uk 38 - 30 juni 2011 | jaargang 40

INDEPENDENT WEEKLY FOR THE UNIVERSITY OF GRONINGEN n 30 JUNE 2011 n YEAR 40

The final punch*) Changed but damaged / Piiiiiiizza  Alive and kicking  PhD puppies 

Photo Jeroen van Kooten

*) This is the last issue of this year, an all-English edition. It’s also the very last UK fully in English (see also page 16). The first paper of our 41st year, reporting on the KEI week, will appear on 18 August.

W W W.UNIVE R S T E ITSK R AN T.NL

2 THIS WEEK

UK 38 - 30 JUNE 2011

Exams on Saturday next year

Selwerderhof > 20/06/2011 9.30 a.m. > funeral

........to the grave

Students returning from their summer holidays may be in for a surprise. The University has decided to abolish lunch breaks and to schedule exams on a Saturday morning.

Brothers Thijs and Rob don’t usually need replacements for their own staff, but Rob, the founder of Axios Pallbearers, has a funeral out of town and Thijs is a man short this morning.

Does this reporter want to help him out…? “Bring a white shirt and a pair of black shoes.”

The new rules are intended to solve the shortage of space in faculty buildings and the exam hall. A new timetable will be introduced after the summer, with lectures starting at 9 a.m., 11 a.m., 1 p.m., 3 p.m. and 5 p.m. Lunch breaks will no longer be scheduled, and students will no longer have a fifteen-minute break between two-hour classes if they need time to travel to a different location. Rector Magnificus Elmer Sterken says that although it’s not preferable to continue classes without a break, “It’s an illusion to think that we can precisely determine when a break should occur.” According to the Board of the University, whether or not exams will be held on a Saturday morning will depend on by how much first-year student numbers increase.

By MICHIEL KLAASSEN Even though it’s 9:30 a.m., it feels like the crack of dawn as Thijs and I cycle through a silent city centre. A light drizzle and a grey sky: perfect weather for a funeral. When we arrive at the house of one of the pallbearers, today’s meeting point, I see what I have to wear: a suit and tie, a top hat and a long coat – all in black.

“Can you manage the double Windsor?”

My colleagues are in their early twenties, most of them rocking a studenty mullet. Peter, short hair and a member of the Albertus student association, is pretty content with his job. “I’ve always had odd jobs,” he tells me.

“I used to work at a bakery.”

The top hats won’t be necessary today, we are told just before the funeral starts. Inside, the guys smooth down their outfits one last time and straighten each other’s ties. One delayed pallbearer arrives just in time.

“That’s a complete no-no,” Thijs and Rob tell me later. “A second time and he’ll be fired.”

The funeral director rushes in, telling us we do have to put our hats on after all. “Granddad liked hats, apparently.” Then, the mood suddenly changes and everyone puts on a serious face and stops larking around. Peter says, “Game face on.”

The procession starts and three of us pall bearers walk on each side to the car. As soon as the funeral director starts walking, the guys match his pace precisely.

Tense at first, I calm down. I’m almost in a trance, my breathing

Late for exam costly business Registering late for exams at the Faculty of Law continues to be a costly business.

Photo Jeroen van Kooten following the beat of my feet.

Thijs glances at me over the top of the car when we stop at the memorial centre. I nod: everything under control.

Perfectly synchronized, we slowly set the coffin down onto the catafalque. “Now, you bow,” says Thijs. As soon as we have left the family for the service and are enjoying a short coffee break, Thijs cracks up, “What was your bow all about, Klaas-Jan? It looked ridiculous!” The carriers relax and crack a few jokes, knowing

that this is the only time during the service that they can.

We hear Ede Staal singing ’t Het nog nooit zo donker west in the service room, followed by Udo Jürgens singing a German song.

“We’ve had worse,” says Herman.

“Remember that one time with that hardcore beat?”

Thirty minutes later, the break is over. A bier helps us bring the coffin within thirty metres of the grave. With a complicated series of hand movements we place the coffin on our shoulders. With

tiny steps, we walk to the grave and very slowly set down the coffin.

One last bow and it’s over.

Once we are out of earshot of the family, the guys visibly lose their masks. At first sight, their job might sound lurid, but they take it seriously and seem to be happy with their job and Axios, their employer. “I remember that one time when we went for milkshakes right after a service, Axios paid for all of us,” Herman recalls. “Nice.”

Medical practice at Zernike

Teacher | 40 Y E A R S U K | For forty years the university paper UK has been a breeding ground for budding journalists who once started out working for the UK. What has happened to them? They tell you themselves. This is the last instalment.

A girl enters my office. She’s nineteen and one of the many student editors I’ve seen coming through that door during these last ten years.

“Hey!” I say. “Good of you to come.

About your article…” And then I start.

That she wrote a really nice piece, but I did feel compelled to make changes, because…

“But don’t worry. It’s quite normal that you don’t get it right the first weeks.” And I go on about why a news article should start with this and not that. Why one quote isn’t enough, that she needs more sources, dif-

The Faculty Board has decided that students who forget to sign up for their exams will still have to pay EUR 15 per exam, with no maximum amount. The cancellation of this fee was one of the main points of the TBR law student party in the last elections.

TBR asked the Board to look into the matter three months ago. The Board has decided not to change the policy. The fee is necessary to pay for administrative expenses, is their explanation. “The Faculty doesn’t profit from it”, says Vice Dean Schockman-Sannes. “If the students really think the costs are too high, we could of course dismiss the rule altogether.”

ferent opinions... And what does she mean exactly, when she writes…

We go through her text, line by line, and hopefully this will work. It usually does.

In a couple of months I’ll hardly need to change anything. And then after a year or two, she’ll be gone. Off to another job, another paper, and a new student will take her place.

That’s the way it goes. The way it should be.

The UK is an independent paper. We may be small, but we take our job seriously. We work to the same standards and ethics as any of our big brothers like the Volkskrant or the NRC. Many young journalists started here and ended up there.

Once I was that student. Once I too had to learn, although my editor wasn’t the gentle type (we called him ‘The Executioner’ for a reason). I became a student editor

when I studied history, a regular freelancer while I worked on my PhD and editor when an opening occurred.

Sometimes it feels strange. So many have come and gone. I never did. Why? Yes, I love writing. Yes, I love to fiddle around with bits of text to get them just right. But it’s the teaching I love. To see a student grow, get better and then, sadly, leave.

Oh, they hate my guts sometimes. It’s never fun when somebody tells you your work isn’t good enough, that you need to make changes and quickly please, because the deadline is approaching.

But when they leave and say, “Thanks for everything you taught me”, it feels good.

Suddenly I wonder. Maybe I should have chosen another career. Teacher?

Maybe.

Christien Boomsma

A health centre will open its doors at Zernike in August.

Doctors Maarten Goedhart and Thea Tuil together with nurse specialist Gineke Munting are to open a practice at the Balans building on Blauwborgje 5 (across from the ACLO Sports Centre).

The initiator of the project is Huisartsen Zorgcentrum Leeuwarden, a Leeuwarden health centre that started its first student medical practice in Friesland last September. The Zernike practice is open to all, but will focus on foreign students and Dutch students who have not yet registered with a general practitioner. Patients will be able to register online from July via www. hzzernike.nl.

NEWS 3

UK 38 - 30 JUNE 2011

nieuws@ukrant.nl

Formal appeals to stop tram Both the University of Groningen and astronomy research institute SRON are preparing an appeal against a change in the development plan for the Zernike campus, meant to make way for a tram route.

The tram route was already formally approved last year. The tram will travel along the Zernikelaan towards the Zernikeplein, near the Nijenborgh 4 building where

the Zernike Institute for Advanced Materials (ZIAM) is housed, and the SRON labs.

The proposed change to the Zernike development plan specifies that the tram is expected to cause no problems for any equipment that is at least 80 metres away from the tram route. But ZIAM and SRON are right next to the proposed tram route. “There’s about twelve metres between our equipment and the tram”, says SRON facility manager

Frank van Rijn. In coming weeks, background magnetic fields will be measured by independent research organization TNO. Bart van Wees, ZIAM tram spokesperson, says this is “useful”. “But we know that the tram will cause magnetic fields that our equipment can’t handle.” This is outlined in a report by engineering consultancy firm Movares.

Van Wees and Van Rijn doubt whether their equipment can be shielded effectively from the mag-

netic fields that are generated by the tram. Other solutions, like moving the labs or changing the tram route, will be extremely costly.

Although neither the University nor SRON have formally lodged an appeal to date, both are preparing to do so before the 21 July deadline.

“We’re here to do high quality science. So we need our equipment to work properly”, says Van Wees. renefransen@ukrant.nl

Germans are welcome to stay German students are welcome to stay in the Netherlands, according to State Secretary of Education, Culture and Science, Halbe Zijlstra. He considers them “an enrichment for Dutch higher education”, as long as institutions of higher education do not derive their existence from the presence of these students. The VVD asked questions about the rising number of German students, after a former top official spoke out against the internationalization of higher education.

Maarten van Rossem lecture Dutch historian Maarten van Rossem will hold a lecture today (Thursday 30 June) about the history and politics of the United States for the Student Association for International Relations (SIB). Van Rossem regularly comments on political and cultural issues, and has written a number of books, including “The United States in the Twentieth Century”. The lecture will be held at the Public Library on Oude Boteringestraat 18, 3 p.m.

Multi-million euro mistake by Lefier

Sun bath

Sunbathing on the new Life Sciences building is not for the faint of heart! You should at least have no fear of heights if you want to enjoy the sunrays and amazing views from the ‘ski ramp’. These sunbathers probably saw Tuesday’s storm coming from afar.

Photo Elmer Spaargaren

International students in former hospital After months of negotiations the Housing Office has signed a deal to house international students. Within the next few months, two hundred beds will be waiting for them in the former hospital on the Van Ketwich Verschuurlaan.

The students will be housed in the

former clinic and nurses’ flat. The old buildings were set to be demolished a few months ago, but due to the housing downturn the developer decided to leave them standing.

The accommodation can be used for five years to house students.

“The new location is very welcome, but it will not solve the tight housing market. The University of Groningen and Hanze University will

both have more international students next year”, Jan Wolthuis of Student Affairs said.

The Housing Office, the organization responsible for the allocation of student housing in Groningen, used a bungalow park fifteen kilometres east of Groningen to house some fifty international students during the first semester, when the influx of international students ex-

ceeded the existing capacity. “But it’s no longer available. The park is full of Eastern European workers now”, said Wolthuis.

According to the Housing Office the old hospital will be ready on 1 September. The organization does not yet want to say how much the rooms will cost.

peterkeizer@ukrant.nl

Municipal Council party Student en Stad has sent questions to the Council of Mayor and Aldermen concerning the multi-million euro mistake made by housing corporation Lefier. The party fears that Groningen’s 4500-unit target for youth housing will not be met. Lefier wanted to build eight hundred apartments near the river Reitdiep. However, after it had purchased the land, the housing corporation discovered gas pipes that prevented the building work from taking place. This mistake means a loss of over EUR 5 million.

Lecturer writes musical piece University lecturer Mark de Vries has written a musical composition entitled “The Waters of Groningen”. Mixed choir Kwajr will perform the piece on 3 July (3 p.m.) in Kaap Hoorn restaurant on Hoornseplas lake. “We’re always singing about American and German rivers, but why not look closer to home?” says Mark de Vries. “I grabbed a map of Groningen to see which waters there are around here to sing about.”

‘Students are to become victims of our mistake’

7000 euros for Cruyff Foundation

Despite protests from the University Council, the Board of the University is insisting on the need to cut grants to student committee and council members and athletes. As of September, they will receive EUR 60 less per month. “But 60 euros is a month’s worth of meals for a student”, the student parties have complained.

Groningen student associations collected EUR 7000 during BAZES, an annual benefit. This year the money will be donated to the Johan Cruyff Foundation. This non-profit organization funds sports and activities for children and builds neighbourhood courts.

They agree that the grants, paid out of the Graduation Fund, can’t es-

cape the higher-education cuts, but staff and students find it unreasonable to reduce this monthly budget right away.

“When the Fund was established in 2010, we were aware that there would be budget cuts in 2011, but we still agreed to implement it. Now the students are to become victims of our mistake. We are punishing them for something we didn’t dare to acknowledge”, said Szilvia Nagy, leader of the SOG student party.

Urged on by the student parties, the Board of the University set up

a working party to investigate the possibilities. But the working party turned out to be no more than a mere goodwill gesture. The Board rejected its findings and decided to follow its own path. As from September the grants are to be cut from EUR 429 to EUR 372 per month.

Staff and students have called the measure “clumsy” and want to spread the cuts over the period between 2012 and 2017. The Board disagrees. “I don’t want to push the problems we have now into the fu-

ture. We feel the government can occasionally be unreasonable and unfair, but we have to live with it.

We also need to make cutbacks”, Rector Magnificus Elmer Sterken replied.

Which student organizations can apply for a grant in the near future remains to be seen, according to the Board of the University.

The Graduation Fund is back on the agenda of today’s (Thursday) University Council meeting.

peterkeizer@ukrant.nl

More news (in Dutch): ukrant.nl or m.ukrant.nl (mobile)

4 REMARKABLE

UK 38 - 30 JUNE 2011

Biggest water fight What started off as a joke among friends has grown into a huge event.

Next Monday, the Noorderplantsoen will be the setting of the biggest water fight Groningen has ever seen.

By SUZAN BEERS Klaas Lommerse, an Arts, Culture and Media student, and his friends had just been on an excursion together and were chatting about life and what they could do together as a group of friends.

As a big water fight was one of their childhood dreams, they added it to their bucket list. “We already have a Facebook page called Solidaritas, which we use to arrange to play football and

other things we like to do together.” So they posted on this page about a water fight. “We thought it would be nice to post an ‘open’ event, because others might want to join in as well.”

They were absolutely right. It wasn’t just other friends who were enthusiastic: new participants kept on popping out of the woodwork. “Suddenly hundreds of people were joining the event every day.”

When 1701 people had registered for the water fight and 1388 have given it a ‘maybe’, Klaas and his friends decided to put a stop to registration. “Two of my friends contacted the Municipality of Groningen, but they didn’t respond.” They also contacted the well-known Dutch weather-

man Piet Paulusma, so he just might be presenting his weather forecast from the park.

But how will it be organized?

Will the students be able to cope with two thousand titans toting water pistols? The original plan was to have two teams fight each other. The participants would be free to use whatever they wanted to throw water at the other side: water balloons, buckets, water pistols, homemade catapults or even trebuchets. Creativity was to be the magic word. Seems like a lot of fun, but will it still work with two thousand people?

“We don’t know yet”, answers Klaas. He smiles politely, “but we will take the responsibility and try to organize it as well as possible.”

Cold case: the runaway fridge Fridges can’t fly. And they can’t walk either. Yet, a fridge just disappeared from the first floor of a student house on the J.C. Kapteynlaan. Was it the very drunk resident who did it? Or perhaps a stranger in the night...

By RENÉ FRANSEN It’s been nearly a month now since Dafne Wiegers was woken in the early hours of the morning by a noise. A lot of noise. “I thought it might be a burglar, but then someone started to sing, and I recognized the voice of one of my housemates. He’d come back drunk from a night on the town.

So I went back to sleep.”

But the following morning she made a startling discovery. A fridge was missing. “It belonged to a housemate who’d just moved to Zwolle. She’d said she might come and pick it up or sell it.”

But enquiries in Zwolle revealed that the former housemate knew nothing of the fridge’s disappearance.

“We didn’t believe it was thieves.

A burglar wouldn’t have taken an old fridge, even if it was empty like this one. Then I remembered the noise my drunken housemate had made.” The logical conclu-

sion would be to assume he had taken the fridge, carried it down the stairs and put it on the pavement outside, where someone else must have taken it. Quite a feat to perform while under the influence. And he was plastered.

“He couldn’t remember anything.

No surprise really: he bumped into my boyfriend in town but didn’t recognize him.”

The housemate had played the “100 minutes game”, in which you drink a shot of beer every minute for – indeed – 100 minutes. And 100 shots of beer do add up.

So, mystery solved, it seems?

“Well, fridges can’t walk, so it

must have been my housemate.”

But can someone so intoxicated actually carry a fridge – albeit a table-top model – down a flight of student-house stairs, through the front door and out into the street, and then climb the stairs again and forget all about it? University of Groningen clinical and forensic toxicologist Professor Donald Uges has his doubts. “The muscles go before you lose your memory”, is his opinion. “Never say never, but it’s not the most plausible scenario.” He feels there must be more to it. Some drugs, for example, can wipe out your memory while leaving muscle power intact. “Someone could have slipped something into this guy’s drink”, he suggests. But there is an even more likely explanation.

“It could have been someone else who took that fridge. Much more plausible.”

Yet, no one else was there, according to Dafne. So maybe the fridge did walk away of its own accord, possibly pining for its former mistress.

“Well”, Dafne ponders, “it never arrived in Zwolle, did it?”

Maybe it got lost. So, if you recognize the fridge from the picture (taken in better times), do let us know.

?!

?? ! !

‘I want pupils to aim higher’ Question & answer

For the last six years, Theo Jurriëns (49) has been visiting secondary schools with the University of Groningen Discovery truck. He’s now secured funding from GasTerra for the Discovery truck and from Akzo Nobel for a new Salt truck, which will visit primary schools.

of the fun. The Salt truck will be paid for almost entirely by Akzo Nobel, but we’re running the same programme on salt as in previous years. Akzo Nobel explicitly does not want to use the truck as an advertisement for the company. We share an enthusiasm for introducing schoolchildren to science.”

By RENÉ FRANSEN

Are you still as enthusiastic as six years ago?

“Yes, I still enjoy it, as does my driver Jan Staal. We’ve had enquiries from other universities, who thought of copying our idea.

We invited them to come along and some have done so, but to my knowledge, no one has equalled our Discovery truck.

It’s not the budget or the lab.

You have to find two guys who are nuts about science and school-

The most important question first: after years of funding from neutral sources, you’re now sponsored by Big Business. Have you sold your soul?

“Not at all. GasTerra is providing half of the funding for Discovery, but the University is responsible for the programme itself. Of course, we had to make some minor adjustments, but that’s part

children like we are.”

But you won’t be travelling in the Salt truck…

“No, we’ve found a very capable biologist who is soon to graduate. The Salt truck is smaller, so he can drive himself and take a student as his assistant.”

What is the aim of your school visits?

“I want to stimulate pupils to aim higher.”

A Discovery truck, a Salt truck…

What’s next?

A chuckle, “I’ve been talking to the scientists behind the University’s Carbohydrate Competence Center and told them how much you need for such a project. Who knows, maybe we’ll get a Sugar truck as well!”

Changed |_

Refugees at

| I N T E R V I E W | They left their homelands and fled from war or political danger. Then they went through seemingly endless procedures to gain Dutch nationality. Now they study or work at the University of Groningen.

By AXEL BOGAERDS

Yana Hovhannysian (33), law student “I came to the Netherland s in 1998. I still don’t have a Dutch passport, but I finally got my residence permit in 2007.

Next year I will be able to apply for full Dutch citizenship.

I first fled when I was only eleven, together with my parents and my little brother. He was only a couple of months old then. It was a dangerous time in Azerbaijan. First, I remember I couldn’t go to school, and then I wasn’t allowed to go outside at all. My parents eventually decided to move to NagornoKarabakh, a different part of the country.

Three years later, we were forced to leave the country. A full-scale war erupted between Azerbaijan and Nagorno-Karabakh, because Nagorno-Karabakh wanted its independence and Azerbaijan resisted. Even now, twenty years and thousands of casualties later, the conflict has still not been resolved.

After short stays in different countries, my mother, little brother and I moved to the Netherlands.

Now I live with my mother. My little brother has passed away, but I would rather not talk about that.

The first part of my experience in the Netherlands was really good, actually. We lived in Deventer and then moved to Groningen, where we could stay at the time. The naturalization course was fun. In my time, there was money available for all kinds of trips to get to know the country, so to speak. We went to art galleries and to Amsterdam. It’s a shame they don’t do that anymore.

The rest of the procedure was awful. It’s difficult to explain how hard it is, mentally and emotionally. I was healthy at the time, but the system made me sick. Everyone

my age was allowed to work and do whatever they liked, but I lived every day in fear waiting at home for news. It caused many sleepless nights and the future seemed very uncertain. I was really glad that I could study in that period. I put all my energy into that. At home, there were letters and lawyers, but I felt safe at school. In that period, I got my nursing degree.

Right now, I work at the hospital and next year I will begin a Master’s degree in Law. But when I apply for my passport next year, I will probably end up in another lengthy procedure. They are going to linger on the small things again, delaying the process where possible.

I went back once, to Armenia, because of my little brother. Everything came flooding back when I was there. One morning, there was a war drill where we were staying and a military plane flew over really low. I thought we were being bombed. The atmosphere was really tense. Everyone was scared. I don’t want that ever again.

I feel old when I talk about the past. Like a seventy-year-old, talking about the war. It’s all experience, and it made me who I am now. Maybe some things could have been different, but I’m glad I came to the Netherlands. I feel at home in Groningen and I feel at home at the university.”

Arwin Behruz (27), psychology student “I remember a lot of things about Afghanistan: my school, my friends, the bakery where I got my bread. There was a time when I really missed my country of birth. I disagreed with the system here, I was unhappy and I was in puberty; all of this stacked up and gave me the idea that everything really was better back there.

REMARKABLE 5

UK 38 - 30 JUNE 2011

but damaged University of Groningen tell their story

UAF: financial and mental support

Until I realised I was romanticizing everything from the past, and creating a distorted image. Some of my Afghan friends went back.

They told me the land is damaged and changed.

I was born in Kabul. My father was editor-in-chief of a national newspaper, a political one. Then, certain groups like the Taliban seized power. We had to leave the country immediately. We arrived in the Netherlands in 1997. I was thirteen years old.

There were moments when I felt misunderstood. I wasn’t born here, I had witnessed a war and was in some ways more grown up than other boys of my age. But in other respects I was way behind them.

Luckily, I was surrounded by very sweet people, right from the start.

I got my Dutch passport a long time ago. It was a difficult time when we got here and applied for our residence permits. I was old enough to understand what we were doing, but not old enough to fully understand the consequences if we failed. I was busy learning a new language, but I did notice the tension in our house. My parents, who had worked every day of their lives, were sitting at home doing nothing.

When I started studying, the only thing I wanted was security. I had an uncertain future for most of my childhood, so I wanted to study, get a job and become rich. After a year of Accountancy, I dropped

that for Psychology. I chose what I really want instead. Right now, I am preparing for my Master’s in Psychology.”

Fsaha Ghebru (43), chemical analyst at the University of Groningen “It was hard to adapt, especially to the language. I am still struggling with the Dutch pronunciation. I lived in ‘t Zand first, in

the north of Groningen. Everyone speaks a dialect there. I heard my neighbours talk and thought: so this is the language. I will never learn to speak like that.

The first period was hard: really uncertain, although I was convinced they couldn’t send me back to Eritrea. There was still a terrible war raging between Eritrea and Ethiopia. Going back just wasn’t an option. I followed numerous courses during those years, made possible by the Foundation for Refugee Students UAF, so that I could start working as soon as I got my permit. This month marks my fifteenth year working at the University of Groningen.

I was 22 when I left Eritrea for Europe. I still miss it sometimes. At first, I wasn’t sure if I should stay in the Netherlands. Eritrea became an independent state four years after I left. I really hoped things would get better, and they did, for a while. I was just making plans to return to my son and family when the dictatorship arose. The country has become worse than before. My family still lives there; they connect me to my country of birth.

I follow the news very closely, especially now with all the revolutions in surrounding countries.

But Eritrea isn’t Egypt or Libya.

The country is extremely militarized, the people are strongly suppressed and the population is paralyzed. Anyone who tries anything

is thrown in jail or killed. Nephews of mine are in prison, because of something they said or tried to do. There is too little attention for the situation in Eritrea in the Netherlands.

My son fled the country a couple of years ago. I tried everything possible to get him here, but Eritrea wouldn’t let him go. At first he didn’t want to flee. “They will imprison our family”, he used to say.

He had to join the army when he was 17 years old. Luckily, he survived those years. Then he called me and told me he would try to leave the country. I was really desperate. I felt so helpless and even guilty about what might happen to him. The army heavily guards the border and there is a strict shootto-kill policy for anyone who tries to flee. He could have been captured or even killed.

He made it to Sudan, with the help of several others, and from there he reached Athens. He planned to travel to the Netherlands from Greece, but he has been stuck there ever since, without a passport. I have managed to rent a little room for him, so he doesn’t have to sleep on the streets, and have been trying to get him away from there for a year now. I have begged and done everything in my power, but the Dutch government can’t help him. Waiting is the only option. At least he is safe now.”

Photo Reyer Boxem

When Arwin, Yana and Fsaha came to the Netherlands, they all received help from the same organization: the Foundation for Refugee Students UAF. The UAF provides financial and mental support to refugees and asylum seekers who plan to study in the Netherlands.

“Studying isn’t easy”, Arwin Behruz explains, “especially when you are, like me, the first in your family to study in the Netherlands. I didn’t have any examples of what I should and shouldn’t do. The UAF helped me with all the paperwork and has supported me all the way.”

vakantie?!

fietsenoverlast?

Student en Stadjer helpen elkaar

Een goed contact met je buren is goud waard.

Dat is gezelliger en kan veel overlast voorkomen.

Helemaal in Groningen waar studenten en Stadjers samen in dezelfde wijk wonen.

En fietsen soms rijen dik staan geparkeerd en overlast geven. Denk daar aan als je je fiets neerzet of praat erover als je er last van hebt.

Een goed contact met je buren is goud waard. Helemaal in Groningen waar studenten en Stadjers samen in dezelfde wijk wonen. Beiden hebben ze hun eigen manier van leven, maar onderling contact is wel zo handig. Om de reservesleutel aan de buren te kunnen geven bijvoorbeeld. Zo letten student en Stadjer steeds vaker op elkaars spullen. Gemeente Groningen helpt mee met een actieve campagne: Leven in Stad. Lees erover op leveninstad.nl.

6WXGHQW HQ 6WDGMHU %XUHQ LQ *URQLQJHQ

UKAATJES OPGAVE: Kantoor Oude Kijk in’t Jatstr. 28 Open Ma t/m don 9-17 u.

Woe 9-16 u Per post Postbus 80, 9700 AB Groningen KOSTEN: € 5,- per 20 woorden

maximum 60 woorden INLICHTINGEN: (050) 363 66 99 k.dons@rug.nl

Aangeboden ■ Binnenkort promoveren? Een tekening van de promotie is een originele herinnering aan een bijzondere dag.

Annet Zuurveen maakt van dat moment een zwart-wit of aquarel kleurentekening. Telefoon: 0612788928; e-mail: annetzuurveen@hotmail.com.

(Bij)baantjes ■ Praktijk Hoek Melkweg zoekt psychologen (M/V) voor het geven van trainingen aan studenten. Informatie: Jan Philip Wieringa: 050-5352532 of www.praktijkhoekmelkweg.nl

Diverse ■ Decent amateur photographer is looking for female models for bikini session.Good payment. Serious reactions only 06-13210284.

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Studeer af met hulp van De Scriptieversneller. Persoonlijk, prettig, efficiënt. descriptieversneller.nl.

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Uniek vrijwilligerswerk in het buitenland, internationale groepen, 2-4 weken, lage kosten. Meer info? www.ibo-nederland.org ■ Kom op Roze Zaterdag 2 juli langs bij de stand van Praktijk voor Lesbische Hulpverlening Ingrid Verbeek. En doe mee met het onderzoek: hoe oud was jij toen je je coming-out had. Meer info www.lesbischehulpverlening.nl.

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De RUG streeft naar een evenwichtig opgebouwd personeelsbestand. Op een aantal terreinen zijn vrouwen nog ondervertegenwoordigd. Daarom worden zij vooral uitgenodigd te solliciteren.

werken aan de grenzen van het weten

OPINION 7

UK 38 - 30 JUNE 2011

Don’t mix up freedom and free expression | O PI N I O N | Is the right to free expression identical to the right to academic freedom, as many people believe? NO!, says Antoon de Baets, historian, member of the University Council and member of the University of Groningen Scholars at Risk Committee.

Many academics believe that the right to free expression and the right to academic freedom are identical, or that the latter is the preferred name for the former in an academic context. That this is a fallacy is shown by an inspection of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the two covenants derived from it. The Universal Declaration itself and the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights give a prominent place to free expression but do not speak of academic freedom at all.

The International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, in turn, urges states “to

respect the freedom indispensable for scientific research.” However, “scientific freedom” is not “academic freedom”; it is broader since it serves both academic and non-academic groups. Academic freedom, serving only academics, draws from scientific freedom but also from other rights. UNESCO, in its Recommendation Concerning the Status of Higher-Education Teaching Personnel, defines academic freedom as “[T]he right, without constriction by prescribed doctrine, to freedom of teaching and discussion, freedom in carrying out research and disseminating and publishing the results thereof, freedom to express freely their opinion about the institution or system in which they work, freedom from institutional censorship and freedom to participate in professional or representative academic bodies.”

Thus, academic freedom can be derived from a combination of human rights mentioned in the Civil and Political Covenant and the Economic, Social and Cultural Cov-

enant. To begin with, it requires the protection of individual scholars under the rights to free expression and to intellectual property. Moreover, as it takes shape in an institutional context, it needs the rights to peaceful assembly and association.

Next, there is the duty of states to respect scientific freedom. Finally, the scholars’ audience can claim the right to education, to culture and to sharing in the benefits of scientific progress. Only this entire set of Covenant rights gives rise to academic freedom.

Peer review and quality checks It is thus apparent that free expression and academic freedom are not identical. They differ in four important respects. First, free expression is universal, whereas academic freedom is meant for the academic community only. Second, free

expression is valid in all circumstances, whereas academic freedom is duty-dependent: it can be invoked only when academics perform their academic duties, in the honest search for truth in research and teaching. These duties include scholarship-related activities outside academe, but exclude matters unrelated to scholarship: the latter are not protected under academic freedom (though they still may be under other human rights). Third, free expression is an individual right, whereas academic freedom is an individual and a collective right. The collective aspect of academic freedom is known as university autonomy, understood to mean the freedom of academic institutions to regulate their own affairs in the core areas of the curriculum, the awarding of degrees, the admission of students and the selection and promotion of staff − in exchange, though, for a set of clear accountability principles. Fourth, academic freedom can be more restricted, or less restricted, than free

expression. According to the Civil and Political Covenant, restrictions on free expression should be prescribed by law − this is necessary in a democratic society − and should be directly related to one of the following purposes: respect for the rights or reputations of others or the protection of national security, public order, public health or morals. Academic freedom is subject to the same restrictions regime but also to further restrictions rooted in scientific tradition and procedure: universities possess a sophisticated system of peer review and quality checks. This sophisticated control renders academic debates far more regulated than public debates, but once academics respect this control, their right to heresy is virtually boundless. On balance, then, academic freedom turns out to be narrower than free expression in the first two respects, broader in the third respect, and both more and less restricted than free expression in the last respect. Therefore, equating both is a fallacy.

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School (I) Why hasn’t anyone come up with the idea before: let universities take primary and secondary schools as an example and make students repeat a year if they don’t pass their exams. Like schools, they should also make it possible to compensate for any fails with high marks in other course units. According to the front page of UK 37 (23 June 2011), the Board of the University is

Willemen

seriously considering introducing measures like these that are supposed (?) to increase the success rate. The arguments in favour are that this is what they do in America (it’s clear that the recent factfinding trip made by governors of the University of Groningen to the Promised Land has had an effect) and students already know it from primary school.

I’m fervently enthusiastic, and can suddenly see extra possibilities that

would likewise help increase the success rate. What about a school bell? If all pupils (why abandon that familiar term?) are sitting behind their desks on time for the next lesson the teacher can start promptly and we will get the maximum education for our money. Anyone who is late will be sent to the head, Prof.

Sterken. After having to sweep Broerplein three times even the biggest scallywag will be on time – once again good for the success rates. Pu-

pils will have their own pegs where they can hang their coats and bags.

They will then fritter away less time looking for them and can rapidly get back to tweeting about the homework.

This kind of infantilization is at odds with the desire we often hear of wanting to take students seriously. Furthermore, the plan is untimely because we don’t yet know enough about the results of the experiment with the BSA system.

Whether a student succeeds in his or her studies is primarily his or her own responsibility. Let the Board invest (literally!) in the preconditions for this such as good lecturers and facilities. Fiddling with the academic standards does not serve anyone’s interests.

Mentko Nap Lecturer, Department of International Law and Constitutional Law

School (II) Lipdub, year groups, repeating a year. My suggestion: do away with the name University for this institute of higher education, introduce parents’ evenings, and school camp in the second year.

J.W.Nieuwenhuis Associate Professor, Faculty of Economics and Business

Toptweet Student Tieme Klinkers (@tieklinkers):

@ UK_Groningen more British students to Groningen http://goo.gl/ fb/ziobK

Sudoku

The solution can be found at: www.universiteitskrant.nl

8 SCIENCE Gamma!

Piiiiizza!

By GERRIT BREEUWSMA As this will be my only column in English, I’ll have to talk to you about everything.

The Australian TV presenter Karl Stefanovic thought it would be a good idea to start his interview with the Dalai Lama with the following joke, “The Dalai Lama walks into a pizza shop and says: ‘Can you make me one with everything?’”. The footage shows the Dalai Lama looking rather puzzled and saying, “Pizza?” A translator tries to explain the joke to him, but His Holiness still doesn’t seem to get it. “ONE with everything”, Stefanovic makes a last attempt to get through to the Dalai Lama and describes a large circle with his hand. But the Dalai Lama still doesn’t have a clue. “I knew it wouldn’t work”, the presenter says, aware by now that he has made a fool of himself. Then, finally, the Dalai Lama starts to laugh.

The Dalai Lama is quite good at laughing, and he does it a lot. In fact, to many people he’s renowned for his red dresses and mildly hysterical laughter. But I’m not quite sure if his laughter has anything to do with a deep appreciation of jokes. It could be that he spends his time laughing because he doesn’t know what’s going on in this crazy old world. He’s one of the great spiritual leaders, travelling back and forth between East and West and still not able to understand what people are trying to say to him. I would say that’s rather funny.

One could blame the Dalai Lama for this shortcoming. He should learn English, shouldn’t he? But then again, if you want to learn something from a wise man, wouldn’t it be better to learn his language instead of expecting him to speak yours?

I’m not quite sure why people from abroad would want to study in Groningen, but let us accept the possibility that they want to learn something from wise men (and women). If we assume that there really are such wise men (and women), shouldn’t these visitors from abroad start by learning Dutch?

There must be a wisdom hidden somewhere in this little story, but alas, I don’t know where it is. Nevertheless, Stefanovic should have known better: you can’t make a joke out of everything.

You might be looking puzzled now (I knew it wouldn’t work).

Gerrit Breeuwsma is a lecturer in psychology and writes a column in the UK every two weeks.

In brief Grant for new economic thinking University of Groningen associate professor of Global Economics and Management Dirk Bezemer has been awarded a grant by the Institute for New Economic Thinking (INET) to develop more robust economic models.

In 2009, Bezemer published an article outlining why the economic models used by central banks and large economic institutions had failed to notice the tension building up in the world economy that led to the credit crunch of 2006-2007. The fact that these models don’t take the direction of credit flows into account is key here, believes Bezemer.

He has now been awarded some EUR 160,000 by INET to model credit flows. It makes a difference whether money flows towards the housing market or the financial markets, so the new models may be better at predicting financial instability in the world markets.

INET was founded in 2009 by private individuals with the aim of developing new ideas in order to restore the credibility of the economic sciences. From 400 applications it has awarded grants to 23 proposals.

How bacteria swallow vitamins Like humans, bacteria need their daily vitamins, but they can’t eat an apple. Instead, they have specific vitaminbinding proteins on their cell surface, with different proteins for different vitamins.

Once bound, the vitamin-protein complex has to be moved across the bacterial membrane. This is done by a transport protein. Scientists from the University of Groningen’s Zernike Institute for Advanced Materials have discovered how the specific vitamin-binding proteins and the transporter are linked.

They resolved the structure of a vitamin B1 binding protein and compared this with the known structure of a protein that binds to vitamin B2. They found many differences but also striking similarities. One such similarity was a region that bound the vitamin-binding protein to the transporter like a molecular Lego block. This means that many specific proteins can bind to an all-purpose transporter.

The findings were published last Sunday in the science journal Nature Structural & Molecular Biology.

UK 38 - 30 JUNE 2011

‘We have becom |_

International students don’t wa

| I N T E R V I E W | The academic year is almost over, and for many international students this means that they’ll be returning home. But most of them would rather stay in the student housing on the Winschoterdiep. “Goodbyes are in the air, but we just pretend they’re not.”

By ANNE CARLIJN KOK “Wanna join us for dinner?” asks Bolivian Master’s student Carolina while she stirs a pot of couscous. In the crowded little second kitchen upstairs, eight pairs of eyes look inquisitively at me. “Here, sit down. Grab this chair.” The German Sebastian is pushed aside. “We mix all our food. Dutch bread and cheese with Kyrgyzstani soup and couscous.”

The students, all but one (who is doing a PhD) of whom are doing Master’s degrees, have known each other for almost a year now, and they’ll all be leaving in the coming weeks. “We’ve become a family.

We even look after each other when we’re ill”, Carolina says, as she puts a plate in front of me. “Last winter, I got really homesick. It’s so different from home here, but these people took care of me.”

Being a newly formed “family” expresses itself in many other ways too. “We eat together, study together and dance together”, says PhD student Silvia (27) from Colombia.

“That’s not typical for this student housing, but we’ve really grown close.”

Sebastian laughs, “There are a few German ghettos in this house, but I’d rather be here, with these people, my new family.”

Rifle Sebastian is going home next Saturday and the rest will follow soon.

The time for farewells is approaching and the mention of this silences this noisy “family”. “It’s in the air, but we just pretend it’s not”, says German Nadine.

“It’s terrible”, Raushanna reacts while she stares at her Kyrgyzstani soup. “I don’t want to go home.”

For most of them, home is on the other side of the world and means a different way of life. Mexican Juan (24) once had a rifle pressed to his head as he sat in his car waiting for a red light. “It was the scariest thing that ever happened to me. I was really freaking out”, Juan says. “It was nice to experience the feeling here of never having to look behind you when you’re walking home in the middle of the night.”

Mariane, also from Mexico, recognizes this feeling, “It felt like freedom. In Mexico you can get raped, kidnapped, robbed or molested while you wait for the light to turn green. It’s frightening.”

Eat! Caroline serves the couscous. Couscous with Asian soup, brown bread and cheese is an unusual combina-

Juan Portilla (orange spectacles), Carolina Navia Roberts (orange hat) and housem tion, but no one seems to notice.

Only Sebastian makes a comment, “I miss the heavy German bread.”

He points to Silvia’s sandwich. “You can’t call Dutch bread real bread, can you?”

Eight o’clock is dinner time on the Winschoterdiep. The air is filled with the sounds of cooking, students eating, laughter, hissing pans, cutlery clattering. Two Saudi guys are just about to start eating their kebabs as I pop my head round the door of their room. “Come in and eat with us”, says pre-med student Mansour (20) as he beckons me to come in. “We won’t feel at ease if

you don’t.” His friend Suhail (18), also a pre-med, presses a fork into my hand. “Seriously, eat. We already feel guilty that we don’t have an extensive meal for you.”

Kebab Well, I’m definitely not a big fan of kebab with a yoghurt-like sauce on it, but these guys are serious. Saying, “no, thank you” isn’t an option.

It looks like kebab will be my dessert. However, the boys are a bit shy about the fact that a girl is suddenly sitting on their couch. “In Saudi Arabia, a girl would never enter

UNIVERSITY 9

UK 38 - 30 JUNE 2011

me a family’

Alain Estranged “What are you studying?”

“Biomedical sciences.”

“Sounds complicated. Gonna be a doctor are you?”

I get this all the time. People ask about my degree programme and immediately want to link it to a future job, probably because they don’t understand what biomedical sciences is.

I only need a few minutes to clarify that I’m not going to be a doctor, but most people aren’t that interested. And I don’t want to bore them with an in-depth explanation (I can talk like there’s no tomorrow). Although I find it a bit annoying, I can’t blame them. I’m guilty of associating vague programmes with a specific job as well.

If you’re studying medicine, psychology or law it makes you respectively a doctor, psychologist or lawyer (or if you’re lucky, a judge). But whereas it’s possible to explain biomedical sciences, many other programmes are about as clear as mud. Take something like “leisure studies”.

What the hell does that mean?

Or “lifestyle informatics” (it really exists). Sounds creepy to me.

We’ve become estranged from reality by giving weird English names to degree programmes that are entirely in Dutch. It makes it confusing for foreigners and incomprehensible to the Dutch. Biomedical sciences is officially called Life Science & Technology. Not a single soul knows what it involves. Even I have difficulty explaining. Let’s just say I’m going to be a nontreating doctor. For the sake of convenience.

ant to leave Groningen and go home

Alain Dekker is second-year student of biomedical sciences. alaindekker@ukrant.nl

Colophon UK editorial address: Oude Kijk in ’t Jatstraat 28, PO box 80, 9700 AB Groningen.

Telephone: 050-3636700; E-mail: uk@rug.nl; Internet: www.ukrant.nl Twitter: @UK_Groningen

Photo Sebastian Tillman

mates at Queensday a room with two boys in it on her own. Never!” Mansour explains, “In Holland, the girls are open and direct. They’ve got their own stuff going on.” Suhail smiles, “But we weren’t shocked though. A friend who lives here already told us about these differences.”

Mansour and Suhail won’t be returning home any time soon. They have only been here a few weeks but are already enjoying Groningen life – although they do have some difficulty with the shopping hours. Mansour says, “The shops close very, very early. And on Sunday they’re closed all day! Except

for Jumbo, but it’s packed with students. In Saudi Arabia, the shops are open till midnight.”

Dangerous?

The boys thought Holland was dangerous, but they have experienced otherwise, although they do find the police rather indecisive. “One night a man came up to me and tried to sell me a bike for five euros”, disbelief is written all over Suhail’s face. “I said ‘no thank you’ because the bike was clearly stolen. The police arrived later. Apparently, they knew this man. I often see him

walking around, always with different bikes. Why don’t they catch him?”

Mansour, “Back home they would catch him for sure. The first time you go to jail, but the second or third time they cut off your hand.”

After we have finished the kebabs, they take a picture and I really, really don’t feel the need to taste their Saudi soft cheese. So they escort me all the way to the door of their room. Suhail says, “It was very nice to meet you. Thank you so much.

Here, take some chocolate for the road.”

On my way home I pass the kitchen where Ezgi (20) from Turkey and Nora (25) from Hungary have just finished their Spanish omelette. The girls are also leaving in a few weeks. Ezgi sighs, “I will miss this nice life. I’ve been here a year – six months longer than I initially planned. I liked it here ten times more than what would already have made me happy.”

Her friend agrees, “It’s more optimistic than in Hungary. People smile and the streets aren’t messy.”

Ezgi says, “I just don’t want to go home. I think I’ll be homesick for here when I’m home again.”

Editorial board: Hanneke Boonstra (editor-inchief) 3636697, Peter Keizer (news coordinator) 3636696, Christien Boomsma (editor) 3637802, René Fransen (science) 3636695, René Lapoutre (design) 3636693, Ernst Arbouw (International Page) 3636130, Joke Corporaal, secretary (3676700) Other editorial staff: Suzan Beers, Axel Bogaerds, Alain Dekker, Edo Grevers, Michiel Klaassen, Anne Kok, Richard Kootstra, Teodor Lazarov, Janita Naaijer, Elisabeth Oosterling, Vera Verzijl.

Advertisements: Bureau Van Vliet bv, PO box 20, 2040 AA Zandvoort, tel. 023-5714745, telefax 023-5717680 University of Groningen advertisements, announcements and Ukaatjes: Karolien Dons (3636699) ©UK. Copyright reserved.

10 C U L T U R E tips n BlUes as the home province of harry muskee (cuby and the Blizzards) and singer Daniël lohues (skik), Drenthe has a strong blues connection. and now PeergrouP is to stage a spectacular blues opera inspired by the tV show Boer zoekt vrouw (Farmer wants a wife).

Farmer Bennie trusts his girlfriend Jenny, but she turns out to be a gold-digger. wednesday 27 July, 8.30 p.m. www.dedrentsebluesopera.nl

UK 38 - 30 JUNE 2011

Alive and kicking

n poetry “Dichters in de Prinsentuin” is an open-air poetry festival with a relaxed atmosphere. You can listen to poets reciting their work and talk to them afterwards or just enjoy a drink. this year a number of young poets will be performing, including lieke marsman, the winner of the Buddingh Prize for new Dutch poetry. 27-29 July, www. dichtersindeprinsentuin.nl

Foto Jeffry Silverthorne

So here is the fresh corps of a beautiful young woman.

| r e v i e w | Bloody hell! That guy’s posing n House a good party is a party you really remember. not just some dancing to house music and then the next morning, you just feel it’s was OK. the organizers of Origins want you to have a great experience. that’s their aim for the second instalment of this festival that will kick off at the indoor beach Binnenpret on 16 July.

You will be bombarded with light, visuals and sound. One of the guys who will create this experience for you is VJ thomas van den heuvel, part of the duo ‘Beun & haas’. the first edition of Origins in February attracted some 900 visitors, a resounding success. this time, the organizers hope to see over a thousand revellers on the indoor beach, where they’ll see an international main act. indoor beach Binnenpret, Koningsweg 26a, 16 July, 2 p.m. - 2 a.m. info: www.originsevent.nl n gAy Do gay people know more about sex? that’s the central question at a interactive show/ contest in the Usva theatre. it’s all about lust, love and sex. Friday 1 July, 9 p.m. munnekeholm 10.

with a corpse. Jeffrey Silverthorne is his name. Photographer by profession, and known for his photos taken in mortuaries.

By

marcel wichgers

So here we see the fresh corpse of a beautiful young woman. Beautiful but dead. Macabre, her half-shut eyes. The people from the mortuary have stuck a form in her stiff right hand. You can just about make out the name Rachel. There’s something tied round her left foot – it could be her ID number, but maybe it’s just jewellery.

Silverthorne stands next to her like a hunter proudly showing off his trophy. He seems to be pushing

something with the thumb of his visible hand. The remote control of his camera?

The surroundings are somewhat unusual for a mortuary. Or has Silverthorne brought the blue and red satin fabric with him and put a kind of Christmas tree there too?

Jeffrey Silverthorne is not the only one who took photos in mortuaries. Andres Serrano did it too later on – in New York. He was only allowed to take photos if he covered the head of each John Doe and Jane Doe (unidentified bodies) so that they remained anonymous.

Silverthorne did it without sheets.

That was still possible then – about forty years ago. What Silverthorne and Serrano have in common is that they both have a thing about death and sex. They took photos both of

bodies and of nudes. With Serrano, sex gained the upper hand. In the Netherlands he mainly became famous, or rather notorious, for his photos of sexual variants such as golden showers.

However, neither is interested in the optimal combination of sex and death: necrophilia. Certainly not like in Kissed, a film in which a young woman wants to have sex with corpses.

Silverthorne’s bodies in the Travel Plans exhibition in the Noorderlicht photography gallery are sometimes too gruesome to look at for long. But there is something about them that forces you to do so anyway. Take the naked woman who is lying there as if she is having a nice stretch after a long, refreshing sleep. But over the length of her

torso, from her crotch to her shoulders, runs an ugly seam, carelessly sewn up with big stitches.

The photos in the cellar of Noorderlicht are all very different.

Here we see a beautiful young woman in the act with an ugly old man.

She appears to be very practised in different sexual techniques. If we look at the photo for a while, it gradually becomes clear that she bears a strong resemblance to the beautiful corpse with Silverthorne: the same little mole between the nose and lips, the same eyebrows, the same figure and the same shaved crotch.

Rachel is not dead. She is alive and kicking.

Noorderlicht Photo Gallery, Akerkhof 12. Until 10 July. www. noorderlicht.com

Davila 666: begging for more | r e v i e w | Playing live is about commitment. Davila 666 show how it’s done in Vera on 1 June. The few people who take the trouble to go and see them were the lucky ones.

By Bart Breman Local band and support act The Swains is playing already, but the Vera club is deserted. No more than a dozen people have found their way to the music venue. Not surprising maybe, because the main act, Davila 666, is not a well-known band and it’s just a regular Tuesday night. Most people probably decid-

ed it wasn’t worth missing out on sleep for a Puerto Rican punk rock act.

Half an hour later, when Davila 666 appears on stage, a few more people have trickled in to bump up the headcount to a meagre forty.

But what they see was worth the effort. Davila 666 is an unusual band.

Not because of its music – this mixture of punk rock and sixties pop won’t win any prizes for originality – but for other reasons. English is the lingua franca of pop music, but this band sings in rapid Spanish. And then there’s the number of band members on stage: six of them.

It’s the sixth member that makes it

odd. Elementary rock music doesn’t usually require that many people.

Is that the reason why this sixth Davila is condemned to playing the tambourine and providing backing vocals? Maybe. But the tambourine is important. It adds depth and rhythm to the screaming vocals and the power chords of the two guitars. Davila 666’s punk rock leans heavily on classic sixties pop. The band looks like a revved-up version of the early Rolling Stones. Songs like “Obsesionao” or “Basura” are instant classics, with superb melodies, a trashing beat and catchy guitar riffs.

From the first song to the last Dav-

ila 666 proves highly entertaining, with great songs and loads of enthusiasm. It takes just ten minutes before most of the band members are dripping with sweat and people are dancing. With all six band members singing such highly infectious songs, you can’t help but scream along with the words you can hardly pronounce.

When the band leaves the stage the audience is left begging for more.

Davila 666 demonstrates how to do a lot with very little. Those forty people in the audience can consider themselves the lucky few, because they have experienced music as it was meant to be.

S T U D E N T L I F E 11

UK 38 - 30 JUNE 2011

The title fight Matthijs Jansen (PVV) versus Jimmy Dijk (SP) In the left corner Jimmy Dijk SP (Socialist Party) Date of birth: 3 November 1985 Studies: Sociology Member of the Groningen City Council for the SP Dijk is a rookie in the political arena. He became a member of the SP when he discovered during an internship that there is only one youth worker for every forty adolescents. After a few years with the youth section of the SP, he became a member of the City Council in 2010.

By RICHARD KOOTSTRA

round

1

Education cuts

Since they are both students, and have been for quite some time, it is likely they will feel the consequences of the government´s planned cuts in education, especially higher education. The PVV agrees with the government´s policy, whereas the SP strongly opposes it. The subject of debate: the EUR 3000 fine for students who don´t graduate within the nominal time.

Jansen calmly explains that there can be no exceptions in times of recession, “If the amount of time you spend studying is excessive, you’re going to have to face the consequences. I consider it a personal investment, so a fine for students who take too long is completely justified.”

Dijk fiercely opposes this, “The Netherlands is already falling behind the rest of Europe when it comes to education. Budget cuts will only make it worse. And why fine students who will probably end up in well-paid jobs and thus be paying more tax in the end?”

He points the finger at tax deductions on mortgages, “Get rid of that and you will save a lot more money.” This issue opens up Pandora’s Box, and accusations fly across the table about who supports what, about retirement plans and about the Joint Strike Fighter programme.

It’s a ten-minute summary of all the national campaign issues. Then the discussion moves on to the issue of breaks and beer, “You said that there would be a break in the negotiations!”

“Well, we had to negotiate, didn’t we?”

“I’m getting another beer.”

“Me too!”

round

2

Immigration

Immigration, notably Muslim immigration, has been the focal point of the PVV’s ideology since its founding. By calling Islam a dangerous and backward religion, the PVV stirred up a hefty

Photo Jeroen van Kooten

Left: Jimmy Dijk. Matthijs Jansen didn’t show up for the photo session.

| D E B AT E | When it comes to political rivalry, the SP and the PVV can be considered archrivals. They strongly disagree on many political issues, and when they do agree on something it is for completely different reasons. The debate will be between local political representatives and University of Groningen students Matthijs Jansen and Jimmy Dijk, but it won’t take place in the formal surroundings of the City Hall but instead at jazz café De Spieghel. Each round is also a round of drinks, and will be about two to three cigarettes long. public debate. But what about the Muslim immigrants who have been through higher education? Is there, for example, room for Indonesian or Saudi students in Dutch society?

Jansen doesn’t distinguish between Muslims and other immigrants: a rare standpoint for a PVV member. He states that we should adopt the Swiss model, “You get a one-year work permit or green card. If you respect the rules, you can apply for an extension of that permit.”

Dijk says his party pointed out the immigration and integration problems long before the subject was fashionable, “We’ve always said that immigrants should be required to learn the language and not be housed in the same neighbourhoods.” He then states that the PVV popularized this view and continued to use it to denounce an entire segment of the population.

Jansen’s rebuttal, as he lights his cigarette, is that sometimes you have to overstate things to high-

light the real problem. He says that this particular discourse should be seen as a political style, not as slander.

round

3

Left-wing hobbies

The government’s plans include heavy cuts in the cultural sector, a sector referred to by the PVV as “left-wing hobbies”.

Dijk, of course, is strongly opposed to the cuts, saying that it’s not just about cutting benefits for artists with weird, esoteric projects that only a handful of people will see, “The real victims are music schools for children, projects like that.”

Jansen thinks that art is a passion, a hobby, and should therefore not be funded by the government.

“Why not let the private sector fund these things? Don’t let a few people in the government decide what art forms are important. If they are that important, there will still be public

interest in them. Let the people decide.”

round

4

Room for prayer

And now for the climax: a final subject to heat things up a little.

There are prayer facilities for Muslims at airports, so why not at public buildings such as universities?

Jansen’s answer is short, “It’s nonsense. There shouldn’t be prayer rooms in any public buildings. If they want to, why not set up tents outside and pray in them?” He shows good comic timing with the last remark and leaves room for a laugh or two.

Dijk thinks it shouldn’t have anything to do with politics, “If two parties agree to create a facility for prayer, just let them. I mean, in some companies there are special facilities for breastfeeding!” Jansen may not agree, but at least the humour isn’t lost on him and he smiles as he gives Dijk a light.

The outcome In these debates, there were no definite winners. If there were, it would be the tobacco industry for the number of cigarettes consumed

In the right corner Matthijs Jansen PVV (Freedom Party) Date of birth: 28 May 1979 Studies: International Relations and International Organization Member of the Provincial Council for the PVV Jansen used to be a member of the youth section of the VVD, the conservative-liberal party, but he decided the party was all talk and no action. He left and became a member of the LPF, the populist party spearheaded by Pim Fortuyn. After Fortuyn’s death, Jansen became involved with the PVV. In 2007, as an intern at the PVV, he was at the centre of the controversial issue of rallying support for the PVV on right-wing extremist websites. Jansen claimed he had no knowledge of the radical ideologies of these websites.

After a short stop with a local political party, he rejoined the PVV and became a member of the Provincial Council. through passive encouragement from both adversaries and this reporter. A close second would be the drinking establishment.

Ingezonden mededelingen voor studenten en medewerkers

Algemeen Studium Generale Open your Mind Het Studium Generale-seizoen zit erop! Maar achter de schermen wordt alweer druk gewerkt aan nieuwe programma’s voor het najaar. Zoals het Lustrumprogramma ‘Open your Mind’ tgv. ons 65jarig bestaan. Een verrassend programma met sprekers uit binnen- en buitenland waaronder Kevin Warwick en Seth Shostak: vernieuwende gedachten en theorieën, die ons denken en onze toekomstvisie ingrijpend kunnen veranderen. Andere programma’s die nu al bekend zijn: Gastschrijver Annejet van der Zijl over schrijven is verleiden, Everything about…

Coen Brothers en Lars von Trier en een lezingenserie over ondernemen. Maar voor nu wensen we iedereen een mooie zomer en heel graag tot ziens in september. www.rug.nl/studium

Bibliotheek UB ook dit weekend weer langer open!

Zaterdag 2 en zondag 3 juli is de Universiteitsbibliotheek geopend van 10.00 - 22.00 uur. http://www.rug.nl/bibliotheek/ locaties/ub RefWorks vervangt EndNote en Reference Manager Per 1 juli worden de licenties voor de programma’s EndNote en Reference Manager bij de RUG beëindigd en vervangen door RefWorks.

Gebruikers van de programma’s EndNote of Reference Manager wordt daarom geadviseerd om over te stappen op RefWorks. De Bibliotheek biedt workshops RefWorks aan op diverse bibliotheeklokaties en daarnaast helpt zij gebruikers bij het omzetten van EndNote- en Reference Managerliteratuurbestanden. refworks@rug.nl http://www.rug.nl/bibliotheek/ instructies/refworks/index

Talencentrum Individual English summer courses at the Language Centre Looking for a very quick, tailormade solution to improve your English skills? We are offering individual pronunciation courses, writing projects and presentation courses in weeks 26 to 29 and 32 to 35. You can also book one or several ‘immersion days’ to work on your English oral skills. For more information, please contact the Language Centre Secretary’s Office at tel. 363 5802 or visit our website.

> Verzorgd door de UK; eindredactie, tel.

3636699 > Mededelingen kunnen ingediend worden via www.universiteitskrant.nl > Aanleveren is mogelijk tot uiterlijk maandag 10 uur voor de UK van dezelfde week > De volgende UK verschijnt op 18 augustus 2011

languagecentre@rug.nl www.rug.nl/languagecentre

Faculteiten Algemeen Werkcolleges Annejet van der Zijl Schrijven is gemakkelijk, gelezen worden is moeilijker. Hoe bereik je met een tekst je publiek, hoe kun je de lezer verleiden en overtuigen? Gastschrijver Annejet van der Zijl verzorgt voor 14 studenten (7 letterenstudenten en 7 van andere faculteiten) werkcolleges onder het motto ‘So you think you van write’. De colleges zijn op de dinsdag 4 oktober t/m 22 november (m.u.v. 25 oktober en 1 november) van 11.00 - 13.00 uur. Het laatste college is op maandag 28 november, 15.00 – 17.00 uur. RUG-studenten kunnen zich voor 25 augustus met een geschreven motivatie aanmelden bij het secretariaat van de vakgroep Nederlands, Harmoniecomplex, a.m.koning@rug.nl, tel. 363 5858. Bij overintekening wordt geloot. Voor de werkcolleges staan 5 ECTS (vrije ruimte). a.m.koning@rug.nl

Rechtsgeleerdheid Keuzevak Alternatieve Geschilbeslechting Voor studenten die verder willen kijken dan de traditionele juridische procedures wordt in september/oktober weer het keuzevak Alternatieve Geschilbeslechting gegeven. Docenten van verschillende vakgroepen en in de praktijk werkzame gastdocenten zullen diverse aspecten van deze manier van alternatieve geschilbeslechting belichten. Zie voor meer informatie Ocasys.

Medische wetenschappen Refworks workshops voor medewerkers en -studenten Refworks is een webapplica-

De Faculteit Gedrags- en Maatschappijwetenschappen van de Rijksuniversiteit Groningen heeft met grote droefheid kennis genomen van het overlijden van onze studente

Grietje de Vries Grietje zat in de laatste fase van haar masteropleiding Pedagogische Wetenschappen.

Helaas heeft zij niet de tijd gekregen om haar kennis en vaardigheden ook in praktijk te brengen.

Onze gedachten gaan uit naar familie en vrienden.

Namens de Faculteit Gedrags- en Maatschappijwetenschappen, Prof.dr. H.A.L. Kiers, decaan Prof. dr. A.J.J.M. Ruijssenaars, vice-decaan/Portefeuillehouder Onderwijs

tie waarmee u op een eenvoudige manier uw literatuurverwijzingen kunt opslaan, beheren en gebruiken. Ook thuis beschikbaar voor UMCG-medewerkers met uw Proxy-account van de CMB of met uw P-nummer Voor medewerkers en studenten Medische Wetenschappen alsmede van het UMCG biedt de CMB Workshops RefWorks aan. De eerstvolgende is op dinsdag 5 juli van 14.00-16.00 uur bij de CMB. e.p.m.van.uem@med.umcg.nl http://www.rug.nl/bibliotheek/ locaties/bibCMB/cursussen/refw

Letteren Nog plaatsen vrij bij Master Euroculture De selectieve, internationale Engelstalige master Euroculture (met Erasmus Mundus label) heeft nog een aantal plaatsen beschikbaar voor het programma dat per 5 september van start gaat. Voor deze 2-jarige master (120 ECTS) studeer je het eerste jaar een semester in Groningen en daarna een semester aan 1 van de 7 Europese partneruniversiteiten. In het 2e jaar loop je een lange stage (25 ECTS)of kies je voor extra onderzoeksmodules (voor een selectief aantal studenten kan dit aan partneruniversiteiten in Japan, de VS, India of Mexico). In het 4e semester schrijf je de scriptie en word je getraind in het schrijven van een onderzoeksaanvraag of subsidieaanvraag voor een bepaald project. De opleiding wordt aan alle universiteiten in het Engels aangeboden en je ontvangt na voltooiing van het studieprogramma een joint degree. Kijk voor meer informatie en aanmelding op de Euroculture netwerk website of neem contact op met de studieadviseur - Marloes van der Weij (050-3636293). euroculture@rug.nl www.euroculturemaster.org S TA G E B U R E A U L E T T E R E N Vraag bij stages altijd eerst goedkeuring van je docent.

Bachelor-/Masterstage: Nederlandse Ambassade Londen Opleiding: diverse bachelors en masters. Periode: september t/m december, 40 uur per week.

Opdracht: stage op het gebied van digitale communicatie. De stagiair(e) zal zich bezighouden met het redigeren van de ambassadewebsite en sociale media accounts. Meer info: Stagebureau Letteren, tel. 050-3635844. Zie Nestor, Ba-/Ma-stages, onder “placement vacancies”. stages.let@rug.nl www.rug.nl/let/stagebureau Masterstage: Nederlandse Ambassade Valletta, Malta Opleiding: diverse Masters. Periode: september t/m december, full-

30 juni t/m 18 augustus 2011

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time. Opdracht: in overleg. Het betreft een meewerkstage. Meer info: Stagebureau Letteren, tel.

050-3635844. Zie Nestor, Ma-stages, onder “placement vacancies”. stages.let@rug.nl www.rug.nl/let/stagebureau Bachelorstage: Mensen met een Missie, Den Haag Opleiding: diverse bachelors. Periode: vanaf 15 augustus, 4 maanden, 4 dagen per week. Opdracht: correspondentie met partners in Afrika, Azië of Latijns-Amerika, bijdragen aan regionale en thematische beleidsontwikkeling, beoordelen en verwerken van aanvragen voor financiële steun. Meer info: Stagebureau Letteren, tel 0503635844. Zie Nestor, Ba-stages, onder “placement vacancies”. stages.let@rug.nl www.rug.nl/let/stagebureau Bachelor-/masterstage: Both ENDS, Amsterdam Opleiding: diverse bachelors en masters. Periode: in overleg. Opdracht: Both ENDS ondersteunt partnerorganisaties in ontwikkelingslanden en heeft 2 stageplekken: 1 stagiair webredactie en 1 stagiair servicemedewerker Azië.

Meer info: Stagebureau Letteren, tel. 050-3635844. Zie Nestor, Ba-/ Ma-stages, onder “placement vacancies”. stages.let@rug.nl www.rug.nl/let/stagebureau

Economie en Bedrijfskunde Cursusevaluatie FEB S2.2!

Het verbeteren van de kwaliteit van het onderwijs heeft binnen de Faculteit Economie en Bedrijfskunde een hoge prioriteit. Op woensdag 29 juni ontvang je via je RuG-mail een link naar de cursusevaluatie. Vul de cursusevaluatie in vóór maandag 12 september!

De resultaten worden via Nestor bekend gemaakt. Onder de respondenten worden drie VVV cadeaubonnen van €50 verloot. Voor vragen: eduqua.feb@rug.nl.

Course evaluation FEB S2.2!

Improving the quality of education has a high priority within the Faculty of Economics and Business.

On Wednesday 29 June you will receive a link to the questionnaire on your RuG- email address. You can complete the course evaluation before Monday 12 September!

The results of the course evaluation will be made available via Nestor. Three gift vouchers (€50 euro each) will be handed out among the respondents. If you have any questions, please contact us via eduqua.feb@rug.nl.

B I B L I OT H E E K

Refworks workshops voor medewerkers en -studenten

Medewerkers van de basiseenheid Orthopedagogiek van de Faculteit Gedrags- en Maatschappijwetenschappen van de Rijksuniversiteit Groningen hebben met ontsteltenis kennis genomen van het plotseling overlijden van

Grietje de Vries Grietje was bezig haar studie Orthopedagogiek, specialisatie Leerproblemen, bij onze basiseenheid af te ronden. In onze herinnering zal zij blijven voortleven als een bescheiden en serieuze studente.

Wij wensen haar naaste familieleden en vrienden veel sterkte bij het verwerken van dit grote verlies.

Namens medewerkers van de basiseenheid Orthopedagogiek, Dr. E.J. van Houten (begeleidend docent Orthopedagogiek) Prof. dr. E.J. Knorth (voorzitter Orthopedagogiek) Prof. dr. A.E.M.G. Minnaert (voorzitter sectie Leerproblemen) Prof. dr. S.J. Pijl (opleidingsdirecteur Pedagogische Wetenschappen en Onderwijskunde)

Promoties en oraties 1 juli Promotie: mw. V. Todde, wiskunde en natuurwetenschappen. Titel: Organelle autophagy in yeast. Promotor(s): prof. dr. I.J. van der Klei. Plaats: Doopsgezinde Kerk, Oude Boteringestraat 33. Tijd: 11.00 uur.

1 juli Promotie: dhr. M.J. Saller, wiskunde en natuurwetenschappen. Titel: Functional analysis of the YidC homologs of Bacillus subtilis: SpoIIIJ and YqjG. Promotor(s): prof.dr. A.J.M. Driessen. Plaats: Doopsgezinde Kerk. Tijd: 13.15 uur.

1 juli Promotie: dhr. G.B. Erkens, wiskunde en natuurwetenschappen. Titel: Structure and mechanism of the ECF-type ABC transporter for thiamin. Promotor(s): prof.dr. D.J. Slotboom. Plaats: Doopsgezinde Kerk. Tijd: 14.45 uur.

1 juli Promotie: mw. E.H. Valkenier-van Dijk, wiskunde en natuurwetenschappen. Titel: Molecular Conductance. Synthesis, self-assembly, and electrical characterization of II-conjugated wires and switches. Promotor(s): prof.dr. J.C. Hummelen. Plaats: Doopsgezinde Kerk. Tijd: 16.15 uur.

4 juli Promotie: mw. E. Caro, ruimtelijke wetenschappen. Titel: From the village to the city. The adjustment process of internal migrants in Albania. Promotor(s): prof.dr. L.J.G. van Wissen.

Plaats: Doopsgezinde kerk. Tijd: 11.00 uur.

4 juli Promotie: dhr. H. Buddelmeijer, wiskunde en natuurwetenschappen. Titel: Query driven visualization of large scale multi-dimensional astronomical catalogs. Promotor(s): prof.dr.

E.A. Valentijn, prof.dr. S.C. Trager, prof.dr. J.B.T.M. Roerdink. Plaats: Doopsgezinde kerk. Tijd: 13.15 uur.

4 juli Promotie: mw. G. Onuta, medische wetenschappen. Titel: Transplant arteriosclerosis and in-stent restenosis. Experimental studies on pathomechanisms and therapeutic intervention. Promotor(s): prof.dr. J.L. Hillebrands, prof.dr. F.G.M. Kroese.

Plaats: Doopsgezinde kerk. Tijd: 14.45 uur.

4 juli Promotie: mw. A. Rizo, medische wetenschappen. Titel: The polycomb gene BMI1 in normal hematopoiesis and leukemia.

Promotor(s): prof.dr. G. de Haan, prof.dr. J.J. Schuringa, prof.dr. E. Vellenga. Plaats: Doopsgezinde kerk. Tijd: 16.15 uur.

6 juli Promotie: mw. I. Kokal, medische wetenschappen. Titel: When we move together: the neural correlates of joint action. Promotor(s): prof.dr. C. Keysers. Plaats: Doopsgezinde kerk. Tijd: 14.45 uur.

6 juli Promotie: mw. M.P.T. Otten, medische wetenschappen.

Titel: Oral biofilm as a reservoir for antimicrobials. Promotor(s): prof.dr. H.C. van der Mei, prof.dr. F. Abbas, prof.dr.ir. H.J. Busscher.

Plaats: Doopsgezinde kerk. Tijd: 16.15 uur.

7 juli Promotie: dhr. P.M. Schuurman, economie en bedrijfskunde. Titel: Understanding objectivity in information system evaluation. Promotor(s): prof.dr. E.W. Berghout. Plaats: Doopsgezinde kerk. Tijd: 14.45 uur.

7 juli Promotie: dhr. E. Newman, gedrags- en maatschappijwetenschappen. Titel: Higher education policies and funding mechanisms. Towards effective mechanisms for financing higher education in Ghana based on international experiences.

Promotor(s): prof.dr. W.H.A. Hofman, prof.dr. C.W.A.M. van Paridon.

Plaats: Doopsgezinde kerk. Tijd: 16.15 uur.

8 juli Promotie: dhr. R.P. Thummer, wiskunde en natuurwetenschappen. Titel: Characterization and role of UTF1 in embryonic stem and carcinoma cells. Implications for regulation of gene expression, chromatin structure and differentiation. Promotor(s): prof.dr. P.J.M. van Haastert. Plaats: Doopsgezinde kerk. Tijd: 11.00 uur.

8 juli Promotie: dhr. S. Harmsma, wiskunde en natuurwetenschappen. Titel: Radio signals of cosmic-ray-induced air showers at the Pierre Auger Observatory. Promotor(s): prof.dr. A.M. van den Berg, prof.dr. F.L. Linde. Plaats: Doopsgezinde kerk. Tijd: 13.15 uur.

8 juli Promotie: mw. K. Szendrei, wiskunde en natuurwetenschappen. Titel: Charge extraction from colloidal inorganic nanocrystals. Promotor(s): prof.dr. M.A. Loi. Plaats: Doopsgezinde kerk. Tijd: 14.45 uur.

8 juli Promotie: dhr. H.G. Vinjamoor, wiskunde en natuurwetenschappen. Titel: Achievability of linear systems up to bisimulation. Promotor(s): prof.dr. A.J. van der Schaft. Plaats: Doopsgezinde kerk. Tijd: 16.15 uur.

Ingezonden mededelingen voor studenten en medewerkers RefWorks is een webapplicatie waarmee u op een eenvoudige manier literatuurverwijzingen kunt opslaan, beheren, delen en gebruiken. Vanaf 1 juli 2011 wordt RefWorks hiervoor het standaardprogramma bij de Rijksuniversiteit Groningen. Om medewerkers en studenten van de faculteiten Economie & Bedrijfskunde en Ruimtelijke Wetenschappen kennis te laten maken met RefWorks organiseert de bibliotheek regelmatig bijeenkomsten (Engels of Nederlands), waarin het werken met RefWorks wordt gedemonstreerd. Op onderstaande data zijn er workshops gepland: Nederlands: Donderdag 21 Juli, Donderdag 20 Oktober Engels: Dinsdag 13 September, Dinsdag 29 November U kunt zich aanmelden via het webformulier op de website. refworks@rug.nl http://www.rug.nl/bibliotheek/ instructies/refWorks/workshops

Studenten Studenten Informatie en Administratie Vragen ?

De ((her)inschrijvingsperiode is begonnen. Schrijf je in via www. studielink.nl. De balie is elke werk-

dag geopend van 12.00-16.00 uur.

Telefonisch zijn wij iedere dag van 10.00-16.00 uur bereikbaar op 050363 8004. www.rug.nl/hoezithet www.rug.nl/usd

GSp GSp - Studentenplatform voor Levensbeschouwing Een plaats voor bezinning, religie, debat en gezelligheid. GSp, Kraneweg 33, tel. 3129926 info@gspweb.nl www.gspweb.nl Zomersluiting secretariaat/ Bereikbaarheid pastores Het secretariaat van het GSp is gesloten van maandag 4 juli tot en met vrijdag 12 augustus. Ook de studentenpastores zijn vanwege vakantie in deze periode afwezig. Alleen in noodgeval is Geert Brüsewitz beschikbaar. Zijn telefoonnummer is: 050-8500387 GSp-KEI-commissie zoekt vrijwillgers Ook dit jaar is het GSp natuurlijk weer volop aanwezig in de KEIweek, de introductieweek voor aankomende eerstejaarsstudenten. De KEI-commissie van het GSp is nu nog druk bezig met alle voorbereidingen maar bij de uitvoering van de verschillende activiteiten is dringend hulp nodig van een aantal vrijwilligers. Ben jij van 15 t/m 19 augustus in de stad en heb je zin en tijd om een steentje bij te dra-

gen aan deze gezellige KEI-week?

Stuur dan een mailtje naar info@ gspweb.nl en je hoort van ons.

Viering Roze Zaterdag Op zaterdag 2 juli wordt ter gelegenheid van Roze Zaterdag een oecumenische viering gehouden inde Martinikerk. Medewerking wordt verleend door een koperkwintet, en door een gelegenheidskoor o.l.v. Ton Tromp. Het orgel wordt bespeeld door Eeuwe Zijlstra. Voorgangers zijn ds. Ynte de Groot en ds. Matty Metzlar. De viering begint om 11.00 uur.

Persoonlijk gesprek Wie dat wil kan voor een persoonlijk gesprek een afspraak maken met een van de studentenpastores: Lense Lijzen 5260630 Tiemo Meijlink 5792805 Matty Metzlar 0595-528775.

KEI Word Event Crew Wil jij ons helpen met het backstage assisteren van artiesten, lunches uitdelen, muntjes verkopen en het opbouwen van de evenementen? En wil jij daarnaast alle mooie evenementen en feesten in de KEIweek meemaken? Word EventCrew! Kijk op www.keiweek.nl voor meer informatie of stuur een mailtje naar Anke, secretaris@keiweek. nl. Ga voor deze fantastische week! secretaris@keiweek.nl keiweek.nl

30 juni t/m 18 augustus 2011

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Diversen OVERIGE

Stichting Develop Your World zoekt nieuw bestuur Lijkt het jou leuk om in een team van zes studenten samen te werken aan maatschappelijke bewustwording onder jongeren? Wil jij een geweldige en leerzame ervaring beleven door middel van het organiseren van een groot congres over internationale- en ontwikkelingssamenwerking? Dan is een bestuursjaar Develop Your World wat voor jou! Develop Your World is de stichting in het noorden van Nederland voor ontwikkelingssamenwerking. Zij organiseert jaarlijks activiteiten over ontwikkelingssamenwerking en alles wat daarmee samenhangt.

Centraal bij deze activiteiten zal het jaarlijkse congres zijn, waar elk jaar een ander aspect van ontwikkelingssamenwerking behandelt zal worden. Prominente sprekers als Linda Polman, Frits Bolkestein, en Sandra van Beest hebben in het verleden op ons congres gesproken. Wil je besturen naar je studie, dan is Develop Your World iets voor jou. Het is leerzaam, interessant, staat goed op je CV, maar bovenal is het erg gezellig! Grijp de kans en stuur voor 25 juni je sollicitatiebrief en CV naar info@developyourworld.nl! info@developyourworld.nl www.developyourworld.nl

11 juli Promotie: mw. M.R. Golachowska, medische wetenschappen. Titel: Microvillus inclusion disease. Lessons about the apical plasma membrane. Promotor(s): prof.dr. D. Hoekstra. Plaats: Doopsgezinde kerk. Tijd: 16.15 uur.

11 juli Promotie: mw. F.M. de Poel, economie en bedrijfskunde. Titel: Making a difference: About the mechanisms underlying effective leadership in a change-oriented organizational context.

Promotor(s): prof.dr. J.I. Stoker, prof.dr. K.I. van Oudenhoven-van der Zee. Plaats: Doopsgezinde Kerk. Tijd: 14.45 uur.

13 juli Promotie: dhr. J. Huzen, medische wetenschappen. Titel: Telomere biology in cardiovascular disease. Promotor(s): prof. dr. W.H. van Gilst, prof.dr. D.J. van Veldhuisen. Plaats: Doopsgezinde kerk. Tijd: 13.15 uur.

13 juli Promotie: mw. M.T. van Lohuizen, medische wetenschappen. Titel: Student learning behaviours and clerkship outcomes. Promotor(s): prof.dr. J.B.M. Kuks, prof.dr. J. Cohen-Schotanus, prof.dr. J.C.C. Borlefffs. Plaats: Doopsgezinde kerk. Tijd: 14.45 uur.

13 juli Promotie: mw. H. Jansen, medische wetenschappen.

Titel: Determinants of HbA1c in non-diabetic children and adults.

Promotor(s): prof.dr. R.P. Stolk. Plaats: Doopsgezinde kerk. Tijd: 16.15 uur.

14 juli Promotie: mw. M. Visser, gedrags- en maatschappijwetenschappen. Titel: The tip of the iceberg and beyond. Evaluation of an aggression reduction program for special elementary education classical effect study & consideration of child and context. Promotor(s): prof.dr. P.L.C. van Geert. Plaats: Doopsgezinde kerk. Tijd: 11.00 uur.

14 juli Promotie: mw. Y. Ren, rechtsgeleerdheid. Titel: A comparative study of the coporate bankruptcy reorganization law of the U.S. and China. Promotor(s): prof.mr. F.M.J. Verstijlen, prof.dr. O. Couwenberg. Plaats: Doopsgezinde kerk. Tijd: 14.45 uur.

14 juli Promotie: mw. A.D. Hoben, gedrags- en maatschappijwetenschappen. Titel: An evolutionary investigation of consanguineous marriages. Promotor(s): prof.dr. A.P. Buunk. Plaats: Doopsgezinde kerk. Tijd: 16.15 uur.

15 juli Promotie: dhr. D.J.D. Moet, wiskunde en natuurwetenschappen. Titel: Enhanced performance of single and double junction plastic solar cells. Promotor(s): prof.dr.ir. P.W.M. Blom.

Plaats: Doopsgezinde kerk. Tijd: 13.15 uur.

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15 juli Promotie: dhr. J.J.U. Postma, wiskunde en natuurwetenschappen. Titel: Interaction dynamics in collisions of ions with molecules and clusters. Promotor(s): prof.dr.ir. R.A. Hoekstra.

Plaats: Doopsgezinde kerk. Tijd: 16.15 uur.

Evenementen

Help Néné en 3200 andere vluchtelingstudenten.

Steun het UAF eenmalig met € 1,50 SMS UAF STUDENT naar 4333 www.uaf.nl 8$) DGYB8QLNUDQWB*URQLQJHQ LQGG

15 juli Promotie: dhr. P.J. de Wild, wiskunde en natuurwetenschappen. Titel: Biomass pyrolysis for chemicals. Promotor(s): prof.dr.ir. H.J. Heeres. Plaats: Doopsgezinde kerk. Tijd: 14.45 uur.

30 juni Theather: GUTS presenteert Alice in Wonderland.

Plaats: OUTheater, Oude Kijk in ‘t Jatstraat 26, Groningen. Tijd: 20.15 uur. Toegang: RUG studenten en stadjerspashouders €6,- / overigen €8,-.

t/m 1 juli Film: Gay & Lesbian Summer Tour 2011. Plaats: Forum Images, Hereplein 73, Groningen.

7 juli Faculteit Wiskunde en Natuurwetenschappen: Launh GESP. Titel: The Challenge of Energy Transition: Insights from Energy and Sustainability Research at the University of Groningen. Plaats: Het Paleis, Groningen. Tijd: 13.00 uur.

Tentoonstellingen T/m 1 september 2011 Tentoonstelling: gaRTen#02, kunst in en rondom de oude Hortus. Plaats: Faculteit GMW, Grote Kruisstraat 2/1, Groningen. Tijd: 15.00 tot 18.00 uur.

T/m 14 januari 2012 Tentoonstelling: Artificial”, geïntegreerde kunst in de vaste collectie. Plaats: Plaats: Universiteitsmuseum, Oude Kijk in ’t Jatstraat 7a, Groningen. Tijd: dinsdag t/m zondag, 13.00- 17.00 uur.

27 mei t/m 23 januari 2012 Tentoonstelling: Beyond the stars, reis naar de oneindige ruimte. Plaats: Universiteitsmuseum, Oude Kijk in ’t Jatstraat 7a, Groningen. Tijd: dinsdag t/m zondag, 13.00- 17.00 uur.

NADERE INFORMATIE Afdeling Communicatie tel. 363 5445/5446 communicatie@rug.nl

Informatie voor studenten en medewerkers Pagina onder verantwoordelijkheid van de afdeling Communicatie RUG T (050) 363 54 45, communicatie@rug.nl

www.rug.nl/extra 30 juni 2011

# 77

Rijksuniversiteit Groningen

Jaarverslag

Tekst, opmaak en illustratie: Edzard Krol Jaarverslag 2010

Jaarverslag 2010 is uit2010

Het jaarverslag 2010 biedt een overzicht van de RUG in het afgelopen jaar. › www.rug.nl/jaarverslag

Zomerprogramma 2011 BALANS

Gedurende de zomermaanden organiseert BALANS diverse eenmalige activiteiten. › www.rug.nl/balans

Werkbezoek Maria van der Hoeven Oud-minister Maria van der Hoeven heeft op woensdag 22 juni een werkbezoek aan de universiteit gebracht. Als aankomend directeur van het Internationaal Energie Agentschap (IEA) sprak ze op uitnodiging van GasTerra over de toekomst van onderwijs en onderzoek over energie. Prof.dr. Sibrand Poppema, voorzitter van het College van Bestuur van de universiteit, gaf tijdens de bijeenkomst een uitgebreide toelichting op de noordelijke ambitie om een Energy Academy op te richten.

Met de nieuwe Energy Academy willen het bedrijfsleven, het mbo, de Hanzehogeschool Groningen en de Rijksuniversiteit Groningen bijdragen aan een innovatieve, duurzame en economisch succesvolle sector. Poppema: ‘Het doel van de Energy Academy is mensen op te leiden voor alle energieactiviteiten in het Noorden. Het is daarbij van groot belang samen met onze partners het totale onderwijsaanbod bij de Academy te betrekken: van (v)mbo tot hbo, universitair en postacademisch onderwijs.’ Op dit moment biedt de RUG bij verschillende faculteiten opleidingsprogramma’s op het gebied van energie.

Meer informatie: www.rug.nl/corporate/nieuws.

Album Amicorum wint prijs De Council for Advancement and Support of Education (CASE) heeft een Silver Award toegekend aan het Album Amicorum, het afstudeergeschenk van de Rijksuniversiteit Groningen aan masterstudenten en promovendi. CASE – met hoofdvestiging in de VS – wordt gezien als de in de wereld belangrijkste organisatie van professionals die zich bezighouden met alumnibeleid en fondsenwerving in het hoger onderwijs. Het Album Amicorum kreeg van CASE de Silver Award in de categorie Excellence in design: Books.

Eeuwenlang droegen academici een album amicorum, oftewel vriendenboek, met zich mee, waarin herinneringen aan dierbare personen en momenten werden verzameld. Het door de RUG ontwikkelde album (160 pag.) borduurt hier op voort. Het concept werd bedacht door Bert Wolfkamp, medewerker van de afdeling Alumnirelaties & Fondswerving van de RUG. Wolfkamp ontwikkelde het album samen met fotomanifestatie Noorderlicht. Het geschenk werd financieel mogelijk gemaakt door een initiatief van RUGalumnus Jan Zegering Hadders. > www.rug.nl/alumni.

P&O wordt Human Resources Het P&O-beleid van de Rijksuniversiteit Groningen vernieuwt. De organisatie wordt sneller, slanker, simpeler.

Personeel & Organisatie wordt Human Resources. In opdracht van het College van Bestuur werken P&O-ers al maanden aan de voorbereiding van de reorganisatie. Vanaf 1 september worden de veranderingen voor iedereen zichtbaar.

Wat verandert er? Allereerst moet de universiteit weer één werkgever worden.‘Tot nu toe worden medewerkers door de faculteit aangesteld,’ zegt Jorine Janssen, een van de kwartiermakers van het reorganisatieproces.

Zij zal straks de nieuwe afdeling Services leiden, zie het onderstaande artikel. ‘Hoewel de universiteit één cao heeft, bestaan er grote verschillen tussen de faculteiten in de invulling van de aanstellingen. Deze rechtsongelijkheid moet verdwijnen.’

Gieneke Sjouw van P&O-RUG is al met inpakken begonnen. Foto: Elmer Spaargaren Minder kwetsbaar Ook wordt de organisatie van Human Resources minder kwetsbaar, door een centrale organisatie. ‘Momenteel is de formatie nog verdeeld over meerdere facultaire afdelingen,’ legt Frans Duynstee uit. Als interimdirecteur Human Resources is hij verantwoordelijk voor de reorganisatie. ‘Hierdoor bestaat er minder gelegenheid om kennis te delen en elkaar te assisteren bij het werk. En als er iemand ziek is, kan alles in de knel komen.’

De verbeterde mogelijkheid om kennis te delen is hard nodig, zegt Janssen: ‘Er worden bijvoorbeeld veel buitenlanders aangesteld en veel mensen hebben tijdelijke contracten.

Daarvoor heb je behoefte aan meer exper-

tise, onder meer vanwege de bijbehorende complexe regelingen voor pensioen en sociale zekerheid.’

Daarnaast worden de werkprocessen simpeler en verlopen ze meer geautomatiseerd. Er wordt druk gewerkt aan applicaties die processen kunnen vereenvoudigen. ‘Denk aan het wervings- en selectieproces’, zegt Duynstee, ‘en aan het ziekmeldproces. In totaal houden we wel tachtig processen kritisch tegen het licht. Al die processen willen we slanker maken. Dan kunnen we ze sneller uitvoeren en worden er minder fouten gemaakt.’

Door deze aanpassingen zal de universiteit toe kunnen met 20 procent minder medewer-

kers Human Resources. ‘Een afslanking die door natuurlijk verloop zonder gedwongen ontslagen tot stand komt,’ zegt Janssen.

Een directe aanleiding voor de veranderingen is de wens van het College van Bestuur om het personeelsbeleid beter te laten aansluiten op de strategie van de universiteit, zoals omschreven in het strategieplan 400 Years of Passion & Performance. Daarom is er in de nieuwe opzet onder andere meer aandacht voor performance management en voor talentontwikkeling. Janssen: ‘Al met al wordt Human Resources een stuk moderner.’

Meer info: www.rug.nl/medewerkers/ humanresources.

En wat merkt u daarvan?

Wat merkt u als medewerker van de universiteit van de veranderingen?

Om te beginnen wordt Human Resources onderverdeeld in vier afdelingen: Advies, Services, Expertise en Innovatie. De medewerkers van deze afdelingen verhuizen vanaf september gefaseerd naar enkele centrale plekken in de universiteit, vaak op een andere locatie dan u gewend bent.

Advies De adviseurs worden op twee plaatsen geconcentreerd, in de binnenstad en op de Zernikecampus. Daar zitten de adviseurs nog altijd dichtbij de RUG-medewerkers in de faculteiten en diensten.

Services De tweede verandering is dat alle personeelsen salarisadministrateurs en diverse andere specialistische administratieve medewerkers vanuit de faculteiten en diensten verhuizen naar een centrale plek op de begane grond in de westvleugel van het Academiegebouw.

Daar vormen ze één gezamenlijke afdeling Services.

Expertise Het huidige Beleids- en Organisatieadvies (BOA), Juridische Zaken en Arbeidsvoorwaarden (JZAV) en Mobiliteit & Opleiding (M&O) worden voor het grootste deel ondergebracht in een nieuw dienstverlenend onderdeel dat zich buigt over organisatievraagstukken.

De afdeling Expertise vindt onderdak in het Academiegebouw.

De westvleugel van het Academiegebouw. Foto: Elmer Spaargaren Innovatie De medewerkers van de toekomstige afdeling Innovatie zullen de strategische agenda voor het Human Resources beleid verder ontwikkelen.

Directeur Alle personeelsleden op het gebied van Human Resources vallen straks onder een directeur. De nieuwe directeur treedt per 1 september in dienst. Ook de positie van de directeur verandert, die zal deel gaan uitmaken van de directie van het Bureau van de Universiteit.

Meer zelf doen Van medewerkers in het algemeen en leidinggevenden in het bijzonder wordt straks meer zelfredzaamheid verwacht dan

voorheen. De nieuwe applicaties moeten dit makkelijk maken. Zo is het bij veel applicaties niet langer nodig telkens opnieuw je eigen adresgegevens in te typen. Dat gebeurt automatisch. Ook staan alle formulieren voor medewerkers straks op één plek, in de Self Service Portal.

Applicaties Vanaf september worden de applicaties een voor een uitgerold. Net zoals met internetwinkels, zijn de applicaties altijd bereikbaar.

Voor het zover is, krijgen medewerkers en leidinggevenden vanzelfsprekend meer informatie. Dit gebeurt via verschillende kanalen.

Raadpleeg de medewerkersportal voor nieuwe ontwikkelingen: www.rug.nl/medewerkers.

E N G L I S H P A G E 15

UK 38 - 30 JUNE 2011

Wouter Marchand PhD project on the history of the effect of student grants on social mobility Marchand started his career as an “accidental academic”: he got a PhD position without really looking for one. “That feeling lasted quite a while. It felt awesome just to be here.” But he hasn’t just been enjoying how it feels to sit at his desk, he has actually set to work. He’s been writing a lot and presenting his work at PhD conferences. Also, he’s been searching the archives for students with government grants and checking out their ancestors.

“It felt good to start digging up information”, Marchand says. “Early on, I spent a lot of time reading what other people have written about social mobility. In the end, I just wanted to get going myself.”

He shows me an Excel table on his computer screen with the names of almost 400 grant-assisted students, a lot of them with additional information about their parents. “This really makes me feel like an academic”, Marchand says with a big smile. This database of students will form the core of his work. He has to trace the social backgrounds of grant-assisted students in different types of educational institutions and monitor them over time in order to assess the effect of student grants on social mobility.

Obtaining his first data was a high point. There were a few lows as well, “For example when I had made a methodological choice and then found a new article outlining why my chosen method wouldn’t work.” But he didn’t let it get him down, “My roommate’s supervisor says that if you don’t panic every now and then, you’re not doing it right.”

His advice for new PhD students is, “Network at conferences. Make contact with academics in your line of work.”

Bart Groen MD/PhD project on complications in pregnant patients with Diabetes Mellitus It’s been a busy year for Bart Groen: setting up two large clinical studies, supervising lab experiments and doing a 20-week clerkship on a gynaecology ward. A month ago, he returned from his clerkship to continue with his research full-time. Now, he’s reaping the rewards, “There are heaps of data waiting to be analyzed.” One scientific paper has been submitted and more are in the pipeline. And two weeks ago, he took his oath as a medical doctor. “That was the highlight of this year!”

He’s happy with the way things have worked out in the first ten months of his MD/PhD job. “Another highlight is the way the clinical studies got going. I thought it would be very complicated getting so many people to cooperate, but actually it went quite smoothly.” The only snag is that there are

PhD puppies rt IV: looking back

pa

Photo Reyer Boxem

| S E R I E S | Was it the final step in their education or the first step in their

academic careers? Four PhD students followed by the UK this year as they started their projects look back. What have they learnt and what’s their advice to novice PhD students?

By RENE FRANSEN

fewer pregnant women with Type II Diabetes than expected. “We are planning to recruit from other hospitals now, but we might have to be content with smaller groups of patients.”

He feels he has grown as a scientist, “My experience in designing experiments, setting up clinical studies and reading a lot of scientific literature has made me more critical. If people tell me about their work, I don’t take things for granted anymore, but first want to hear the arguments and see the data.”

What’s his advice to new MD/ PhD students? “You’ve got to believe in your project. Be convinced it’s important for you and for science. And you have to have perseverance. Science is more than 90 percent hard work.”

Shaghayegh Abdolahzadeh PhD project in chemistry, on manganese catalysed oxidation

She has learned a lot this year. Her English has improved, for example, “I’ve started to read more English books, and maybe next year I will take Dutch classes.” And she can use a drill now and connect electrical fittings. “I learned this when I had to move after six months.” She has settled in. Her mother will be over for the summer and maybe her sister, “I hope so. I do miss her!”

Her research project is now well under way, “I’ve got results and I’m now compiling them into a report. Together with my supervisor, I’ll have to choose which direction the work takes from here.”

It’s either further refinement of the analytical tools, or starting to use these tools as they are to study the catalytic process that is central to her project.

The high point in the last ten

months was gaining so much experience, “I have learned how to work with a number of different instruments, and giving presentations to my own research group was instructive. It prepares you for bigger conferences.” The first presentation was a difficult moment, and she really felt the pressure.

Another good thing, “As a child, I read about lasers in popular science books and I desperately wanted to work with them”. She beams, “And now I do: there’s a laser in the UV Raman spectrometer I use. I really like my work.”

She briefly considers her advice to new PhD students. “Most people think living abroad is heaven, but you have to sort everything out yourself, so you need to be sure that you can do this.”

Fernando Nieto Morales PhD project on organizational governance, social sciences He’s ending his first PhD year on crutches.

An old football injury meant he needed a knee operation. “It’s cost me about a month and a half”, says Nieto Morales. Despite this, he has met his targets for the

first year: writing his own papers – a legacy of his work as a Master’s student – and ensuring he has new data for his PhD project. “I just heard that the Mexican government is willing to work with me on a number of studies.”

This is definitely the high point of the year. Looking back, he identifies his first few weeks as a PhD student as a tough time, “I was convinced I wanted to do a PhD after my Master’s degree, but when I got started, I was struck with doubt: had I made the right choice to stay in Groningen for another four years?” He also discovered that not all staff members think along the same lines. “There are different schools within this school, and as a fresh PhD student you have to deal with this. Do I comply or follow my own path?

I had to learn that I can actually change the situation by sitting down and convincing other people of my plans and ideas.”

His advice to new PhD students would be to be patient and have an open mind. “The PhD experience can be overwhelming, and you have to learn how to deal with it.

And don’t freak out if others seem to be going faster. Every PhD student starts at a different point.” He adds, “Enjoy the experience, and don’t forget to enjoy life outside your work!”

This is part four in a series. Read the previous parts in our archive at ukrant.nl, search for ‘puppies’.

INTERNATIONAL

contac t: 050 -3636130,

erns tarbouw@ukrant.nl

Inside: PhD puppies IV IN D E PE N D E NT W E E K LY FO R TH E U NI V E R S IT Y O F G R O NIN G E N n 30 J U N E 2011 n Y E AR 4 0

Guarding the online image

38

What the

bleep

are...?

Terpen

Illustration René Lapoutre

| R E P O R T | How can you reach out to a younger generation that is increasingly networked and inclined to trust anonymous peers? You employ social media.

Or rather, as a university, you employ students to do it for you.

By RICHARD KOOTSTRA It’s already a widespread phenomenon in the UK, where students actively monitor social networking sites. Not just to reach out to a younger generation, but also to protect a university’s image, because the way people talk about them through social media is a factor universities cannot control.

But what about the Netherlands or, more specifically, the University of Groningen? Does Groningen employ students to actively monitor websites and invade personal conversations to protect its im-

age? “Yes and no”, communication our Faculty seem a little more perconsultant for the Faculty of Law sonal, so that people feel like they’re Dore van Hoorn explains. “We do − more than just numbers.” as do other faculties − pay students Van Hoorn thinks it’s all about to monitor social networking sites a proactive mentality. “But we’re such as Facebook and Twitter, but not a commercial enterprise, so we we don’t pay them to protect our don’t have the resources to actively image. In fact, we’ve monitor everything. never needed to proI do want to point tect it. They provide out, however, that we ‘We do pay information about could use a lot more general matters, such students. So if anyone students to as their experience of is interested, they can monitor social just contact me.” living and studying in Groningen.”

The University as a networking She explains that whole does not emprospective students ploy students to monisites’ are referred to student tor social media. “A advisors for more spefew international stucific information, “I’d rather not dents do it of their own accord, employ students. Ideally, I’d prefer but they don’t really have a lot to that they do it voluntarily, because do with the University, other than that gives a more objective impresstudying here,” says Jessica Winsion. We’re not really worried about ters, coordinator of International our reputation. Our goal is to make Marketing & Communication.

CHANGE This is the last fully English UK. A shame?

No, not at all! Next year the UK will have three English pages each week: the UK International section. They will contain news, interviews, columns and interesting stories. So watch out for the 1 September issue.

So maybe the University as a whole doesn’t employ students, but at faculty level it’s a different matter. Deyan Koychev, a 21-year-old Bulgarian student of International Business & Management, is an example. Along with fellow student Andra Buca, he’s paid to be a student ambassador for prospective international students. “Social media is just part of my job”, he explains. “I also give tours of the University to prospective students and their families.”

But no constant mingling in online discussions and telling anonymous peers just how great the University is. “The Faculty of Economics and Business doesn’t pay us to protect its image. We’re objective. And yes, we do monitor our Facebook page and use Twitter, but our job is to give information and answer questions. We’re basically online contact persons.”

If you’ve ever travelled through the countryside of Groningen or the neighbouring province of Friesland, you will have noticed that many villages are built on top of an odd sort of artificial hill. These hills are called terpen in Friesland (wierden in Groningen), and are meant to protect the houses from floods. These artificial dwelling hills can be found all along the coastline of the Wadden Sea, right into Germany and Denmark. The earliest examples date back to 500 BC. The latest examples are being built right now.

A terp usually grew more or less naturally, as organic matter would accumulate around a farm – which clever farmers would have built on the highest part of their land anyway. As the Wadden coast is not protected by sand dunes, these dwelling hills offered refuge to people and animals during floods.

After strong sea dikes were built to protect the Wadden coast, terpen were no longer needed as a refuge. Between 1840 and 1943, many hills were levelled and the soil sold off, as the decomposed organic matter proved to be very fertile. But they’re also archaeological treasure troves, and, fortunately, a good many are still around.

Next week, the first of eight new terpen will be completed in a polder along the river Maas. Eight farms will be relocated to these six metre high hills, as the polder has been designated an overflow area for the Maas. The project costs around EUR 110 million. One wonders what future archaeologists will make of these hills. [ RENÉ FRANSEN ]

Pink Whether you’re gay or not, you should visit Pink Saturday this weekend in Groningen. It is a huge national event with concerts and exhibitions, and, of course, the Gay Parade on Saturday afternoon. This will be headed by Mayor of Groningen Peter Rehwinkel, gay himself, and the municipal council. www.rozestadgroningen.nl