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Faculty of Humanities ushers in the new year: 'Build in some low-pressure time'

In a world beset with war, climate problems and skyrocketing energy prices, it is good to have some 'slack time' now and then. That was Dean Mark Rutgers' message at the Faculty of Humanities' New Year reception.

While it was blowing a gale outside on 12 January, staff and students gathered in the Faculty Club. There, they raised their glasses to the new year, but also looked back at 2022. A video showed the highlights of Leiden as European City of Science, to which many humanities scholars contributed. 'We did a great job of really highlighting the value of the humanities!' concluded Dean Mark Rutgers.

Future projects

In his speech, Rutgers then addressed the projects in the pipeline for 2023. Of course, more work will be done on mapping out the practical aspects of the Faculty Strategic Plan, and the Humanities Campus will be further developed, but new topics are also taking shape. In all probability, the first incentive grants will soon be applied for and we will start working on the results of the Staff Monitor.

Talk to each other

A busy year, then, and that is precisely why it is important to look out for each other and take a rest now and then, Rutgers stressed, using the term 'kuiertijd' (slack time) as did Board of Governors chair Annetje Ottow earlier. 'The definition of "kuieren" is 'walking around aimlessly, slowly',' he explained, 'but it also means "strolling" or "wandering", where you do still have a purpose. Moreover, in Twente, where I come from, "kuieren" means "talking". So take the time to talk to each other!' These were his words of advice as he opened the reception.

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