Opening Academic Year 2025-2026
When: | Th 04-09-2025 15:00 - 18:00 |
Where: | Faculty of Religion, Culture and Society (Oude Boteringestraat 38, in Groningen) |
The opening of the academic year of the Faculty of Religion, Culture and Society will take place on Friday, the 4th of September 2025. From 3 p.m. there will be a walk-in with coffee, tea and cake, and the official programme will start at 3.30 p.m.

Our esteemed guest is Augusto de Campos Neto. He is advisor at the Social Stability Expertise Unit of the Ministry of Social Affairs and Employment. This department focuses on reducing social tensions and polarisation in society. To this end, Augusto maintains active contact with diverse communities across the Netherlands.
At the Opening of the Academic Year, he will share his insights in a lecture titled: ‘The Strength of the Centre’.
His talk will be followed by a College Tour, led by Dr Brenda Bartelink. She is one of the teachers in our Bachelor’s course Religion, Diversity and Identity.
Afterwards, there will be drinks.
Programme
3 p.m.
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Walk-in at the faculty (Oude Boteringestraat 38, Groningen)
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3.30 p.m.
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Opening of the Academic Year, including:
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4.45 p.m.
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Drinks at the faculty
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6 p.m.
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End of the programme
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Registration
Please sign up for the event via the button below. For any questions, please send an email to: communications.rcs@rug.nl
About Augusto de Campos Neto
After studying Communication Science (University of Amsterdam), Augusto worked in Amsterdam-Zuidoost first as a policy officer for Art & Culture, and later as an advisor for Public Order and Safety. Since 2016, he has been working as an advisor at the Social Stability Expertise Unit, a department of the Ministry of Social Affairs and Employment.
This department focuses on reducing social tensions and polarisation in society. Think of themes such as Black Lives Matter, and workplace discrimination. To this end, Augusto maintains active contact with diverse communities across the Netherlands.
Besides his work as an advisor, he is diversity ambassador, columnist, writer, spoken word artist, spinning instructor and basketball coach. He is also committed to countering radicalisation in society.