University, let's go out into the neighbourhoods!

The University Hall will close this summer. The renovation will take at least two years, during which time inaugural lectures, PhD defences, and graduation ceremonies will have to be held elsewhere. What a great opportunity for public engagement!

University administrators are scrambling for suitable locations for the academic ceremonies. But before they fall back on lecture rooms in the city centre or (even worse) the Utrecht Science Park, I would urge them to look for locations in the Utrecht neighbourhoods. 

Utrecht has wonderful community centres and theatres: Zimihcs Theater Stefanus in Overvecht, Boks youth culture in Kanaleneiland, Podium Hoge Woerd in Leidsche Rijn, or De Musketon in Lunetten. The latter is even nominated to become a national heritage site, so that building would be very appropriate as a replacement for our iconic auditorium and senate hall. 

Most other universities have aulas that are less impressive than those Utrecht community centres and theatres.

And when we then hold PhD defences and inaugural lectures at De Musketon or Zimihc Theater Stefanus, let's make sure they are truly accessible to all Utrecht residents. With a radical open-door policy and extensive explanations of what is happening and the intricacies of a PhD defence ceremony or inaugural lecture. Let's preserve academic traditions, but demystify them. 

And – most importantly – let's engage with local residents afterwards about how they view science. Because good science communication occurs through dialogue. That could supercharge the successful Even Over Morgen project, where young researchers went to neighbourhood libraries to talk to local residents about broad themes such as health, household budget, and climate.

Bringing academic ceremonies to Utrecht's neighbourhoods also aligns with the experiments with societal promotions, such as Kayla Green recently did. She was first questioned by academics during her official promotion on youth welfare at Erasmus University Rotterdam, and then by practitioners at Albeda College. This second ceremony yielded very valuable insights that have enriched her further research.

I have previously used one of my blogs to call for academics to engage more with society. The closure of the University Hall gives us a great opportunity. Too bad that I already delivered my inaugural lecture, because I would have loved to do it in de Musketon!