The mother of all celebratory days - that would be another fitting name you could give MomenTUm. Founders' Day, the opening and closing of the academic year as well as the presentation of the academic year prizes and the Marina van Damme award are all due to be celebrated on a single day going forward. In addition, on this same day, to be held for the first time this year, on Friday September 21, all Bachelor's graduates will receive their university diploma.

But this week Monday the Executive Board announced at the meeting of the University Council that nonetheless a separate ceremony will be held on Monday September 3 with the aim of focusing attention on the opening of the academic year. According to Board President Jan Mengelers, this has been decided, “because the opening of the academic year is regarded as more of a special ceremony at which the university has the opportunity to speak meaningfully to its own community and the wider world.”

Modest scale

The ceremony on September 3 will, however, be on a much more modest scale than in the past, as Mengelers disclosed. “So no big setting in the front hall of the Auditorium, as in all previous years, but a relatively low-key gathering in the Blauwe Zaal by invitation only. The rector magnificus will discuss the vision for the future to 2030, the document that our entire community has worked hard on over this past year. Personally, I'll be mentioning matters of a more political nature, such as internationalization, our language policy and the decentralized selection that we will experience for the first time this coming academic year. As a guest speaker we have invited Robert-Jan Smits. Since March he has been the EU's special envoy promoting open access in Europe. Before that he was director-general of the DG Research & Innovation of the European Commission. He will talk about the position of universities in Europe.”

Mengelers expressed the hope that the boards of the student associations and the university's professors will attend wearing academic gowns on September 3. Isn't he concerned that the Blauwe Zaal will be close to full? Mengelers: “That may be the case, but on this particular day full is full. Afterwards, of course, there will still be the chance to attend the drinks party in the Senate Room.”