2022 State of the University

The State of the University is a conversation in which the Board of the UG and a number of guests discuss the most important topics in society and research.

This year, the livestream of the conversation touched upon a number of strategic themes included in the 2021-2026 Strategic Plan of the UG.

In which ways does the University of Groningen make high-quality interdisciplinary research and teaching possible?

For this key theme, our Dr. Naomi de Ruiter joined the conversation and brought her research to the table.

Naomi's field is developmental psychology and she explains that:

How we develop is always situated in connections and in how we interact with people.

Researchers should become more aware of the fact that assumptions they have on what is 'good research' are dependent on culture and the environment they work in.

Interdisciplinary research often puts cultural assumptions to the test, bringing different perspectives in the mix.

Naomi gave the example of the Noorderbrug Project to explain how the University can collaborate with external parties to bring solutions to society.

In the Noorderbrug Project, led by Dr. Bettina van Hoven, UCG students collaborate with art students from Academy Minerva and clients from De Noorderburg, an organisation that provides care and housing for people with acquired brain injuries. The project is an example of community engagement during which students explore processes and instances of in- and exclusion in Groningen by undertaking various activities together.

Let's take a look back at the 2022 State of the University in which Naomi explained how her research and some UCG projects are examples of how we are 'making connections'. The exact moment starts at 11' and 45''.