Public Engagement
Through public engagement initiatives, UGlobe seeks to bridge the gap between academia and the broader public, encourage dialogue and knowledge-sharing, and promote mutual understanding. By prioritizing public engagement, UGlobe aims to increase the impact and relevance of its research and education programs while simultaneously contributing to the betterment of society.
UGlobe Café
The UGlobe Café is a unique collaboration between students of Utrecht University, UGlobe and the knowledge and debate programme of TivoliVredenburg. In a joint editorial, topics are determined that bring knowledge outside the walls of the university in an accessible way.
Studium Generale
Studium Generale serves as a public platform for knowledge and reflection at Utrecht University. With a focus on the intersection of science and society, it brings together scientists and thinkers to organize a variety of engaging events such as lectures, talk shows, and movie screenings. UGlobe and Studium Generale join forces every year to organize a lecture series that explores a range of global challenges. The lecture series is designed to bring together a diverse audience of students, professionals, and curious individuals to engage in meaningful dialogue about topics ranging from sustainability and human rights to technology and global health.
UGlobe Events
UGlobe is always seeking new ideas for events or collaborations throughout the year that can lead to thought-provoking and engaging discussions. Our goal is twofold: to bring together our community of researchers and students, and to showcase important topics within UGlobe to the wider public. Whether it's through workshops, lectures, or other innovative formats, we strive to foster an environment of open dialogue and intellectual curiosity.
Highlights
UGlobe Café: The Olympolitics
Do political statements belong in the sports world? A question that has been the focus of attention in the last couple of years, reaching a climactic point during the 2022 World Cup in Qatar. Rather than the focus on sports, it seems the World Cup is pre-eminently used for politics. From the One Love initiatives against discrimination to the Iranian team’s refusal to sing along to their national anthem in light of the protests that followed after the death of Masha Amini. In short, Qatar has been the subject of debate not only in the light of sports, but of human rights and political activism. But when and where do we draw the line between what political messages can be conveyed in such events? Is it ethically responsible to ignore such aspects?
In this UGlobe café, we discussed the different aspects and perspectives of (political) activism during international sport events, such as the Football World Cup and the Olympics. Read more.
Reimagining Sex Work Photo Exhibition
The exhibition was created by Reimagining Sex Work, a feminist activist collective made up of sex workers, photographers, researchers and scientists. This collective wants to present a nuanced picture of people working in the sex industry and also improve the representation of sex workers in the media. The exhibition also includes a media guide with photos for journalistic image banks so that image editors have more choice, plus a manual for journalists and sex workers, written by journalists and sex workers themselves. Read more.
Studium Generale: Rethinking global power
UGlobe and Studium Generale organized a public lecture series ‘Rethinking Global Power’: Russia's power game. The collapse of the Soviet Union was a turning point for Russian influence in the world. Russia's rule of law and democracy have since been crushed under Putin's presidency. Where did it go wrong? What do the Russian citizens think of the current war and recent developments such as the annexation and immobilization? And are Russia's attempts to expand its sphere of influence with incursions into Crimea and Ukraine the last convulsions of a world power? With historian Dr Gijs Kessler (International Institute of Social History). Watch the event.