- The University
- 05/03/2020
VU’s free kroketten promotional campaign in Leiden leads to commotion
A promotional campaign at Leiden University by the Vrije Universiteit (VU) was suspended the other day after it led to commotion on Twitter. Ad Valvas, the VU’s independent journalistic platform, reports that the VU handed out kroketten at the entrance of the Humanities department of Leiden University to draw attention to the Master’s programs of its own humanities department.
The VU’s president of the executive board Mirjam van Praag got wind of it and reacted fiercely on Twitter. ‘This is by no means VU policy (we eat vegetarian meals, incidentally): an uncoordinated and inappropriate campaign that we’ve had discontinued immediately.’
Leiden University, in the meantime, takes the opportunity to promote its own Master’s day. ‘Get your kroket at the VU Amsterdam, and your Master’s degree here!’, the university responds on Instagram.
Chatbots can promote safe sex and help people to quit smoking
Univers published an article about professor Emiel Krahmer of Tilburg University, who came to the conclusion that communicating with a computer could also help with certain behavioral changes. He and his research team (which also includes scientists from other universities) promptly came up with two scenarios in which a chatbot might be of added value: quitting smoking and safe sex. Together with the Trimbos Institute, the team wants to create a chatbot that, Krahmer says, needs to become a platform where people who are in therapy can turn to with questions 24/7. The team also conducts research, in collaboration with SOA Aids Nederland, into how chatbots can help couples with one person who is HIV-positive practice safe sex and take their medicine on time. The aim is to finish construction of the chatbots, which could become an addition to existing therapies, in five years’ time.
Rector TiU: ‘Teachers can’t require students to print their papers’
Univers also reports the following on its site: teachers can’t require students to hand in printed versions of their papers, also not when the teachers have a good reason. This was announced to the Tilburg School of Humanities & Digital Sciences (TSHD) by Klaas Sijtsma, rector magnificus of Tilburg University. A possible decision by the TSHD department to oblige students to do so anyway will undermine an earlier decision taken by the university council. After an initiative by student faction SAM, students are allowed to hand in their papers digitally since September 2018. Using the slogan ‘paperless is more,’ the faction aimed to reduce paper usage and increase convenience for students.
In practice, teachers continued to insists on a printed version until recently, Univers reports. They say the measure to reduce paper leads to unnecessary high work pressure. Also, students are critical about presenting poster presentations. The rector’s words were met with much incomprehension by the faction of the teachers.
Utrecht University wants to generate energy with its own wind turbines
Utrecht University will explore whether it’s possible to place two large wind turbines on the Utrecht Science Park. The most likely location is near the Rijnsweerd junction, according to Utrecht University’s news site DUB. The university wants to generate its own energy in order to realize its ambition of becoming a carbon neutral campus by 2030. The university council submitted a note to the university’s executive board in which it asks the board to seriously explore the possibilities of placing wind turbines.
The preferred location is “in the armpit” alongside the A27/A28 motorway, in the northwestern area of De Uithof. An earlier feasibility study into the possibilities of wind energy showed that this might be a good location to erect two large wind turbines. A follow-up study now needs to determine the consequences of wind turbines in the area.
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