Bridging theory and practice

Universities have an honourable and rewarding mandate: they help to shape a society that offers citizens a decent existence, regardless of their origins and individual talents. Our job is to train the leaders of the future, equipping them with the knowledge and skills they need to design and shape a just society, not only in academia, but also in industry and politics. This is why the University of Groningen was founded, four hundred years ago.

Our University is a modern, internationally oriented research institute. We focus on cooperating with government and industry, partly to share knowledge and partly to generate new investment in research. In an ongoing trend, more and more top research is being used to resolve major problems in society. Here at the University of Groningen, we have formulated three societal themes in which we excel: Healthy Ageing, to ensure a healthy old age, Energy, to help with the transition to a sustainable and green society, and Sustainable Society, in which we are adding value to create a society where people can develop their potential, irrespective of their origins and education, both now and for the next four hundred years. The examples in the brochure ‘Adding Value to Society’ about entrepreneurship and the social impact of academic practice are merely a selection, but they convey the same mission as numerous other untold stories: to work alongside the University of Groningen. Let’s do it together!