Science Faction Council speeches & blog

De Wetenschapsfractie steunt het Smart Buildings-programma om te bezuinigen op gebouwen in plaats van mensen, mits data worden verrijkt met kennis en er geen sprake is van controle op medewerkers of studenten. | The Science Faction supports the Smart Buildings programme to cut costs on buildings rather than people, provided data is enriched with knowledge and there is no monitoring of staff or students.

Short speech for the consent on the AI Platform project by our member Marcello Seri. The Science Faction support the push to data autonomy and wants to leave a final comment on the challenges ahead and on the positive collaborative attitude that signed the development of this project and the Smart Building 2.0

In this heartfelt update, we (current member of the University Council for the Science Faction for 2027) give our goodbye to our esteemed Chair Guido Visman and wish him all the best for his future endeavours. We also take this opportunity to launch a new call for collaboration and cooperation for the intense year ahead and the future elections.

Onze raadslid Thereza Langeler reflecteert op de harmonisatieplannen en benadrukt dat we een transparant en samenwerkingsgericht proces moeten starten, waarbij we collega’s op alle niveaus van de organisatie zorgvuldig betrekken. (An English translation is available in the secon half of the post)

In a rapidly evolving world shaped by generative AI, universities feel more and more cornered. How should education adapt? What skills remain essential, and how do we train them? Marcello Seri explores these questions after a recent debate held at the university. While AI promises efficiency, its costs (financial, psychological, and ethical) are mounting. Research reveals rising cognitive overload, declining research quality, and environmental and social concerns tied to AI’s unchecked adoption. This is not to say that it should all be outright rejected and we should stay still, but there are many reasons to advocate for a balanced approach, avoiding both blind resistance and reckless adoption, in facour of prioritizing human flourishing, ethical awareness, and evidence-based experimentation. The final goal should be ensuring that AI serves education, not the other way around.

Onze raadslid Thereza Langeler reflecteert op de bestuurs- en harmonisatieplannen en -processen, tijdens de discussie nadat het voorstel tot instemming van de agenda was ingetrokken. (An English translation is available in the secon half of the post)

Onze raadslid Thereza Langeler herdenkt Anda Kerkhoven, de bekende jonge pacifiste uit Groningen, op de 71e sterfdag van haar overlijden. Dit leidt tot een urgente en belangrijke reflectie over de rol en visie van de universiteit in de context van veerkracht en veiligheid (Veiligheid en Weerbaarheid) in deze turbulente tijd. / Our council member Thereza Langeler commemorates Anda Kerkhoven, the renowned young pacifist from Groningen, on the 71st anniversary of her death. This prompts an urgent and important reflection on the role and vision of the university in the context of resilience and security during these turbulent times.

Speech by our cuncil member Marcello Seri on the New Digital Workplace. We strongly support the university’s vision for data sovereignty and independence from foreign companies. But we express alarm that the new digital workplace initiative, intended to increase flexibility, instead deepens dependence on Microsoft’s ecosystem—particularly Windows 11 and Azure Virtual Desktop—risking long-term lock-in and higher costs. While it is too late to stop this needed update, we urgently advocate for adopting open solutions, repurposing functional computers with alternatives like Linux, and ensuring sustainable, responsible disposal or reuse of hardware to avoid waste and support both environmental and financial sustainability.

Speech by Marcello Seri for the advice discussion on the Smart Academic Year plan. We reiterate some of the issues that went through the development of this plan and our hopes to learn from them in future harmonization processes.

Speech by Marcello Seri, reporting from gathering feedback with staff members and raising important points of attention in the process of setting up the CTL.