Browse news

During the farewell symposium on the occasion of her retirement, held on Friday 17 October 2025, Marjo Buitelaar (Vlaardingen, 1958), Professor of Contemporary Islam at the Faculty of Religion, Culture and Society, received a Royal Decoration. She received the insignia belonging to the Royal Decoration in the category of Officer of the Order of Orange-Nassau from Mayor Hans Broekhuizen of the Municipality of Het Hogeland.

In just a few weeks, a team of 13 students from the University of Groningen will travel to Paris. From 28-31 October, at the Grand Jamboree of the iGEM competition, they will present ‘CRIKIT’, a portable kit that makes detecting antibiotic resistance in bacteria faster, cheaper and more accessible to everyone.

Plans are being developed for the future of the Harmonie Complex. The building, which houses the Faculty of Arts, is outdated and in need of renewal. Therefore, the University of Groningen and the Municipality of Groningen are jointly exploring various scenarios for the future of the complex.

An €800 million programme funded by the Dutch National Growth Fund aims to stimulate the Dutch battery ecosystem and make a global impact. Scientists from the University of Groningen contribute to this programme, designing and building the batteries of the future.

Recent media reports have covered a European research project called REACT which includes a scientist who appears to have close ties with high-ranking officials within the Israeli military. Therefore, the UG will submit the research collaboration to the Knowledge Security and Sensitive Partnerships Advisory Team. Until this team has issued its advice on the matter and a decision has been made, we are suspending our participation in the project.

Some of us experienced difficulties logging in to the UG workspace today. In the meantime, the problems have been solved and logging in is possible again. Our apologies for the inconvenience!

A behind-the-scenes look at the UG: that is what Floor Kuiper (programme manager House of Connections) and Jelle Posthuma (impact journalist Schools for Science & Society) offer in the new RUG & Co podcast. The first episode is all about lobbying, higher education and the upcoming elections, and features guests Sandra Beckerman and Kevin Kruiter.

On 9 December 2025, it will have been exactly 400 years since Ubbo Emmius, the founder of the University of Groningen, passed away. In his tracks, various people who worked and studied there through the centuries made the UG a brighter place. Some of them have been exceptionally important, due to their remarkable achievements, ideas, and activities. This series sheds a light on some of these ‘Colourful Characters’.

The Blaauw Observatory at the University of Groningen is open for the 21th edition of the Night of the Night on Saturday 25 October 2025. During this night, when we set the clocks back one hour, visitors can stargaze at the observatory and there are all kinds of astronomical and night nature activities for young and old.

On 24 October, the National Open Science Festival will take place in Groningen, hosted by the UG and UMCG. At this annual event, researchers and other interested parties can learn more about open science, exchange experiences, and find inspiration for applying open science in daily practice.