Professors and porters go ‘on the road’ together to visit schools

This spring, to celebrate the 400^th anniversary of the University of Groningen, more than one hundred staff members from all over the university will lecture at their children’s schools. They will be going ‘out and about’ in the north of the Netherlands to talk to children and teenagers about their work, from law and medicine to biology and astronomy. On Monday 17 March, the guest lecture series will be launched at a meeting for all staff.

During the guest lectures, staff will also talk about the Gift for Infinity: the scientific research project chosen by the public that the University will carry out to mark its 400^th anniversary. The project is a study of healthy ageing: Let Old Be Gold! How can children and teenagers contribute?

Gift for Infinity: Let Old Be Gold

People who play an active role in society remain happier, fitter and healthier as they age. But why do some people remain active, even in later life, while others do not? And what role does voluntary work play? Professor Ronald Stolk’s research team will be joining forces with LifeLines to find the answers to these questions.

Birthday present

The University has launched a crowdfunding campaign to raise the funds needed for ‘the Gift’. Everyone who would like to give the University a birthday present can contribute. The guest lecturers will be taking part in the campaign by encouraging the classes they visit to think up creative ways of raising money for the Gift research project. Schools that raise money will be invited to a concluding lecture in Groningen on Saturday 23 May 2014.

One hundred applications

Staff members will give their guest lectures at the invitation of the University of Groningen Pre-University Academy and the Anniversary Events Office. There is a great deal of interest – more than one hundred members of staff have already applied to give a guest lecture. Wilbert Kolkman, Professor of Private Law, was one of the first to apply: ‘I think it’s really interesting to take part. Normally I only teach at the University. This is an excellent opportunity to talk about my field to a wider audience. My lecture will be about family law, something that everyone comes into contact with at some point in their lives – the death of a grandparent, a divorce, or the birth of a brother or sister.’