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Peter van Ooijen, full professor of AI in Radiotherapy, researches how AI can contribute to the optimal treatment plan for patients. In this episode of the JTS Scholars series, he discusses his work and shares his views on the implementation of AI. 'You can compare it to the first navigation systems: in the early days, the front-seat passenger would still be looking at a printed map.'

This autumn, we will once again celebrate science during a science festival at the Forum Groningen on Friday 25 September 2026. This year, we call it Eureka! We are looking for enthusiastic volunteers who would like to help bring science closer to the public.

The University of Groningen is striving for digital autonomy. But how can we become less dependent when virtually all university activities take place on platforms run by commercial parties? Marjolein Nieboer and Babette Knauer talk about the pioneering role of the University Library (UB). ‘We’re in it for the long haul and we’ll persevere.’

The Jantina Tammes School of Digital Society, Technology and AI has awarded its latest Grassroots Grants to three innovative projects. The JTS congratulates the new winners and looks forward to the impact of their work.

By 2030, artificial intelligence (AI) will consume enormous amounts of electricity, land, and water – equivalent to the needs of billions of people, scientists write in a recent report by the United Nations. Is AI even possible within planetary boundaries? In principle, yes, states the UN report. ‘Yes,’ says Xin Sun of the University of Groningen, ‘but not with the current geography of data centre expansion.’

The online world has undeniable negative effects. For young people, however, digital tools are also an important means of civic engagement and activism. According to Annamária Neag, an assistant professor at the University of Groningen, we should adopt a nuanced view. ‘Technology isn’t inherently good or bad. We need to teach young people to use it critically’.

With the European Union's acceleration towards a climate-neutral future, the so-called 'twin transition' is expected to act as a catalyst. Within this context, the twin transition (energy and digital) is fostered to balance three competing goals: energy security, sustainability, and energy equity, forming the so-called energy trilemma.

The latest episode of RUG & Co. explores the fascinating world of maps and the impact they can have. The Geodienst of the University of Groningen specializes in creating maps that make research accessible to a wide audience. This episode highlights the Forced to Quit project of JTS Scholar Marília Gehrke, which uses a map to show where women in public positions are forced to resign due to serious threats.

The student team representing the University of the North won this year’s Self Driving Challenge, organized by the RDW (Netherlands Vehicle Authority). The finale took place on 16 June, where ten student teams competed against each other with their own self-driving cars. They had to complete a course featuring obstacles such as traffic lights and crosswalks as quickly as possible, without errors. The winning team consisted of students from the University of Groningen, Hanze University of Applied Sciences, and Noorderpoort.

Kerstin Bunte, Professor of Machine Learning for Interdisciplinary Data, combines data with expert knowledge to solve complex problems. This is particularly valuable in fields where data are scarce, such as paediatrics. In this episode of the interview series JTS Scholars, Bunte talks about her work, in which she brings together different disciplines. ‘I want to be an ambassador for true interdisciplinarity.’

On Tuesday 9 June, the Ben Feringa Impact Award 2026 was presented. The 6th edition of the annual award ceremony took place at Forum Groningen. Sasha Ivashchenko won the award in the researcher category and Thijs van der Laan was presented with the prize in the student category.

The 2026 Heineken Young Scientists Award for Natural Sciences has been awarded to Dr. Ayushi Rastogi of the University of Groningen. Rastogi receives the prize for her research on ways to develop reliable and future-proof software, thereby making the digital sector more accessible to a broader group of people. She focuses on the human side of software development by investigating how developers collaborate and deploy AI.

The University of Groningen (UG) aims to reduce its dependence on large commercial tech companies in the coming years. To this end, the Board of the University has approved a programme running until 2030.

Deepfakes pose a growing threat to reputations and access to democracy and human rights, with women in public roles especially at risk. This pressing issue set the stage for the event ‘The Stereotypes and Mechanisms behind Deepfakes’ at House of Connections.

The twin transition depends on regulations and, therefore, the right of states to regulate, as well as the willingness of investors to commit capital to it, leading to tension between the right to regulate and protection of investment.

ForensifAI has signed an exclusive licensing agreement with the University of Groningen, marking an important milestone in the commercialization of its AI-based image authenticity verification technology.

In the coming weeks the nominees for the Ben Feringa Impact Award 2026 will introduce themselves and their impactful research or project. The winners will be announced on 9 June. This week: Matilde Ficozzi and Dario Rodighiero with the research on visualizing data with the Grounding AI Map.

Global researchers, policymakers, civil society, and innovators are invited to gather in Groningen to shape sustainable futures beyond 2030.

If it were up to brands like Tesla or Mercedes-Benz, self-driving cars would be the new normal in the future. But is it really safe for a vehicle without a driver to circulate in regular traffic? To gain a better understanding of the challenges posed by autonomous vehicles, the RDW (Netherlands Vehicle Authority) is organizing the Self Driving Challenge. A team of students from the UG is taking part.

In collaboration with the Jantina Tammes School of Digital Society, Technology & AI (University of Groningen), DASH: Data Science Center in Health (UMCG), and EVRgreen Studio, 8D is launching a public-private research project.

What can artificial intelligence learn from a court case? A great deal, says Professor of AI Bart Verheij. According to Verheij, intelligence is all about the exchange of arguments, just like in the courtroom. ‘My dream is that experts from as many other fields as possible will help to develop AI.’

Blockchain and artificial intelligence are impressive technologies, but they are far from miracle solutions to our societal problems. That is the argument made by Malcolm Campbell-Verduyn, a researcher at the University of Groningen. In this episode of the JTS Scholar Series, he calls for a broader public debate on how technology is developed and applied. Universities, he argues, have a crucial role to play in that conversation. ‘The academic community has become too reactive.’

With the support of the JTS Grassroots Grant, a round-table session was recently organized on the use of AI systems in healthcare and mobility. The meeting at the Law Faculty of the University of Groningen on March 27 led to new insights and opportunities for future research.

‘That’s a good question.’ Or: ‘Let me get back to you.’ Evasive or non-answers are everywhere. UG scientist Sasan Mansouri uses language models to detect and analyse evasive language used by listed companies. In this episode of JTS Scholars, he talks about his work.

Through the new ‘serious game’, set in the fictional VITAI hospital, children learn about the influence of humans on artificial intelligence. At the House of Connections in Groningen, the first group of supervisors recently got to work with the game.

Bayu Jayawardhana controls robots with mathematical formulas. He does this, for instance, in the new project FARMLAB, in which various types of agricultural robots work together to monitor crops in real time.