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Rudolf Agricola School for Sustainable Development
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Event recap: The future of SDGs in a rapidly changing world
Posted on:15 October 2025

During the three-day event “Speeding up the SDGs and shaping a more ambitious post-2030 agenda” at House of Connections in Groningen, participants discussed the future of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). It quickly became clear that the world of 2025 looks very different from that of 2015, the year the goals were established. How should we move forward? A recap from the plenary closing session of the event.

Speeding up the SDGs and shaping a more ambitious post-2030 agenda
Posted on:03 October 2025

As the world enters the final stretch before the 2030 deadline for the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), the University of Groningen is hosting a key workshop on ‘The Future of Sustainable Development: Understanding the interplay between society, business, and policy for accelerating SDGs and beyond.’ The three-day event, running from 6 to 8 October at the House of Connections, is hosted by the Rudolf Agricola School for Sustainable Development.

European Researchers' Night boosts confidence in the future
Posted on:02 October 2025

The sold-out European Researchers' Night, a science festival for all the curious, provided a rich palette of science last Friday. This year, the programme was organised a bit differently, with activities comfortably spread across four floors Forum Groningen and its rooftop. Covering topics from tinnitus and biodiversity to destructive leaders and data washing, here’s a recap of the multifaceted Night.

Universities in the 21st century: Real change comes from the bottom up
Posted on:23 September 2025

A future-proof university cannot exist without anarchist and utopian thinking. That is what Elke Van dermijnsbrugge, researcher and lecturer at NHL Stenden and specialist in educational science and radical change, argues. On October 27, she will be the keynote speaker during the event 'Make it happen’ at House of Connections. There, participants will discuss the role and relevance of the university in the 21st century. Van Dermijnsbrugge: ‘What is really at stake if we decide to do things differently from the bottom up?’

How to deal with destructive leaders: ‘Stay aware of your own role’
Posted on:18 September 2025

We live in an era of destructive leaders. During European Researchers’ Night, Alette Smeulers, professor of international crimes, delves into the minds of so-called ‘strongmen’. What makes their leadership so destructive, and how can we understand what drives them? A preview of the science festival on September 26.

‘I hope people will open their eyes to urban nature’
Posted on:08 September 2025

According to biologist Auke-Florian Hiemstra, bird nests tell the story of a rapidly changing world while also holding up a mirror to us humans. During the European Researchers’ Night, an annual science festival that brings science closer to the public, he will share his remarkable stories as a guest speaker. Here’s a preview of the festival on 26 September.

From mortgages to sanctions: financial infrastructures shape our world
Posted on:02 September 2025

Who gets a mortgage, how are cuts in higher education implemented, and how do we finance the European Union's Green Deal? Financial infrastructures shape how our world operates. The Cambridge Global Handbook of Financial Infrastructures, which will be presented on 16 September, highlights the deep interconnection between economics and politics.

Rudolf Agricola School fellows join IPCC Seventh Assessment Report
Posted on:30 August 2025

Four researchers from the University of Groningen have been selected as authors for the Seventh Assessment Report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) — the world’s foremost body for assessing climate science. Raul R. Cordero and Prajal Pradhan have been appointed as Coordinating Lead Authors, Klaus Hubacek and Linda Steg will serve as Lead Authors. All four experts are fellows of the Rudolf Agricola School for Sustainable Development (RAS). 

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