39 researchers return for their mentor Feringa

No fewer than 39 scientists from 14 different countries gathered on 14 and 15 September at the Faculty of Science and Engineering for the Feringa Academic Alumni Chemistry for the Future Symposium. All the attendees gained their PhDs or worked as a postdoc under the supervision of Nobel Prizewinner Feringa. Ben Feringa has supervised over 115 successful PhD candidates, the first in September 1990.

Cycling to work

For Marcin Walko, born in Slovakia, the Netherlands in general and Groningen in particular feel like a home from home. ‘I lived and worked in Groningen for a total of seven years and feel part Dutch. Groningen is really a home from home for me.’ He laughs: ‘Except for the language – I never really got to grips with that.’ Walko gained his PhD in 2009, under Feringa’s supervision, and later returned as a postdoc. He currently works at the University of Leeds, in the United Kingdom. Although he sees a lot of similarities between Anglo-Saxon and Dutch academic cultures, he misses the relaxed atmosphere here. Walko comes back to Groningen whenever he can. He is also still working with a number of UG researchers on projects. What he perhaps misses most of all about Groningen is cycling to work: ‘Today I’ve hired a bike from the hotel to cycle here, just to have the Groningen experience once again.’

Strong link

Quan Li, born in China, started a PhD in 2006 and gained it in 2011. Earlier this year she returned to Groningen for the first time to attend two PhD ceremonies as a PhD committee member. Quan Li made many friends during her time in Groningen. She is still working in academia, but many of her former researcher colleagues are active in the business world. She, too, often works with UG researchers. The links are strong: ‘When I am close by, I always try to meet Groningen researchers who come to China.’ The same goes for Rienk Eelkema, who currently works at the Delft University of Technology: ‘I visit Groningen a few times a year, mainly because I still have friends and family living in the city, but also for academic affairs. Virtually all friends who graduated / got there promotion here have left Groningen. I try to keep informed by reading the alumni magazine Broerstraat 5 that I receive at home.’