Opening Academic Year 2026 - 2027

The Opening of the 2026 - 2027 Academic Year takes place on Monday 31 August 2026 from 4.00 p.m. until 6.30 p.m. at the Martinikerk in Groningen.

The theme for the opening is ’The University at the heart of Society’.

The ceremony will be bilingual and translated live.

The programme includes the following:

• Speeches by Rector Jacquelien Scherpen and President Jouke de Vries.
• Speech by Rianne Letschert, Minister of Education, Culture, and Science.
• Dialogue between Peter Wennink and Robert Inklaar, moderated by Brenda Mathijssen.
• Awarding of the Alumnus of the Year Award to Ninah Tiemersma.
• Short speech by GUF-100 winner Isabella Martinez.
• Musical interludes by pop choir Bladgoud and organist Eeuwe Zijlstra.

Afterwards, there will be a reception in the choir of the Martinikerk until 6:45 p.m.

Registration for the event has closed, but you can watch the ceremony through a livestream on rug.nl/oaj.

We look forward to seeing you on 31 August!