Farewell interview with Lorenzo Squintani: 'Don't be afraid of challenges'

After four years, Lorenzo Squintani is stepping down as director of the Wubbo Ockels School for Energy & Climate. During the WOS Day on 26 March, he will officially bid farewell under the motto 'stronger together through challenges'. 'The development of the School and the establishment of a community have made me a better person and academic.'

Energy: it is a term that suits Squintani, both personally and professionally. He devoted himself with seemingly inexhaustible energy to a community focused on energy and climate. But, as the director says, it gave him at least as much energy in return. 'I don't think I've been ill a single day in recent years. Every day you learn something new and new opportunities arise. That's what gives you energy. It's a marathon at sprint speed, but I don't feel exhausted.'

Pillars

However, 'a logical moment' has come to pass on the baton. 'My task is complete: the Wubbo Ockels School's philosophy is established. When I started four years ago, there was no team and I was the School.' Squintani says that the WOS is now standing on its own two feet. He refers, for example, to the four communities in the fields of hydrogen, climate adaptation, public participation and the 'twin transition'. 'These are independent communities that can exist more or less separately from the School.'

Squintani knows that establishing these communities was the goal from day one. 'The Wubbo Ockels School is a network organisation whose success depends on strong interpersonal relationships. This fits in with the university's new role in society, which is more focused on collaboration. The pillars – hydrogen, climate adaptation, public participation and the 'twin transition' – arose organically in consultation with partners. The university cannot solve all problems on its own; it is collaboration that will take us further in the North.'

Stronger through challenges

The message of cooperation is the starting point for WOS Day, which will take place on 26 March at House of Connections. With the theme 'stronger together through challenges', Squintani reflects on the development of the School with the community. When setting up the community around energy and climate, the director sometimes faced setbacks. 'But all setbacks have been a learning process. Think of the rejection of a project proposal, which enabled us to submit a better proposal later on.'

The theme 'stronger together through challenges' also ties in with the motto of the School's namesake. Optimism is a responsibility, said astronaut and sustainability pioneer Wubbo Ockels. 'Extra effort is needed to realise the major transitions,' Squintani knows. 'It is also the message we want to convey to the community this year. It ties in with what I have learned in recent years: the challenges in developing the School and setting up a community have made me a better person and academic.'

Lessons

An important challenge over the past four years has been the changing political climate with regard to science. The question of what's in it for the people of Groningen has rightly become more important, says Squintani. ‘For too long, it was thought that what was good for the university was automatically good for the people of Groningen. We have learned from that. We now live in a different world: the relationship between knowledge institutions and society must be more direct and transparent, and scientists must invest in this.’

Another lesson is the need to view research, education and impact more as a whole. ‘As an academic, I used to see these three elements as separate. But outside the university, they are seen as a whole. It is important that we, as a university, value all elements equally. Within the university, research and education are still funded separately, while academics today have to combine everything, or at least tackle everything as a team. If we don't do that as a university, we will once again be seen as 'the elite' who contribute too little to the broad prosperity of society.

Future

Although setting up the School was mainly energising, the farewell is also a pause for reflection. 'It's time for a healthier work-life balance,' says Squintani. 'There are endless possibilities to work on when setting up a community; it can completely consume you.' Above all, the outgoing director is proud of the School's approach: the idea that 'only together can we move forward'.

For the future, Squintani hopes that the negative spiral that began with the previous government's severe cutbacks will come to an end. ‘I hope for a new perspective.’ But there are still plenty of challenges ahead. The redesign of the Schools is an exciting development. ‘As things stand, the scope of the Wubbo Ockels School will change. Sustainability will be added as an extra theme. That is a big change. But here too, the message is: together we can meet that challenge.’

The WOS Day 'Stronger together through challenges' will take place on Thursday 26 March 2026 from 1 p.m. to 7 p.m. in the House of Connections. This special edition will mark the departure of Lorenzo Squintani as scientific director and will conclude with a farewell reception from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. Squintani will remain active as interim director until a new director is appointed.