Looking back on Meet the Professor 2018

On Wednesday 28 March 2018, 136 professors from Utrecht University cycled to Utrecht primary schools to talk about their research and the university in the classroom. Meet the Professor also served to kick off Utrecht University’s buddy programme. In the coming year, 15 pupils from year 8 will be given the opportunity to get to know the university.

The children learn a lot and get acquainted with science; it’s much more fun than having to read it in a book!

Secretive portrait

A unique moment occurred during the opening of Meet the Professor in the Senate Room of the University Hall: for the first time in history, a portrait of a professor who was still alive hung on the wall of the Senate Room. In fact, it was even a professor who was in the auditorium during the opening of Meet the Professor! From a line-up of three professors, pupils from the Lukasschool had to work out which professor looked most like a portrait on the wall. After a short and exciting hunt, it turned out to be professor Hans Kristian Ploos van Amstel (Medicine).

Kicking off the buddy programme

During the opening of Meet the Professor 2018, Utrecht University launched a new buddy programme. In the coming year, 15 pupils from primary schools that are participating in Meet the Professor this year will be given the opportunity to get to know the university. The programme is aimed at pupils who, due to their background, are otherwise unlikely to come into contact with the university. The children are paired off with a student at Utrecht University who supervises them for six months. For example, they will pay a return visit together to the professor who came to visit them for Meet the Professor.

Professor Annetje Ottow reveals more about the buddy programme in her vlog [In Dutch] that she made during Meet the Professor.