Betanieuws

Volume 5 |issue 11 | 17 september 2009


BOARD
'World Class Faculty' Awards presented
The faculty opening of the academic year was held, amid great interest, in the restaurant of the Minnaert building on Tuesday, 1 September. Vice-deans Ieke Moerdijk (Natural Sciences) and Wim Hennink (Life Sciences) were introduced and interviewed, and dean Alfred Bliek announced the winners of the three 'World Class Faculty' Awards: Jeroen Fokker (Information and Computing Sciences), Paul van Bergen en Henegouwen (Biology) and Sanne Tromp and Ton van der Valk of the Junior College Utrecht (JCU). Read more >>> (in Dutch)


Draft reorganisation plan for Pharmaceutical Sciences
The faculty board has approved the draft reorganisation plan for Pharmaceutical Sciences. The initial draft plan was drawn up by the advisory committee for the reorganisation of the Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences. Unfortunately, involuntary redundancies cannot be avoided, but the faculty will do everything in its power to help employees at risk of being made redundant to find a new position. Read more >>> (in Dutch)


NEWS
Increase in first-year students of 9%
As is the case every year, the buildings of the Faculty of Science were flooded with new students on Monday, 31 August. There were a total of 910 new students, which represents an increase of 9% compared to last year. The 61% increase in new Information and Computing Sciences students was particularly striking. Last year, Information and Computing Sciences was the only programme to report a decline in the number of first-year students. These figures are not definitive, as we know from experience that we might see some shifts in the first month. table >>>


Facilities Service Centre
Unless the University Council blocks an agreement to this effect on 21 September, there will be a single Facilities Service Centre for the entire university. Since previous reports in June, it has become clear that this reorganisation will directly affect 15 faculty employees. BètaNews has interviewed Letty Broere, Head of Facility Management and Accommodations of the Faculty of Science, about the pending changes and the associated advantages and disadvantages for the faculty. Read more >>> (in Dutch)


Science meeting with Danone
The first science meeting between ‘Danone Research For Specialised Nutrition’ and Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences staff was held on Friday, 11 September. Danone intends to open a new innovation centre for specialised nutrition at the Uithof campus and will intensify current scientific collaboration with the department in the fields of immunological and neurological research. Read more >>> (in Dutch)


IN THE SPOTLIGHT
New organisational structure for Biology
On 1 July, the new organisational structure of the Department of Biology came into effect. This means that from now on the department consists of two research institutes. The department will do its utmost to prevent involuntary redundancies. The number of employees currently at risk of being made redundant has been brought down to half of the initial number. Read more >>> (in Dutch)


RESEARCH & SUBSIDIES
Research group of the Helmholtz Institute lands major European project
In collaboration with partners from Italy, Germany, France, Greece and Sweden, the Human Perception research group (Department of Physics and Astronomy), led by Professor Astrid Kappers, has managed to secure a substantial European subsidy. The subsidy is intended for the European research project ‘Cognitive Systems and Robotics’ of the EU Seventh Framework Programme and amounts to no less than €7 million. Read more >>> (in Dutch)


Graduate School of Experimental Plant Sciences
In addition to participating in the Graduate Programme ‘Cancer Genomics and Development Biology’, outlined in a previous issue of BètaNews, the Department of Biology also plays an active role in the ‘Graduate School of Experimental Plant Sciences’. Following a recent audit, the entire Graduate School of Experimental Plant Sciences was rated ‘Excellent’. The various Utrecht University groups make significant contributions to the Graduate School. This makes clear why the Graduate School fully deserves the subsidy. Additional information on the Graduate Programme


IN THE MEDIA
Black holes in NRC
Last Saturday, the daily newspaper NRC featured an article about black holes, a subject that always appeals to the public’s imagination. The article included a substantial contribution from Professor Gerard ’t Hooft (Department of Physics and Astronomy). Read articlee


Making molecules visible
For the first time ever, Peter Liljeroth (Department of Chemistry) and co researchers at IBM (Zurich) have managed to make the chemical structure of a molecule visible at an atomic scale, using an atomic force microscope. The research was discussed in the daily newspapers De Volkskrant and De Pers, and in other media. Read article

Sciences action (reprise)

Unfortunately, the weblinks in the article about the National Sciences Action Committee (Landelijk Comité Bèta-actie) in the previous issue of BètaNieuws were omitted. This website provides an update of recent developments. The Sciences Action Committee recently submitted a protest letter to the permanent committee for education, culture and science of the Lower House of Dutch Parliament. You can read the letter of opinion by the secretary of the Sciences Action Committee, Gerdien de Jong, here.

The newspaper articles can be viewed only from computers in the University network.


EDUCATION
Opening of the JCU project ‘I research water’ a major splash
Annemieke Nijhof, Director-General of the Ministry of Transport, Public Works and Water Management, kicked off the project called ikonderzoekwater.nl (I research water) on Wednesday, 9 September. In this project coordinated by the Junior College Utrecht (JCU), secondary school pupils try to find solutions to water management problems in the Netherlands. During the opening ceremony, Annemieke Nijhof gave a lecture on the significance of water for secondary school pupils in the last two years of general secondary education (HAVO) and pre university education (VWO) who need to decide on their further education. More information


STUDENTS
Best paper award for Business Informatics student
At the International Workshop for Software Product Management in Atlanta, Business Informatics student Kevin Vlaanderen received a Best Paper Award for his paper ‘The Agile Requirements Refinery: Applying SCRUM Principles to Software Product Management’. The paper was written as a Capita Selecta assignment and Kevin has now entered the graduation phase of his studies


Information meeting on studying abroad
If you are considering studying at one of our central partner universities abroad, don’t hesitate to sign up for an information meeting organised by Student Services. Read more >>> (in Dutch)


New education and examination rules in effect
As usual, the new education and examination rules went into effect for the Bachelor's and Master's programmes of the Faculty of Science on 1 September. No major changes have been implemented, but some details have been adapted. Read more >>> (in Dutch)


SCIENCE ON THE MOVE
Changes of address
The faculty has seen a lot of relocations lately. In the past year, the following groups moved to a different location: The Didactics in the Natural Sciences group of the Freudental Institute moved from the ground floor to the third floor of the Buys Ballot Laboratory (BBL) in January. Since January, the third floor is also home to the Junior College Utrecht. The Biomolecular Mass Spectrometry group (Chemistry/Pharmaceutical Sciences) moved from the Went building to the sixth floor of the Kruyt building in April. the Ecology & Biodiversity and Plant Ecophysiologygroups (Biology) moved from the Went building to the third floor of the Kruyt building in June. Since July, the office of the Department of Biology is located on the seventh floor of the Kruyt building.


SERVICES
New Head of Communication & Design On 14 September, Irma Vermeend became the new Head of the Communication &Design department. She succeeds Marian Mulder, who for the last six months has managed the department on an interim basis. Until recently, Irma Vermeend worked as a communications team manager for the provincial authority of Utrecht.


Emergency instruction cards
Starting today, new instruction cards for emergencies will be put up in the buildings of the Faculty of Science. This has already been done in the Mathematics building and the Botanic Gardens, whereas the other buildings will be provided with the cards as soon as possible. All instruction cards and stickers are to be replaced by the new ones before the end of this year. Read more >>> (in Dutch)


Reminder: invoices and expenses claims to be sent to a different address
As reported in the previous issue of BètaNews, the Financial Accounting department moved to the university’s Accounting Services Centre (Administratief Service Centrum, ASC) on 1 September. Consequently, invoices and expense claims should be sent to a new address: ASC/FBW, Centrumgebouw Noord, Padualaan 14.


Viral competition for marketing campaign
In collaboration with CreatAd, Utrecht University has initiated a viral competition for its national and international marketing campaign. Utrecht University hopes the partnership will result in virals that demonstrate in a single glance that it is the best university for talented and ambitious students. The winning entries will be used in the university marketing campaign. More information


Profile pages in web presence
Now that all departments have migrated to the new web presence, work is underway to implement the website’s new applications. For example, before the end of the year it should be possible for all employees to publish their personal profile page online. In addition to contact information from the Solis-ugids (Solis university guide) and publications from Metis, the profile page offers room for project descriptions, links, education and additional activities. As soon as the start date is known, you will receive detailed information on how to set up your profile. Please contact Pleun Luijkx, if you have any questions about the profile pages.


ANNOUNCEMENTS
Publication strategy symposium
On Friday, 23 October, the university library will be organising the symposium ‘Read Me, Cite Me, Count Me! Publication strategy and research marketing for academics’. The presentations will, for instance, address ways to improve chances of publication, visibility and the impact of publications. More information and registration


AGENDA
Friday, 2 October
Farewell symposium for Wilberd van der Kallen and Joop Kolk (Department of Mathematics) Minnaert building, 10:30 a.m. – 6:00 p.m. More information


Thursday, 24 September
Inaugural lecture by Michiel van den Broeke University Hall, 4:15 p.m.


Monday, 5 October
Workshop: Writing competitive proposals (Het schrijven van concurrerende voorstellen) Matthias van Geuns building, 9 a.m.- 4:30 p.m. More information


Friday, 16 October
Farewell symposium for Professor John Kelly (Department of Chemistry) ‘A Career in Electrochemistry’ Mitland hotel, 9 a.m. – 3 p.m. / Uithof campus, 3 p.m. – 6:30 p.m.


Tuesday, 20 October
Life Sciences Momentum 2009 – Empowering the future World Forum, The Hague More information


Editoral staff BètaNieuws Robert Kerst (1422), Celia Nijenhuis (3336), Deby Ondaatje (7317), Maria Hijman (4286), Monica van der Garde (8759), Bas van Schaik, Mitzy Kennis, Ike Breeman, Martijn Pieck Next newsletter Thursday 8 october 2009 Deadline for copy Friday 2 october 2009 (science.betanieuws@uu.nl) For the latest news and information, check www.science.uu.nl This newsletter can be found on the web together with previous newsletters.