Konstantin Mierau new Vice Dean Faculty of Arts

The Board of the University of Groningen has appointed Dr Konstantin Mierau as Vice Dean of the Faculty of Arts, effective 1 January 2025. Dean Thony Visser and Managing Director Sander van den Bos are pleased with the appointment and look forward to collaborating with Konstantin on the Faculty Board.

Konstantin succeeds Dr Joost Keizer, who has served as Vice Dean since September 2022. As of 1 January, Joost will take up the position of Professor of Early Modern and Modern Art History at Radboud University Nijmegen.

Since 2015, Konstantin has been part of the Faculty of Arts, currently as an Associate Professor in the chair group European Culture and Literature. He has held various administrative roles, including Programme Director of the Graduate School for the Humanities and Director of the Federation of Graduate Schools in the Social Sciences and Humanities. In the latter role, he established PhD/i, an interdisciplinary learning community for PhD candidates at the University of Groningen.

In addition to his administrative work, Konstantin is dedicated to showcasing the broader relevance of our field. He frequently holds guest lectures at high schools in the Northern provinces, providing him with a keen awareness of the gap between academia’s self-perception and its image in society.

Konstantin’s current research focuses on the impact of fiction on readers in prisons, particularly in Latin America. He is also committed to making academic research more accessible to the wider public, with a special interest in supporting first-generation (PhD) students. You can learn more about his background and research in this interview.

On his new role, Konstantin says: "As Vice Dean, I aim to develop a future-proof educational offering that meets the needs of both students and educators. This involves creating room for innovation in course content and teaching methods while also ensuring stability and career prospects for colleagues.
Together, as a faculty and as a board, we face a future of uncertainties, not only in the university landscape but also within the Social Sciences and Humanities. Therefore, we must develop flexible scenarios that allow us to adapt our education to changing circumstances.”

Konstantin is optimistic about working with the other Faculty Board members: "I look forward to collaborating closely with Thony Visser and Sander van den Bos. I find inspiration in exchanging ideas and am open to different perspectives, which I then translate into concrete and feasible steps."