Eight of the UG’s eleven faculty councils have advised against the proposed faculty merger, with all representative councils voicing strong criticism of the current restructuring plans. 

The hiring freeze is having unintended consequences, warns the faculty council of the Faculty of Science and Engineering (FSE). Some researchers can no longer spend their ‘own funds’ to hire postdocs. 

Voting for the university council opens again this week. But are students even aware of it? And do they know what the council actually has a say in? UKrant took to the university buildings to find out. 

VIDEO BY LIDIAN BOELENS UG students and staff get to vote for a new university council this week. But what does the university council even do? 

If students are involved in criminal offences or serious public disorder, the police should be able to share their details with educational institutions, according to a majority in the Dutch Lower House. A few weeks ago, the Lower House debated a report by the antisemitism taskforce. Among other things, the report addressed the fierce demonstrations against the ties between Dutch universities and Israel. Populist parties in parliament want a tougher response to these protests and submitted various motions to that effect. Most of those motions were voted down, despite support from the governing VVD party. Police However, one motion did secure a majority, partly because, alongside the VVD, coalition partner […] 

Brigit Toebes, professor of health law in an international perspective at the University of Groningen and director of the Aletta Jacobs School of Public Health, passed away on 8 May. She was 57 years old. 

The merger of six UG faculties is not yet a foregone conclusion. The university council remains concerned about faculty autonomy, finances, and increasing workload pressures.