Our University is proud of its diversity. And as far as we are concerned, we can embrace diversity even more at Radboud University. With our different backgrounds, disciplines and ways of thinking, and coming as we do from many countries, we join forces to contribute to the development of research, young people, and society. And in doing so, we contribute to a healthy, free world with equal opportunities for all.
Radboud University is a Dutch university that wants to serve Dutch people and Dutch society. But we are also a European university, with partnerships around the world, where students and staff from outside the Netherlands study and work. When it comes to research and education, the Netherlands, Europe, and the world are not at odds. On the contrary, they reinforce each other.
What is good for the world is also good for Europe, and for the Netherlands. Here is one example: when our Honorary Doctor and Nobel laureate, Hungarian Professor Katalin Karikó, was working on the therapeutic use of mRNA in Pennsylvania, no one knew that decades later, her work would be instrumental in developing a vaccine that would save lives worldwide during the COVID-19 pandemic. Scientific curiosity and persistence somewhere in the US eventually also helped the Netherlands out of the COVID-19 crisis.
What is good for the Netherlands is also good for Europe and the world. Here is another example: following a series of floods in Venice, knowledge developed in the Netherlands is now being deployed to keep the city, its inhabitants, and its heritage dry in future. Fortunately, knowledge knows no boundaries.
Knowledge development and education are perhaps humanity's greatest asset. Our brains have evolved in such a way that not every individual needs to reinvent every wheel. People worldwide are able to learn from and about each other. There are not many things in life that multiply when shared, but knowledge is certainly one of them.
Radboud University is also a place where we share knowledge, and therefore learn from each other. And diversity is essential in this context. After all, you can learn fewer new things from someone who is exactly like you in every way. That is why we cherish all our students and staff, from the Netherlands, Europe, and the rest of the world – we choose each other, because: “You have a part to play”.
Daniël Wigboldus is president of Radboud University's executive board. The other members of the board are Agnes Muskens (vice president) and José Sanders (rector magnificus). Each member of the executive board regularly writes a column.