Science for Society | Overview page

Many asylum seekers with a residence permit (known in Dutch as status holders) are eager to work in an environment that recognizes and values their skills. Cultural differences and expectations play a major role for both the newcomer with a residence permit and the employer. How can you match these two groups in a sustainable manner?

Quite a few children display energetic and headstrong behaviour that does not fit in with the demands our society places on them. Parents, teachers, and pedagogical staff are therefore looking for tools to deal with this behaviour without immediately having to resort to professional help. With this in mind, the low-threshold programme Wild & Willful [Druk & Dwars] has been developed. The initiator and project supervisor is Laura Batstra, associate professor of Orthopedagogy at the University of Groningen. ‘For children, it is helpful not to immediately be given a medical label. In most cases, this does more harm than good.’

Suppose that an adult son is living away from home. He deals drugs and has hidden a large quantity of pills at his parents’ home without their knowledge. Following a police raid, the house is sealed off on the mayor’s orders. As a result, the parents end up on the street overnight. The son is still at large. Is this measure really proportionate?

The Ben Feringa Impact Award was presented to him on 13 May: Francesco Picchioni, professor of Chemical Technology (FSE). The reason for his award? An important innovation that allows rubber recycling without loss of quality. Start-up New Born Rubber from Grootegast is already eagerly using his method for the production of flip flops and bicycle basket

Teaching primary school children language and maths through exercise improves their attention and task orientation. Jumping and jogging for half an hour, three times a week, while absorbing the teaching material, improves test results.

More than half of all adult women is dealing with urinary incontinence, and a quarter of them are severely hindered by it. UG researcher Anne Loohuis developed a science-based app offering information and exercises. This also saves a lot of money.

UG associate professor Eize Stamhuis and his colleagues have helped to further develop and refine an underwater device in the Wadden Sea that moves back and forth and generates electricity from the resulting tensile forces.

Learning facts at school is something hardly anyone likes. The day before a test, pupils cram as many words or names as possible into their heads, only to hopefully remember them the next morning and then forget them again after the test.

A truly sickening, disgusting smell to chase harassers away, activated by a small button on your bracelet: thousands of women all over the world already wear it to keep themselves safe. Sexologist Charmaine Borg of the Faculty of Behavioural and Social Sciences played a crucial role in its development.

Scientists work day by day on solutions to a variety of problems. But this is not always immediately visible. This week: Bert Otten and Mickey Wiedemeijer developed a method that allows them to analyse runs. The method is so sophisticated and so unique that they use it to solve crimes.