UG honorary doctorate for Gerrit Hiemstra

On Friday 24 May 2024 at 3 p.m., the University of Groningen (UG) will award four honorary doctorates in the Academy Building. The recipients of the honorary doctorates are meteorologist Gerrit Hiemstra, Director-General of the World Health Organization (WHO) Dr Tedros Ghebreyesus, Prof. Mariana Mazzucato, and artificial intelligence researcher Dr Kate Crawford.

The awarding of honorary doctorates is part of the UG´s 410th anniversary celebrations, which will include all kinds of activities from 21 till 25 May. The honorary doctorates were selected on the basis of four important UG themes: energy, digitization, sustainability, and public health.

Gerrit Hiemstra

Gerrit Hiemstra will receive an honorary doctorate because of his exceptional achievements as an expert in the field of meteorology, climate change, and the consequences thereof. In the Netherlands, Hiemstra is known as the former weather presenter for the NOS Journaal (Dutch national news). Currently, Hiemstra is the co-owner of Weather Impact, which focuses on innovative solutions in the field of weather and climate. In addition, he is the co-founder of Oarshûs, which facilitates the sustainable construction of houses.

We spoke to Hiemstra on receiving the honorary doctorate. We talked about his fight against disinformation, the importance of good communication and the role of science. Read the interview now.

Read here the full articel with all four all four honory doctorates.