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Totally unromantic Not nerdy at all I kissed a girl Run on Heymans Housecat
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INDEPENDENT WEEKLY FOR THE UNIVERSIT Y OF GRONINGEN n 17 FEBRUARY 2011 n YEAR 40
Geen/No UK In verband met de voorjaarsvakantie verschijnt er komende week geen UK. De volgende is er 3 maart weer. Next week, there will be no UK. The next newspaper is available on 3 March.
IN THIS ISSUE
Germans everywhere The English-taught Bachelor’s degree programme in Psychology is meant for international students. But... guess what: almost all of them are German.
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Thanks guys! For making free travel possible...
Going abroad in Groningen UK reporter Janita Naaijer is addicted to travelling. “But I realized that crossing geographical borders is not the only way to get that feeling of exploring new worlds.” So she’s going abroad in Groningen. This week she meets Shanti Dewi.
15 > Attention! Almanac Award! Attention all student clubs! The UK is organizing its annual students’ almanac contest. Send your copy (before 16 March) and you might win the UK Almanac Award. Our address is: UK, P.O. Box 80, 9700 AB Groningen. Or pop into our editorial office: Oude Kijk in ‘t Jatstraat 28, Groningen.
The OV travel pass had already been hacked to pieces, but now the Student OV travel pass has been put through the meat grinder. Ethical hackers Michiel Prins (21) and Luit van Drongelen (21) have found a way to change a weekly pass into a weekend pass, and vice versa, at the push of a button. They can travel for free, without the conductor ever noticing. See page 3 > Photo Jeroen van Kooten
iPhone gang preys on UB UKTV The Pebble, little sister of the KEI. See ukrant.nl
English edition Deze week verschijnt de UK helemaal in het Engels, de tweede keer dit jaar. Laat weten wat je ervan vindt via uk@rug.nl This week, we have produced a UK completely in English, the second time this year. Let us know what you think: uk@rug.nl
For the third time in three weeks, thieves have struck at the University Library. Two iPhones were stolen on Monday, after two men distracted students with fake petitions. According to one of the victims, 24-year-old student Katharina Volkmann, the thieves are professionals who know their way around the library. “They were very clever. I was sitting on the first floor, working on my laptop and with my iPhone beside me. Two men carrying a clipboard came by and held a petition in front of me. They were pointing at it, it was very chaotic. The note had different languages on it, so it took me a while before I realized what they wanted. Suddenly they looked annoyed and walked away
quickly. Only minutes later did I realize my iPhone was gone.” Volkmann describes the men, who pretended to be deaf, as Middle-Eastern types with dark hair and dark-coloured eyes. “It happened so fast, I didn’t really get the time to look at them. Even the student sitting across me had not noticed anything. They looked better than bums, but worse than the average student. One of them wore a cap. We’ve looked at video footage from security cameras on the fourth floor, but we did not spot them.” The thieves struck again on the third floor that same day. Three weeks earlier an iPhone was stolen in exactly the same manner. Police now think a gang might be at work. “We will discuss this with the library staff. Everyone can walk in-
to the library, and because young men are involved, security personnel can do little to identify them. However, their working method should be made public”, says police officer Matthijs Beukema. Library management previously refused to take action, calling the thefts “incidents”. But according to manager Marjolein Nieboer measures were taken immediately after the thefts on Monday. “It has our full attention. We’ve placed warnings on monitors in the library, because we expect they will be visiting our building again.” Nieboer says library management is considering installing a camera at the entrance. “But the main message still is: watch your belongings.”
peterkeizer@ukrant.nl
Protest on cuts The Faculty Council of Economics and Business protests against budget cuts in the next four years. During that period the Faculty Board will have to save EUR 3 million, eight percent of its total budget. As managing director Teun van Duinen puts it, “We will try to implement them with the minimum damage possible.” One measure will be to revise the curricula of the Bachelor’s and Master’s programmes. By improving working processes Van Duinen aims to cut nine FTE from the administrative and support staff without any redundancies. Another possibility is cutting language courses of the University Language Centre. The Faculty Council worries the cuts will affect teaching and research. [ HANNEKE BOONSTRA ]
2 THIS WEEK
UK 23 - 17 FEBRUARY 2011
Medical Sciences > 11/02/2011 8.00 a.m. > making Valentine’s breakfast
‘It’s totally unromantic’ The girls on the Commission for Development Cooperation (COP) are making the Valentine’s breakfast they have sold to fellow students. They are raising money to buy wheelchairs for disabled children in Indonesia.
The ACLO, the University’s student sports organization, will hold its first sports gala on Thursday. During the gala, prizes will be awarded to ACLO athletes who have made an outstanding contribution. There will be four different categories: talent, sportsperson, sports club and sports team of the year. Trophies for sporting achievements have been awarded each year, but this is the first time a gala will be held to mark the event. All of the 550 tickets were sold out ten days in advance: a big surprise for Corien Schouten, Internal Coordinator of the ACLO. “We didn’t expect this much attention. Fantastic!” The winners will each receive a prize of EUR 250. [ ANNE CARLIJN KOK ]
By JANITA NAAIJER “We’re still half asleep. We had a Valentine’s party yesterday.” The seven girls who are on the COP of Panacea, the medical faculty association, gather in the basement of the Faculty of Medical Sciences. They have had about an hour’s sleep. Now, freshly showered at eight in the morning, they are starting their own Valentine’s mission: preparing 99 breakfasts, and delivering them today and tomorrow morning to student houses. There’s a lot going on in the storeroom. They’ve set up a production line that seems to be running smoothly. It’s only occasionally interrupted by a muted smile or a curse. They’ve moved some large tables to form a Ushape. Yolanda Schoo is standing with Vivian Boswinkel at the beginning of the U. They are both wrapping red roses in cellophane. Thorns and a bit of a hangover don’t necessarily go hand in hand. The work continues, and after a huge amount of packages filled with orange juice, rolls, boiled eggs, chocolate and croissants have been processed the first box with its delicate Valentine’s breakfast appears in front of Maike Nillesen. She is sitting at the end of the U and is ready to finish the job with red paper hearts and a black marker that will replace Cupid’s arrow today. “Dear Ben, thank you for being my boyfriend.” “Cheers to our house!” “Happy single Valentine’s Day.” And finally the text that the girls of the COP unanimously voted as most romantic, “Yours
First gala of sports
Ankara, here we come Some seventy law students are following lectures at Ankara University without even leaving Groningen. A video system is linking Dutch and Turkish students.
Photo Reyer Boxem
‘s for two and a half years but hopefully for many more to come!” “I feel like I’m still asleep”, Yolanda puts four breakfast boxes in plastic bags. She studies the route from Google Maps that her colleague Florien van Blanken has handed out. West Groningen. By bike! “Oh great!” she sighs. “I’ve really got the energy for that.” “Don’t worry”, the others reply. “They’ll appreciate you coming even more.” The wind is cold and the sky
is grey. Yolanda pedals forcefully while the bags swing back and forth. It’s all for charity. And of course the enchanting spectacle of bathrobes, boxer shorts and bewildered faces. Yolanda cycles from the Eeldersingel to the Van Heemskerckstraat, where the doorbell makes first-year medical student Sanne van Tilburg get out of bed. But she expected it. “I ordered the breakfast with my friends, because we had a sleepover after last night’s Valentine’s party. No,
I know – it’s totally unromantic.” The room where her friends Maran, Jacomien, Ellen and Susanne crawl one by one out of their sleeping bags is pleasantly warm. Yolanda puts the box on the floor and the girls look at it curiously. “Honey, what did you order for us?” one of them asks in a mock sultry voice. They all laugh, but opening the box silences them. It’s a few seconds before they voice their approval – especially of the chocolate.
Disaster | 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. Swathed in a long, black dress and a red veil that keeps slipping, I am on my way to flooded North-West Pakistan. My Oxfam colleagues and I landed in Islamabad yesterday morning. After a safety briefing and a quick tour of the Oxfam office, where stress reigned supreme, we were expected to get hold of a salwar kameez, the traditional Pakistani wide trousers with a tunic-like dress. Oxfam believes this will make us less likely to become the target of extremist groups. I certainly won’t get sunburnt, but I wonder if
Over a period of four weeks Turkish and Dutch lecturers will each be giving a one-hour lecture for Turkish and Dutch students. “I think the Turkish students are mostly Master’s students. In Groningen, it’s part of the ‘Decision-making in the EU’ course unit for third-year students on the International and European Union Law Bachelor’s programme”, explains Associate Professor of Political Science Theo van den Hoogen. The project is an initiative of the Turkey Institute in the Netherlands. No subject is taboo. “Cyprus is one of the issues covered. And students can ask any questions they like. We call this internationalization at home. If this works, we could undertake similar projects with other universities.” [ RENE FRANSEN ]
Stricter rules for UMCG research Research staff at the UMCG will have to meet stricter criteria to qualify for research grants via the research funding system.
the average Pakistani will be impressed by my culturally correct outfit. Our task is to evaluate the quality of Oxfam’s emergency aid programme and examine how it could be better coordinated. Sixty million dollars are available to provide survival aid to more than one million people, mainly in the form of clean drinking water and cheques to buy food and clothing. After I left Groningen I worked as a journalist for two years. Then I’d had enough of being a spectator and applied for a job at a humanitarian organization. After a few years (for UNICEF and MSF) on forgotten islands in the Indian Ocean, dusty villages in the Sahel and on the Ganges in the poorest part of India, the endless trips in Land Cruisers on roads that are not roads and the courtesy visits to traditional leaders (time and time again those glasses of cloyingly sweet tea) began to lose their
initial charm. Time for a reality check: what was actually so boring about Europe again? At Oxfam International – a home base in historic Oxford and 12 weeks a year travelling to countries where it is 50 degrees in the shade and Diet Coke is a luxury – I don’t need to choose. In Pakistan I visit three flooded provinces, talk to dozens of people living in the endless rows of tent camps, whose villages (and therefore accommodation, household effects, cows and winter clothes for the children) disappeared into the Indus River. Exhausted, thanks to food poisoning, I slump in the plane home fifteen days later and relax in the comforting knowledge that a new disaster will soon be waiting. Marlies Lensink is a humanitarian officer with Oxfam Novib Student editor from 1997 - 1999
The O&O Council for teaching and research has approved the first draft of the plans. In the UMCG system, researchers who qualify as ‘principal investigators’ get a small financial funding bonus. They’re also allowed to supervise MD/PhD projects and Top Master students, and can apply for PhD projects funded by the UMCG. To qualify, six publications in the top 30 percent of journals in a given field over a period of three years were required. The new plans state that papers should be published in the top 25 percent. The minimum number will be raised. The exact number still has to be decided. Similar measures have worked well at other University Medical Centres. [ RENE FRANSEN ]
NEWS 3
UK 23 - 17 FEBRUARY 2011
nieuws@ukrant.nl
No one’s happy with introduction After four years of negotiations Rector Magnificus Frans Zwarts proposed a new plan for the introduction programme. Student societies involved are not pleased. They want to get rid of the mandatory rest day. After lengthy discussions with stu-
dent societies, study associations, KEI board members and faculties, Zwarts is introducing a well-defined programme: a five-day KEI week, a twelve-day programme for the student societies, a rest day and a study association camp. “But we already have adequate resting periods in our own introduction programme”, Albertus board member Annelies Valk says.
“We had twenty-two days for our introduction period in 2006. In 2007 it was nearly halved. And now we’re losing another evening.” The student societies therefore propose to drop the rest day, but Sanne Roefs of the FVOG, the consultative body of study associations, refuses to. “It’s one of the reasons we started the negotiations. And if students were to visit the student societies
on that day, they wouldn’t be able to attend our introduction.” Zwarts wants to close the problem portfolio before his departure at the end of this month, but has not heard of the discontent. The student parties in the University Council will discuss the matter today (Thursday) with the Board of the University during committee meetings. [ PETER KEIZER ]
Students: stop giving us sixes Students on the Faculty Council of the Faculty of Economics and Business complain about low marks in examinations. Marks in other countries are considerably higher - a problem for Dutch students if they want to study abroad, and for international students. Part of the problem is the northern mentality, says Professor Janka Stoker, Vice Dean of the Faculty. “We tend to give sixes and sevens.” A ‘mutual marking language’ is being developed.
RUG allowed to ask EUR 32,000 The University of Groningen is justified in setting tuition fees at EUR 32,000 for a prospective oral surgery student from Utrecht. The law that allows this may be flawed, but only the government can change it, the Appeals Tribunal for Higher Education concluded. The student wishes to become an oral surgeon. This is only possible if she specializes after gaining a degree in medicine. The government views the specialization as a ‘second’ programme, for which universities set their own fees.
Experiment with quick evalutation The Psychology degree programme at the RUG wants to evaluate course units immediately after they’ve been taught. This way, when a course unit is taught by more than one lecturer, it’s possible to monitor how each of them functions. Director of Undergraduate and Postgraduate Studies Karel Brookhuis believes it will make evaluations more precise.
Pebble
Today (Thursday) is the last day of Kiezel (literally ‘pebble’, a play on its big sister the KEI (‘boulder’) week), a three-day introduction period for the smaller student societies. Tonight there’s ‘Gelatine Guillotine’ at Cleopatra, or you can eat kosher ‘kroketten’ at Dionysos or party with DJ Marty McFly at Fleks. Photo Jeroen van Kooten
Check tickets and sell beer in Mariska’s room This Thursday Evening is Stukafest. A special event that turns student houses into tiny theatres. Preparations are in full swing. They don’t know each other yet, but will spend the evening together on Thursday. Danibal is excited and so is Mariska de Roo, Master’s student of business development. She has made her apartment available for the rendezvous. About fifteen people will be there to witness
it. For Stukafest De Roo will throw her doors open wide and a musical act called Heug is set to perform. De Roo’s room sold out even before the rooms where guest writer Ronald Giphart and musician Armand will perform. Danibal, one half of Heug, feels honoured. “Maybe someone spread it around that we’re really good? As far as I know, we don’t have a hardcore fanbase here.” De Roo hadn’t heard of Heug either. “But I’m really curious now!”
Danibal is considering taking “an arsenal of instruments” along to Groningen. Heug always improvise their entire performance so they never know exactly what they will need in advance. However, Danibal’s jew’s-harp will be in the luggage for certain. He’s a self-proclaimed authority. As a “representative of the Dutch Jew’s-harp Society” he went to Hungary and will travel to Yakutsk as well. “That’s in Russia. You might know it from the board game Risk.”
As her end of the deal, De Roo only has to come up with a meal. Heug will be dining with her. “I think we’ll eat in my room. Then Heug can get a bit used to it.” De Roo will stay in her room all evening together with a housemate who will check tickets and sell beer. What can the audience expect, according to Danibal? “I love it when artists drop their guard. When they manage to entertain with a bare minimum of means.” [ ELISABETH OOSTERLING ] More information: www.stukafest.nl
Read the Student OV, add some data - that simple It all began with an assignment for Computing Science and Applied Informatics: hack the Hanze University staff pass. It turned out to be so easy, that Luit van Drongelen and Michiel Prins had to find a new challenge: the Student OV travel pass.
a Student OV to it. After that came the idea to change a weekly pass into a weekend pass. We started looking on Twitter for students who were about to switch, and asked them if we could read their cards before and after the switch. That way we could see what data was added to the card. It’s that simple.”
How did you proceed? “We started by reading our own weekly passes. Then we took an anonymous card and added data for
Can’t the hack be discovered by Trans Link Systems (TLS)? “You don’t have to check in using a Student OV, so TLS can’t check the
card. We asked a conductor at the train station to help us. He thought it funny and checked the card with his scanner. It did indeed say it was a weekend pass, although the card was actually a weekly pass. We wrote a software tool which can change the status of your OV travel pass in two seconds. All you need is a laptop and a cheap RFID reader.”
What are you going to do now? “We’re not going to share the tool, we just want to make a statement.
We don’t want to make it easier for students to travel for free. We did contact DUO about it, and they weren’t happy with yet another OV failure.”
Was it difficult to hack the card? “The OV travel pass is a € 3 billion project and it took us, two students, a month to hack. Had we worked on it full time, it would have only taken us a week. It’s so easy to hack, you wonder what they were doing.” [ PETER KEIZER ]
Scholarship for medieval project On Friday, as part of the farewell ceremony for Rector Magnificus Frans Zwarts, medieval historian and philologist Sabrina Corbellini will receive the EUR 25,000 University of Groningen Nicolaus Mulerius Stipendium. Corbellini, a Rosalind Franklin Fellow, is currently working on the use of bible translations in the vernacular from before the Reformation. The scholarship is awarded every five years.
EUR 2 million for smart robots A European network of artificial intelligence researchers has been awarded a grant of EUR 2 million under the EU’s Seventh Framework Programme. The grant will be used to foster collaboration within the network over the next three years. The network will focus on industrial applications as well as public understanding and education. The Artificial Intelligence unit at the Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences is part of the network.
More news (in Dutch): ukrant.nl or m.ukrant.nl (mobile)
4 OPINION A revolution? We think knot! so will it cause a revolution by forcing changes in the modern synthesis? if we consider adaptive evolution according to the modern synthesis, within any population of a given species we encounter genetic differences caused by undirected mutations in the genes. together, the genotype of an individual and the individual’s environment give rise to its looks and behaviour (phenotype). Natural selection occurs when some phenotypes have higher rean article published in the Uk on productive success than others, al13 January 2011 caught our at- lowing these individuals to increase tention. the article, entitled “the their genetic share in the next gengenes didn’t do it; red knots bring eration. Note that natural selection revolution in biology”, was writ- acts on the phenotype, so it is incorten by rené Fransen on the occa- rect to say that in the modern synsion of the publication of The Flex- thesis genes change first and phenoible Genotype, a book written by types later: they change in concert. theunis Piersma (sometimes called Evolution occurs only if the supethe nemesis of the Modern synthe- rior phenotypes are heritable, i.e. sis of evolutionary biology) and Jan have a genetic basis. van Gils. the phenomenon that Piersma the article promised a challenge and Van Gils describe is superficialto the current dogma that would ly different. if a population is concause an explosion fronted with a new in biology. Naturally, environment, indias evolutionary bioloviduals adjust their gists, we were curious ‘apparently, the phenotypes non-geto learn what this imnetically (phenotypgap between pressive new insight ic plasticity). onwas. the article starts ly thereafter will the ecologists and with the observation individuals that do geneticists is that, during their anso most effectively nual migration, red assimilate the phestill great’ knots change in mornotypic change gephology and physiolnetically by natural ogy in response to certain environ- selection. mental cues. is this scenario sufficiently differPiersma states: “Genes simply pro- ent to warrant changing the modern duce bodies that are flexible enough synthesis? Not really. the process to rapidly respond to changing cir- that Piersma and Van Gils describe cumstances. these changes in be- is interesting, but completely conhaviour may ultimately lead to sistent with the modern synthesis. changes in genes.” he adds, “genes it is one possible scenario among don’t drive change, they respond.” many. this last statement is rather crypconcluding, the authors deserve tic. the phenomenon of a single praise for writing an excellent overgenotype producing a variety of view of phenotypic plasticity by indifferent phenotypes in response tegrating aspects of ecology, physto the environment is known as iology and behaviour. the authors phenotypic plasticity and has been concede that evolution plays a masubject to investigation for decades. jor role in shaping the phenotype this cannot be Piersma’s new in- and have dedicated a chapter to sight. this. however, eleven pages do not We therefore read the book and suffice to capture the full complexidiscovered that only the last chap- ty of evolution playing out in all aster deals with evolutionary aspects. pects of a phenotype. according to this chapter, we have the authors have not developed been seriously underestimating the a novel insight and we deplore that role of phenotypic plasticity in evo- they apparently felt it necessary lution. the authors claim “Pheno- to call the modern synthesis into types change first and genes fol- question without putting forward low,” which, they say, is in sharp any compelling arguments for this. contrast to the modern synthesis apparently, the gap between ecolothat states that “genes change first gists and (evolutionary) geneticists and that phenotypes follow”. is still great. We rejoice in the growso are we really dealing with a ing attention of ecologists and hope new insight that will cause a revo- that evolutionary biology will soon lution in biology? We think not. be constructively integrated into the idea is not new but was pro- the authors’ views. posed by James Mark Baldwin back in1896 and is known as the ‘Bald- Corneel Vermeulen, Kim Meijer Evolutionary Genetics, Groningen win effect’.
In January the UK interviewed ecologist Theunis Piersma on his new insights concerning evolutionary biology. But evolutionary geneticists Corneel Vermeulen and Kim Meijer don’t believe in the revolution Piersma promised. “We deplore that they apparently felt it necessary to call the modern synthesis into question without putting forward any compelling arguments.”
UK 23 - 17 FEBRUARY 2011
Germans eve |_
But English is still the lingua
| b ac kg r o u n d | It’s a programme for international students, but the Englishtaught Bachelor’s degree programme in Psychology is hardly a colourful mix of different nationalities: almost all of the students are German. By richard kootstra
Surrounded by Germans Joël de Jong is one of the few dutch students that chose to do the English Bachelor’s in Psychology. in fact, he’s one of the few non-German students in his year. “there are maybe five or six dutch students, a few from Bulgaria, sweden and Finland and one south korean student. there are about 220 German students, to give you some perspective.” But he doesn’t feel like he’s the odd one out. “the funny thing is, most dutch students think it’s weird i’m following the English programme. it’s never bothered me that i’m in a minority here. if i’m around my German fellow students, they always speak English, so i never really feel left out.” although English is the lingua franca, a lot of German students speak some dutch. “You wouldn’t even notice some of them are German, they are that fluent in dutch”, Joël explains. “i guess they’re the
ones who followed the Intensiv Kursus, a kind of four-week boot camp where they get locked up in a monastery to learn dutch!” he gets along just fine with his German fellow students. “of course different groups are formed, but that happens anywhere. and it’s not just German people either. You get invited to parties no matter what nationality you are, as long as you’re part of that group.”
Different worlds a lot of German students have no problem learning the language and getting along with the dutch students. But this is not always the case. some German students find it difficult to cross cultural boundaries. Jülide Özyurte, a 22-yearold German student of turkish descent, has had some trouble finding her feet in the Netherlands. “i’m studying very hard and i don’t really have the time or money to take courses in dutch. on the one hand, it’s easier to speak your own language with others, but it isn’t really helpful if you want to integrate and understand the culture. it’s a little weird if you’ve studied abroad for four years and the only people you know are also German.” studying in the Netherlands was the most logical step for her. “i wanted to do psychology, but it’s
really hard to get accepted at German universities. You need excellent grades. i thought about going to sweden or australia, but that was too expensive. the Netherlands has a very good reputation, so i decided to study here.” although she thinks the dutch are very open people in general, she did have a nasty run-in when applying for a room. “i was here for about a week when i applied. they told me i couldn’t live there, because i wasn’t dutch.”
Cultural differences Jülide spots a dutch person from a mile away. “they always dress nicely. Boys wear nice shoes and you never see a dutch girl without high heels. i sometimes feel a little out of place when i’m studying in the University Library dressed in baggy trousers and a sweater. in Germany this is quite normal, even if you’re going out.” But it’s not just the way dutch people dress. “how can you eat that many chips and crisps and still look so thin? in Germany we try to have a healthy diet with lots of vegetables and still manage to look fat!” But Germans have their cultural quirks as well, according to Joël. “they don’t really shake hands, but always hug. i’m a reserved sort of person, so that was some-
EDUC ATION 5
UK 23 - 17 FEBRUARY 2011
rywhere franca at Heymans
The challenge... Dutch lessons
Two large beers, please Studying means pushing back frontiers and taking up challenges. This could mean dissecting mice, donning a suit to make a presentation or debating in a foreign language. The UK puts the spotlight on students and the challenges they face in their studies. This week: exchange students Conrado Rantin (21) and Rodrigo Vitor (22) from Brazil are attending their first Dutch lesson. By anne carlijn kok “Who can already introduce themselves in Dutch?” the teacher asks at the beginning of the class. Only a few hands go up. “Well, at the end of the evening everybody will know some common conversational phrases,” she says soothingly. Conrado and Rodrigo grin at each other. The times they’ve tried to make conversation so far haven’t been a success. Conrado already got into a quarrel with a Dutch girl.
“she was having trouble dancing and holding her bag at the same time. so I said I’d look after her bag for five bucks, just like in a mafia movie. she was very insulted.” Rodrigo smiles, “something went wrong, but we’re here to learn.” The 25 exchange students start their introductory lesson. They practise on their classmates, and repeat sentences after the teacher. “Ik ben, jij bent, hij is”, echoes through the classroom. “I can read and understand Dutch
most of the time,” Rodrigo says, “but I can’t pronounce it. especially the ‘G’, as in ‘Groningen’, that’s really difficult.” Once the students have got the hang of the first phrases, the teacher explains how to make small talk: how they can say something about their studies and where they live, how to count in Dutch and so on. Rodrigo and Conrado listen carefully and take notes. “It’s useful for in a bar or during classes,” Conrado says. “I hope to come into more contact with Dutch students. so far, I only hang around with other exchange students. It isn’t easy communicating in Dutch.” after an hour or so, the teacher finishes up. “are there any more questions?” a number of hands go up. “How do you order a beer?” a Turkish student asks. all the other hands suddenly disappear. The teacher smiles, “Mag ik een biertje? ‘Biertje’ means a small beer.” The student looks puzzled, “But I only drink large ones!”
Bachelor’s needs real research | b ac kg r o u n d | If you’re reading for a university degree, research should be part of the curriculum. But is this the case with Bachelor’s programmes? A University committee looked into the matter. “We need to do better.”
Illustration Paul de Vreede
‘Develop a sense of home’ Julia Schlegelmilch, 22, from Germany, is a psychology student and member of the Faculty Council of the Faculty of Behavioural and Social Sciences. She was among the first German students who came to Groningen and is perfectly integrated. “i came to the netherlands to study psychology in 2008, the same year they started offering a Bachelor’s degree programme for international students. in Germany, it is very hard to get onto a psychology course because there is a cap on student enrolment and the grade requirements are high. i was really interested in doing something in english, so i even considered going to the United states or Britain, but i didn’t really like the idea of living in the U.s. – the country doesn’t appeal to me that much – and studying in Britain is very expensive. so the natural thing to do was to go to thing I had to get used to. and once you’ve figured that out, you learn the same thing extends to birthday greetings. You don’t kiss each oth-
the netherlands. i’m very interested in different cultures, so for me it was only natural to go out and meet people, instead of sticking to a group of international students. there’s more to life than just studying; you need to get involved. otherwise, life would be boring. that’s one of the reasons i became a member of the Faculty council. language is a barrier of course, but i never expected to learn dutch so easily. i took a course and tried speaking dutch as much as possible. however, if dutch people notice you struggling with the language, they almost automatically switch to english. it’s a matter of persistence i guess, and a lot more doors will open up if you know the language. after a while you develop a sense of independence, a sense of home. and if you meet someone really interesting, you learn faster, because you want to impress them!” er on the cheek: you just hug. Maybe there is a difference in how long you hug, but I still have to figure that one out.”
By René FRansen If there’s one thing that defines an academic education, it’s research. “a nationwide debate is raging about the difference between universities and universities of applied sciences”, says Inge Hutter, chair of the University Committee for academic Practice. Universities want to be research-driven in all aspects, including teaching. “But the students on my committee wondered what part research played in the Bachelor’s degree
programmes. so we’ve drawn up an inventory.” This was done together with the University Committee for education. The result is a report that was recently discussed by the University Council. The main conclusion: research isn’t always visible in the Bachelor’s curriculum. “That requires a bit of extra effort, I think”, says Hutter. For example: a Bachelor’s course unit she teaches at her own Faculty of spatial sciences. “alongside a textbook, we use many examples from our own research projects. But that doesn’t show up in the official course description.” What’s worse is that students don’t always notice the difference between examples from textbooks and cutting-edge research. But why is it important to make
research visible this way? “The awareness that they are working with real research material stimulates students.” The report serves another purpose too: to highlight where this component is lacking. “We need to do better.” Her words are echoed by sibrand Poppema, President of the Board of the University. He applauded the report when it was discussed by the University Council recently. “all Directors of Undergraduate studies should use this to check their curricula. It is vital that teaching and research are interconnected.” student factions wondered what difference this report would make to Bachelor’s programmes. Hutter is optimistic. “I can already see it making a difference in my own Faculty.”
Honours students win the lottery | r e p o r t | Thought you had the perfect subject for your Bachelor’s thesis in psychology? Unless you’re an Honours student, you will most likely have to do something else. Choosing a subject has started to resemble a lottery. By richard kootstra students needed to enrol via nestor for the different subjects by noon on 7 February. as the clock struck twelve, every psychology student still in need of a subject was frantically trying to enrol. In the case of 20-year-old psychology student Laura de Jong, things didn’t turn out the way she wanted. “I had a problem with my internet connection and a pressing appointment, so I couldn’t enrol in time. Let’s just say that the subject I was allotted wasn’t in my top-seven list of preferences.” The problem occurs every year, but because of the massive number of Bachelor’s students who enrolled two years ago, the pressure this year is even greater. and there isn’t much that can be done. Frank
steyvers, the Ba thesis coordinator, stated on nestor: “There’s only a limited capacity. We are hiring extra lecturers, but there’s always a problem of supply and demand. not everyone is a clinical or developmental psychologist.” There are exceptions of course. Honours students get to choose ahead of the rest. Myrthe scheenen is such an exception. “I can imagine some might think this is unfair, but the Honours programme
is 15 eCTs more and packed with seminars and meetings.” enrolling for your thesis is possible after you have passed the statistics II course unit. If you pass at the second attempt, you won’t have been able to enrol from the start and will be stuck with the least popular subjects. 22-year old Carlijn is going to wait. “I talked it over with my study advisor and decided to start in september. I don’t want to be stuck with a boring subject.”
Een duurzaam ontwikkelde carrière gaat langer mee. Academisch toptalent Je eerste baan is tegenwoordig vrijwel nooit je laatste. Maar vaak wel de baan die de rest van je carrière beïnvloedt. Droom jij van een loopbaan bij een multinational of de overheid, dan is de keuze voor je eerste werkgever eenvoudig: Deloitte. Veel topbestuurders in Nederland danken hun huidige positie aan een carrièrestart bij Deloitte. En dat is niet toevallig. Bij ons werk je namelijk al vanaf dag één voor toonaangevende organisaties aan innovatieve en vooral duurzame oplossingen. Niet omdat duurzaamheid vandaag de dag in de mode is, maar omdat wij weten dat het de sleutel vormt tot de businesskansen van morgen. Waardoor jij je kansen op de arbeidsmarkt ook weer verder vergroot. Zoek jij de beste start van je carrière? Begin eerst hier: werkenbijdeloitte.nl.
SCIENCE 7
UK 23 - 17 FEBRUARY 2011
Not nerdy at all
Shor t
| R E S E A R C H | There’s a shortage of graduates in the sciences. There has been for years, despite a plethora of government initiatives. Why is it that so many secondary school pupils shy away from maths, physics and chemistry? By RENÉ FRANSEN It could be the nerd factor, of course. The stereotypical science student wears tragic pullovers and is an introverted eccentric. If he makes a joke, it’s bound to include an obscure reference to Einstein. No healthy 15-year-old wants to be like that – well, except for the ones who are already eccentric introverts. “We did actually look into that, and it’s not true. Pupils who choose subjects in the sciences are only marginally more introverted than students who choose arts subjects or Economics.” Hanke Korpershoek has investigated the Mystery of the Missing Science Students for the last years, and will defend her PhD thesis on the subject today. The missing science students have been a mystery for decades. Although the economy needs chemists, physicists and mathematicians, there are precious few who actually take a degree programme in these subjects. There have been decades of government campaigns to convince girls in particular that science is fun, but such campaigns never seem to work. Targets set for an increase in the number of science students were never realized. “So my first question was: is there enough talent around?”, says Korpershoek. She used a database kept by her department (GION, the Groningen Institute for Educational Research) that contains information on children in secondary education. It includes a number of special tests that GION has pupils take during their first three years. “I used pupils’ results in maths tests and symbolic intelligence tests to estimate their ‘scientific potential’.” In their third or fourth year, pupils choose one of four profiles: Science & Technology, Science & Health, Economy & Society or Culture & Society. Korpershoek calculated the average score of Science & Technology pupils on ‘scientific potential’. “I then looked at how many pupils in the other profiles had an average or higher ‘scientific poten-
-ow!
Hedge funds Hedge funds have a bad name, but they are necessary to enable financial markets to function properly. Bernard Boonstra studied how hedge funds work from a macroeconomic perspective. Consumers turn to financial intermediaries, and to hedge funds in particular, to facilitate them in transferring and reducing unwanted unequitized exposure. Boonstra defended his PhD thesis at the Faculty of Business and Economics last Monday.
Politbüro GDR The Politbüro (the executive committee of the ruling communist party) of the German Democratic Republic was not able to adapt to the changes that occurred in the late 1980s because its dogmatic leadership and closed political system could not produce innovative policies to reflect the changed external circumstances. That’s the conclusion of Peter Vogel, who studied how the Politbüro acted between 1985 and 1989 for his PhD thesis. He defended his thesis last Monday at the Faculty of Arts.
Schoolchildren meeting science in the University of Groningen Discovery truck (archive) tial’.” About one in five pupils in other profiles had the potential.
‘They don’t know what they want to study at that age’ So, there is an untapped reserve of potential science students. And it is even more than one in five: “I looked at what makes a successful science pupil. Motivation also proved important.” It turned out that students’ average examination grade for advanced maths, chemistry and physics could
partly be predicted from their ability in maths and partly from their academic achievement motivation. Korpershoek then looked at the attitude of pupils who went on to study scientific or non-scientific programmes. The non-scientific pupils turned out to have a more negative perception of scientific studies. “They expected them to be very restricted, for example.” But she also found that 10 percent of the nonscientific students with scientific potential were more positive about scientific programmes than about their own. “So why hadn’t they chosen a scientific programme?” There is no clear answer. “The fact that 15-year olds have to choose a profile could possibly
Photo Elmer Spaargaren
be a problem”, says Korpershoek. “They don’t know what they want to study at that age.” But in order to take a science degree at university you need the Science & Technology profile, which is not that popular. Korpershoek thinks it better to postpone the choice and offer two broader profiles: a science-oriented profile and a society-oriented profile. “Ideally, this should be tested in a limited number of schools. And it would also help to have an objective test of scientific potential at school before pupils choose a particular profile.” In the meantime, the Mystery remains unsolved. “There’s not one solution”, says Korpershoek. “More research is needed.”
Your brain can kill you
By RENÉ FRANSEN Can your brain kill you? Sure, if it stops working, but that’s not what I mean. Could brain activity actually make you ill and die? The answer is yes. The way we think affects our immune system, blood pressure and hormone levels. And there is compelling evidence that a feeling of loneliness actually shortens life expectancy by these means. There’s a nice news item reviewing literature on the subject in Science (14 January 2011). It shows that it’s the actual feeling of loneliness and not the number of social contacts a person has which does the damage. And it’s partly hereditary, as is shown by data from the Dutch Twin Register in Amsterdam. The cure is cognitive behavioural
therapy, which can help lonely people to interpret their social situation in a more positive direction. Surprisingly, regular visits from a caretaker don’t work, they just confirm the lonely person’s view that he or she is a loser. There’s always a bit of a mystery surrounding ‘illnesses of the brain’. While cognitive behavioural therapy appears to be the best way to treat for example chronic fatigue syndrome, many patients refuse to take it, because, they say, it’s their bodies that are fatigued. Chronic fatigue symptom to them is a problem of the body, not of the brain. Now, observant readers will notice at this point that the brain is actually part of the body. It’s an organ, just like kidneys or your liver. Yet there’s always a tinge of dualism
when we talk about our brains. Even the most radical materialists can’t get rid of it entirely. The complicated thing is of course that our brain is also the interface with the world around us. Life events, like the death of a loved one, impact on our lives through our brains. The loss causes loneliness and its negative consequences, the Science article says. In the end, mind seems to rule over matter, even though the mind has a material seat: the brain. (Thanks to Dr Anita Verhoeven, UMCG, for suggesting this topic.)
In this feature, the UK presents remarkable, shocking or laughable news from the world of science.
Parkinson’s In Parkinson’s disease patients, a lack of dopamine in the brain causes a loss of executive control functions. Initiating a non-routine movement is a problem. But speech therapist Katrien Colman discovered that the same problem arises when making new and complex sentences. She advises using short sentences to overcome this communication problem, but warns against using childlike language. That is not appropriate, she says, as the inability to communicate is not caused by cognitive decline. Colman defends her PhD thesis at the Faculty of Arts today (Thursday).
Visual brain It has only recently become possible to use magnetic resonance imaging scans (MRI) to study the very rapid natural eye movement and fi xation. Jan Bernard Marsman used this technique in the Neuroimaging Center of the UMCG. He discovered that the way our eyes move determines where in the visual cortex the information is processed. Brain activity during fi xation can also predict what a person is looking at. Marsman defended his PhD thesis at the Faculty of Medicine last Wednesday.
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@UK 9
UK 23 - 17 FEBRUARY 2011
S h ac k
Alain Living hell
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| S E R I E S | What does your room reveal
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about you? Each week the UK has a sniff around a student house looking for remarkable stories behind the objects we find. By ANNE CARLIJN KOK
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Shack resident
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Cameras
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Teira Stauth,, a 23-yearold student of Communications and Sociology, lives at the international student accommodation on the Winschoterdiep. She’s from Calgary, Canada, and will be living here for the next five months. “I always wanted to discover a culture very different from my own. Holland is different in language but also in culture. Besides that, Groningen is a city with a lot of students who actually live in the city itself. It’s fun. You know what’s also fun? You’re allowed to ride your bike any where!”
“I love photography. It’s fun to create nice pictures and it’s more difficult than it seems. I’ve got three cameras: one for serious photography, one for taking pictures at bars and a Diana camera. The Diana camera is a special one. It’s originally from the sixties or seventies, but mine is new. It takes arty pictures and has, for example, different colours of flash. The Canon is my favourite. Pictures taken with that one go to my parents in Canada.”
3 Photo’s Elmer Spaargaren
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Nail polish
“I’m a big fan of coloured nails: doing my nails is a real treat for me. At home, I have at least thirty bottles of nail polish, but I only packed six. It was hard to choose from that many colours, except for the red. You can always get away with red nails, so red would be my
Long nights, deep glasses... (21) Tweetback: New barmaid at the pub Sam seduced Jasper at the University Library. Daniël kissed Fleur, who got an internship in Amsterdam. “Dan!” Daniël can only hear her voice. He had no clue ESN parties were this crowded. “Dan!” A hand waves and he sees Sam at the bar. She immediately throws her arms around his neck. He feels her chest against his. “Sam! Wild party!” Three kisses. Her lips softly brush his skin. What a woman! She resembles Fleur in a way, even
though she is a little less – well – sophisticated. Daniël tries to keep his eyes off her cleavage. She pushes another girl forward. “This is Yarah, a Brazilian exchange student. Yarah, this is Daniël.” Sam winks. The girl kisses him on the cheek straight away. “Nice name Daniël.” She has a cute accent. Sam bends towards her colleague. “I introduced her to the wondrous world of tequila. She’s already had a few too many.” The barkeeper puts three new glasses down and fills them up. “Next round!”
favourite. Funnily enough, my nails aren’t coloured today. Last week was very busy, so I haven’t had the time to sit down and do my nails.”
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Mittens
“These mittens came out last year for the Olympics. They were sold out everywhere in one
day. So it was a big deal if you got them. Canadian people take mittens everywhere they travel. There are pictures of people wearing them while standing in front of the Great Wall of China. They remind me of home.”
Want to see your room in ‘Shack’ too? Mail hok@ukrant.nl
I kissed a girl... Sam taps some salt onto her hand and gives the saltcellar to Daniël. “Come on, De Winter! I expect cooperation.” “One, two, three!” They simultaneously empty their glasses. Yarah staggers. Sam just manages to keep her on her feet by putting her arms around her hips. The girl cradles Sam’s cheek. “You know,” Sam laughs, “I can be a real gentleman.” Then Yarah presses her lips against Sam’s. Daniël blinks. Wow, he only left home ten minutes ago and already this! The tequila burns in his throat. Sam looks him in the
eye for a moment. They’re still kissing. Sam’s hand moves down Yarah’s back and stops right above her ass. Daniël swallows. “I’ve got a bottle of Scotch at home”, Sam shouts over the music. She has a naughty twinkle in her eyes. “Who’s coming?” She grabs Daniël’s hand and moves up close. “I’ve heard you’re an adventurous guy.” Her mouth hovers near his. She’s definitely beautiful. But does she really think he’s that easy? Just slip her tongue in some girl’s mouth and he’ll follow? He wants to conquer. Fleur got that. This is way too easy.
Getting to know different cultures is inspiring. That’s why I choose to live with foreign students. But it strikes me that in Groningen their integration is failing in dramatic fashion. Worse still: they don’t integrate at all but stick with their compatriots like a flock of sheep. Take the Polish couple – both deathly pale – next door. They shut themselves up in their room, except when they’re meeting fellow Poles. A revolting little Warsaw Pact! Why did they come here if they don’t have the slightest interest in the Netherlands? However, we Dutch are also to blame. We put foreigners in separate houses and, more importantly, we don’t love our language enough. As soon as we notice someone is from abroad we switch to English. So learning Dutch isn’t necessary at all. If I was studying in Paris, I would have to speak French. It would be living hell if I didn’t. All foreign students there finally manage to communicate in French. One language means one community. However, in Groningen nobody is pressured into speaking Dutch, so people stick to their own tongues. Germans look for Germans and Chinese people for Chinese. The Dutch avoid foreigners, as they don’t want to speak English all day. My solution? Close all international student houses and make learning Dutch compulsory.
Alain Dekker is a second-year student of biomedical sciences alaindekker@ukrant.nl
Photo Stef Veldhuis
“Please, Sam. Just take the girl home and leave me be.” He ignores the perplexed look on Sam’s face. She thinks she can get anyone, with her bosom and smile. “Have a nice night ladies.” “We will, Daniël.” Sam has taken Yarah in her arms again. “We won’t need you for that.” She pushes her against the bar. This time her hands slide all the way down... To be continued>
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GOT MY PADI CERTIFICATE
ALMOST HIT A ROO
RAN OUT OF GAS
DROVE A 4WD ON FRASER ISLAND
DID SOME VOLUNTEER WORK
MET SOME COOL NEW FRIENDS
WORKED IN A COOL BEACH HOSTEL
Ë I L A R T S U A N I N BACKPACKE NDREIZEN, CAMPERVANS & HOSTELS SURFEN, BUSPASSEN, RO
R E D N U N W O D / L .N D L R O W KILROY
Kom langs of maak een afspraak Oude Kijk in ‘t Jatstraat 21, Groningen | groningen@kilroyworld.nl
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Algemeen Studium Generale Groningen Herman Philipse – Evolutie en meta-ethiek In de tweede helft van de 19e en de eerste helft van de 20e eeuw meende men dat de evolutietheorie noopt tot het bijstellen van onze morele normen. Al vroeg betoogden sommige filosofen dat deze overtuiging berust op een denkfout, de ‘naturalistic fallacy’. Het is echter wel wezenlijk als achtergrond voor de meta-ethiek, bijvoorbeeld voor de vraag hoe we bij een meningsverschil onze morele opvattingen moeten rechtvaardigen. Herman Philipse, hoogleraar aan Universiteit Utrecht, is vooral bekend vanwege zijn atheïstische overtuiging. Datum: woensdag 23 februari. Plaats: Usva, Munnekeholm 10. Aanvang: 20.00 uur. 4x Film: Elephant Dinsdag 20 april 1999, het lijkt een gewone dag op de Columbine High School te Colorado. Een dag met lesuren, football, huiswerk en geroddel. Tot het moment dat twee leerlingen een bloedbad aanrichten door te schieten op iedereen die hun pad kruist. Gus Van Sant biedt met zijn film geen oplossing, noemt geen oorzaken voor dit soort geweld, maar laat eigenlijk alleen maar zien dát het gebeurt. Inleiding: Jan Kornelis Dijkstra. Datum: maandag 28 februari. Plaats: Academiegebouw. Aanvang 19.30 uur. Kaarten: € 2,50 / studenten gratis. Slums in megasteden Voor de eerste keer in de geschiedenis van de mensheid woont binnenkort meer dan de helft van de wereldbevolking in de stad. Deze verschuiving vindt vooral op het zuidelijk halfrond plaats. Aziatische steden zoals Jakarta, Shanghai, Dhaka, Bangkok, Karachi en Mumbai zullen elk 25 miljoen inwoners tellen. Voor de metropolen in Afrika en Latijns-Amerika geldt hetzelfde. De volksverhuizing van de 21ste eeuw in de zogenaamde ‘Derde Wereld’ is geen herhaling van het Westerse proces van industrialisatie en urbanisatie uit de 19e en 20e eeuw. Jan Breman is emeritus hoogleraar vergelijkende sociologie aan de UvA. Datum: dinsdag 1 maart. Plaats: Academiegebouw. Aanvang 20.00 uur. Kaarten: € 2,50 / studenten gratis. Diplomacy and Security - In times of WikiLeaks In ‘M. Vasalis. Een biografie’ ontvouwt zich een uniek vrouwenleven in de twintigste eeuw. De dichter M. Vasalis (pseudoniem van Margaretha Drooglever-FortuynLeenmans, 1909-1998) publiceerde bij leven drie bundels die ruim 270.000 maal over de toonbank gingen. Waarom hield zij zich verre van elke inmenging van de media? Maaike Meijer gaat na haar lezing in gesprek met schrijver Ronald Ohlsen, die als student Nederlands een exclusief interview had met Vasalis, en Mineke Bosch, hoogleraar geschiedenis en auteur van een biografie over Aletta Jacobs. Datum: vrijdag 4 maart. Aanvang: 20.00 uur. Plaats: Boekhandel selexyz scholtens, Guldenstraat 20. Kaarten: € 4,- / studenten € 2,Kaarten en informatie Kaarten zijn verkrijgbaar bij: Bureau Studium Generale Groningen, Oude Boteringestraat 13, tel. (050) 363 54 63; Universiteitswinkel, Oude Kijk in ’t Jatstraat 39; Boekhandel selexyz scholtens,
> 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 3 maart 2011
Guldenstraat 20 studium@rug.nl www.rug.nl/studium
DwarsDiep Toekomst van de arbeidsmarkt: loon naar werken? ForumDwarsdiepdebat over de veranderende arbeidsmarkt in Nederland. Van een gezapig land, waar werknemers hun hele leven een vaste baan hadden bij één baas, werden we een land waar banen flexibel, outgesourcet of exorbitant beloond
t/m 24 maart Word: keuzemodule – 24 maart Open Leercentrum – 24 maart Webplatform voor redacteuren – 28 t/m 29 maart Office Secretariaten – 31 maart t/m 14 april Open Leercentrum – 31 maart Excel basisRUG-medewerkers en -studenten kunnen zich inschrijven via de website van het CIT of telefonisch bij CIT secretariaat (363 9200). De cursussen worden gegeven in dagdelen; ‘s ochtends van 9:15 tot 12:30 uur of ‘s middags van 13:15 tot 16:30 uur en vinden plaats in de Zernikeborg. Kijk voor meer informatie op de website, bel 363 9200 of email naar onderstaand adres. http:// www.rug.nl/cit/onderwijs/cursusaanbod/ secretariaat-cit@rug.nl Open leercentrum Het open leercentrum biedt elke donderdagmiddag een begeleide zelfstudie waarbij de cursist zelf de inhoud van de cursus bepaalt en in eigen tempo een aantal vooraf gekozen leermodules afwerkt en zich bij vragen kan richten tot een docent. Op dit moment te volgen: MS-Word, MSExcel en MS-Access introductie, MS-Frontpage, MS-Windows ba-
Bibliotheek RefWorks Workshops RefWorks is een webapplicatie waarmee u op een eenvoudige manier uw literatuurverwijzingen kunt opslaan, beheren en gebruiken. Een workshop RefWorks bestaat in principe uit een demonstratie van een uur en daarna kunt u onder begeleiding verder oefenen. Aan een workshop zijn geen kosten verbonden. Bij verschillende vakbibliotheken worden Workshops RefWorks gegeven. U kunt zich aanmelden via de website van de Bibliotheek/Instrcuties/RefWorks/workshops. refworks@rug.nl http://www.rug.nl/bibliotheek/ refworks/workshops Vrijdag 18 februari: Broerplein leeg! In verband met de rectoraatsoverdracht zullen op vrijdag 18 februari alle fietsenrekken van het Broerplein worden weggehaald. Zorg er dus voor dat je je fiets die dag niet in zo’n rek parkeert!
Vergadering Universiteitsraad Op donderdag 24 februari aanstaande vergadert de Universiteitsraad met het College van Bestuur over onder meer de volgende onderwerpen: Stand van zaken Endowed Chairs; Regeling overgang bachelor-master/harde knip; Instellingsaccreditatie; Reorganisatie HRM RUG; Performance management; Introductietijdenregeling. Tijd: 09.30 uur. Locatie: Grote Vergaderzaal, Oude Boteringestraat 44, Groningen. De vergadering is openbaar. Een ieder is van harte welkom. H.J.Mast@rug.nl www.rug.nl/uraad
Honours College
worden. Wat staat ons nog meer te wachten? Hoe moet het verder met de postbodes? Met Arie Glebbeek, RUG-arbeidsmarktdeskundige, Ineke van Gent, Tweede Kamerlid van GroenLinks, en vakbondsbestuurder Ed van Eijbergen onder leiding van Hans Harbers. Vrijdag 25 februari, 20-22 uur. ForumImages (Hereplein 73). Entree € 2,50. www.forumdwarsdiep.nl
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siscursus, Visio, Thunderbird, Beheer van een eigen PC onder Windows XP, SPSS module Data Entry, Oracle Calendar (RUGplanner), Outlook, Outlook Express Studenten: € 25,-, medewerkers: € 60,per dagdeel SPSS Hoe u uw data moet invoeren, bewerken, een statistische berekening (zoals de Chi2-toets, Student t- toets) kunt uitvoeren of moet presenteren in een ander programma leert u in vier ochtenden. Het is wel noodzakelijk dat u kennis over statistiek heeft. Studenten € 42,- en medewerkers € 182,PowerPoint Maak uw colleges en voordrachten aantrekkelijker door uw tekst en figuren te presenteren met PowerPoint! Aan de hand van het zelfstudiemateriaal kunt u met ondersteuning van de docent een mooie aantrekkelijke presentatie maken. Hierbij komt aan de orde: presentaties invoeren en opmaken, gebruik van figuren, tabel-
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> Studium Generale Lezing in de serie Diplomacy and security: Diplomacy - making sense of WikiLeaks and diplomacy. Zie ook: Agenda > Evenementen
17 februari t/m 3 maart 2011
Eerstejaars Bewegingswetenschappen Bericht voor eerstejaars studenten Bewegingswetenschappen van de Faculteit Medische Wetenschappen. Vanaf 22 februari kunnen studenten van deze faculteit die geen uitnodigingsbrief hebben ontvangen om te solliciteren naar een plaats in het University of Groningen Honours College, solliciteren naar een aantal ’wild cards’. Zij moeten gebruik maken van het formulier “verzoek toegang sollicitatieprocedure” dat te vinden is op de website http://www.rug.nl/ honours/Selectieprocedure/verzoekToegangSollicitatieprocedure LET OP, de sollicitatie moet uiterlijk 1 maart 2011 om 23.59 uur digitaal zijn ingeleverd. Studenten van andere faculteiten (FRW, FGGen GMW) kunnen op een later tijdstip solliciteren. Kijk voor berichtgeving hierover in de UK en op de website. honours@rug.nl www.rug.nl/honours Eerstejaars Faculteit Wijsbegeerte Bericht voor eerstejaars studenten Wijsbegeerte. Vanaf 25 februari kunnen studenten van deze faculteit die geen uitnodigingsbrief hebben ontvangen om te solliciteren naar een plaats in het University of Groningen Honours College, solliciteren naar een aantal ’wild cards’. Zij moeten gebruik maken van het formulier “verzoek toegang sollicitatieprocedure” dat te vinden is op de website http://www.
Promoties en oraties 17 februari Promotie: mw. K.S.F. Colman, letteren. Titel: Behavioral and neuroimaging studies on language processing in Dutch speakers with Parkinson’s disease. Promotor(s): prof.dr. Y.R.M. Bastiaanse, prof.dr. K.L. Leenders. Plaats: Academiegebouw. Tijd: 13.15 uur. 17 februari Promotie: dhr. S.J. Visser, godgeleerdheid en godsdienstwetenschappen. Titel: Samuel Naeranus (15821641) en Johannes Naeranus (1608-1679). Twee remonstrantse theologen op de bres voor godsdienstige verdraagzaamheid. Promotor(s): prof.dr. M.P.A. de Baar, prof.dr. E.H. Cossee. Plaats: Academiegebouw. Tijd: 14.45 uur. 17 februari Promotie: mw. H. Korpershoek, gedrags- en maatschappijwetenschappen. Titel: Search for Science talent in the Netherlands. Promotor(s): prof.dr. M.P.C. van der Werf, prof. dr. R.J. Bosker. Plaats: Academiegebouw. Tijd: 16.15 uur. 21 februari Promotie: dhr. G. Krishnan, wiskunde en natuurwetenschappen. Titel: Stability of magnesium-based nanoparticles for hydrogen storage. Promotor(s): prof.dr.ir. B.J. Kooi, prof.dr. J.T.M. de Hosson. Plaats: Academiegebouw. Tijd: 14.45 uur. 23 februari Promotie: dhr. G. Malviya,, medische wetenschappen. Titel: Radiolabelled monoclonal antibodies for molecular imaging of chronic inflammatory diseases. Promotor(s): prof.dr. Signore, prof.dr. R.A.J.O. Dierckx. Plaats: Academiegebouw. Tijd: 13.15 uur. 23 februari Promotie: dhr. Falak Sher, medische wetenschappen. Titel: Differentiation of neural stem cells into oligodendrocytes. Epigenetic mechanisms & potential applications in multiple sclerosis. Promotor(s): prof.dr. H.W.G.M. Boddeke. Plaats: Academiegebouw. Tijd: 14.45 uur. 23 februari Promotie: mw. M. Olah, medische wetenschappen. Titel: Microglia phenotypes, in CNS plasticity and regeneration. Promotor(s): prof.dr. H.W.G.M. Boddeke. Plaats: Academiegebouw. Tijd: 16.15 uur. 24 februari Promotie: mw. A.N. Kamuzora, rechtsgeleerdheid. Titel: Contractual governance in agro-industry institutions in Tanzania. A case study analysis. Promotor(s): prof.dr. O. Couwenberg, prof.dr. J.A. Kuzilwa. Plaats: Academiegebouw. Tijd: 13.15 uur. 24 februari Promotie: mevr. M. Torenbeek, gedrags- en maatschappijwetenschappen. Titel: Hop, skip and jump? The fit between secondary school and university. Promotor(s): prof.dr. W.H.A. Hofman. Plaats: Academiegebouw. Tijd: 14.45 uur. 24 februari Promotie: dhr. A.A. Alblas, economie en bedrijfskunde. Titel: Platform strategy for complex products and systems. Promotor(s): prof.dr.ir. J.C. Wortmann, prof. dr.ir. G.J.C. Gaalman. Plaats: Academiegebouw. Tijd: 16.15 uur. 25 februari Promotie: dhr. Fengping Jin, wiskunde en natuurwetenschappen. Titel: Towards a corpuscular model of optical phenomena. Promotor(s): prof.dr. H. de Raedt. Plaats: Academiegebouw. Tijd: 16.15 uur. 28 februari Promotie: dhr. J. Corduwener, letteren. Titel: Riemen om de kin. Biografie van mr.dr. G.J. van Heuven Goedhart. Promotor(s): prof.dr. J.W. Renders. Plaats: Academiegebouw. Tijd: 13.15 uur. rug.nl/honours/Selectieprocedure/verzoekToegangSollicitatieprocedure LET OP, de sollicitatie moet uiterlijk 6 maart 2011 om 23.59 uur digitaal zijn ingeleverd. Studenten van andere faculteiten (FRW, FGG en GMW) kunnen op een later tijdstip solliciteren. Kijk voor berichtgeving hierover in de UK en op de website. honours@rug.nl www.rug.nl/honours
Faculteiten Rechtsgeleerdheid Het SOG Rechtsbureau zoekt nieuwe medewerkers
Het SOG Rechtsbureau zoekt weer nieuwe medewerkers. Het Rechtsbureau geeft gratis juridisch advies aan iedereen die met een probleem zit. Lijkt het jouw leuk om bij het Rechtsbureau te komen, ben je in het bezit van je propedeuse, ben je 12 maanden beschikbaar en wil je 7 ECTS verdienen? Kom dan naar onze informatieavond op 24 februari of surf naar www.studentenorganisatie.nl. Je solliciatie (brief, CV en cijferlijst) vóór 28 februari insturen. rechtsbureau@studentenorganisatie.nl www.studentenorganisatie.nl Kamerbewoners adviesburo zoekt nieuwe medewerkers! Heb jij zin om je juridische kennis in de praktijk te brengen, en in een gezellig team arvaring op te doen in
Ingezonden mededelingen voor studenten en medewerkers
het huurrecht? Ben jij minimaal 14 maanden beschikbaar, wil je 9 ect’s verdienen, en ben je in het bezit van je propedeuse? Kom dan solliciteren! Stuur je sollicitatiebrief met cv naar kabsollicitatie@gmail.com, de brieven moeten voor 28 februari 12:00 binnen zijn. Op woensdag 23 februari vindt er een informatieavond plaats in het Harmoniegebouw, de plaats en tijd worden binnenkort bekend gemaakt. kabsollicitatie@gmail.com www.hetkab.nl Stage Psychiatrie en Recht Als u wilt weten hoe de juridische regelgeving in de praktijk van de behandeling van psychiatrische patiënten uitwerkt, kunt u de stage Psychiatrie en Recht volgen. Deze stage wordt uitgevoerd binnen de Forensische Psychiatrische Kliniek (FPK) van de GGZ Drenthe te Assen. U werkt gedurende 3 dagen per week aan de stageopdrachten gedurende 8 weken. De stage wordt gehonoreerd met 7 EC’s. Voor deze stage is vereist dat u het vak Psychiatrie en Recht met goed gevolg hebt afgesloten. U ontvangt een stagevergoeding volgens de CAO voor de GGZ. Voor inlichtingen kunt u contact opnemen met mw. mr. L. Bos, FPK Assen (0592-334612, loeska. bos@ggzdrenthe.nl) of prof. dr. J.W. Hummelen, Vakgroep Strafrecht en Criminologie (050- 3635630, j.w.hummelen@rug.nl). Meer informatie over GGZ Drenthe en de DFP vindt u op www.ggzdrenthe.nl. U kunt uw belangstelling voor deze stage kenbaar maken door een korte sollicitatiebrief en een beknopt cv per mail te versturen naar mw. Bos of prof. Hummelen. NB: bij acceptatie dient u contact op te nemen met de stagecoördinator van de sectie strafrecht, mr. E. Gritter (e.gritter@ rug.nl). e.gritter@rug.nl
voor UMCG-medewerkers met uw Proxy-account van de CMB of met uw P-nummer. De eerstvolgende workshop is op donderdag 3 maart van 14-16.00 uur bij de CMB. M.Penning@med.umcg.nl http://www.rug.nl/bibliotheek/ locaties/bibCMB/cursussen/refw
Letteren Stability in the Middle East In February Clio will organize a sequence of two lectures on the subject of Stability in the Middle East, which has once again become the main topic of our attention with the recent developments in countries like Tunisia and Egypt. The first lecture, by the Israeli Ambassador to The Netherlands Harry KneyTal, will be held on Monday 21st and will last from 3.00 PM until 5.00 PM. The second lecture will be given by Sa’ad Ibrahim Al-Ali, the Iraqi Ambassador to The Netherlands, on Monday 28th and will be from 8.00 PM until 10.00 PM. Both will take place in Huis de Beurs, located on the Vismarkt. Entrance is free but prior registration of your name and student number and identification at the door is required due to security reasons. For registration, you can send an email to forum@clio. nl. The lecture will be in English. General Meeting Students’ Association Clio Thursday 24 February there will be a General Meeting of Students’ Association Clio where the Clio Board 2010/2011 will evaluate the implementation of its policy. The meeting will be in Dutch and starts at exactly 19.00 hours at Cafe de Keyzer. You can collect the documents for this meeting at the Clio Office or on the fifth floor of
eerst goedkeuring aan je docent. stages.let@rug.nl www.rug.nl/let/stagebureau Stage: Concordia Kunst & Cultuur, Enschede Opleiding: BA KCM, CIW, diverse Bachelors. Periode: in overleg, ca. 3 maanden, 3-4 dagen per week. Opdracht: bijdragen aan de ontwikkeling van de nieuwe website van Concordia. Meer info: Stagebureau Letteren, tel. 050-3635844. Zie Nestor, BA-stages, onder “placement vacancies”. Vraag altijd eerst goedkeuring aan je docent. stages.let@rug.nl www.rug.nl/let/stagebureau Voorlichting Bachelorstage Meer informatie over een Bachelorstage in de vrije ruimte en de voorwaarden, zoals deelname aan de loopbaandag? Kom naar de Bachelorstagevoorlichting op maandag 21 februari 15.15-16.00 uur, zaal 1312.0018. stages.let@rug.nl www.rug.nl/let/stagebureau Voorlichting Masterstage Wil je meer informatie over een Masterstage in binnen- of buitenland en de mogelijkheden voor een beurs? Kom dan naar de Masterstagevoorlichting op maandag 21 februari 16.15-17.00 uur, zaal 1312.0018 stages.let@rug.nl www.rug.nl/let/stagebureau K U N S T E N , C U LT U U R E N M E D I A
Workshop Trends in Hedendaagse Kunst De afdeling KCM organiseert op donderdag 24 februari, 13-17u, een workshop over trends in hedendaagse kunst. In korte presentaties komen film, muziek, toneel,
Het Juridisch Spreekuur zoekt medewerkers! Wil jij juridisch advies geven en tegelijkertijd 9 EC verdienen? Kom dan bij Het Juridisch Spreekuur! Kom voor meer informatie naar de informatieavond op dinsdag 22 februari om 20.30 uur in zaal 13.12.00.07 in het Harmoniegebouw. Solliciteer uiterlijk zondag 27 februari vóór 12 uur door je sollicitatiebrief en CV te sturen naar juridisch.spreekuur@rug.nl Als vereiste wordt gesteld dat je in het bezit bent van je propedeuse en 14 maanden beschikbaar bent. juridisch.spreekuur@rug.nl www.hetjuridischspreekuur.nl Wil jij je studie in de praktijk brengen én 9 EC verdienen bij de Rechtswinkel? De Rechtswinkel geeft iedere werkdag telefonisch juridisch advies. Wil je je juridische kennis vergroten, lijkt het je leuk om je studie in praktijk te brengen en wil je graag 9 EC verdienen? En ben je in het bezit van je propedeuse en bovendien minimaal 14 maanden beschikbaar, kom dan op maandag 21 februari om 20:00 uur naar onze voorlichtingsavond op de Rechtswinkel. Sollicitatiebrieven inclusief CV, pasfoto en cijferlijst moeten maandag 28 februari vóór 13:00 uur binnen zijn. Ons adres is: Noorderhaven 58-60, 9712 VM Groningen
Medische wetenschappen Refworks voor UMCG medewerkers en -studenten Refworks is een webapplicatie waarmee u op een eenvoudige manier uw literatuurverwijzingen kunt opslaan, beheren en gebruiken. Ook thuis beschikbaar
Works allows you to import, organize, share and cite literature references from databases. A workshop consists of a demonstration, after which you will be given the opportunity to practice under supervision. The next workshop in English will take place Tuesday March 1st, 10.30-12.00 a.m. Library of Economics, Business and Spatial Sciences refworks@rug.nl http://www.rug.nl/Bibliotheek/ instructies/refWorks/workshops Laatste tentamen Spec. Course HRM, Arbeidsrecht en Medezeggenschap Beste studenten, op 21 april 2011 wordt er voor de laatste maal tentamen afgenomen van de Spec. Course HRM, Arbeidsrecht en Medezeggenschap. Het tentamen vindt plaats in zaal 5419.0107 van 14.00-17.00uur a.m.c.cordes@rug.nl
Gedrags- en Maatschappijwetenschappen RefWorks Workshop RefWorks is een webapplicatie waarmee u op een eenvoudige manier uw literatuurverwijzingen kunt opslaan, beheren en gebruiken. Een workshop RefWorks bestaat in principe uit een demonstratie van een uur en daarna kunt u onder begeleiding verder oefenen. Aan een workshop zijn geen kosten verbonden. De eerstvolgende workshop voor medewerkers GMW vindt plaats op Vrijdag 4 maart 11.15-12.45 uur, Zaal M155 (Muntinggebouw) refworks@rug.nl http://www.rug.nl/Bibliotheek/ instructies/refWorks/workshops
S TA G E B U R E A U L E T T E R E N
Stage: Noordhoff Uitgevers, Groningen Opleiding: Ma Nederlands, Ma CIW. Periode: in overleg. Opdracht: kennismaken met alle aspecten van de uitgeverij. Meer info: stagebureau Letteren, tel. 050-3635844. Zie Nestor, Ma-stages, onder “placement vacancies”. Vraag altijd
literatuur, beeldende kunst, multimedia en nieuwe media aan bod. Daarna wordt met het publiek van gedachten gewisseld. Plaats: Senaatszaal, Academiegebouw. Borrel na afloop in OB 23. Iedereen van harte welkom!
Economie en Bedrijfskunde RefWorks RefWorks is a web-based application for managing references. Ref-
28 februari Promotie: dhr. F. Bonardi, wiskunde en natuurwetenschappen. Titel: Dynamics and flexibility of the SecYEG translocation channel. Promotor(s): prof.dr. A.J.M. Driessen. Plaats: Academiegebouw. Tijd: 16.15 uur. 1 maart Oratie: dhr. prof. M.A. Herber, wiskunde en natuurwetenschappen. Titel: Kan ook de diepe ondergrond ruimtelijk geordend worden? Plaats: Academiegebouw. Tijd: 16.15 uur. 2 maart Promotie: dhr. H.R. Terband, medische wetenschappen. Titel: Speech motor function in relation to phonology. Eurocomputational modeling of disordered development. Promotor(s): prof.dr. B.A.M. Maassen, prof.dr. P.H.H.M. van Lieshout. Plaats: Academiegebouw. Tijd: 14.45 uur. 2 maart Promotie: dhr. A. Agool, medische wetenschappen. Titel: PET and SPECT imaging of bone marrow disorders. Promotor(s): prof.dr. E. Vellenga, prof.dr. R.A.J.O. Dierckx. Plaats: Academiegebouw. Tijd: 16.15 uur. 3 maart Promotie: mw. L. Eggens, gedrags- en maatschappijwetenschappen. Titel: The student X-Factor. Social and psychological determinants of students’ attainment in higher education. Promotor(s): prof.dr. M.P.C. van der Werf, prof.dr. R.J. Bosker. Plaats: Academiegebouw. Tijd: 14.45 uur. 3 maart Promotie: dhr. J.E. Jansen, rechtsgeleerdheid. Titel: Bezit te kwader trouw, verkrijgende en bevrijdende verjaring. Een leerstellige, rechtsvergelijkende studie op historische grondslag. Promotor(s): prof.mr. F. Brandsma, prof.mr. J.H.A. Lokin. Plaats: Academiegebouw. Tijd: 16.15 uur. 4 maart Oratie: dhr. prof.dr. R.J. Sinke, medische wetenschappen. Titel: In de hoogste versnelling. Plaats: Nieuwe Kerk, Nieuwe Kerkhof 1, Groningen. Tijd: 15.30 uur. 4 maart Oratie: mw. prof.dr. I.M. van Langen, medische wetenschappen. Titel: De volgende generatie: stilstaan zonder snelheid te verliezen. Plaats: Nieuwe Kerk, Nieuwe Kerkhof 1, Groningen. Tijd: 15.30 uur.
Congressen en Symposia
Lezing PF 23 februari 2011 Lezing ‘Populisme als de verbeelding van het volk’ georganiseerd door de vakgroep Praktische Filosofie. Populisme is een notoir ongrijpbaar en moeilijk te definiëren fenomeen, zoveel is duidelijk. Aan de hand van de politieke filosofie van Ernesto Laclau zal Merijn Oudenampsen beargumenteren dat dit niet betekent dat het populisme slechts een neutral doorgeefluik is van wat soms ook wel de ‘volkswil’ wordt genoemd. Woensdag 23 februari 2011 15:15 - 17:00 uur, Oude Boteringestraat 52, zaal Omega. http://www.rug.nl/filosofie/ nieuws/agenda/index
21 februari Faculteit Godgeleerdheid en Godsdienstwetenschappen i.s.m. CRASIS: Ancient World Seminar. Titel: Roman greetings rituals: creating social hierarchies. Spreker: Simon Speksnijder. Plaats: Oude Boteringestraat 38, Groningen. Tijd: 16.15 uur.
University Student Desk
the Harmony Building. info@clio.nl www.clio.nl
2
Wijsbegeerte
Studenten
> Workshop Kunsten, Cultuur en Media. De kunsten nu Trends in the arts today. Zie ook: Agenda > Evenementen
17 februari t/m 3 maart 2011
Workshop netwerken voor een baan Kom achter je PC vandaan en ga échte contacten aan om je droombaan te vinden! Tijdens deze interactieve workshop zul je je verbazen over de mogelijkheden, de eenvoud en het plezier van netwerken. Er zijn nog enkele plekken vrij! Donderdag 3 maart van 13.30 tot 16.30 uur, de kosten voor studenten bedragen €10,-. Je kunt je aanmelden via onze website. info@talentcareercenter.nl www.talentcareercenter.nl Voorlichtingsbijeenkomst Rijkstraineeship Woensdag 16 maart komen twee Rijkstrainees vertellen over het traineeship. Een uitgelezen kans voor jou om meer te weten te komen over dit programma en om ze vragen te stellen. Woensdag 16 maart
Evenementen 17 februari Studium Generale: Kenniscafé Groningen. Titel: Intelligente robots. Sprekers: Tjeerd Andringa, Lambert Schomaker, Tijn van der Zant en Fred Keizer. O.l.v. Bart van de Laar. Plaats: ForumImages, Hereplein 73, Groningen. Tijd: 17.00 uur. 17 februari Theater: NND StudioGroup presenteert Stukafest. Plaats: INTheater, Munnekeholm 10, Groningen. Tijd: 20.30 uur. Toegang: €12,50 17 februari Faculteit Letteren: Spraakmakende boeken. Titel: Zo God het wil- Niccolò Ammaniti. Spreker: Els Jongeneel. Plaats: Academiegebouw, Broerstraat 5, Groningen. Tijd: 20.00 uur. 18 februari Theater: Bilderband presenteert Platvorm Broed. Plaats: OUTheater, Kijk in ’t Jatstraat 26, Groningen. Tijd: 20.15 uur. Toegang: RUG studenten en stadjerspashouders €3,- / overigen €6,-. 18 februari Jazz: Stichting Jazz in Groningen presenteert Young VIPS Tour. Plaats: INTheater, Munnekeholm 10, Groningen. Tijd: 20.30 uur. Toegang: RUG studenten en stadjerspashouders €3,- / overigen €6,-. 22 februari Film: Usva presenteert Filmquiz. Plaats: INTheater, Munnekeholm 10, Groningen. Tijd: 20.30 uur. Toegang: RUG studenten en stadjerspashouders €2,- / overigen €3,-. van 14 tot 16 uur - Senaatskamer (Academiegebouw) De voorlichting wordt verzorgd door Finn van Leeuwen en Jorn Douwstra (allebei RUGalumni) Het bijwonen van deze bijeenkomst is gratis, maar meld je wel even aan via onze website. info@talentcareercenter.nl www.talentcareercenter.nl
ACLO Open Toernooi Squash!! Op maandag 21 februari houdt
Squadraat een open toernooi voor ACLO leden. Het toernooi is geschikt voor alle niveaus en deelname is gratis. Het toernooi start om 18.30 uur en opgeven kan door of een mail te sturen naar bestuur@ squadraat.nl of door je naam op te schrijven op de inschrijflijsten bij de squashbanen of op het mededelingen bord bij de ingang van de ACLO. bestuur@squadraat.nl www.squadraat.nl
USVA
Ingezonden mededelingen voor studenten en medewerkers
Kunststipendium 2011: make a stART! Win €5000,- and Make a stART! Heb je een creatief plan, maar niet het geld om het uit te voeren? Grijp dan nu je kans! Elk jaar stelt de RUG een prijs van €5000,- beschikbaar, het Kunststipendium. Dit biedt RuG-studenten de mogelijkheid om hun kunstzinnige ideeen waar te maken. Wees creatief en stuur jouw concept in voor 21 maart 2011! Op 10 mei zal het Kunststipendium op feestelijke wijze worden uitgereikt in het Usva OUTtheater. info@kunststipendium.nl www.kunststipendium.nl
In The social network volgen wij Mark Zuckerberg, de oprichter van Facebook en de jongste miljardair uit de geschiedenis. “You don’t get to 500 million friends without making a few enemies.” Deze film, met al zijn prijzen en 8 Oscarnominaties, moet je gezien hebben. GSp – Kraneweg 33 – 20.00 uur – toegang gratis
sussen alsook het opgaveformulier vind je op www.gspweb.nl
28/2 Trouw zijn aan jezelf
Studentendiensten Martinikerk
Persoonlijk gesprek Wie dat wil kan voor een persoonlijk gesprek een afspraak maken met een van de studentenpastores: Lense Lijzen 5260630, Tiemo Meijlink 5792805 of Matty Metzlar 0595-528775.
Stukafest NND - Mouth Music the remix Noord Nederlands Dans – Mouth music the remix Stukafest is cultuur op studentenkamers, maar ook een beetje op de Usva! De NND StudioGroup zal je tijdens Stukafest 2011 betoveren met fragmenten uit ‘Mouth music the remix”, een voorstelling die bestaat uit een aaneenschakeling van choreografieën waarbij de mond het startpunt vormt. Prijzen: Stukahap €8,50 1 ronde €4,50 3 rondes €11,- 3 rondes + Stukafeest: €14,00 Eindfeest: €4,50 Kaarten zijn te koop bij Australian op de Vismarkt! Donderdag 17 februari 20.30 uur Locatie : INTheater www.usva.nl of www.stukafest.nl Platform Broed - Bilderband Met een beeldende interpretatie van muziek laat BILDERBAND een roadtrip zien langs persoonlijke mijlpalen der muziekgeschiedenis. “Two women went looking for rock’n’roll and found it.” Vrijdag 18 februari 20.15 uur Locatie : OUTheater Entree: €4 studenten en €5 overigen www.usva.nl Young Vips Tour Het veelbelovende Castel/van Damme Quartet is recentelijk opgericht door pianist Thierry Castel en saxofonist Jasper van Damme. Ondersteund door Sven Happel op contrabas en Mark Schilders op drums, brengt het kwartet met creatief samenspel en oog voor detail de composities tot leven. Vrijdag 18 februari 20.30 uur Locatie : INTheater Entree: €6 studenten en €12 overige www.usva.nl Usva Filmquiz Denk jij alles van film te weten??? Kom dat maar bewijzen! In verschillende rondes zal aandacht besteed worden aan film in al zijn facetten. Beeld- en geluidsfragmenten worden afgewisseld met pittige trivia. Kijk ook op: www.usvafilmquiz.nl Dinsdag 22 februari 20.30 uur Locatie : INTheater Entree: €2,- student en stadjerspashouder/ €3,- overig www.usva.nl Guts | The picture of Dorian Gray GUTS performs this thrilling stage adaptation of Oscar Wilde’s classic tale of greed, lust and murder. Donderdag 24/25/26 februari 20.15 uur Locatie : OUTheater Entree: €6 student/€8 niet-student www.usva.nl
GSp GSp - Studentenplatform voor Levensbeschouwing Een plaats voor bezinning, religie, debat en gezelligheid. GSp, Kraneweg 33, tel. 3129926 info@gspweb.nl www.gspweb.nl 24/2 GSp-Filmhuis
> Studium Generale Lezing. M. Vasalis. Zie ook: Agenda > Evenementen Authentiek durven zijn, de waarheid van je eigen hart volgen, je eigen stilte kunnen vinden. Er zijn veel invloeden van buitenaf die je bij jezelf vandaan kunnen halen. Catrien ten Napel en Marieke Vanhaelen, beiden zelfstandig psychosynthetisch therapeut, laten je kennis maken deze ‘optimistische psychologie’. GSp – 20.00 uur – Kraneweg 33 Iona Pelgrimage A journey of the Spirit: weg van je eigen wereld de stilte in; met je voeten en je hoofd, met je geest en je lijf; werken aan jezelf, vragen stellen aan de wereld waarin je leeft. Kijk voor alle informatie over dit weekend naar Schoorl op www. gspweb.nl. Opgave tot 1 maart. Grenzen van eigenbelang Handel je altijd volgens je eigenbelang? En als dat zo is, is dat erg? Is het mogelijk het niet te doen? Wat is eigenbelang eigenlijk en hoe ruim zijn de grenzen ervan? Klopt de theorie met de praktijk? Cursus 3 - start 1 maart - 4 x - € 10,Spreken en zwijgen over God Er zijn er die vinden dat je nooit genoeg over God kunt spreken, anderen vinden dat je daar heel terughoudend in moet zijn. Je hebt God immers niet ‘in je zak’. Hoe kun je spreken en zwijgen over God? Cursus 6 - start 2 maart - 6 x (niet op 9 maart) - € 15,Volg je dromen, durf te doen Welke idealen heb jij voor een betere wereld? En hoe zou je die kunnen realiseren? De bedoeling is ook echt iets te gaan doen met onze idealen! Cursus 11 - start 3 maart - 5x - € 12,50 Meer informatie over deze drie (en andere) cur-
20/2 11.30 uur K. van der Plas 20/2 17.00 uur J. Hamstra (Evensong) 27/2 11.30 uur T. Meijlink 27/2 17.00 uur P.S. van Dijk 6/3 11.30 uur M. Metzlar 6/3 17.00 uur J. Butti
ESN ESN has a new hang out! You might have heard something about it. ESN found itself a new location to organise it’s International Student Nights, Parties, Pubquizzes and other activities! What is this place you might ask? It’s GREAT PIANOS (Oosterstraat 33). You might know it from the legendary NEON party or the Dutch party. Come have a drink with us Monday to celebrate this joyful fact! info@esn-groningen.nl www.esn-groningen.nl Join the Dutch ‘Manscape’ excursion! Ready to explore the green heart of Holland on the Dutch ‘Manscape’ excursion. Led by professor Paul van Steen you will tour the Netherlands and get to know facts about our country! Interested? for more information check the ESN Groningen website. info@esn-groningen.nl www.esn-groningen.nl
Diversen Integrand: fast forward career! Bedrijven vinden het steeds belangrijker dat je praktijkervaring opdoet tijdens je studie. Studenten met een uitgebreid cv hebben vaak voorrang bij een sollicitatie. Er zijn verschillende manieren om deze praktijkervaring op te doen. Je kunt bijvoorbeeld een
paar maanden stage lopen bij een leuk bedrijf of een bestuursfunctie bekleden bij Integrand. Je kunt natuurlijk ook een dagje meelopen tijdens een business course of een Inhousedag. Integrand is een landelijke non-profit studentenorganisatie die jou, als academische student, helpt om deze praktijkervaring op te doen. Tijdens je studie helpen we jou om de leukste afstudeerstage, meeloopstage of business course te vinden zodat je goed voorbereid bent op je toekomstige carrière. Vanwege ons persoonlijke contact met studenten en bedrijven, kunnen we je helpen het meest geschikte product voor jou te vinden! Daarnaast word je bij ons ook begeleid bij het opstellen van een net cv, het schrijven van een goede motivatiebrief en bij het voorbereiden van je sollicitatiegesprek. Schrijf je snel gratis in, zodat wij je kunnen helpen je carrière met een voorsprong te beginnen! Lustrumlezing Flanor Ter ere van het vijfde lustrum van Literair Dispuut Flanor spreekt Edwin Trommelen een lustrumlezing uit. Trommelen is slavist, documentairemaker en vertaler. Zijn lezing zal aansluiten aan bij lustrumthema ‘geslaplipt’ en handelt over het drankgebruik in de Russische literatuur. Zaterdag 26 februari, Huis de Beurs (Akerkhof zz 4), vanaf 20.00. Toegang bedraagt € 6,-. lustrum@flanor.nl www.flanor.nl Het Groninger Studenten Toneel speelt Ifigeneia! Op 1,2 en 3 maart speelt het Groninger Studenten Toneel haar eerste stuk in het Aa-theater: Ifigeneia - Goden, Grieken en Groningse studenten. Het Griekse leger staat onder leiding van Agamemnon klaar om de oorlog tegen Troje te voeren, maar een gunstige vaarwind blijft uit. Wat durft men op te offeren voor oorlog en machtsspel? Dat is een van de vragen die centraal staan in onze moderne versie van deze Griekse tragedie. Kijk voor meer informatie en voor kaartjes op www.groningerstudententoneel.nl ww.groningerstudententoneel.nl Academisch Schrijfcentrum Het Academisch Schrijfcentrum Groningen is er voor alle studenten die bij hun schrijfopdracht een duwtje in de rug kunnen gebruiken. Weet je niet hoe je moet beginnen of ben je de draad kwijt? Wil je je tekst aanscherpen? Of zie je door de taalfouten de tekst niet meer? Meld je op www.rug.nl/ schrijfcentrum aan voor een individueel gesprek met een schrijfcoach. Kijk ook eens op www.rug. nl/noordster voor schrijftips. De KJRW zoekt nieuwe medewerkers! De KJRW geeft al jaren juridisch advies aan kinderen en jongeren tot en met 21 jaar. Ben je in het bezit van je propedeuse, 14 maanden beschikbaar en lijkt het je leuk om kinderen en jongeren te helpen met hun juridische problemen en daarmee 9 EC te verdienen? Kom dan op maandag 21 februari om 19.00 uur naar onze informatieavond op onderstaand adres en/ of stuur je motivatie + CV vóór 28 februari 12.00 uur naar: Kinder- & Jongerenrechtswinkel Noord-Nederland Waterloolaan 1 9725 BE Groningen e-mail: sollicitatiekjrw@live.nl sollicitatiekjrw@live.nl www.kjrw-noord.nl
17 februari t/m 3 maart 2011
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23 februari Studium Generale Lezing: In de serie Door het oog van de filosofie. Titel: Evolutie en metha-ethiek. Spreker: Herman Philipse. Plaats: Usva, Munnekeholm 10, Groningen. Tijd: 20.00 uur. 24 februari Workshop Kunsten, Cultuur en media. De kunsten nu - Trends in the arts today. Plaats: Senaatszaal, Academiegebouw. Tijd: 13.00-17.00 uur. 24 februari t/m 26 februari Theater: Guts presenteert The picture of Doran Gray. Plaats: OUTheater, Kijk in ‘t Jatstraat 26, Groningen. Tijd: 20.15 uur. Toegang: RUG en stadjerspashouders €6,- / €8,-. 25 februari Forum DwarsDiep. DwarsDiep debat. Titel: Loon naar werken- de toekomst van de arbeidsmarkt. Sprekers: Arie Glebbeek, Ineke van Gent, Hans Harbers e.a. Plaats: ForumImages, Hereplein 73, Groningen. Tijd: 20.00 uur. 28 februari Studium Generale Lezing: In de serie 4x film Crime and Punishment. Titel: Elephant. Spreker: Jan Kornelis Dijkstra. Voertaal: Engels. Plaats: Academiegebouw. Tijd: 19.30 uur. 28 februari GSp (Studentenplatform voor Levensbeschouwing): Lezing. Trouw zijn aan jezelf. Sprekers: Marieke Vanhealen en Catrien ten Nape. Plaats: Kraneweg 33, Groningen. Tijd: 20.00 uur. 28 februari Forum DwarsDiep. DwarsDiep debat. Titel: Nieuw in stad- de kwaliteit van Groningse nieuwbouwwoningen. Sprekers: Frank de Vries, Harro de Jong, Marcel Tankink e.a. Plaats: ForumImages, Hereplein 73, Groningen. Tijd: 20.00 uur. 1 maart Film: VIP presenteert Cinema Film. Plaats: INTheater, Munnekeholm 10, Groningen. Tijd: 20.30 uur. Toegang: RUG studenten en stadjerspashouders €3,- / overigen €4,50,-. 1 maart Studium Generale Lezing: In de serie Leven in sloppenwijken. Titel: Azië- slums in megasteden. Spreker: Jan Breman. Plaats: Academiegebouw. Tijd: 20.00 uur. 2 maart Studium Generale Lezing: In de serie Diplomacy and security. Titel: Diplomacy.- making sense of Wikileaks and diplomacy. Spreker: Jan Melissen. Plaats: Academiegebouw. Tijd: 20.00 uur. 3 maart Theater: Nieuw Nederlands Peil presenteert Nooit meer slapen. Plaats: OUTheater, Kijk in ’t Jatstraat 26, Groningen. Tijd: 20.30 uur. Toegang: RUG studenten en stadjerspashouders €3,- / €6,-. 3 maart Cabaret: Stranger things have happend presenteert Comedy Café. Plaats: INTheater, Munnekeholm 10, Groningen. Tijd: 21.00 uur. Toegang: RUG studenten en stadjerspashouders €3,- / €6,-. 4 maart Studium Generale: Maaike Meijer Lezing. Titel: M. Vasalis. Sprekers: Ronald Ohlsen en Mineke Bosch. Plaats: Boekhandel Selexyz Scholtens, Guldenstraat 20, Groningen. Tijd: 20.00 uur. 4 maart Jazz: Stichting Jazz in Groningen presenteert Alexander von Schlippenbach & Paul Lovens. Plaats: INTheater, Munnekeholm 10, Groningen. Tijd: 20.30 uur. Toegang: RUG studenten en stadjerspashouders €6,- / overigen €12,-. 5 maart Theater: Ulteam presenteert Theatersport. Plaats: INTheater, Munnekeholm 10, Groningen. Tijd: 20.30 uur. Toegang: RUG studenten en stadjerspashouders €6,- / overigen €8,-.
Tentoonstellingen T/m 25 februari 2011 Tentoonstelling “ Dit is Sieb”, redactiesecretaris van de Universiteitskrant en bevlogen fotograaf. Plaats: Universiteitsbibliotheek (4e verd.). Broerstraat 4, Groningen. Openingstijden: ma t/m vrij: 08.30 - 22.00 uur. Za en zo: 10.00 - 17.00 uur. 11 februari 2011 t/m 29 april 2011 Tentoonstelling “ Bliep Bliep”. Computer, geluid en games. Plaats: Universiteitsmuseum, Oude Kijk in ’t Jatstraat 7a, Groningen. Tijd: dinsdag t/m zondag, 13.00- 17.00 uur. T/m 8 mei 2011 Tentoonstelling “ Moving Machines”, de kunst en techniek van Paul van Twist. Plaats: Universiteitsmuseum, Oude Kijk in ’t Jatstraat 7a, Groningen. Tijd: dinsdag t/m zondag, 13.00- 17.00 uur. 25 februari 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. NADERE INFORMATIE Afdeling Communicatie tel. 363 5445/5446 communicatie@rug.nl
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
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(050) 363 66 99 k.dons@rug.nl
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Wat doen jullie op 18 en 19 maart 2011?
31-01-2011 10:25:00
Op 18 en 19 maart 2010 organiseert het Oranje Fonds de landelijke vrijwilligersactie NL DOET. Overal in het land zijn leuke vrijwilligersklussen te doen: opknappen van de keuken in het clubhuis, lunchen met ouderen of dierenverblijven schilderen bij de kinderboerderij.
Aangeboden ■ Verhuizen? Binnen Groningen of Europa, Wij brengen u weer thuis. www.jandejong.nl 0503139149
Doe mee en kijk op www.nldoet.nl
Promovendus Empowerment en Politisering
Nieuwe vacatures
Postdoctoral Researcher
1,0 fte | Faculteit Gedrags- en Maatschappijwetenschappen
1,0 fte | Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences
PhD position Computational Semantics 1,0 fte | Faculty of Arts
Promovendus Evolutie van enzymen in het laboratorium 1,0 fte | Faculteit Wiskunde en Natuurwetenschappen
PhD positions General Linguistics/ Phonetics
PhD position Cognitive Modeling group 1,0 fte | Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences
3,0 fte | Faculty of Arts
PhD positions Graduate School of Humanities: Culture Studies 4,5 fte | Faculty of Arts
PhD positions Graduate School of Humanities: Language and Cognition 2,7 fte | Faculty of Arts
PhD position Graduate School of Humanities: Archaeology 0,9 fte | Faculty of Arts
Openstaande vacatures
PhD position Linking International Carbon Trading Schemes 0,8-1,0 fte | Faculty of Law
Bijzonder Hoogleraar Beleving en waardering van natuur en landschap 0,2 fte | Faculteit Ruimtelijke Wetenschappen
PhD Research position Chronobiology 1,0 fte | Faculty of Mathemetics and Natural Sciences
Postdoctoral Research Fellow Applied Mathematics
Nadere informatie over deze vacatures vindt u op: www.rug.nl
1,0 fte | Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences
Tenure Track Universitair Docent Ontwikkelingspsychologie 1,0 fte | Faculteit Gedrags- en Maatschappijwetenschappen
De RUG biedt speciaal aan meeverhuizende werkende partners van nieuwe medewerkers goede loopbaanfaciliteiten. 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
U N I V E R S I T Y 15
UK 23 - 17 FEBRUARY 2011
Mekka is a piece of paper Going abroad in Groningen i’m addicted to travelling. You can wake me in the middle of the night by softly whispering the eight letters that spell total freedom to me: S-c-h-i-p-h-o-l. But i recently found that i don’t have to cross geographical borders to get that exciting feeling of exploring new worlds. approximately 2650 students and 750 PhD students from more than 120 countries work and study right here in Groningen. and isn’t a big part of travelling meeting other people and discovering that the way you think, act, speak or even eat is just one of many ways of doing these things? in the next couple of months i’m going to be going abroad in Groningen. i’m going abroad to meet international students and staff, but i’m also going so they can meet me and so i can meet myself. By Janita naaiJer While I was looking at the world upside down in the Downward Facing Dog (a yoga position in which you make a v-shape with your body) I couldn’t help noticing the girl six mats away. How did that light-blue scarf stay on her head for a full hour of twisting yoga movements? Was it made of some special, elastic material? Or had she secretly used tons of pins? Although I became a journalist to have a proper excuse for asking questions, the question that stayed with me until doing the Little Crocodile didn’t seem like one I should use to break the ice with. Two days later I meet my yoga classmate again. This time we’re in the Multifaith Prayer Room at the UMCG. Her name is Shanti Dewi (33) and she’s an Indonesian PhD student at the Department of Biomedical Engineering. She is going to show me how she prays and practises her faith in Groningen. She looks colourful today in a baby-pink scarf and the flowery dress she’s wearing over jeans. “That’s to make the winter go away”, she says with a smile that lights up her whole
Photo Elmer Spaargaren face and makes me forget the storm raging outside the hospital walls. It’s just after lunch and that means Dhuhr, the second of the five daily prayers for Muslims. Dhuhr is said when the sun has passed its zenith. We take off our shoes and Shanti dims the light of the Stiltecentrum, a room of about twenty square metres in size that is decorated with fake ficus trees, a small desk, a bookshelf and a red sofa. It reminds me of a cheap hotel room. Luckily for me, it’s one where you can’t speak. Shanti unrolls her carpet in the direction of a small piece of paper on the wall that says ‘Mekka’. She kneels and folds her arms around her waist. In the next minutes she moves fluently from one position to the other while speaking so softly
to herself that it is easy to imagine she is praying in all the languages that exist. Even just looking at her concentrated prayer makes you go quiet inside.
‘The good thing about Muslim prayer is that it’s very easy to do. And it’s flexible.’ “Done. In three minutes,” Shanti says afterwards. “The good thing about Muslim prayer is that it’s very easy to do. And it’s flexible. If you’re ill, for example, and can’t move your
body, you can still pray by moving your eyes. And if you can’t move your eyes, you can still move your heart. It’s like in our yoga class. Listen to your own body.” We head back to Shanti’s office in the hospital and stop in front of a big window on the eleventh floor. We both watch the grey clouds above Groningen and I wonder if Shanti has followed the integration debate in the four years she has lived in the Netherlands. How does she feel about Geert Wilders (the leader of the right-wing PVV, the Party for Freedom) and his harsh statements about headscarves and Islam in general? “I only know the gist of the discussion”, she says. “But it doesn’t bother me much. I think they are really misinformed.”
Fifteen years of carillon. Happy now? | r e p o r t | For 15 years, the carillon has rung out from the tower of the Academy Building on the Academy Square. Students like the atmosphere it brings to the Academy Building and the Harmonie Complex. Staff members have mixed feelings. By EDO GREVERS It is exactly fifteen years ago that the twenty-five bells sounded for the first time from the tower of the Academy Building. Since then, this carillon has played a short melody every half hour. Auke de Bo-
er, the carillonneur from the first hour, programmes them, and every Tuesday he plays them for an hour himself. Students wandering across the square in front of the Harmonie Complex like the feeling of the music. “It’s inspiring. The carillon brings a certain atmosphere to the area. It belongs here”, says Willem-Jan Deuling, a first-year law student. Anna Rijff, a first-year art student at the Academie Minerva didn’t even know the carillon belonged to the RUG. “Really?! I thought that the sound came from the Martini Tower!” Students in the university library
don’t mind the music. Library porters Bennie Klaake and Arjen Brijker have never received any complaints. “You don’t hear the noise that much actually; maybe in the summer if the windows are open.” But people working in the Academy Building feel differently. Jodien Houwers, Policy advisor for International Cooperation, says: “Sometimes it can be annoying. For example, if we’re in a meeting or have some kind of delegation visiting us. We then have to explain that we can’t talk properly for a while.” Anneke Aarens, assistant Admissions Officer at the
Office for International Relations, always sings along, “It’s not really distracting, except if a song stays in my head all day.” The women at the Central Student Administration aren’t all that pleased with the tunes, “It’s always the same song, which is very irritating. Why can’t that carillonneur get with the times?” Auke de Boer laughs when he hears this. “Get with the times? I play songs from the current top 40! OK, sometimes I mix it up with songs from the seventies. When Frans Zwarts leaves, for example, I’m going to play the Beatles as a special request!”
But doesn’t she ever feel that people discriminate against or stare at her? For a moment, we both seem to be speaking a different English. And then I suddenly realize why. I’m prejudiced myself. The media have made me believe that it must be hard to go about wearing a headscarf. I feel as small as Holland. “When you are different from your environment, you stand out”, Shanti says. “But that’s normal. That’s life. I still have five fingers on every hand, right?” Her face breaks into a big smile. I take a chance. “What about that blue scarf you were wearing at yoga?”
Do you want to take me abroad in Groningen? janitanaaijer@ukrant. nl
U N I V E R S I T Y 16
UK 23 - 17 FEBRUARY 2011
Bikes are dangerous
Photo Jeroen van Kooten
Alexander Makkinga and Fedir Razumenko
| r e p o r t | Help newcomers find their feet at the University and do typically Dutch things with them: that’s the idea behind the Erasmus mentor programme that links foreign students to Dutch ones. “We’ve already tried chips with mayonnaise.” By Tjerk NoTTeN Fedir razumenko, a Ukrainian stu dent, gives his Dutch mentor a pat on the shoulder. He’s grateful some one was waiting for him at the train station when he arrived in Groning en on 3 February. “In fact, I’d say it was one of the best experiences of my life. I’ve never been given such a warm welcome before,” says razu menko. “What a great way to begin my stay abroad.”
The student from kiev will be fol lowing the euroculture Master’s programme and plans to stay in Groningen until july at least. When he was still at home he had a look at Groningen on Google Street View to try to get an idea of what it would be like, but it’s very different now he’s here. “It isn’t as big as I expect ed.” He started exploring the day af ter he arrived. This was with help of his mentor Alexander Makkinga, who is studying International re lations and International organi zation. “on the first day Alexander showed me how to get to my room. He then took me to the important service desks at the University and to the streets where the pubs are.” Alexander continues, “I also helped him translate his housing contract and apply for a residence
permit, and I took him to Ikea to buy a bed. oh, and we tried chips with mayonnaise. I thought that was a good thing to show Fedir.” “They were nice,” the Ukrainian student responds. “Back home we don’t eat them that way.”
‘I feel a click with people from eastern europe’
go to Ukraine, I’ll now have some where to stay. But that’s not the main reason, of course. If you’re lucky you can become really good friends.” Makkinga is very positive about helping his two students – he men tors a russian student too. “It’s good to meet people from other parts of the world. They have dif ferent habits and different views on certain things. I really like that. As a mentor you come into contact with these things.”
eSN is short of Dutch mentor stu dents. only 107 Dutch students ap plied to receive 230 international ones. According to Makkinga, be ing a mentor has its own benefits, “It’s always good to have contacts in other countries. If I ever want to
When Makkinga signed up to be come a mentor he stressed a prefer ence for mentoring someone from eastern europe. They’re his kind of people, he says, “I feel a click with people from that region. They’re al ways very hospitable and warm.” razumenko confirms this, “Hos
pitality is very important to us. We treat guests as we would like to be treated ourselves.” razumenko plans to get to know Dutch culture much better in the next few months. He wants to learn Dutch, for example. He’s started by figuring out the meaning of street signs. But there’s one habit he’s not going to adopt: “I don’t think I’ll buy a bike. You know, walking is the healthiest means of transport.” Makkinga laughs quietly and waits for razumenko to finish: it’s a story he’s heard already. razu menko continues, “I think you can become impotent if you ride a bike too much.” Makkinga: “That’s exactly what I mean. That’s the kind of thing you’d never hear if you only associ ated with Dutch people. Great isn’t it?” tjerknotten@ukrant.nl
The mysterious case of the Heymans Housecat | r e p o r t | They called him the Heymans Housecat and pampered the animal for months and months. Students of behavioural sciences even built him a house in the garden. Until... the truth came out. By jANITA NAAIjer He was living the easy life for more than six months: canteen staff, doormen, students and even a horde of psychologists catering to his every need, a surfeit of atten tion, the very best food and sweet nothings whispered in his ears all day long. But everything changed for the Heymans cat when facility manager jan Stalman embarked on an investigation into his roots. Although every psychology stu dent knows that the old botanic garden behind the building of the Faculty of Behavioural and Social
Sciences on the Grote kruisstraat is a true paradise for cats, the appear ance last summer of the Heymans cat didn’t go unnoticed. With his tortoiseshell coat and the missing part of his tail that told stories of courageous combat or – less heroi cally – a fight with a car, he immedi ately captured the attention. But ac cording to doorman Bé Duit it was his engaging personality that did it. “Unlike the other cats, he often came inside and really approached people. That’s why we called him the Heymans Housecat.” The Heymans cat didn’t looked undernourished, but he did behave like a stray. As winter approached the students and staff became more and more worried. “People start ed to wonder what would happen to the cat at night”, Duit says, “and during the day students let him into the canteen. An animal wants
warmth too.” But the love the Heymans build ing felt for the cat went even deep er. To protect the animal from win
ter storms they build him a most superior house from a cardboard box. During the Christmas holi day Duit in particular came to the
Faculty to feed him and, according to the doormen, several psycholo gists and sociologists even consid ered adoption. “At one point there was a run on the animal”, Duit says. “But in january Stalman put an end to all that.” The facility manager contacted the neighbourhood association and fi nally brought the truth to light: the Heymans cat already had a home. Neighbours believed he lived just a few doors away from the Faculty, though his exact owners have not been found yet. The question remains whether the whole affair wasn’t just a Heymans researcher carrying out an obser vational study. No results have yet been published. In the meantime, the Heymans cat still roams the gardens, looking for attention.
janitanaaijer@ukrant.nl