Faculty Club: Lecture The Old Girls' Network? (in Dutch)

When Johanna Westerdijk (the first female professor in the Netherlands) had to assess scholarship applications as a committee member of the International Federation of University Women in 1937, she came across an application from the young Celtic scholar Maartje Draak (1907-1995). The scholarship was awarded, but that was not all: the recently donated archives of Maartje Draak reveal that the two women maintained an intensive correspondence well into the 1940s.

These letters from Johanna Westerdijk provide a unique insight into how the first generation of female scientists built networks and formed friendships in a male-dominated world.

In this lecture, held close to International Women's Day, Nike Stam and student assistant Marieke Rotman will share the results of the University Library Fellowship The Old Girls' Network, and will also celebrate the launch of the bonus episode of their podcast.

Programma: 

• 5:45 – 6:00 pm: Arrival and welcome drink (Living Room)
• 6:00 – 6:45 pm: Lecture by Nike Stam and Marieke Rotman
• 6:45 – 7:15 pm: Q&A
• 7:30 – 9:00 pm: Dinner with the speaker for €28.50 per person (optional)
• 9:00 pm: Close of the evening

The cost of the optional dinner (main course, drinks, coffee/tea) is €28.50.

About the speakers

Dr Nike Stam is a university lecturer in Celtic Studies and her teaching and research generally focus on the historical sociolinguistics of medieval Ireland. She has conducted research into multilingualism and is currently looking at the sociolinguistic dimensions of medieval Irish spelling. In light of the centenary of the Celtic Studies programme at Utrecht University in 2023, she has also begun to explore the history of the field in the Netherlands from a Gender Studies perspective. Together with two interns, she has developed a podcast about Maartje Draak and published an interview with Leni van Strien about her role in the interdisciplinary solidarity between Celtic Studies and Gender Studies at Utrecht University.

Marieke Rotman is a student assistant for the fellowship. She is a student of the RMA Ancient, Medieval and Renaissance Studies programme and has already had experience with Maartje Draak's archive during her BA in Celtic Languages and Culture. For the centenary of the Celtic Studies programme, she worked with fellow intern Darina Knoops, under the supervision of Nike Stam, on the podcast Op Zoek naar de Draak (In Search of the Dragon). For this, she researched Maartje Draak's contribution to Celtic studies in the Netherlands, her work in the field of fairy tales and stories about King Arthur, and her position as one of the first female academics in the Netherlands.

During this evening, there will be plenty of opportunity to talk to the speakers and other attendees. The Faculty Club offers a setting where meeting, deepening and reflection come together.

Location: Faculty Club, entrance via the Academy Building (Domplein 29, Utrecht)