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Property investments  are proving to be an important explanation for the gap between large cities and the region, says Michiel Daams, assistant professor of Economic Geography of  Real Estate Markets. He carried out a study on property investments in the United Kingdom and the United States. According to Daams, the same situation may apply to the Netherlands. ‘Since the financial crisis, investors have been stashing their cash under the mattress of the big cities, while the region lags behind.’

'How many of Sweden's forests need to be protected to prevent biodiversity loss?' asked the Swedish government to Prof. Per Angelstam in the 1990s. To answer that question, Angelstam wrote the article 'Estimates of the Needs for Forest Reserves in Sweden.' It had a tremendous impact.

Een meer ecologische inrichting van zonneparken met ruigere begroeiing en struiken is goed voor de biodiversiteit. Dat blijkt uit de eerste resultaten van een vijfjarig onderzoek, uitgevoerd door de Rijksuniversiteit Groningen (RUG), in samenwerking met de provincie Groningen en Novar. Echter, niet alle soorten profiteren van ecologisch ingerichte zonneparken. Akkervogels zoals veldleeuweriken blijven er weg.

Na lang praten lijkt het erop dat de PVV, VVD, NSC en BBB bereid zijn om verder te onderhandelen over een nieuw (extraparlementair) kabinet. Onderzoekers van de Rijksuniversiteit Groningen voorspelden na de verkiezingen de uitkomsten van de onderhandelingen van de rechtse coalitie, maar ook van een middencoalitie. In dit interview vertellen ze over hun voorspellingen en de huidige stand van zaken in de onderhandelingen.

Maciej Grzenkowicz  is PhD researcher in Multimodal Argumentation at the Faculty of Arts. He is looking in to ways to counter disinformation on TikTok. With the Grant he will employ four student assistants to help him in collecting and translating TikTok-clips in languages such as Arabic.

Julia Munuera Garcia, is PhD researcher at University College Groningen, Department of Social Science. She is raising awareness on how accessibility, encounters and mobilities influence people with disabilities’ experiences in the city. With the Grant money she will produce a boardgame that will help raising awareness on how people with disabilities have to cope.

 Dr Tymon De Haas is an archaeologist of the Mediterranean. Dr Mans Schepers works on the prehistory of Northwest Europe. On the face of it they are two quite different specialisations, yet they work together frequently. Their shared interest: the development of ‘wetlands’. They are comparing the Pontine marshes in Italy with the Onlanden near Groningen. Recently they edited an issue of the Journal of Wetland Archaeology together.

Listen to the podcast 'A Global Perspective on European Politics,' episode 24: Norways Security Strategy following the Invasion of Ukraine, with special guest Ole Martin Stormoen. He is an external candidate of the University of Groningen

In The Trump Carnival, which will be officially presented at the University of Groningen's Academy Building on 29 February, researchers Lisa Gaufman and Bharath Ganesh draw a comparison between Trump and the medieval carnival. During carnival, 'the people' seized power, but for many minorities it was a cruel celebration, the scholars argue in their book.

For the next two years, Groningen will again 'host' the European Researchers' Night, to celebrate and showcase science. The application of the four Schools for Science & Society of the University of Groningen, which jointly organise the Night, was approved on Tuesday. The Night includes a science festival in Forum Groningen, an event full of experiments, shows, science battles, music and dance.

On Thursday, 1st February, the House of Connections in Groningen witnessed an insightful showcase of student engagement with sustainability projects. This event was the culmination of months of education on sustainability in the minor 'Future Planet Innovation'. The five projects spanned diverse areas, each contributing to a more sustainable society.

dr. Jeannette den Toonder, shares insights on the experiences of migrants, in an interview about her key paper 'Narrating pain: The power of storytelling in Maryam Madjidi’s Marx et la poupée.'

The most important finding, is the call for ecologists to move beyond their traditional roles and comfort zones to actively participate in building multispecies liveable futures. And they can do this by changing their research practices to better guide action in the field.

The farmers and nazorgers say, 'We understand what's going on – intensive agriculture is bad for the birds – but we want to know what we can do to reverse the trends. Help us!’

Inspiratie en ideeën stroomden over tijdens de eerste Nieuwjaarsbijeenkomst van Circulair Groningen. Het enthousiasme voor circulaire initiatieven was duidelijk voelbaar in Groningen, maar de vraag bleef: hoe kunnen we deze ambitie concreet realiseren? Tijdens de bijeenkomst, waarbij meer dan honderd deelnemers aanwezig waren, werd duidelijk dat Groningen actief werkt aan oplossingen voor milieuproblemen.

In 2024, the Noordelijke OntwikkelingsMaatschappij  (Northern Development Company, NOM) will celebrate its 50th anniversary. NOM sees this anniversary as a good opportunity to look back at how it was, be proud of what is there, and continue to build on the future with good courage and confidence.

All partners in the project GLEAM NSR, led by the University of Groningen, met this week for the official kick-off at the university’s House of Connections. The project focuses on the role of governance towards just and green urban logistics. The EU funds the project within the framework of the Interreg North Sea programme. In this project, sustainable logistics expert Paul Buijs is one of the representatives of the University of Groningen.  

Komen de rechtse partijen er op het punt van de rechtstaat niet uit, dan heeft een middencoalitie een goede kans. Die heeft minder kans op breekpunten dan een rechtse. Dit concluderen sociologen Liza van den Enk, Jelmer Draaijer, dr. Jacob Dijkstra en prof. dr. Frans Stokman van de Rijksuniversiteit Groningen op basis van het REX Decide Model. 

Watch: Dr. Maarten Loonen talks about climate change in the Arctic on Buitenhof (NPO1).

'Every year, I sail to a place where there used to be a glacier,' says polar biologist Maarten Loonen. He has been conducting research in Svalbard in the Arctic Ocean for over 30 years. Loonen feels a sense of helplessness when it comes to climate change.

Danny Dorling, a renowned English social geographer, sheds light on the alarming developments in England in his latest book, 'Shattered Nation: Inequality and the Geography of A Failing State.'

How do you ensure that referendums function effectively? Master student Petar Tsonev interviews dr. Marc Pauly about his key paper Characterizing referenda with quorums via strategy-proofness.

Digging Sustainability Science is a video series on key papers by Fellows of the Rudolf Agricola School for Sustainable Development.

A Global Perspective on European Politics | Episode 23: Invasion of Ukraine and the Relationship between Geopolitics and Russian Identity.

Guest: Tom Casier is Chair in Global Politics of Europe at the University of Groningen.

Decolonization, or just an other form of colonization? | Ass. Prof Caitlin Ryan on the new land laws protecting indigenous rights in Liberia and Sierra Leone

'The new land laws are prodigiously progressive. On paper they are the most interesting in the world. All societal organizations were able to make their voices heard in the drafting process.'

Dr. Danny Dorling on his book ‘Shattered Nation. Inequality and the Geography of A Failing State.’

Prof. Godfrey Baldacchino visited Groningen this month, and gave lectures for the ‘Islands and Sustainability’ master. This is part of an Erasmus Mundus master programme. Baldacchino is also an international Rudolf Agricola Fellow: he is well known as one of the driving forces behind the relatively new field of island studies.

On December 7th, a delegation from Northwest A&F University ( Xianyangm, China), led by Vice President Wu Xiaocheng, paid a visit to the University of Groningen.

Dr. Frans Sijtsma, Wanli Zheng and several research fellows from the Rudolf Agricola School, along with UG Secretary-General dr. Stephan van Galen, welcomed the delegation at the House of Connections.

Dr. Brian Cook from the University of Melbourne was in Groningen to share insights on risk mitigation at the household scale.

His study's results suggest that engaging in meaningful conversations has a more significant impact on raising awareness and prompting behavioral change than conventional methods. It emphasizes the importance of involving communities actively in discussions about their risks, steering away from passive information dissemination.

Dr. Cook raised important questions about public awareness, their actions, and the efficacy of traditional information dissemination. Cook and his team of researchers are developing a new way of engaging with communities, with the aim of improving risk reduction behaviors through partnerships between emergency services, researchers, and the public.

Rudolf Agricola Fellows Mónica López López and Mijntje ten Brummelaar have received a European-funded project. They do so, together with a consortium of seventeen institutions (seven of which are non-academic) in twelf different countries. The project is coordinated by Dr Montserrat Rifà at the Autonomous University of Barcelona.

Global minimum tax rate not as fair as it seems. The Complexity of International Taxes | Interview with Mr. Raymond Adema.

Interview series ' Sustainability Science in Progress' of the Rudolf Agricola School for Sustainable Development.

Vacancy: PHD Realistic Computational Models Of Behavior In Cascading Disasters (1.0 FTE) (V23.0774)

Funded by the M20 PhD Program 2023 and conducted in close connection with the Agricola School for Sustainable Development

From November 18 to 21 this year, Wanli Zheng, Scientific Coordinator at Rudolf Agricola School for Sustainable Development and Project Manager for Research Strategy and Partnerships in the Faculty of Science and Engineering, participated in the annual China CSC PhD Workshop held in Beijing and Shanghai. During the workshop, Wanli Zheng conducted interviews and pre-selected potential PhD candidates.

Insights in Impact. The societal consequences of gas extraction and perspectives for the future | New book by Kennisplatform Leefbaar en Kansrijk Groningen. With a free download of the book.

Tien beurzen voor interdisciplinair promotieonderzoek RUG Schools. Het Ubbo Emmiusfonds (UEF) kent tien grants toe aan onderzoeksprojecten van de RUG Schools vanuit het M20 Promotieprogramma.

Josefine Geiger, Irene Maltagliati and Barbro Melgert have secured a grant of €300,000 for the project from ZonMW ‘Microplastics & Citizens’

Interview: prof. Lisa Herzog on her book ‘Citizen knowledge.  Markets, experts, and the infrastructure of democracy’. This interview is part of the Rudolf Agricola School interview series 'Sustainability Science in Progress.'

Spring School 2024: Medieval and Early Modern Studies. Climate change, depletion of natural resources, loss of natural and cultural landscapes, and many other (ecological) sustainability challenges urge us to (re)evaluate human interaction with the natural world. This renewed environmental consciousness has invigorated not only scientists working on effects in the present and solutions for the future, but also those who study the (distant) past.

Special Issue Journal of Wetland Archaeology co-edited by RAF's dr. Tymon de Haas and dr. Mans Schepers.

The Rudolf Agricola Conference 'Connecting for Sustainability', held on October 19th witnessed a remarkable turnout. The event featured a day filled with valuable interactions, enthusiastic participation from scholars, and addressed numerous inquiries from stakeholders like LandschappenNL, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Groningen Municipality, Safety Region Groningen.

Professor Dirk Pieter van Donk and Associate Professor Kirstin Scholten and partners, have secured a substantial grant of €1 million, with €400,000 allocated to the University of Groningen (UG), for a new research project titled 'Next Gen Supply Chain Resilience: Short-Term Wins, Long-Term Gains.'

Professor Dirk Pieter van Donk and Associate Professor Kirstin Scholten are Fellows of the Rudolf Agricola School for Sustainable Development

Responsus Blog

Join us in supporting Isabel Pacheco’s research on circular consumption

New book Lisa Herzog:'Citizen Knowledge: Markets, Experts, and the Infrastructure of Democracy'

Read the book here online

Rudolf Agricola fellow publishes book on democracy and fake news

Rudolf Agricola minor FUTURE PLANET INNOVATIONS: Half a year of exploring beyond the boundaries of your discipline.

Exploring the World of Data in Merchandise Trade: Insights from RUG researchers

What are the three fundamental categories of trade data? What are prominent sources of product-level trade data?

What is Panjiva ,

What is Wirescreen ?

What is Wirescreen ?

Staatsbosbeheer and the Rudolf Agricola School join forces to conduct scientific research on sustainable nature and landscape development. On Thursday, October 5, Jesler Kiestra and Frans J. Sijtsma signed a cooperation agreement (Memorandum of Understanding) between Staatsbosbeheer and the Rudolf Agricola School for Sustainable Development at the University of Groningen.

Both parties recognise an urgent societal need for scientific insights in the field of sustainability and the conservation, management, and development of nature.

Looking back on the European Night of Researchers 2023 with the Rudolf Agricola School for Sustainable Development

Rudolf Agricola interview: Van Hall Larenstein student Roos Ahlers graduates on research on the ecology of solar parks

Music not only makes people happy or melancholic, it potentially also acts as a ‘cognitive vaccine’ and enhances recovery after surgery. During the Science Show of the European Researchers' Night, on September 29, researchers Marie-José van Tol and Krista de Wit will share their insights on these topics.

A ships blog: the Sustainable Islands Summer School 2023.

Leah Henderson is appointed as Endowed Professor of Societal Trust at the University of Groningen as of 1 July. The chair is a special appointment sponsored by the Koninklijke Hollandsche Maatschappij der Wetenschappen (KHMW) in collaboration with the Rudolf Agricola School for Sustainable Development of the UG. Henderson answers nine questions to elaborate about her upcoming research and outreach activities on the theme of societal trust.

Opening House of Connections in de media

Leah Henderson, Associate Professor in Philosophy of Science, will be appointed as Endowed Professor of Societal Trust at the University of Groningen (UG) as of 1 July.

Frans J. Sijtsma on the circular economy

Exciting Collaboration Opportunities Explored Between Agricola School and Yancheng Delegation!

World famous organ player Leo van Doeselaar will play Agricola's music on the Martini Church organ during opening of the Rudolf Agricola School for Sustainable Development

Sander Schaepman deelde zijn inzichten in criminaliteit tijdens ITG Collegtour in Groningen, en werd geinterviewd door Prof. Mr. Dr. Hanny Elzinga, associate professor of criminal law and criminal procedure law van de RUG en Dean van het University College in Groningen.

Report: RESPONSUS kicks off succesfully with event on the power of language

"What stands out is that it is already very clearly stated: nitrogen is one of the biggest problems," says prof dr. Han Olff.

The Rudolf Agricola School for Sustainable Development has moved to the House of Connections on Grote Markt in Groningen. How to get there?

Dr Benjamin Leruth has been awarded an Open Competition XS grant for his project Exploring the Politics of Long-Termism (EXPLOT). The Dutch Research Council awards these grants of max €50.000 to researchers with a promising idea or an innovative and high-risk initiative. Dr Benjamin Leruth is assistant professor in European Politics and Society at the Faculty of Arts and theme director of the Agricola theme Democracy & Governance.

What exactly happens when populist politicians move into positions of power? Which strategies do they develop? Do populists in office maintain their credentials, or do they moderate and abandon their political agenda? Are they able to change the political landscape?

Digital literacy is essential to being able to participate in modern society. The University of Groningen is studying the factors that stimulate or impede the development of digital literacy in a long-term research programme. Denise Mensonides MSc is one of the two researchers; her research is focused on children between the ages of eight and twelve.

In her inspiring talk ‘Social networks and the resilience of marginalized communities,’ dr. Miranda Lubbers discussed the role of social networks

The Agricola School 'Responsibility, Language, and Communication group' (Responsus) is committed to fostering sustainable futures through the study of language and communication.

It also demonstrated that dyking the northern coastal area in the High Middle Ages did not produce such a massive change in what farmers cultivated. You find a wide range of arable crops before and after dyking.’

Political scientist Léonie de Jonge (1990) is an internationally renowned expert in the fields of political extremism and populism in Europe. She obtained her PhD from the University of Cambridge (United Kingdom) in 2019 for her research on the success and failure factors of radical right-wing populist parties.

Frans J. Sijtsma new Director Rudolf Agricola School for Sustainable Development

Sustainable Society PhD Grants 2022 awarded to the eight winners

November 2022: Third round of Sustainable Society Small Grants of 2022 awarded

Dr Francesco Giumelli, associate professor of International Relations and International Organizations at the Faculty of Arts, and Dr Pim Geelhoed, associate professor of Criminal Law and Criminal Procedure at the Faculty of Law, are participating in an international research project on informal economies that was recently awarded a European grant of €3.8 million. The project funds 15 PhD students, two of whom are appointed at the University of Groningen: one in the Faculty of Arts and one in the Faculty of Law.

A Small Grant well spent: dr. Caitlin Ryan reports on her work in Sierra Leone and Liberia

First Groninger Bestuursconferentie could be the start of a tradition

Streetfront: a Groningen book about an unusual Canadian School.

Prof Dr Michel Dückers: Masterclass Groningen Earthquakes The health impact of gas-extraction issues - What can we learn from Groningen and vice versa.

Small launch BirdEyes on July 13, 2022 in Leeuwarden

Dierenartsen zonder Grenzen has made an interesting podcast with Prof. D. rPablo Tittonell, one of our Sustainable Landscapes Fellows.

Zes masterclasses Groninger aardbevingen in Groningen nu voor iedereen te zien