Humans of RUG: Recent Episodes
Young Academy Groningen
Who are the humans that make a university flourish? When thinking about the faces of a university, professors and students may be the first people that come to mind. But there are so many more people: beadles, technicians, study advisors, secretaries, and many others. They all bring their stories with them when they come to study and work at the university, and they experience new stories together. Without them, the University would not be what it is.
“Humans of RUG” is a podcast series that showcases, in conversations with various guests, the many human faces of a large university such as the Rijksuniversiteit Groningen. It was developed by the 2020 cohort of the Young Academy of Groningen (Sonja Billerbeck, Julia Costa López, Marcos Guimaraes, Lisa Herzog, Casper van der Kooi, Lukas Linsi, and Hanna van Loo), with help from podcast producer Wim Brons. It looks at the history of the RUG, its students and professors, the support structure within departments , but also how the University is perceived by and interacts with the outside world, the city of Groningen. As such, it makes different parts of the university more visible to one another and to the outside. Listen to these conversations - with study advisers and academic prize winners, with a beadel, a Dutch champion in 800m track running and the Mayor of Groningen, and many others - which bring the human side of this time-honored institution to life!
In this episode, we have a conversation with Ton Modderman (occupational and organizational expert) and Karen Huizing (psychologist for PhD students) about the mental and physical health at the university and about the people who keep them in check. We discuss the several ways the health workers at the university motivate students and staff to maintain a healthy lifestyle, and important aspects of a healthy work environment. We also get to know how the work life of these important employees look like.
In this episode, we discuss the fast-moving digitalization of education and research at the RUG and beyond. We talk to Tracy Poelzer, specialist for digital education at the Center for IT, and Oskar Gstrein, assistant professor and member of the Data Research Centre at Campus Fryslân. We discuss the role of the pandemic as a catalyst of teaching innovation, the promises of the digitalization of research and education, but also the downsides that come with it.
In this episode, we bring together three RUG students or employees who in parallel to their studies or work flourish in another career path: Suzanne Voorrips, PhD researcher in cardiology and Dutch champion in 800m track running; Julian Bushoff, student in economics and party leader of PvdA Groningen; Yoeri Bonarius, student in international relations and working at the Royal Netherlands Navy. We talk about what it takes to thrive in their fields, and the challenges and rewards of pursuing two careers at the same time.
In this episode, we discuss the definition of success and failures in academia and academic life. Our guests are Prof. Amina Helmi from astronomy and Prof. Lodi Nauta from philosophy. Both received the most prestigious prize for scientific research in the Netherlands: the Spinoza Prize. We talk about how these highly regarded professors define their “successes” and “failures”, giving an in-depth view of life in academia.
In this episode we look at the university from an outside perspective. In a conversation with the Mayor of Groningen, Koen Schuiling, and Karen Prowes from the International Welcome Centre North, we explore how the RUG integrates into Groningen, what it contributes to city life, and how its members have changed the region, the Northern Netherlands.
In this episode, we focus on administrative and support staff in the university. When we think about the university, we normally think about teachers, researchers and students. However, all universities have a large number of people who keep things running behind the scenes. We talk with Anmara Kuitert, Departmental secretary and Qing Gong, confidential advisor for students, about the exciting parts, the perks, and challenges of their roles.
In this episode, we interview two students of the University of Groningen, Rebecca Rodriguez de Miranda and Irene Omole. Rebecca is a master student in nanoscience. She is a Dutch national who grew up in different countries and did her bachelors at the RUG in chemistry. Irene is a Nigerian born, grew up in Germany, and did her bachelors (Business and Economics) at the RUG. Now she is pursuing her master degree in Philosophy. We talk to them about the joys and sorrows of being a student, and get a picture of the student life in Groningen and how it compares to other countries around the world.
In this episode, we talk about the history and traditions of the https://www.rug.nl (RUG), material and immaterial. Our guests have a role keeping the university in touch with its history: https://www.rug.nl/staff/h.oosterhuis/ (Harry Oosterhuis) is a beadel who coordinates traditional university ceremonies such as PhD theses defenses. And https://www.rug.nl/staff/a.f.b.dijkstra/ (Arjen Dijkstra) is the head of the https://www.rug.nl/museum/ (University Museum). Both tell us about the humans who have shaped the RUG in the past, and the objects and traditions that will be passed onto future generations.