Let me start this column by congratulating all Nijmegen citizens elected to the Nijmegen Municipal Council. For some of these brand-new councillors, the Radboud campus is familiar territory. In fact, a survey by VOX found that almost half of the candidate councillors have a link to Radboud University. This highlights just how closely the city and the university have become intertwined over the course of more than a century of Radboud’s history.
The fact that so many people come to Nijmegen to study, stay on after their studies, and feel so at home that they want to get involved in the city through local politics is primarily due to the fact that Nijmegen is simply a very pleasant city. What's more, Nijmegen is good at communicating its positive image, for example with the Old City, Young Vibe slogan. This in turn also benefits us as a university. Students don't just choose a particular study programme or a particular university; they also choose a city where they can feel at home.
To ensure that all these students actually find accommodation where they can start feeling at home, Radboud University needs the support of the Municipality. Student housing remains a major challenge. A challenge that would be many times greater without the help of, amongst others, the Nijmegen Municipality and student housing provider SSH&. The fact that the Municipality also recognises the importance of student housing was demonstrated once again two weeks ago, when councillor Noël Vergunst presented a symbolic orange key to SSH& Director Kees Stunnenberg to mark the start of the construction of 192 new student homes on Groenewoudseweg.
We are not only dependent on Nijmegen; we also have a great deal to offer to the city and the region. This was demonstrated once again in the weeks surrounding the municipal elections. On 11 March, during Future Forward, Radboud University opened its doors to professionals from the wider area to learn all about future-proof organisations. And on 24 and 25 March, education professionals gained knowledge and insights into educational innovation.
The city and the university help each other move forward. Also with projects in which we act together. Take, for example, the apology that Mayor Hubert Bruls recently offered on behalf of the city council for Nijmegen's role in the history of slavery. He did so after historians from Radboud University had published a study last year on the city's history of slavery. That historical knowledge and the apology on behalf of the city are important steps towards combating discrimination and inequality in the present day.
Another example is the recently completed Living Labs project, in which researchers from Radboud University, together with the Nijmegen Municipality and many other partners, joined forces to investigate how to combine agriculture and nature restoration. Anyone reading about drought, lack of space and nitrogen issues might think that nature restoration and agriculture are at odds with one another. But if five years of research, including in the Ooijpolder-Groesbeek, has made one thing clear, it is that both nature and agriculture can flourish when researchers, farmers, local authorities and nature conservation bodies engage in dialogue.
In the coming years, there will be many more fantastic opportunities for the city and the university to achieve even more together. Think of additional research into societal issues affecting Nijmegen. And of running smart communication campaigns to ensure we continue to attract national and international talent to Nijmegen. And last but not least, 3,500 extra, much-needed student homes. Radboud University cannot do without Nijmegen, and Nijmegen cannot do without Radboud University. We help each other move forward.
