Consent on the AI Network proposal
Datum:19 februari 2026
Speech by Marcello Seri on the consent discussion about the AI Network proposal. We raise our praise for how the process unfolded and reiterate how important it has been to have an open line of discussion with people in the field to be able to revise the proposal successfully and find common agreement.
Open letter to the Board of Directors on Governance
Datum:16 februari 2026
We urge the Board to present a vision that the academic community of Groningen can truly rally behind. A common goal for us all to work towards, instead of a sad state of affairs. In our view, all the talk of merging has clouded an important reality that most staff and students actually agree with: that the University is indeed hampered by bureaucracy, and that harmonisation of processes across the different faculties could promote more and better cooperation between units.
The UC experience, four months later
Datum:18 december 2025
In this post, Marcello Seri pulls back the curtain on what it is like serving on the University Council: the rewarding collaborations, the exhausting debates and the need to reach out to those directly affected by the Council and Board decisions. In this he goes over some important changes that are coming and how we really need to start working together to make the university a better place.
Woordvoering instellingsbegroting | Council speech Institutional Budget
Datum:15 december 2025
The Science Faction warns that the University of Groningen is steering into a financial storm. While faculties have already tightened their belts, the Board hesitates to make tough cuts, relying instead on natural attrition and short-term fixes. With student numbers set to drop and deficits ballooning, the Faction demands urgent action — before the ship hits the rocks.
Council speech on the Smart Academic Year Report
Datum:11 december 2025
The smart academic year is an opportunity to revise a rather intense study and teaching schedule. In the process to design the new recommendations however, it seems that something has gone wrong. Are there reasonable worries or suggestions that should have been given more thoughts? Can we use this as a learning moment to avoid the same problems in the future? Marcello Seri explores some of these issues in this speech at the council discussion.
Council speech on the AI Network
Datum:20 november 2025
The AI Network is a plan for a centralized AI office to shape the policy of the university and oversee and coordinate work on AI. We had a close look at the proposal and Marcello Seri collected feedback from many researchers and educators which he consolidated it in the speech he gave at today's council. You can find the whole speech here.
The wrong end of the stick
Datum:20 november 2025
Letter to the Board: The Science Faction urges prioritizing harmonization and budget clarity over faculty restructuring, advocating a more inclusive process. |Brief aan het CvB: De Wetenschapsfractie pleit voor het eerst prioriteit geven aan harmonisatie en budgethelderheid voor een facultaire herindeling, met een oproep tot een meer inclusief proces.
Council speech on Groningen Engineering Center 2.0
Datum:30 oktober 2025
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.
Woordvoering promovendi-welzijn|Council Speech PhD wellbeing
Datum:30 oktober 2025
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.
Council Speech on Smarter Academic Year
Datum:30 oktober 2025
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?