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The first episode of the podcast Wijze Raad is now available. In this new series from the Rudolf Agricola School for Sustainable Development, pressing societal issues are at the forefront. In the first season, we explore the pros and cons of billionaires. Are economic inequalities spiraling out of control? Or are billionaires actually the driving force behind innovation and progress?
Financial institutions and multinationals manage enormous cash flows. This means they play a central role not only in the global economy, but also in major political and social developments, such as the energy transition, international sanctions and geopolitical conflicts. Sometimes their influence is downright problematic. Banks can, consciously, facilitate cash flows to authoritarian regimes or companies that contribute to pollution. In such cases, the ethical boundary is clear. But there are also situations in which responsibility is less clear-cut. Can you hold a financial institution morally responsible for something it is not aware of?
During the three-day event “Speeding up the SDGs and shaping a more ambitious post-2030 agenda” at House of Connections in Groningen, participants discussed the future of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). It quickly became clear that the world of 2025 looks very different from that of 2015, the year the goals were established. How should we move forward? A recap from the plenary closing session of the event.
As the world enters the final stretch before the 2030 deadline for the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), the University of Groningen is hosting a key workshop on ‘The Future of Sustainable Development: Understanding the interplay between society, business, and policy for accelerating SDGs and beyond.’ The three-day event, running from 6 to 8 October at the House of Connections, is hosted by the Rudolf Agricola School for Sustainable Development.
The sold-out European Researchers' Night, a science festival for all the curious, provided a rich palette of science last Friday. This year, the programme was organised a bit differently, with activities comfortably spread across four floors Forum Groningen and its rooftop. Covering topics from tinnitus and biodiversity to destructive leaders and data washing, here’s a recap of the multifaceted Night.
A future-proof university cannot exist without anarchist and utopian thinking. That is what Elke Van dermijnsbrugge, researcher and lecturer at NHL Stenden and specialist in educational science and radical change, argues. On October 27, she will be the keynote speaker during the event 'Make it happen’ at House of Connections. There, participants will discuss the role and relevance of the university in the 21st century. Van Dermijnsbrugge: ‘What is really at stake if we decide to do things differently from the bottom up?’
We live in an era of destructive leaders. During European Researchers’ Night, Alette Smeulers, professor of international crimes, delves into the minds of so-called ‘strongmen’. What makes their leadership so destructive, and how can we understand what drives them? A preview of the science festival on September 26.
According to biologist Auke-Florian Hiemstra, bird nests tell the story of a rapidly changing world while also holding up a mirror to us humans. During the European Researchers’ Night, an annual science festival that brings science closer to the public, he will share his remarkable stories as a guest speaker. Here’s a preview of the festival on 26 September.