50th anniversary of the Executive Board and University Council in Groningen
Half a century ago, the University Council and the Executive Board of the UG were formally established. This will be remembered on the afternoon of Thursday, September 1, 2022 with the symposium ‘Governance and co-determination: 50 years of balancing act!’
Democratic government
In 1971, the WUB (Wet Universitaire Bestuurshervorming: University Governance Reform Act) came into force, which regulated that universities would be governed democratically. This was no longer an exclusive preserve of professors, but from now on all staff members and students could participate in the management of the university. The tasks of the old Senate were transferred to the Executive Board and the University Council. This was in line with the general trend of democratization in the sixties and seventies. In the following five decades, the administrative structure changed in many ways, but the Executive Board and University Council continued to exist as such.
Harmony model
The UG celebrates the anniversary a year later than other universities in the Netherlands, because in 1971 an even more democratic Interim Form of Government was briefly instituted in Groningen. The academic community of the UG had to reluctantly conform to the rest of the country by order of the national government, but it did lead to the creation of the typical Groningen ‘Harmony Model’: a form of collaboration between the Executive Board and University Council, aimed at cooperation, understanding and respect.
Livestream
The event will start at 3:00 pm, as a festive reunion for all former and current members of both bodies. Some of the attendees from in 1972 will be present. There will be two lectures: one by Professor Klaas van Berkel, Professor of History at the RUG, and one by Professor Rienk Goodijk, Professor of Governance at VU University Amsterdam. Afterwards there will be a forum discussion. There will be a livestream of the event.
Last modified: | 06 September 2022 2.04 p.m. |
More news
-
26 April 2023
Royal Decorations for UG staff members
Two professors nominated by the University of Groningen have been awarded Royal Decorations on Tuesday 26 April. Professor K.U. Loos is appointed Knight of the Order of the Netherlands Lion. She received this honour from Mayor K. Schuiling at...
-
26 April 2023
Cisca Wijmenga in Raad van Toezicht Hanzehogeschool
Cisca Wijmenga treedt per 1 september 2023 toe tot de Raad van Toezicht van de Hanzehogeschool.
-
25 April 2023
Response to the letter to the House of Representatives regarding internationalization
The Board of the University of Groningen has taken note of the Letter to the House of Representatives regarding internationalization in higher education, sent to the House on Friday 21 April by the Minister of Education, Culture and Science Robbert...