During the Opening of the Academic Year, there were speeches, awards and various cultural contributions, such as by city poet Simon Mamahit, ID Dance dance school, indie funk band De Gang Van Zaken, and the Nijmegen Student Orchestra.
Recap of the Opening Academic Year 2025 - 2026
The Opening of the Academic Year took place on Monday 1 September from 14:00 until approximately 15:30 in De Vereeniging. The theme of the program was 'hope'.
Programme recap
Speech Rector Magnificus
José Sanders gave a speech at the Opening Academic Year that centered on the theme 'hope'.
During the Opening of the Academic Year, the future of our university was also addressed. The world around us is changing, giving us challenges to deal with, but also offering opportunities. Chair of the Executive Board Alexandra van Huffelen had a conversation about this with Sven Braster, chair of the University Student Council. Watch the video here
University Study Awards ceremony
Seven recent graduates received the University Study Award. The University Study Award is an annual prize for students who have written a thesis of exceptional quality.
Team Science Award ceremony
The Executive Board presented the Team Science Awards for the fourth time. to the team Basic Influences on Baby Development (BIBO). This interdisciplinary team investigates how parental care and environmental factors affect the physical and mental health and development of children. The BIBO team excelled due to a special and effective team spirit and will therefore receive 10,000 euros to further enhance this team spirit.
Alexandra van Huffelen and Marcel Levi on budget cuts
After the presentation of the Team Science Award, University President Alexandra van Huffelen discussed the new university strategy with Marcel Levi, President of the Netherlands Organisation for Scientific Research. They talked about the importance of science and the challenges that universities will face in the coming years. Despite the budget cuts that Radboud University is also facing, Levi was optimistic and hopeful, including the confidence Dutch people have in science. Levi emphasised that investments in the knowledgebased economy are very important for the Netherlands and our position in the world. This was a strong message to politicians.