Opening Academic Year 2026-2027

The opening of the academic year at the Faculty of Religion, Culture and Society (RCS) will take place on Thursday 3 September 2026. From 3 p.m., coffee, tea, and cake will be served at the Faculty, and at 3.30 p.m., the official programme will begin in the Doopsgezinde Kerk across from the Faculty building. After the official programme, there will be a drinks reception at the Faculty, including a performance by the one and only faculty band.

Meaningful collaboration! RCS within the UG as a network university

At last year’s opening of the academic year, President of the Board of the University Prof. Jouke de Vries discussed the impact of global developments on the university as an academic institution. In response to these developments, the UG aims to further develop as what is known as a fifth-generation university: an international network university that is strongly embedded in the region, which collaborates with other educational institutions, societal organizations, and businesses to address current challenges in areas such as energy, healthcare, artificial intelligence, and sustainability.

During the Faculty’s opening of the academic year 2026-2027, we will explore how RCS contributes substantively to this fifth-generation university. Drawing on inspiring examples and plans, staff members and students will demonstrate how they work together in interdisciplinary and transdisciplinary ways to address societal challenges, both regionally and internationally.

The afternoon will have an interactive format and will be led by Dr Joram Tarusarira, associate professor at our Faculty.

Programme

Registration

Please sign up for the event via the button below. For any questions, you can send an email to: communications.rcs@rug.nl