Alumni newsletter - September 2025
The academic year 2025-2026 has begun. Since Monday 1 September, we have been back at a Science Park buzzing with (new) students. After a quiet summer, the team is enjoying the liveliness and energy on campus, which is also a source of inspiration for the content of this newsletter. Read about who won the Vliegenthart Thesis Prize, how our researchers are studying silence at Lowlands, and how the power grid can be used more wisely.
Enjoy reading!
Maike van ‘t Laar
Online marketer Alumni Office
Research at Lowlands festival
Social psychologist Tom Frijns (UU) and cultural scientist Gerlof van Engelenhoven (Leiden ľ¹Ï¸£ÀûÓ°ÊÓ) conducted research in an unexpected place: Lowlands Festival. Amidst tents, sweat and beer, they and their team collected useful brain scan data from festival visitors. Their project, Sprekende Stiltes (Speaking Silences), combined science and art in a unique performance. They discovered how silences, mirroring and moving together influence cooperation and connectedness.
The forgotten Holocaust victims of Het Apeldoornsche Bosch
On the night of January 21-22, 1943, the Nazis evacuated the Jewish psychiatric hospital Het Apeldoornsche Bosch, deporting nearly 1,200 patients and some of the staff to Auschwitz and murdering all of the patients. In his thesis (Research Master's in Dutch Language and Culture), Pepijn de Koning examines the cultural memory of this deportation from the perspective of the patients, winning him this year's Vliegenthart Thesis Prize. The jury praised his innovative approach, impressive writing style, and the careful way in which he brings the experiences to light. In doing so, he gives a voice to a group of victims who often remain out of the picture.
Esther Captain joins UU with KNAW-chair
As of September 2025, UU will welcome a new KNAW chair: Dr Esther Captain will investigate how slavery and colonialism continue to affect subsequent generations. From descendants of enslaved people to plantation owners, in the Netherlands and former colonies.
Smart charging: the key to a less congested grid?
Grid congestion is putting pressure on the Netherlands' sustainability efforts. PhD candidate Nico Brinkel (Utrecht ľ¹Ï¸£ÀûÓ°ÊÓ) is investigating how electric cars can help prevent peaks in the power grid. His solution: don't all charge at the same time. It sounds simple, but it requires decisive action from grid operators and car manufacturers alike.
Want to become Friends?
As an alumn, your experience, network, and support are indispensable to the Utrecht academic community. By becoming a Friend of the Utrecht ľ¹Ï¸£ÀûÓ°ÊÓ Fund, you contribute directly to equal opportunities for students. For €30 per year, you join a network of 12,000 Friends and receive a Friends Pass with great benefits such as free admission to the Botanical Gardens and discounts on various activities.
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