Publication of the UG Annual Report 2021

The Dutch version of the UG Annual Report 2021 is online (the English version is expected in the end of August). In it, the University of Groningen gives an account, in words and figures, of the policies pursued and the results achieved in 2021, which was once again largely marked by the pandemic. Despite this, almost all of the university's core processes continued. The UG's financial position is solid and the corona crisis will not affect continuity. The number of students increased by 3.1% to 35,136. Like last year, the RUG is the third largest university in the Netherlands.

Pandemic

As a result of the government's coronas measures, activities had to be scaled down and scaled up at various times. Despite this, the processes of teaching, research and operations were able to continue, thanks to digital support, but also thanks to the resilience and resourcefulness of the university community. The problem of increased study and workload was partially overcome, including by a temporary relaxation of the Binding Study Advice (BSA) and measures to support lecturers.

Strategic Plan

The report devotes considerable attention to the UG's new Strategic Plan for 2021-2026, 'Making Connections'. An important element is the interdisciplinary cooperation across the boundaries of faculties and disciplines within the four Schools. Also discussed is the University of the North, an innovation ecosystem of educational institutions, companies and other agencies in the Northern Netherlands and Northwest Germany. Another important point is social safety, of which inclusiveness and diversity are an essential part. Within that framework, new emphases to recognize and value (team) performance are also appropriate. Furthermore, the report pays considerable attention to cyber security, privacy and knowledge security. Also a large part of the report is devoted to the financial statements.