Opening academic year 2015

At the Gemma Frisius lecture this evening, prof. Jouke de Vries gave an interactive lecture about RUG/Campus Fryslân and the plan to start a University College. De Vries invited prof. Barbara Oomen, dean of the Roosevelt Academy to join in on the discussion about what it takes to run a successful University College.

“We can learn a lot from professor Oomen and her staff, comparing the conditions of Middelburg and Leeuwarden and the content of the programs which they offer and we want to offer. A residential college is one of the three central proposals we are trying to develop in the 11th faculty of the University of Groningen in Leeuwarden; this will be the successor to University Campus Fryslân. Our university college is a new project, in addition to the international Graduate School and the Mastercollege which were developed by University Campus Fryslân.

The academic content of the college can be inspired by economic and cultural hotspots of the province of Fryslân and the different knowledge institutions in Leeuwarden. The theoretical inspiration comes from the so called PPPE-formula. PPPE stands for: Politics Philosophy, Psychology and Economics.” Says prof. de Vries.

“The three layers within the faculty, the residential college, the master college and the graduate school, are not separated. There is a relation between the different activities. When we realize this faculty, the educational pyramid is complete. It will then be possible in Fryslân to go from primary school to university in this province. That will be the success of the so called ongoing learning lines. We hope that students from Fryslân will choose the university college in Leeuwarden, however, we also want to attract students from Europe and the rest of the world. A university college is an international honours college.“