Visit by Slovak Ambassador and his Dutch counterpart

On 1 March, Rector Jacquelien Scherpen received the new ambassador of the Slovak Republic to the Netherlands, HE Mr Juraj Podhorský, and the ambassador of the Netherlands to Slovakia, HE MS Gabriella Sancisi.

Some of the topics discussed were UG’s collaboration with Comenius University in Bratislava, especially in the ENLIGHT consortium, the relatively large number of Slovak students at UG (more than 200 on a total of 1300 Slovak students in the Netherlands), and the successful collaboration of UMCG (dept. of Social Health) with JP Šafárik University in Košice which, over the years, has resulted in about 40 double doctorate degrees. Two more are expected this year and next.

During a meeting of the ambassadors with UG degree students and staff from Slovakia, one of the main items discussed was the labour market in Slovakia. The Ministry of Education in Slovakia intends to launch a campaign which should bring graduates back to Slovakia. Some students expressed their doubts on their chances of finding a job in their home country. From the bachelor students, quite a number said they wish to continue in a master’s programme in Groningen.