Education: “To my mind, the Netherlands is ahead of other countries with the steps it is taking”

Education must be given the same respect as research within knowledge institutions. Thanks to the R&R movement, opportunities to redress inequalities are growing, including through the facilitation of career paths with an emphasis on teaching. We share three examples of teaching career paths at three different institutions: the University of Groningen (RUG), Erasmus University (EUR) and the University of Humanistic Studies (UvH).

Steffen Eriksen, photo by Reyer Boxem

Steffen Eriksen (RUG):
‘As a PhD student and later when I was working as a university lecturer, I was given a contract with 70 per cent research and 30 per cent teaching. I said something to my line manager at the time that was quite risky back then. I’m talking about around 2016. Namely, that I love teaching. It felt like swearing in church. Teaching is a lost cause. No offence to my line manager – he was fantastic in every respect. It’s just that, as was the case for everyone back then, the fact that I love teaching was seen as a sign of weakness. Fortunately, that attitude has changed. In my case, at least.’

Read the full interview in our e-magazine ‘Navigating the Future’ here.

Ginie Servant-Miklos

Ginie Servant-Miklos (EUR):
“I thought - this is it, I'm never going to have an academic career. I told people: I think I'm going to leave academia because I don't think there is place for me here.” Eventually Ginie chose for (the since 2020 available) education profile. Read the full interview here.

Caroline Suranski

By opting for a chair with a teaching profile, the Universiteit voor Humanistiek (UvH) aims to contribute to the equal recognition of all core areas within academia, in line with the national Recognition & Rewards policy. Read more here (in Dutch).

Caroline Suransky: “Diversity, equity and inclusion are not optional extras, but cornerstones of meaningful education in a democratic society. Precisely now that these values are under pressure, it is all the more important to embed them firmly in education and organisational culture. Through this chair, I aim to contribute to a UvH and a university landscape where inclusive, socially engaged and critical education takes centre stage. And where, particularly in times of polarisation, we consciously choose to embrace both academic and social responsibility. In this way, we help students to find their way as professionals in a world full of complexity.”