University of Groningen: A Historical and Contemporary Overview

Groningen, a city steeped in medieval history and vibrant modern life, is home to the University of Groningen (UG), a prestigious institution with a rich legacy spanning over four centuries. This article explores the history, academic offerings, student life, and unique aspects of the University of Groningen, highlighting its significance as a leading international university.

Groningen: A City of Bicycles and History

Before diving into the university itself, it's crucial to understand the city that houses it. Groningen is known as a quintessential piece of medieval Europe, with plaques adorning many buildings. They announce the dates and names of the people who founded the city in the Middle Ages. Groningen is a city with a population of 200,000 people and 300,000 bicycles, officially considered the Number 1 cycling city in Europe. It is one of the most noiseless and least polluted cities in the world. The occasional clinking of the bicycle bell is a welcome, reassuring sound.

A Storied Past: From Provincial College to Global University

The University of Groningen, often called UG, is a big public university in the city of Groningen, Netherlands. It has more than 30,000 students. Founded in 1614, the University of Groningen has evolved from a provincial college established for religious reasons into a national university with a strong international presence. The institution's roots can be traced back to the Regional Assembly of the city of Groningen and the Ommelanden, or surrounding region. The coat of arms of the university was confirmed by The Estates of the City and County of Groningen in 1615. It consists of the provincial arms, charged with an open book inscribed with the abbreviated words VER/BVM/DNI LV/CER/NA, short for Verbum Domini Lucerna Pedibus Nostris.

Early Years and Growth

In its early years, the university attracted students and scholars from across Europe, fostering an international community. The first professors formed a rich international community, and many students came from outside the Republic of the United Netherlands, especially from areas now belonging to Germany. The first leader, Ubbo Emmius, was from Germany. During the French occupation between 1775 and 1814 the University of Groningen was administered by the Imperial University of Paris. Unlike Leiden University, it was not shut down and the institute was renamed Imperial University of Groningen (Keizerlijke Universiteit Groningen). During this time period, it remained the only open university in the Kingdom of Holland. After the Napoleonic Wars in 1815, at the same time as Leiden and Utrecht, the university gained recognition as a national college of higher education, but this was followed by discussions about closure. The situation improved when a new main university building, the Academiegebouw, was constructed in 1850, a building that was largely financed by the people of Groningen.

Expansion and Modernization

The University of Groningen developed during the first decades of the twentieth century. The number of faculties and courses grew steadily while the number of students grew rapidly. When the university celebrated its first 300 years in 1914 there were 611 registered students; this had grown to 1,000 by 1924. After a drop back during the Depression, and in particular during the Second World War, the number of students grew rapidly from 1945 to reach 20,000 in 1994. Today, around 32,700 students attend the university. In 2020, the university had 34,000 students. The university has 3,600 academic staff members.

International Recognition and Rankings

The University of Groningen (RUG) is a member of the so-called Excellence Group of universities in Europe. As a testament to its commitment to sustainability, the university was ranked 3rd place in the UI GreenMetric World University Ranking in 2021, which includes 780 universities. UI GreenMetric World University Rankings was launched by Universitas Indonesia (UI) to focus awareness on sustainability in university policy-making. In 2019, Times Higher Education introduced a new ranking: the Europe Teaching Rankings. The university was ranked 26th place, which includes more than 200 universities. The university was ranked 1st in the Netherlands by U-Multirank (UMR)in 2019. UMR was developed by a consortium consisting of the Centre for Higher Education Policy Studies (CHEPS) in Twente, the Centre for Higher Education (CHE) in Germany and the Centre for Science and Technology Studies (CWTS) in Leiden.

Academic Structure and Programs

The University of Groningen offers a wide array of programs across various disciplines. The university has eleven faculties, nine graduate schools, 27 research centres and institutes, and more than 175-degree programmes. The university offers more than 45 bachelor's degree programs. Each faculty (cf., College in the USA or School in Europe) is a formal grouping of academic degree programmes, schools and institutes, discipline areas, research centres, and/or any combination of these drawn together for educational purposes.

Faculties and Departments

The University of Groningen is organized into eleven faculties that offer programmes and courses in the fields of humanities, social sciences, law, economics and business, spatial sciences, life sciences, and natural sciences and technology. The University of Groningen has eleven main departments called faculties. They cover subjects like humanities, social sciences, law, economics, business, geography, life sciences, and natural sciences. Each faculty offers bachelor's, master's, and PhD programs.

Locations and Libraries

The various faculties are housed around the city. Most of the faculties- including the faculties of Law, Arts and Philosophy are located in and around the city center. The university's original building, which acts as the main administrative building, lies exactly in the center of the city at the Broerstraat. The faculty of medical sciences is located close by at the University Medical Center Groningen (UMCG). The Faculties of Economics and Business, Spatial Sciences, and Science and Engineering are housed in the northern outskirts of the city, at the Zernike Campus, named after Nobel Prize winner Frits Zernike. The Zernike Campus is also shared with the Hanze University of Applied Sciences. The university has libraries in three locations: the main one at the city center, one in the Duisenberg building in Zernike Campus, and one in the faculty of medicine, that includes a vast array of books and online material for students.

Binding Study Advice (BSA)

The university operates under the BSA (Binding Study Advice) system, under which a first year undergraduate (bachelor) student must achieve a certain number of ECTS in order to progress to the second year.

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Supercomputer

The university's Center for Information Technology (CIT) has a very powerful computer called a supercomputer. It is part of the "Excellence Group" of universities in Europe.

Student Life and Accommodation

Groningen is known as a student city in the Netherlands; around one-third of the city's residents are students at either The University of Groningen or at the Hanze University of Applied Sciences.

Sports and Recreation

The university, through ACLO, offers a wide range of sporting activities, and courses. The use of bicycles as the means for transport is particularly prevalent for locals and students alike, and has integrated, labelled bike paths from the city center to Zernike.

Housing

The University of Groningen does not have student accommodation. It does, however, offer students with accommodation via SSH Student Housing, which operates student houses in various locations in Groningen, and various other cities within the Netherlands. A significant number of students live in private accommodations within the city, however, a recent addition to the housing options for students is The Student Hotel as well.

Research and Innovation

The University of Groningen is a place where a lot of important research happens. In 2023, 635 PhDs were awarded (12% of the total for the Netherlands). The university has many research groups and institutes. They study a wide range of topics, from how our brains work to new materials and energy. For example, there are groups that study language, history, law, and how people behave. Other groups focus on life sciences, like how our bodies work and how to find new medicines.

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Research Themes

Current research themes include:

Adaptive life
Brain ageing
Dynamics of language
Facets of cultures (past and present)
Human behaviour in a social context
Molecular life and health
Social networks, solidarity and wellbeing

University College Groningen (UCG)

University colleges in the Netherlands, such as University College FryslÃ¢n and, in this section, the University College Groningen, are the liberal arts program within a research university, and they are each self-contained. Though the overall university is one of the oldest schools in the country (founded in 1614), UCG itself is still a fairly young program, having started in 2015. They stayed intentionally small with around 30 students admitted each year for the first two years in order to straighten out any kinks that arise with any new program. At UCG, their focus is maximizing the integrative aspects of their program, combining more than one area of study. They take an interdisciplinary approach and use problem-based education. During the first year, student take core credits in Global Challenges, Research and Methodology, and Integrative Projects and Academic Skills. Like American schools, students choose their major in the second year, after being exposed to various fields of study. Students have a lot of freedom within their major. Students also have the opportunity to create their own major by combining areas of study.

Integrative Projects

Integrative Projects is a required course of each of the three years, culminating in a 15 credit Capstone Project. The first year, students are given topics such as immigration or global warming and their projects include building communication and presentation skills and developing research approaches. There is a lot of value to having these projects continuously through the years. We already know that the classroom diversity related to the studentsâ country of origin adds to the educational experience. In the corporate world, multidisciplinary teams are the norm, so the students are learning skills seen as valuable by future employers. Further, many research universities have a singular research focus at the expense of applied knowledge. One of the benefits of attending a university college is that you have the benefits of a small school experience, but also the resources of a large university. Students at UCG can join any of the clubs of the University of Groningen and also have their own student association just for UCG students, called Caerus. This group arranges social and academic activities including parties (lots of parties), dinners, and workshops.

Admission and Requirements

Groningen is one of the top universities in the world, and it has a selective admission process. Generally, university entry requirements include a certain language proficiency level (Dutch or English, depending on the specific course) and a GPA of at least 80 per cent for undergraduate degrees. This means receiving As and Bs during a high school education/the equivalent for an international student. University requirements for postgraduate study are slightly different, as the focus usually shifts towards research projects and thesis content. Grades are still important, and students will need to have previous university qualifications (usually at least a bachelorâs degree), but an applicantâs thesis/research proposal will also be assessed when they apply. Some programmes at both levels of study (undergraduate and postgraduate) have specific entry requirements to look out for that are different to the general requirements. Groningen recommends that all potential applicants do plenty of research before deciding on a course, making 100 per cent sure they tick all the required boxes to be considered for admission. Recognised refugees that qualify for higher education in their home country can be eligible to study for a degree in the Netherlands, too. They have to go through a different application process, but Hollandâs civic integration programmes offers them the opportunity to begin their education as soon as they have a residency permit.

English Proficiency

Most courses at the University of Groningen are taught and assessed in English. Itâs important that every enrolled student has a strong understanding of the language, especially as there is so much focus on teamwork and collaboration with other students at this institution. For international students who donât speak English as a first language and donât meet one of a few exceptions, an English proficiency test will be needed for an English course at Groningen. Lots of test options are accepted, including the International English Language Testing System (IELTS), the online Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL), the Cambridge Advanced English test and Dutch VWO diplomas. To give an example of the kind of English score Groningen is looking for, applicants at the undergraduate and postgraduate levels will need an overall IELTS band score of 6.5, with scores of at least 6 in the writing and speaking bands. As mentioned briefly above, students who are exempt from taking a test are native English speakers and students who have already completed a degree that was fully taught in English. Also, applicants who have completed three years of secondary or post-secondary education in the USA, UK, Ireland, New Zealand, Australia or Canada.

Admission Process

The university admission process at Groningen happens in a few stages. Firstly, a person makes an application (applications are open from October onwards, and all applicants will need a valid passport or European Identity Card) and pays the one-time application fee of EUR 100. Secondly, they share any supporting documents with the university, like academic transcripts and letters of recommendation (exact document needs will change between courses and levels of study, so applicants should do their own research to find out what applies to them). Thirdly, an applicant waits for Groningenâs student admission team to make a decision about their application. As mentioned, this is one of the 100 best universities in the world and admission standards are very high. Fourth and finally, an applicanthears back from Groningen and finds out whether or not they have been accepted. If they have been accepted, they will at this stage need to register for their programme of study. This might take a little longer for international students than it will for Dutch students, as the registration process has a few extra steps.

International Baccalaureate (IB) Diploma

The International BaccalaureateÂ® (IB) Diploma Programme (DP) is one of the worldâs most exciting educational courses for 16-19 year olds. It focuses on personal, professional and academic development and is globally recognized by universities for the holistic and rigorous education it provides. Good news for students graduating with an IB diploma-you get to bypass all the extra admissions requirements! The specific requirements needed for an IB diploma allow students to apply to college in Europe with automatic equivalency.

Scholarships and Funding

To offer funding support and help reduce fees for students who show academic talent/are in financial need, there is a range of university scholarships, awards and bursaries available to domestic and international students. Another example is the Marie Curie Fellowship, which gives students EUR 1,323 monthly to put towards their research, as well as a personal budget of EUR 700 monthly for travel expenses. Plus, University of Groningen PhD students can get scholarships through the PhD Scholarship Programme, started in 2016 in partnership with the Dutch Ministry of Education, Culture, and Science and the National PhD Scholarship Programme. To receive a scholarship through the programme, PhD students write a research proposal with the mentorship of an expert supervisor at the university. A few are approved each year to receive the funding their project needs.

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