Dynamic meetings between citizens, businesses, and science: that’s what the House of Connections is for

A beautiful location for meetings between the University and society: that’s the House of Connections. What’s the story behind this new UG location, where almost all the furniture is mobile and walls can be moved? What will happen in the near future? And why would you want to visit the House of Connections? Floor Kuiper, programme manager, and Marcella Oldenhuizing, event manager for the Schools for Science and Society, tell us more.

‘I was actually worried that it would be quiet during the Summer. Usually not much is going on at the University in July and August. But in the meantime our schedules have filled up with events for these months, including the Summer Schools,’ says Kuiper. She’s sat across from Oldenhuizing, in the office area of the House of Connections. The smell of fresh furniture instantly hits you upon entering. Oldenhuizing: ‘But we still have some space left. We are open five days per week, as usual.’

Opening

The House of Connections is the central meeting point to discuss societal issues and search for solutions. It’s a place where student, researcher, network, and citizen come together to learn from and inspire each other. The new building was officially opened on 26 June. Curious individuals were able to already have a peak on 24 June. The House of Connections is certainly popular: there is plenty to do on a daily basis, and events have been planned far into December. Kuiper: ‘It is nice to see that it’s already buzzing. That aligns with our vision.’

Focus on the content

The location is not just for events. The office area on the second floor houses the Schools, the University of the North, the Young Academy Groningen (YAG), the Teaching Academy Groningen (TAG), and ENLIGHT. It is also the home base for the House of Connections Team

The first floor, however, is entirely dedicated to events. Kuiper: ‘The house of Connections is not a standard meeting space. The focus is really on activities that have to do with external collaboration, interdisciplinarity, and impact; themes that are reflected in the UG strategy and are also dealt with by the Schools and the University of the North. There should always be a content component.’

Small and big events

The events range from visits by politicians to teaching activities. Kuiper: ‘A while ago we were visited by Hatte van der Woude, member of the House of Representatives, and a few days later by a delegation from China. Those are relatively small-scale events. But we also organized all sorts of events around the ENLIGHT mid-year meeting in June. The location was pretty much full, with over a hundred participants.

Playing with space

If you want to organize an event here, you can use all sorts of special spaces. There's an open space for plenary sessions with a view of the Kwinkenplein, which can accommodate many visitors. There are also smaller spaces in several corners of the building. Kuiper: ‘We recently held sessions there during which the visitors sat in a circle. That's the fun part: we are able to play with space a lot. Walls can open or close, there are movable curtains, and almost all the furniture is mobile. This allows us to host diverse groups with diverse needs.

Link to the citizen

The space is not only meant for academics, partners, or students. Oldenhuizing: ‘It is an asset to Groningen as a city. We want to be a reflection of society and form a link to citizens. During the events we organize as Schools we really seek out contact with inhabitants of the city and region, in order to provide them with information or listen to their ideas. We also would really like to hook up to other large Groningen events. Kuiper: ‘There should in any case be plenty of accessible events.’

Challenge

What is possible and what not and how things will look in practice is currently still unclear, both admit. Oldenhuizing: ‘That is one of the challenges we are facing. How can we make things as easy as possible for people? And at the same time: how can we make it clear what possibilities there are and aren't. Many events are now still very traditional, with a screen and theatre composition, but of course we offer much more.’ For now there is a lack of events that can showcase and test the possibilities the building offers.

Want to know more about the new UG location? Go to: www.rug.nl/houseofconnections.

Feel inspired to organize your event at the House of Connections?