travell further afield, heading to Asia (China,

of Health Psychology at Utrecht University —

Singapore and Indonesia) and Australia. The Alumni Office will be bringing alumni

and her team are carrying out research in

together and visiting alumni at sister universities, businesses and research institutes,

the Self-Regulation Lab into ‘nudging’:

with the aim of discussing internship opportunities for students among other things.

friendly prods that try to have people make

The Alumni Office will also seize this opportunity to share Utrecht University’s story

the right choices; for example, by displaying

with prospective students, and to present the latest research findings from Utrecht

salad more prominently in the cafeteria

to alumni who headed for the other side of the world after completing their studies.

than burgers.

At the end of last year, the Self-

Keep an eye on the online calendar and your inbox for the precise dates

Regulation Lab collaborated with the City of Utrecht to open a so-called ‘Living Lab’ —

of these alumni meetings.

not on campus, but in Nieuw Welgelegen, a large community centre in the Kanaleneiland

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district which is also home to the Globe them available online. He was able to do so

College secondary school and the MBO

thanks to the support of the K.F. Hein Fund,

Utrecht senior secondary vocational college.

an affiliated fund to which the University

Students, staff and local residents are closely

In 1877, the Dutch

Fund can submit a bundled application for

involved in the research; for example, by

schoolteacher Pieter

supporting university projects. The selection

acting as test subjects.

Roelf Bos made his first

of digitised maps does not just show geo­

In addition to the University and the

atlas. Over the years,

graphical changes, but also demonstrates

City of Utrecht, Wageningen University

the so-called ‘Bos

the shifting views of editors on how to

is involved in the Living Lab as well, along

Atlas’ has become

present the maps.

with four civil society organisations:

140th anniversary of the Bos Atlas

an institution in the

On 14 June, the University Library

the Netherlands Scientific Council for

Netherlands — it even

organised a symposium in the Utrecht

Government Policy (WRR), the Netherlands

has its own dictionary entry. Now, 140 years

Science Park on the use of the atlas in

School of Public Administration (NSOB), the

later, this school atlas is in its 55th edition.

education. Utrecht University has a long

Dutch National Institute for Public Health

In honour of these milestones, Marco van

history in the field of cartography.

and the Environment (RIVM) and the Council

Egmond — who works as a curator at the

for Health and Society (RVS). The project is

University Library — has digitised the 36

funded by the Netherlands Organisation for

pre-war editions of the atlas and made

Scientific Research (NWO). The first results

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August 2017

www.uu.nl/news

Director of Summer School Junior, Maarten Reichwein: ‘A Master’s student has conducted a study of how children who are at a greater distance from the university and from science experience our programme. So far, most summer school pupils have been children with highly educated parents, but we would like the pupils to come from a broader range of backgrounds. Many children only have an idea of what science entails when it comes to unpleasant things: they know the doctor gets involved when you’re sick, or that you call on a lawyer when something has gone wrong. We hope that we can demonstrate in the Summer School Junior that science is much broader, and give children an idea of what researchers do and how they do it.’

A team of about 80 students from the various faculties as well

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as from the Academic Teacher Training Programme for Primary Education (Academische lerarenopleiding primair onderwijs,

Children discover science

ALPO) are involved in the Summer School Junior on a voluntary basis. Earth Sciences student Anne Kruijt spent the past year with

Over the summer months, the University welcomed some 550

a team of three other students working hard to get this year’s

primary school pupils for the Summer School Junior program.

summer school off the ground: ‘I love being a part of the Summer

The children spent a whole week being shown around the Science

School Junior. The children’s enthusiasm and fresh look at things

Park by students in order to do research on topics such as their

is infectious and makes the summer school a real treat for

own DNA or how rivers, hills and mountains are formed. For the

volunteers and participants alike. We work very hard, but at

first time, there was an ‘Advanced Edition’ for pupils in lower

the end of the day, it’s a proper science-themed summer party.

secondary school, which focused on the topic of ‘sustainability’.

That’s what the Summer School Junior means to me!’

––

of the Living Lab were presented on 23 and

down to earth, temperate and convivial.

24 June during the WINK — The NUDGE

These views persisted until the 1970s, when

Conference held in Utrecht University Hall.

the excesses of modernisation — such as

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individualism, infantilisation and materialism

This summer, Utrecht University Professors

— took hold in the Netherlands as well.

Albert Heck and Alexander van

The research, which earned Verhoef his

Oudenaarden both received a Spinoza

doctorate in May, shows how much Dutch

Prize from the Netherlands Organisation for

Views on modernisation in the Netherlands

Two Spinoza Laureates in Utrecht

people struggled with modernisation.

Scientific Research, the highest science award

Cultural historian Jesper Verhoef’s PhD thesis

The rise of radio and television invariably

in the Netherlands. They are recognised

studies how Dutch people in the previous

evoked intense emotions and considerable

worldwide as pioneers in biomedical science.

century responded to the arrival of film,

resistance. These findings can help to put

The Spinoza Laureates are free to spend the

portable radio and TV quiz shows. Verhoef’s

present-day fears about the far-reaching

€ 2.5 million prize money on their research.

analysis of public debates on these topics

consequences of new media such as the

Van Oudenaarden is very happy that

from a large number of digitised newspapers

smartphone into perspective.

this year’s Spinoza Prizes were awarded to

at the time shows how ideas about Dutch

scientists who are interested in multidisci­

identity were propagated, as well as the

plinary collaboration and technological

extent to which the US was co-opted as

development. ‘I’m convinced that’s where

the ‘Other’ against which the Netherlands

the future lies. We have to work together

defined itself. In these debates, Americans

and we need the very best technology to

were portrayed as naive and driven by profit

help us get the job done.’

and sensation. Such attitudes softened after the Second World War, but stereotypes continued to endure. Compared to Americans, Dutch people were seen as

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August 2017

Generation UU Every person has a right to drinking water. And there’s enough for everyone, according to Professor of European and Dutch Water Law Marleen van Rijswick and PhD candidate Daphina Misiedjan. Problem solved, then? Not quite.

Not everyone in the world has access to water, not by a long shot. According to the two UU researchers, the problem is not quantitative but normative in nature: how is water distributed and who decides on that distribution?

Professor and PhD candidate:

‘Clean water is a fundamental right’ Marleen van Rijswick: ‘The great thing about water is

that its importance is easy for people to understand: everyone knows what it is and everyone knows that we can’t do without it. The only thing is that when the topic comes up, legislation doesn’t tend to be the first thing that pops into people’s minds.’

Daphina Misiedjan : ‘Regulations can result in a great deal of conflict. That fact was also something that we saw very clearly in our case study in Yemen. The law considers water to be a “god-given” resource to which everyone is entitled. However, at the same time, legislation exists which stipulates that water is to be allocated through licences. The laws are ‘Thankfully, we have rooted in different excellent water legis­ normative perspectives. think: lation in place within People “Why do I need to pay for the Netherlands.’ it and apply for a licence if it’s something to which I have a right?” There’s a huge clash involved.

As researchers, we are only small drops in the ocean of the global water issue, but we hope to offer a few nudges in the right direction. For example, on World Water Day, I tried to make clear in an item for the Kids News in Suriname that clean water is not an act of charity or a favour on the part of the government

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August 2017

but a fundamental human right. That same day, a report of our work was presented to the Chair of the National Assembly of Suriname, the Surinamese parliament. We are offering concrete proposals for updates to the water legislation in Suriname — which still dates back to colonial times. It’s great to see that the Chair of the National Assembly is on board with what we’re doing.’

Marleen : ‘Thankfully, we have excellent water legislation in place within the Netherlands. However, before you can advise another country on how to go about things, you do need to understand just why it is that things work so well here. And that isn’t easy.

Is it the technology, the investment in knowledge, our level of development, the legislation, the funding method, the institutional structure — with the District Water Boards being in charge of water management at the regional level — or a combination of some, or all, of these things? Utrecht University is the only university in the Netherlands carrying out research into the legal side of sustainable water management on this scale. We are exploring how the law can contribute solutions to key societal challenges such as access to water, protection of nature, flooding, pollution, shortages and public health. But law alone can’t provide the solutions to all these issues. That’s why we’re working closely with other disciplines

Text Hanneke Olivier Photo Ivar Pel

Rijswick and Misiedjan told their story about water management at University Day in April. www.uu.nl/utrecht-centre-for-wateroceans-and-sustainability-law

Marleen and Daphina: a great partnership

on a global scale. I’m very proud of that collaboration — especially so, given that multidisciplinary research in the legal field is a fairly recent development. We all need each other if we are to make a real difference in the transition to a sustainable society.’

Daphina : ‘All in all, I’m very optimistic about the future. If we really want to, we can find good solutions to all these problems. The only question is: do we have that level of commitment?’

development creates an obligation to help others. But what is it that you want? If you are only willing to help solve a problem as long as you’ll turn a profit off it, it’s going to make progress very difficult.

We’ve still got a long way to go when it comes to striking the right balance between economic considerations on the

one hand and water quality and pollution from sources such as drugs, pesticides, fertiliser and microfibres on the other.

Should we be worried? No. We are more than capable of sorting out the issue of water quality. All that is required of us is that we make choices.’

––

She’s very good at promoting her

What can the different generations

research to the outside world and

learn from each other?

making sure that she reaches people

Marleen: ‘I learn a great deal from my

outside the scientific community as

PhD candidates. Most of them have

well. Exactly the kind of person which

an open mind and a lot of grit. They do

the university needs.’

things that impress me greatly, such as

Daphina: ‘Marleen is very approachable

appearing in the media and speaking at

and makes time for everyone. Her level

large-scale events attended by prominent

of experience means that she can easily

guests. That takes guts and it’s very

and tactfully point out any flaws in your

Marleen : ‘People have to be willing to

inspiring. They also have a much more

research. And she always has a solution.

talk about redistribution and knowledge sharing. Just holding on to what you have isn’t good enough. One of the reasons that the Netherlands did not endorse the United Nations resolution enshrining the right to water was the fear that this

international outlook than I did when

She doesn’t tell you what to do, but gives

I was in their position. Daphina is a great

your creativity free rein, so that you can

example: she has a strong personality

be successful following your strengths.

and she’s very socially engaged.

It’s a great partnership.’

‘Clean water is not an act of charity or a favour on the part of the government.’

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August 2017

My career… Marten Roorda

Marten Roorda

‘Many children in the US are facing an opportunity gap’

‘I

got my secondary-school diploma in 1979. I went on to take a gap year to work at a bank. I didn’t know what direction to take my career in, because I’d always had a broad range of interests. When I realised that I was spending all my wages

on books, I decided to study Dutch. In those days, you were advised that you might as well take a degree in a subject about which you were passionate, as the job market would be difficult whatever

you chose. So that’s what I did.’

‘Dutch was a very popular Major at the time — there were about 200 first-year students. The statistics requirement was the greatest hurdle; more than half of them ended up dropping out because of it. But I enjoyed that module and decided to do a Minor in Research Methods, which ended up coming in handy when I was working on exams later on. After completing my undergraduate degree, I funded my own studies in full by working as a journalist.

I did my Master’s degree almost entirely in my spare time.’

‘It was very difficult to find accommodation in Utrecht at the time. In the first year, I had to make do with a tiny bedsit in Overvecht. After that, I was lucky enough to get a great place near Wilhelminapark. I’ve always kept that bond with Utrecht and with that neighbourhood in particular. Later on, I even ended up living next to the Rietveld Schröder House for a number of years.’

‘I felt that Utrecht was the ideal city for a student. The atmosphere of the medieval city centre and the city’s nightlife were huge boons. I’ve always kept a bond with the university as well. Because of my work for the National Institute for Educational Measurement (Cito) — the Dutch national test development centre — I was on the programme committee for the “Understandable Language” research programme of the Netherlands Organisation for Scientific Research, with which the university was involved as well. And sport also ties me to the city — ever since I first came to Utrecht as a student, I’ve been a loyal FC Utrecht fan.’

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August 2017

‘Initially, I mainly worked for magazines such as VT Wonen and Margriet. I even put in a stint as a royal reporter for a year.

I was gradually given more and more responsibility as a journalist and started managing editorial teams as the editor-in-chief.

I then made the switch to Reed Elsevier for a position in publishing which also involved commercial responsibility.

In 2002, I was approached to be the ceo of Cito.’

‘At Cito, I started working on the scientific and technological side of things. I felt that this was necessary in order to stay ahead of the competition. In 2004, I was invited to give a keynote speech in Palm Springs, ca, for the Association of Test Publishers — the American industry association for providers of test and assessment tools. In this speech, I laid out my vision for the future and identified eight megatrends in testing innovation, all of which have since come to full fruition. I then became active in the Association, helping to expand it into an international federation.

Cito’s activities were also becoming increasingly international, with assignments from all over the world. Cito’s scientific staff were now among the best in the world, with publications in important journals and even in magazines such as Science and Nature. In 2006, I co-founded the us company Kryterion, the first provider of online proctoring — supervision for distancebased testing — which has since come to be used at Dutch universities as well.’

‘The world of testing is a relatively small one and I had come to be something of a fixture by then. In late 2014, act advertised a job opening for the position of ceo on their website. A few people in the US recommended me for the position, so I applied and I got the job. My predecessor was a former university president, but the Board of Directors felt that they needed someone “from the field”. Hiring me was an interesting decision on their part; after all, act is a quintessentially American institution.’ ‘act is an organisation employing around 1,100 people, with an annual turnover of around $350 million and a number of

www.uu.nl/alumni

Text Armand Heijnen

offices across the us. Its flagship is the act college entrance test. act administers 15 million tests annually in more than 130 countries. My mission is to prepare act for the future. To help me achieve this goal, I have put together a team of leading scientists in the fields of learning analytics, adaptive learning and artificial intelligence.’ ‘act has drawn considerable attention with this new strategic direction. act is also active in the area of charity and social investment as part of our mission and non-profit status.

We work together with major foundations such as the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative, and the Bloomberg Foundation. My work for act has also taken me to the White House on a number of occasions. act stays in regular contact with the Reach Higher initiative created by Michelle Obama. This meant that I got to be there as a vip guest when she gave her final speech as First Lady in the White House. On that occasion, I also met her in person for the first time.’

‘One of the things that drives me in my work is that many children in the us are at an educational disadvantage — they are

facing an opportunity gap due to poverty or because they are part of a minority group. If you are a first-generation university student, that’s huge — enrolment alone is a milestone. In the us, students make the commitment to go to college on National Signing Day. In the Netherlands, signing up to do a degree is no big deal. In the us, it’s a very special occasion. On National Signing Day, most Americans wear a sweatshirt from their alma mater. I bought my Utrecht University t-shirt on Amazon.

It was shipped from China, where it was manufac­tured…’

— Marten Roorda ‘On National Signing Day, the Advisory Board of the Reach Higher initiative was estab­ lished. I was appointed as a member.

Behind the screen, the Board met with its chair, Michelle Obama. On this occasion, she gave me a big hug, as she has a habit of doing, and said, “You smell just like my husband”. I was probably wearing the same aftershave as Barack. I had planned in advance exactly what I intended to say, but when she said that, I forgot all about my rehearsed lines.’

‘The Board of Directors felt that they needed someone “from the field”.’

Marten Roorda with Michelle Obama

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Appointments

Marten Roorda Dutch Language and Literature (1988) is CEO of ACT Inc., the American and global market leader in college entrance tests. He joined the Advisory Board of Michelle Obama’s Reach Higher initiative in May.

Diana de Wolff Law (1982) has been appointed Professor

by Special Appointment of the Legal Profession at the University of Amsterdam.

Bart Rutten Liberal Arts (1997) has been appointed Artistic Director at the Centraal Museum Utrecht as of 1 May. Henk Westbroek Sociology (1976) started as a Lecturer in Music History at the Academy of Music and Performing Arts in Tilburg.

Janneke Wijnia-Lemstra Law (1994) will as of 1 August be the new Managing Director of Cumela Nederland, the industry association for companies that are active in landscaping, soil and rural engineering.

Eva Klein Schiphorst Liberal Arts (1996) has been appointed Business Unit Director at Royal Haskoning DHV. Frida van den Maagdenberg Slavonic Languages (1979) has joined the Supervisory Board of the Netherlands Water Boards Bank (NWB Bank).

Aalt Dijkhuizen Veterinary Medicine (1983) has been appointed Chair of the International Advisory Board of animal breeder Hendrix Genetics.

Willy Spaan Veterinary Medicine (1984) will as of 1 July be the new Chair of the Supervisory Board of the Ipse de Bruggen disability support organisation.

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August 2017

Money well spent

Text Laura Hemstra Photos René Hendriks

Spotlight on the activities of the Professor Olaf Schuiling Fund

‘Without this funding, my research would have been impossible’ Wout Hanckman

The Professor Olaf Schuiling Fund, a Named Fund managed by the Utrecht University Fund, can provide financial backing for geochemistry research conducted at Utrecht University that cannot be financed from regular resources. The fund was named after Olaf Schuiling (1932), a Professor in Geochemistry and Experimental Petrology at Utrecht University. To this day, Schuiling — even after his retirement in 1997 — continues to carry out research into topics such as combating climate change caused by greenhouse gas emissions. In this edition of the ‘Money well spent’ feature, three students share their stories of how they have benefited from this fund.

they are, what processes caused this situation.

Chemical processes tend to form part of the changes that take place on a planetary scale. It is precisely this sort of concrete research and the chemical make-up of our environment that I find fascinating.

Without the Olaf Schuiling Fund, I would never have been able to go into this level of depth in my research. The idea for this research came from my supervisor Helen King, who did not have the time or the budget to do it herself. It’s more of an offshoot of her research. She told me about the Olaf Schuiling Fund. Thanks to this funding, I have more time for my research and I am able to use equipment that I would not have been able to afford otherwise.’

Fieke Mulders completed a Bachelor’s degree in Earth

Sciences and a Master’s degree in Earth, Life and Climate: ‘Three months ago, I started doing research at “Utrecht Castel”, the shared environmental labora­tory at Utrecht Science Park which is a joint initiative of Deltares, the Netherlands Organisation for Applied Scientific Research and Utrecht University. I’m hoping to pursue a career in research — there’s no doubt in my mind that this is the road which I want to take.

I decided to do a degree in Earth Sciences because I was keen to do research that had a clear impact on society. Earth Sciences is a very tangible discipline.

‘Whenever I walk When I walk around in around, I wonder the outdoors somewhere, why things look the I wonder why the landscape looks the way that it does — way that they do. why things are the way that

’

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August 2017

Karel As completed a Bachelor’s degree in Life Science & Technology at Delft University of Technology and is now doing a Master’s degree in Earth, Life and Climate at Utrecht University: ‘Before coming to Utrecht, I also did a Master’s in Biocatalysis in Delft.

The main focus in that programme was on enzymes, and I mostly studied the geosphere and biosphere.

I decided to do a second Master’s, because I wasn’t sure what to do with my degrees. Earth, Life & Climate covers a broader area than just enzymes; it’s essentially a combination of earth sciences and microbiology.

Essentially, I want to look at the Earth as a compre­hen­ sive system, and at how life and this planet influence each other. The Earth and mankind are under increasing pressure and are dependent on each other.

The climate plays a key role in this process, but so does the depletion of the earth’s natural resources.

www.uu.nl/alumni

A Named Fund exists to offer financial support to specific research projects. If you are considering establishing your own fund or contributing to an existing one, please visit: www.uu.nl/namedfunds

Fieke Mulders

Karel As

I don’t have a clearly defined idea of my future career or a dream job yet, and I’m fine with that. I’m happy to wait and see what opportunities come my way. I might do a work placement after my Master’s degree to look into the microbiological improvement of agricultural soil as a sustainable alternative to artificial fertiliser.

planet cleaner and more sustainable.

After completing my degree, I intend to take a gap year to think about my future. I’m torn between two Master’s programmes — Earth Surface and Water or the teacher training Master’s programme — because getting kids as excited about geography as I was at their age seems like a lot of fun too. But who knows, I might end up going abroad.

I enjoy doing research more than I had expected, although it’s very difficult as well. The Olaf Schuiling Fund is a huge help. I receive quite a substantial amount of funding, which also creates some pressure to come up with results. But you learn a lot in the process; for example, I have to decide myself which techniques and equipment to use and where to spend my money. I feel that this is the best and most enjoyable way of writing a thesis possible; I’d recommend it to anyone.’

‘Earth, Life & ­Climate covers a broader area than just enzymes.’

I wouldn’t have been able to do my research without the Olaf Schuiling Fund.

The main importance of this money is that it enables me to make use of advanced equipment without which the research would have been impossible.’

Wout Hanckman is doing a Bachelor’s degree in Earth Sciences: ‘I’m not into field trips looking for rocks, but I am interested in the chemical properties that a rock has. My main interest is in climate and the changes that are taking place on our planet. I’m very interested in issues such as the pollution of groundwater.

I’m keen to contribute to making our

‘My main interest is in climate and the changes that are taking place.’

––

Get involved!

The Olaf Schuiling Fund was established thanks to the generous initiative of alumnus Henk Vrins.

The fund creates the opportunity to do fundamental research — outside the established routes for funding — which would not otherwise be possible.

‘As a research director, I think that this incentive for the Earth Sciences is fantastic. That’s why I immediately decided to make a contribution.

I’d like to call on all alumni, earth scientists in particular, to join me .’

— Professor Jack Middelburg If this research is something that you would like to support, consider making a donation to the Olaf Schuiling Fund. You can make a donation online or send an email to r.j.feunekes@uu.nl. For more information, see www.uu.nl/alumni

11

August 2017

For alumni under the age of 35, there is the Young Alumni Network (JAN).

The board of the Young Alumni Network organises activities and events that allow you to expand your network in an informal setting.

Every year, the Research Master’s programme in Social and Health Psychology (shp) attracts a considerable number of international students.

In 2015, Elsevier magazine ranked it the best Master’s programme in its category. In this issue of Illuster, several graduates of the programme look back on their time at Utrecht University.

International Research Master’s students look back on their studies

‘Be passionate about your work’ Sharon : ‘My studies taught me a lot of valuable research skills. This fact became apparent when I was carrying out research in Ghana and Oman. The skill that I value most is the ability to think critically. I’m interested in doing applied research for ngos, in a different cultural context. This means that I need to be able to use relevant literature and Western research methods in such a context. Thanks to my Master’s degree, I am able to do so.’

the Netherlands and I became a vegetarian. I learnt to appreciate sunny days; I became more open-minded and tolerant towards other people. And I also developed an eye for beauty — after all, Utrecht’s stunning, isn’t it?’ Michelle mainly remembers how friendly her professors and fellow students were.

She still has the children’s books that they gave her to help her practice her Dutch.

Current job

Michelle: ‘During my time at Utrecht University,

I had the opportunity to take part in multiple research projects, both within the university and beyond. I did research at the Dutch National Institute for Public Health and the Environment, the University Medical Center Utrecht and the lab of the university as part of my degree. Getting the chance to do all this hands-on research in a range of different projects has undoubtedly contributed to my love of research.’

‘My goal is to earn enough money to complete a longterm research project in Ghana.’

Life lessons

Everyone agrees that you learn a lot of valuable life lessons while studying abroad. Andreea: ‘My time in Utrecht has given me many important values that I still retain now. For example, I started being much more environmentally conscious, I fell in love with the cycling culture in

12

August 2017

Most shp graduates start a PhD somewhere in Europe or the us after completing their Master’s. Andreea is a second-year PhD candidate in the Social Psychology programme at the University of Houston, Texas.

Michelle is currently completing her PhD at the Uni­ ver­sity of Limerick in Ireland, where she is working with an ngo that focuses on preventing suicide and self-harm. Sharon is juggling three jobs: ‘I’m an Administrative Assistant at Utrecht University’s International Office, I teach Methodology and Statistics, and I carry out research for Utrecht Uni­ versity’s Lifelong Learning programme. My goal is to earn enough money to complete a long-term research project in Ghana. I want to study the social psychology aspects of gender equality and female empowerment. It’s hard to find a job in this field, but I’m patient and I’m sure that I will be able to make this dream happen eventually.’

Text Martine van Winckel Photo Robert Oosterbroek

www.uu.nl/jan

Our Utrecht

Michelle Kearns (Ireland) Favourite memory Bike trips to De Haar Castle in the weekends, eating pancakes in the forest, and spending sunny days in cafés on the Oudegracht and in the stunning streets of Utrecht’s historical city centre.

Andreea Sutu (Romania) Favourite souvenir Coasters with the Utrecht coat of arms and a mug with a Delft Blue design that I keep on my desk in my US office.

Sharon Schroen (the Netherlands) Favourite city Utrecht is so lovely and green, which makes it possible to enjoy nature even when you’re in the throes of busy city life. And because the city is relatively small, it’s easy

––

to combine your work and social life.

‘I also developed an eye for beauty — after all, Utrecht’s stunning, isn’t it?’

13

August 2017

UU Central

Digital culture makes festivals more important

Literature is everywhere in the city

14 

August 2017

www.uu.nl/alumni

Text Inge Mathijssen Photos Ed van Rijswijk

If Michaël Stoker, Director of Het Literatuurhuis (House of Literature), has his way, Utrecht will soon become the next unesco City of Literature. This title for life is awarded to cities with a rich literary and intellectual past and — more importantly — a thriving literary present.

We talked to Stoker, and Professor Geert Buelens, about the visibility of literature in the city.

L

iterary festivals, lectures, readings, poetry slams: when it comes to literature, there’s a lot going on in Utrecht. The Literatuurhuis is involved in most of the literary events that take place in the city. In 2013, Utrecht University’s Michaël Stoker took the helm of this new organisa­ tion, which brought existing foundations and initiatives together under one roof. ‘Literature is a relatively small player within the cultural landscape as a whole — that’s true in all cities — but we can definitely say that we have a thriving literary scene in Utrecht,’ Stoker says.

And yet many people believe that literature is under threat. According to Professor of Modern Dutch Literature Geert Buelens, this idea is partly due to the fact that literature is still viewed as a solitary pastime.

‘The image that people have of literature is people reading a book by themselves.

It’s true that literary fiction and literary writers have a harder time reaching their audience nowadays,’ he agrees. ‘But over the past decade, literature has increasingly come to be situated beyond the confines of the traditional book as well.

Take poetry, for example. Few people buy poetry collections. But if you consider how many people actually come into contact with poetry and enjoy it, that number is much higher.’ Poems on city walls, YouTube videos, lines from a poem tattooed on someone’s arm: that’s literature too. People have always turned to poetry in private as a way of proc­ essing major life events, but nowadays this process often happens publicly and collectively as well.

Buelens mentions a poem that Bart Moeyart,

Antwerp’s Poet Laureate, wrote following a racially motivated attack in 2006. ‘In those kinds of moments, you need someone who can find the right words.

A poem can bring people together and play an almost therapeutic role.’

Onstage

In a city such as Utrecht, literature is also increasingly in the spotlight — literally — during both small-scale and large-scale events. In May, the TivoliVredenburg event venue hosted the International Literature Festival Utrecht (ilfu); in September, the Nacht van de Poëzie (Night of Poetry) is once again sure to draw more than 2,000 visitors.

Stoker: ‘The need to come together and experience literature or other art forms goes back a long way. But during the second half of the 20th century, we saw a proliferation of literary festivals. The urge towards public performance and expression came about in the 1960s and 1970s, leading to the birth of the culture of large-scale, professionally run festivals. Writers who grew up in the wild and free 1970s, on the other hand, turned their back on these established, institutional festivals by organising liter­ary evenings themselves.’

That notion fit perfectly with the do-it-yourself mentality of the 1980s. ‘Of course, getting up on a stage yourself is a lot easier than self-publishing a book,’ Buelens adds.

And that’s how in 1980, after several anarchist poetry nights in Belgium, the Night of Poetry arose in Utrecht: an annual festival in which poets — established names and new voices alike — get up

‘Over the past decade, literature has increasingly come to be situated be­ yond the confines of the traditional book.’

15

August 2017

UU Central Literature is everywhere in the city

––

––

Flemish Professor Geert Buelens has worked at Utrecht

Michaël Stoker is Director of the Literatuurhuis in Utrecht,

University since 2005. In 2008, he also became a guest lecturer

which organises a wide range of events based around literature.

in Dutch Literature at Stellenbosch University in South Africa.

While doing his degree in Language and Culture Studies (2004),

His research focuses on the interrelationship between modern

Stoker volunteered with various literary organisations and

Dutch literature and society. This summer, he is hoping to

initiatives in Utrecht. He took this interest to a more professional

complete a cultural history of the global sixties. In addition

level during, and especially after, his PhD research into the

to his work as an academic, Buelens is also a poet.

Portuguese poet Fernando Pessoa (2013). In the same year, he brought the existing literary organisations in Utrecht together under the umbrella of the Literatuurhuis.

onstage. ‘In the 1990s, the Night of Poetry became an institution in its own right. Everyone wanted to join in, but at the same time it was something of a closed society,’ Michaël recalls. There were other groups that took a more small-scale, low-key approach, getting together in libraries or cafés. ‘Under the name Het Poëziecircus (Poetry Circus), poets including Ingmar Heytze, Vrouwkje Tuinman and Ruben van Gogh would organise readings in venues such as Café De Bastaard, just leaping up on the billiard table — often without microphones.’

–– Unique

It didn’t seem likely that these disparate initiatives — the Night of Poetry, the Poetry Circus and others, such as the Utrecht Literary Activities Foundation (Stichting Literaire Activiteiten Utrecht, slau) — would join forces, until the municipality of Utrecht made the decision to cut its funding for literature.

A manifesto protesting this decision, with signatories that included the then Dean of the Faculty of Humanities (Wiljan van den Akker), had no immediate impact in the political sphere.

‘But it did get all the people in Utrecht who were passionate about literature to start thinking.’ The seed

‘Of course, getting up on a stage yourself is a lot easier than self-­ publishing a book.’

16

August 2017

for the Literatuurhuis, which opened its doors in 2013, had been planted.

By his own account, the Literatuurhuis has been Stoker’s way to ‘brick by brick build a solid home for literature in Utrecht.’ The Literatuurhuis is thriving as part of a culture experiencing a boom in live events.

‘It’s not surprising that festivals and other events are doing so well,’ says Buelens. ‘Music and tv shows that you can stream any time, anywhere — all that is great.

But it also heightens the cachet of one-off, live events.

And the more culture we consume through head­ phones and screens while sequestered away in our apartments, the greater our apparent need for expe­ riences that we can literally share with one another — not by sending each other links, but by actually experiencing them together.’

Research into experiences

Stoker regularly invites academics from Utrecht University to appear at events at the Literatuurhuis.

He has also invited Buelens to the stage on multiple occasions. ‘Literature is essentially about under­ standing the world. A writer tries to put a certain perspective, an event and the relationships between people into words. Who are we? Why do we do what we do? That’s not all that different from what academics do, especially in the field of the humanities.’

‘At the end of the day, everything in the humanities comes back to literature,’ Geert Buelens adds. The way that literature is experienced — for example, at literary events — also forms the subject of academic

www.uu.nl/alumni

–– Email and win For those of you keen to experience literature live, we are giving away two tickets to the Night of Poetry on 16 September. Do you prefer reading in the comfort of your own home?

Participate in the prize draw to win the 2016 Nachtbundel (‘Night Anthol­ ogy’, published in Dutch) and a book about literature in Utrecht published by the Literatuurhuis. Answer the following question — name a poet who will be on stage during the 2017 Night of Poetry — and send your answer to alumni@uu.nl. Don’t forget to give your address details and

research. ‘Research no longer focuses on just the literary work and its context. It’s also about how people use texts and what they mean to people. That’s always been an important part of the study of literature,’ says Buelens. ‘There’s a long tradition of reception studies, but all that it really amounted to was looking at reviews, which of course will only tell you some­ thing about a very small segment of the population. Now, by looking at customer reviews on Amazon and sites such as Goodreads, you can really get an idea of how people experience works of litera­ ture.’ Stoker: ‘Digital culture plays an important role here too. Thanks to today’s digital exhibitionism, there’s a wealth of useful information that we can uncover.’

Photo flowdesign.nl

preference (tickets or book).

Wall poem by Eddy Lie, on the exterior wall of Café de Poort, Ledig Erf

writers abroad, have books translated and invite writers to come to Utrecht for residencies or readings.’ Stoker knows from previous experience that there’s no shortage of international interest: he previously managed to lure Nick Cave,

–– Wanted: street poetry Literature isn’t always confined within the pages of a book, it can also be found on the street. With Buelens as her supervisor, PhD candidate Kila van de Starre is carrying out

‘Foreign writers often find Utrecht to be a pleasant surprise.’

research into other ways of experi­ encing poetry. On her website www.straatpoezie.nl, she collects as many examples as possible of poetry in public spaces within the Netherlands and Flanders, in order

International plans

Stoker has great plans for the Literatuur­ huis. Submitting an application to become unesco City of Literature is just the beginning. If unesco decides to award Utrecht the title in this autumn, it will be the first city in the Benelux countries to become part of the international network of more than twenty unesco Cities of Literature.

‘In such a family of literary cities, we can help each other to promote Dutch

Paul Auster and Michel Houellebecq to Utrecht. ‘Foreign writers often find Utrecht to be a pleasant surprise: while the city boasts a beautiful, historical city centre, a large university and a young, highly educated population, it’s also quite laid-back and unceremonious. Nick Cave was able to go out on the Neude square to have a smoke like anyone else. It’s as Dick Bruna said: despite being famous all over the world, he could bike to his studio in Utrecht without anyone bothering him.’

to subsequently archive them as literary heritage.

Have you spotted a poem while you’ve been out and about? Submit it to www.straatpoezie.nl

17

August 2017

Class of 2015 UU students in the year 2015

Photo Ivar Pel

While their residence permits are

later on. There is a lot of prejudice

pending, refugees can take classes at

about qualifications from non-

Utrecht University free of charge. This

Western countries; it can be difficult

InclUUsion project works with what is

to get admitted to a university

known as a buddy system: each refugee

degree course in the Western world.’

is matched up with a UU student.

Rosa and Saphinah have come to be Rosa Wevers, a Master’s student in

good friends: ‘We spend a lot of time

the Gender Studies programme, is the

together and talk to each other about

buddy of Saphinah Batuusa, who came

our lives, ‘ says Saphinah. ‘I had already

here from Uganda. ‘I’m trying to help

taken a summer course in Utrecht,

Saphinah find her way around the

but I still felt different from the other

practical side of things — things such as

students. Thanks to my buddy, I’ve come

using Osiris and Blackboard or printing

to feel more at home.’ ‘And that’s exactly

documents — but I’m also trying to teach

what the buddy system is all about,’

her about the culture here at Utrecht

Rosa adds: ’As a buddy, you’re more

University,’ Rosa says.

than someone’s “personal help desk”.

Saphinah has been in the Netherlands

to me, she’s just — Saphinah.

I no longer see Saphinah as a refugee; for almost two years now and is living in Arnhem. Her family is still back in Uganda. She completed a Bachelor’s degree in History and French in her home country and would like to do a Master’s in Clinical Child, Family and Education Studies in the Netherlands. ‘I’m currently taking classes at the Bachelor’s level, hoping that these might be useful

Would you like to get involved or are you looking for more infor­ mation about InclUUsion? www.uu.nl/incluusion or email incluusion@uu.nl

18

August 2017

DUB, the Digital University Bulletin, is Utrecht University’s own independent publication.

Visit www.dub.uu.nl for the latest news, in-depth features, discussions and columns all about education, research and student life.

dub.uu.nl

First residents of the IBB student complex return after 50 years bears, on the bed in the tiny room where it all happened some fifty years before. Pasman’s confession is one of the many memorable anecdotes that are shared on this Saturday afternoon. Six former residents of the IBB pay a visit to this unit on the third floor of IBB 89.

Fifty years ago, they had been the very first residents of this student complex, which started out as an all-boys unit.

They are welcomed by the current residents, have a glass of champagne and take a trip down memory lane. The atmosphere is buoyant: the living room is stuffed to the gills with boisterous former residents and their wives. There seems to have been a house party somewhere the night before, so most of the students were still just waking up when the former residents rang the doorbell around lunchtime. In the background, the Eagles’ Hotel California is playing — an appropriate soundtrack: ‘We haven’t had that spirit here since All those clichés about your university years were proven true

nineteen sixty-nine.’ The building has the aromas that are typical of

during this spring, when a number of alumni in their seventies

student housing: a mixture of leftover food, stale booze and a wide

visited IBB number 89. This was the spot where they spent their

range of obscure fungi that have been eating away at the building’s

time as students in the 1970s.

foundations over the past five decades. ‘It was just as much of a mess

‘My oldest daughter was conceived here. I still remember it.’ Jan Pasman (69) is sitting next to his wife amid the current tenant’s teddy

DUB launches mobile-friendly website

back then.’ According to Frits Blacquiere (71), not much has changed in the complex since their student days.

Taskforce to promote diversity

Record turnout for University Council elections

How can the university become more inter­ The Digital University Journal (DUB) has a

national, more diverse and more inclusive?

An impressive 26.3% of all UU students have

new website designed to be used on mobile

A Diversity Taskforce has been established

voted in the University Council elections.

devices. With the new, mobile-friendly

to come up with concrete proposals for

Never before has the turnout been this high.

design, DUB is responding to its readers’

achieving this aim. At the official launch, the

In spite of the high turnout, the candidates

wishes emerging from the readers’ survey

President of the Executive Board listed three

from newcomer De Vrije Student (Free

conducted two years ago. The brief was to

examples of ways in which the university can

Student) left empty-handed. In the staff

produce a clear layout that makes it easy

improve. At 22%, the percentage of female

delegation, the Utrechtse Promovendi Partij

to find your way around the site — which

Professors at Utrecht University is just above

(Utrecht PhD Candidates Party, UPP) did

was another request that came out of the

the national average, which is not enough.

manage to bag two seats. Nearly 8,000

readers’ survey. DUB will also start publishing

The university should also better reflect

students voted, breaking the 2014 record

articles in English. Given the growing number

the make-up of society. Currently, Utrecht

(25.9%). In the previous two years, the

of international students and staff, DUB

University is still known for being quite a

turnout was at just 18%. At 33.8%, however,

feels that it’s important to keep this group

‘white’ university, and students from lower-

the turnout among staff was a lot lower

abreast of developments within the

income backgrounds are underrepresented.

than for the previous election in 2015.

university as well.

Finally, the university should become more international.

19

August 2017

Alumni interview

Seven universities work together to train fifteen PhD candidates:

‘We are opening up a whole new field about which little is currently known’ Most researchers are used to travel in the course of their work.That in itself is nothing new — scientific research has always been an international activity.

However, the unique thing about the programme in which Miguel, Imogen and Eric are taking part is the seamless way in which European institutions are working together to train a new generation of researchers at the interface of two research areas.

W

hat is your research about?

Eric : We are exploring the interface

between cancer and metabolism.

This research project focuses on a small group of genes or proteins that play a role in both processes. The goal is to train a new generation of researchers that have a good grasp of both of these worlds. The way in which we’re bringing together groups of researchers from different backgrounds is something that’s relatively new.

Is it essential for this type of research to have people from all over Europe working on the same project?

Eric : It’s not essential, but it does have clear benefits.

20

August 2017

When you work in a team, you will almost inevitably end up attracting international academics. What makes this arrangement special is that it’s a training network: seven universities are working together to teach their PhD candidates as one group. The idea behind this approach is that we can also complement each other’s work, allowing us to save a lot of time and money. You can ask each other for equipment or expertise, or travel to one of the other participating institutions to use their laboratory for an experiment that we can’t do over here but that is possible over there. And all fifteen PhD candidates have to do part of their research in one of the other participating labs.

Imogen : The idea is that you go there and bring

Text Stephanie Helffrich Photos Iris Tasseron

Our Utrecht knowledge back with you. The partner­ ship with the other universities is extremely valuable, as we are opening up a whole new field about which little is currently known. You need many different types of expertise to understand how something works, which is exactly what we have at our disposal within this network.

Miguel : It’s a great opportunity for us — being able to go to different labs, meeting lots of people. After all, a network is hugely important in scientific research.

You don’t just get access to the knowledge of the participating institutions; you also get the network.

Eric : In a way, this is your first network.

And it’s one that is easy to build on because it’s already there. In my experience, your first network is very important for the rest of your career.

Do you have a lot of contact with the PhD candidates at the other participating institutions?

Imogen : Yes, we have a Skype meeting

every two weeks in which people discuss the work that they’ve been doing. On these occasions, we have discussions about how we can help each other with experi­ ments and such things. We started with a joint training week in Sheffield. Everyone got on really well right from the start.

Miguel : We’re in touch almost every day via Facebook and WhatsApp. And if some of the students who are in Spain right now have any questions about how things work over there, for example, the Spanish students currently stationed elsewhere will help them, and so on.

‘The idea behind this approach is that we can also complement each other’s work, allowing us to save time and money.’

Tribbles Research And Innovation Network (TRAIN) TRAIN is a research programme on cancer and metabolism funded by the EU. It launched in March of this year and comprises 15 PhD positions, distributed among 7 European univer­ sities: the University of Sheffield, University Medical Center Utrecht, Helmholtz Zentrum München, Universidad Complutense de Madrid, Queen Mary University of London, Université de Nantes and the Universidade da Beira Interior. www.train-itn.eu

did a PhD on the role of progesterone in breast cancer (Hubrecht Institute Utrecht); postdoctoral research at the ICRF (London) and the LUMC (Leiden); currently Associate Professor at the UMC Utrecht.

Favourite spot in Utrecht Park Lepelenburg, because it’s very close to the city centre and still has a very laid-back atmosphere.

Imogen Morris Degree BA in Developmental Biology

How do you like Utrecht so far?

Imogen : Everyone’s very friendly and

––

Eric Kalkhoven Degree Biology (Utrecht University);

helpful. There’s a very open atmosphere, with a lot of communication about what everyone is doing.

Miguel : Yes, that’s very helpful.

Sometimes, I’ll go to a seminar about a completely different topic and find that it gives me an idea which helps me to get ahead with my own research. There are so many leading centres in so many different disciplines here, it’s incredibly inspiring.

Eric : I was struck by how quickly and easily you both managed to find your feet here.

Miguel : Yeah, it was really very easy. You know, I’m from southern Europe, and we tend to think that northern Europeans are cold and distant. But as it turns out, that couldn’t be further from the truth!

Eric, causing hilarity all around: Maybe you need to go further north for that…

(University of Manchester), MA in Molecular Life Sciences (Wageningen University); currently doing her PhD at Utrecht University.

Favourite spot in Utrecht The terraces around Oudegracht and the Cathedral.

Miguel Hernandez Degree BA in Biochemistry and Biotechnology (Universidad Europea de Madrid); MA in Advanced Genomic and Proteomic Sciences (University of Nottingham); currently doing his PhD at Utrecht University.

Favourite spot in Utrecht The terraces around Oudegracht and the Cathedral.

21

August 2017

In the spotlight This year, the Dutch academic community — and Utrecht in particular — is celebrating the centenary of the first female professor entering what had until then, been the old boys’ club of academia: Johanna Westerdijk. She was appointed Professor of Phytopathology for which reason the Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences named its Westerdijk Fungal Biodiversity Institute after her.

In this ‘Westerdijk year’, both the Institute and the University will be focusing a lot of attention on the Professor and her sphere of expertise. One of the anniversary events is a Fungal Lab at the University Museum.

‘Personal interaction — that’s what I wanted’ Saskia van Wees about the ups and downs of science

T

his summer, Dr Saskia van Wees, Associate Professor of Phytopathology, was indi­ rectly involved in the Fungal Lab. Visitors can take a sick plant from their own garden to the lab, where biologists will analyse it on the spot.

‘Although I’m very busy with research, teaching and management,’ Saskia says, ‘I find these types of initiatives very important. I like to make people aware of the world around them.’

However, Saskia’s day-to-day life looks very different. ‘I spend most of my time behind my computer, in meetings or teaching. I also supervise PhD candidates; I want to help make sure that they can look back happily on this period in their lives later on.’

‘Free time? There is no such thing’, Saskia continues.

She has just taught a class to 24 Master’s students, and before that she spent all morning in meetings. While catching her breath, she enthusiastically tells us about her work, and the pressure and emotions that it entails.

‘My father was a house painter and my sisters are nurses. I never thought that I would end up in hardcore research, but I just followed my heart.’ Biology was the thing that made her heart flutter at an early

‘I never thought that I would end up in hardcore research.’

22

August 2017

stage, but she could just as well have ended up a physiotherapist. ‘Interacting with people and doing useful work — that’s what I wanted. Thankfully, that’s all a part of being in academia as well.’

Emotionally taxing

She remembers her time as a PhD candidate fondly.

Her supervisor was Corné Pieterse, who is now Professor at Utrecht University and one of the organisers of the Westerdijk year. But she also spent time working in Amsterdam and did a postdoc in the US. ‘The period that I spent in San Diego was the best time of my life. That’s one of the great things about science — the fact that you can work anywhere in the world. The downside is that it can be emotionally taxing. You have to be able to cope with setbacks.’

The setbacks that Saskia is referring to can be any one of a range of different things: from a climate chamber overheating and rendering all the lab work unusable, to a research hypothesis for which it’s impossible to find decisive evidence, or a paper that doesn’t get published despite its high quality. ‘It’s so frustrating when that happens!’ she exclaims. ‘When you know that you’ve done great work and you can tell from the review report that the committee simply doesn’t see how innovative it is. In those moments, I find myself thinking: “Come on, guys, just how much

Text Evelyne Hermans Photo Pieter van Dorp van Vliet

28 August: Symposium on fungi in Utrecht University Hall. www.westerdijkinstitute.nl

more do we need to do to convince you?”

The goalposts are moving all the time.’

Head of lettuce

The fact that Saskia remains driven to follow her calling is rooted in her desire to contribute a solution to the global food issue by improving crop production.

‘It would be the ultimate accolade if I could one day see a head of lettuce in the supermarket with a patent resulting from our work. But that sort of breakthrough requires a lot of patience.’

She doesn’t always find that process easy. ‘I’m an emotional person,’ she smiles.

‘I can be over the moon when things go well, but I can also get very down when faced with setbacks. That character has got me very far, but it can also get a bit much from time to time, both for myself and for those around me.’

Ups and downs

Saskia considers her perfectionism to be both a strength and a weakness at the same time. ‘If I’m honest, I spend too much time thinking about my work. I actively need to take a step back from time to time.’

When asked why she made time to do this interview, she replies: ‘I thought it would be a good idea to be featured in a magazine where it’s not just about the scientific content of my work. This opportunity gives others an idea of the day-to-day life of a researcher, with all its ups and downs, which is less boring than people might think. And it’s fun for my parents too — I’m sure this interview is more interesting to them than my scientific articles!’

And — of course — it fits in perfectly with the motto of her predecessor, Johanna Westerdijk: ‘A boring and mono­ tonous life would kill even a fungus.’

My Utrecht Saskia van Wees Degree Biology Student accommodation Kievitdwarsstraat 12 Favourite spot in Utrecht The historical Weerdsluis lock, with an ice cream cone from Il Molino.

‘The day-to-day life of a researcher is less boring than people might think.’

23

August 2017

Picture… of the past

Harness racing on the Maliebaan Many students of Veterinary Medicine have encountered the Veterinary Student Circle (Diergeneeskundige Studenten Kring, DSK) at some point during their studies.

Virtually every vet in the Netherlands has been a member and attended one or more activities organised by this student society — whether it involves the orientation programme for first-year students, the Sports Day, the Christmas dinner or the ‘Peerdepieten’ event, an annual trotting race for veterinary students. Since the

Hier evt. een kort bijschrift.

society is coming up on its 85th anniversary (DSK was established in 1932), a large anniversary party is taking place between 4 and 8 October around the theme ‘Territory’. Most activities will be taking place on the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine campus at the Utrecht Science Park.

But there is at least one exception: the spectacular short course harness race.

On Saturday 7 October, the Maliebaan in the city centre will be cordoned off for the eighth edition of this event.

‘It became apparent during the preparations that it gets more difficult with every jubilee to organise an event of this scale in the city centre and on the Maliebaan,’ says Moniek Amelink, a member of the anniversary committee.

‘Every year, the costs get higher and the rules get stricter, and the five-year intervals really make you notice the changes each time. That’s why we’re very proud that, with the help of the municipality of Utrecht and the Faculty, we have managed to continue this proud tradition this year as well.’

24

August 2017

It was for the occasion of its golden jubilee that the dsk was first permitted to trans­ form this stately avenue in Utrecht into a bona fide racecourse. The 50-year anniversary committee managed to pull off this stunt by going straight to the then Mayor of Utrecht, Lien Vos-van Gortel, and telling her about the plans. She loved them immediately.

The ‘Maliebaan Day’ was a huge success and is a fixture of the anniversary celebrations at the Veterinary Medicine degree programme to this day. The entire city flocks to the Maliebaan for this spectacle, which can be watched free of charge.

The students organise a fair alongside the race, at which the various aspects of the Veterinary Medicine degree programme

The Maliebaan being used as a racecourse in 2012

are all presented. In addition to stalls with food and drinks, there will even be a totalisator, so people will be able to bet on their favourite horse.

Only the evening programme on the Faculty premises is exclusively for alumni of the Veterinary Medicine programme and former dsk members, with plenty of opportunities to revisit some great memories from the student years.

For more information, see the website of the anniversary committee: www.dskonline.nl/ lustrum

Message from… Rome and Montpellier

Text Elenora van R ­ ijsingen

‘Immerse yourself in the local culture’ research, the plan was that we

behind an earthquake, but I also

would also be taking part in a

find the link with society very

range of workshops and training

interesting. How do our scientific

sessions on a more general,

findings reach the people who

overarching topic. I didn’t find

end up making crucial decisions?

out until the interview that

And how can we contribute to

my PhD would be taking place

public awareness of the dangers

not only in Rome but also in

of earthquakes and other natural

Montpellier! It was to be a joint

disasters?

project, with my PhD officially being award by two universities.

When I look back now, a year

Geoscientist Elenora van Rijsingen is spending time in Rome and Montpellier for her PhD research on earthquakes:‘I’m grateful for having the opportunity to learn new things in another country and broaden my horizons.’

I’ve always said that I’d like to spend a few years living in Rome, so the timing of this job opening for a PhD position was perfect.

Science doesn’t stop with the publication of an article.

It’s partly the responsibility of

and a half later, I have to say that

scientists to ensure that their

I had no idea what I was getting

discoveries find a place in society.

myself into at the time. And

That’s why — in addition to

maybe that was for the best

doing my research — I also try

‘How can we contribute to public awareness of the dangers of earthquakes and other natural disasters?’

to get involved in outreach activities so as to increase awareness among the general public of earthquakes as well as of the domain of ‘science’

And it was such a great topic

— I might have been a little

at large. It’s a lot of fun turning

too! But leaving the Netherlands

intimidated beforehand by

a relatively complex concept

and simply going off to Italy was

all the relocations, language

into something that anyone

still kind of a scary thought to

courses and bureaucracy that

can understand, and building

me. It wasn’t until a few days

I ended up encountering.

a bridge between these two

before the deadline that I sent in my application.

The position for which

I’m now learning what it’s

worlds. I hope that I’ll be able

like to live in both Italy and

to do more of this type of

France, and I’m trying to

activity in future.

I applied is part of a Europe-

immerse myself in the local

wide project involving a total

culture as much as possible.

of 16 PhD candidates at various

Apart from that aspect, I hugely

European universities. In addi­

enjoy my work as a scientist.

tion to carrying out our own

I love studying the physics

25

August 2017

A pick of what’s on offer

UU on tour — The Forbidden City in Beijing

Annual meeting of the Utrecht University Fund

Stop Bugging!

Truth or dare

The Connected Brain

UU on tour — Yogyakarta

Merchants of doubt

Superfood

––

Studium Generale Studium Generale is the public platform

Hacking Global Warming

Do we need this technology to feed future generations?

Recording and blog available

UU on tour — Sydney Opera House

guru teaches his followers an important lesson. Afterward the screening psychologist Dr Madelijn Strick talks about the comfort of being fooled.

for knowledge & reflection of Utrecht University. It organizes public events with

Blog available

scientists and thinkers at the intersection

Thursday September 21st

of science and society. Events include

Green Office, 5.30pm Stop Bugging!

lectures, talk shows and movie screenings.

Malaria death rates have dropped, but mosquitoes are quickly adapting to insecticides. In this lecture entomologist Dr Alexandra Hiscox discusses futureproof solutions. How can we keep these bugs from killing people?

A wide selection is filmed and can be watched on demand. We also write blogs about our events.

You can find it all on www.sg.uu.nl/en

Recording and blog available

Thursday September 7th Green Office Utrecht, 5.30pm Hacking Global Warming

Thursday September 27th

Lecture by innovation scientist Dr Frank van Rijnsoever. He assesses geo-engineering technologies. How do we gather support for these shortcuts to stop global warming?

Green Office, 5.30pm The Connected Brain

Lecture by neuroscientist Prof Nick Ramsey. He developed a device to turn a patient’s thoughts into computer commands. What is the future of this technology?

Recording and blog available Recording and blog available

Thursday September 14th Green Office, 5.30pm Superfood

Monday October 2nd

Lecture by plant pathologist Dr Ronnie de Jonge. He tries to create super crops by boosting their defense mechanisms.

Cinema ‘t Hoogt, 7pm Movies &

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August 2017

Science: Kumaré

In the documentary Kumaré, a fake Indian

––

October – November

UU on tour in Asia and Australia The uu Alumni Office is travelling the world to engage with alumni who took the world by storm.

This Fall we will tour through Asia and Australia to visit 7 major cities. Save the date of the alumni gathering in the city closest to you and (re)connect with Utrecht, science and a network full of interesting other uu alumni.

• Beijing – 21 October • Hong Kong – 24 October • Singapore – 27 October • Shanghai – 28 October • Yogyakarta – 31 October • Sydney – 31 October • Jakarta – 2 November

Alumni Programme. For the latest updates, please check

www.uu.nl/alumni/agenda

Want to take part in the uu alumni survey?

Send an email to alumni@uu.nl

––

Friday, 24 November

Annual Meeting of the Utrecht University Fund On 24 November, the 2017 Annual Meeting of the University Fund will be held in Utrecht. All friends and sponsors of the Utrecht University Fund are very welcome to join us. On this occasion, you can learn more about the special projects, student activities and research projects that your contributions have once more made possible this year.

To get an idea of the impact and

Photo Kees Rutten

Utrecht

––

4 September, 4 pm–5:15 pm

Opening of the Academic Year — Dom Church On 4 September, the Opening of the Academic Year will be celebrated in the Dom Church. Every year, a range of interesting speakers give lectures to kick off the new academic year formally. In addition, the annual Student Awards are given out to students who have put in an excellent performance within or outside their studies. The ceremony in the Dom Church can be viewed online as a livestream, or on a large screen on the Dom Square on 4 September from 4 pm.

activities of the University Fund, see the 2016 Annual Report at www.uu.nl/ufonds

For more information and to sign up, please visit www.uu.nl/oaj

Monday November 6th

Monday November 20th

Monday December 4th

Cinema ‘t Hoogt, 7 pm Movies &

Academy building, 8pm Truth or dare

Cinema ‘t Hoogt, 7 pm Movies &

Science: 12 Angry Men

What happens when empirical evidence is at odds with political purposes? Science historian Dr Alice Dreger discusses dogma, activists and justice.

Science: Merchants of doubt

In the classic movie 12 Angry Men we follow a jury in trial. Why is it so hard to reach a unanimous decision? Afterward the screening law scholar Prof Elaine Mak discusses prejudice and evidence in court.

Blog available

Recording and blog available

The documentary Merchants of Doubt shows how con men obscure the truth on issues of health and climate change.

Afterwards statistician Dr Daniel Oberski discusses how even experts can be fooled.

Blog available

27

August 2017

Hope in meltwater The glaciers are melting throughout the world; that seems to be a done deal.

But not if it’s up to Hans Oerlemans.

The Professor of Meteorology is resisting this trend on the Morteratsch Glacier.

In the picture

––

This glacier — part of the Swiss heritage in the Bündner Alps — is losing 30 to 40 metres every year, with major consequences for the natural landscape and tourism in the area. But the meteorologist has a plan: he is turning the meltwater from the glacier into artificial snow. Snow is very effective at reflecting sunlight. Oerlemans’ idea is to spray this artificial snow onto the melting spots in the summer. The professor has high hopes that this approach will slow down the glacier’s melting and that it may even grow back. He has been measuring the melting behaviour and the weather conditions at the glacier for twenty years. Using these results, he can calculate exactly how much artificial snow is needed, and where, in order to protect the glacier from shrinking. If he’s successful, it may mean that this delicate part of the natural landscape can ultimately be saved. www.uu.nl/morteratsch

Photo Irina Gorodetskaya