Science Faction Council speeches & blog

The Groningen Engineering Center 2.0 aims to position the university as the Netherlands’ fifth technical university, fostering cross-faculty collaboration in technical fields. While its potential to boost visibility and funding is clear, success hinges on robust operational planning and equitable faculty involvement ensuring that all partners, not just technical ones, shape its direction as equal stakeholders. Read Marcello Seri's University Council speech here.

We’ve seen real progress in PhD wellbeing at the University of Groningen since 2018, but there’s still a lot of room to grow. Our three key calls: 1. let’s hold supervisors and their managers accountable, not just the PhDs; 2. harmonise support roles and guarantee confidentiality ; and 3. ease the final stretch by helping PhDs navigate post-contract stress, like UWV pressures, with real university backing. Let’s make the next report show even bigger strides! Read Thereza Langeler's Council speech here.

Marcello Seri took a hard look at the Smarter Academic Year initiative, meant to cut workloads and boost education quality. The goals were clear: more peace and space for everyone, a new academic year structure, and shared best practices. But the reality is messy. Decisions were made in isolation, pilots ran without clear plans, and communication with those actually affected was almost nonexistent. Instead of collaboration, we got frustration and wasted resources. Some faculties even announced sudden shifts to 6-week blocks, leaving staff scrambling. If we can’t get this right, how will we handle bigger governance challenges? And as these plans go public, who actually gets a say in the final decisions?

Our new faction member Marcello Seri shares his experiences from the front lines of university governance: intensive training, critical debates on Arthur Mol’s report, and the push for transparency. Discover how the council is engaging staff and students to navigate governance reforms, budget challenges, and the ambitious University 5.0 vision. Read his insights here.

The Science Faction urges approval of the new Camera Surveillance Policy and DPIA Report, praising the thorough risk assessment. We clarified that a DPIA focuses on data protection risks and stress its role in a continuous improvement cycle, especially as technologies and surveillance scales evolve. While acknowledging procedural debates, we prioritizes transparency and safety, arguing that clear policies benefit the university community now, with room for ongoing review. Read Guido Visman's pragmatic call to action for modern campus security.

De Wetenschapsfractie strijdt voor de belangen van de academische gemeenschap in Groningen: minder bureaucratie, eerlijker verdeling van middelen, betere arbeidsomstandigheden, bestrijding van machtsmisbruik en bescherming van de privacy van medewerkers.