Y3 Projects
Arts@home
In response to the lockdown, this project developed a site to facilitate creativity community interaction around artmaking. The team offered livestreams (painting, drawing, origami), photography challenges, writing prompts, and much more!
Capturing Natural burial Grounds
What happens after death? Are you comfortable with the idea of death?
Our project aims to spark thought and discussion about death - one of life's two certainties. We have set out on a journey to learn more about burials, specifically natural burials. We have created a photobook that investigates the different ingredients that go into natural burials, such as history, culture, and sustainability in order to inform readers about them and to normalize talking about death.
Masculinity of Syrian Refugees
We have analysed and researched the effects of migration on the masculinity of Syrian male refugees in the North of the Netherlands, specifically focusing on the masculine role of Syrian men. In order to communicate our research to our audience we processed our research data into a theatrical play. We have identified the different cultural outlooks on masculinity and have created a forum that allows you to understand the stories of various Syrian refugees.
Period. Everyone's business
The menstrual cycle is rarely openly talked about, and is a taboo topic for some. Encouraging women's wellbeing requires all women, and men, to be informed about common myths, misunderstandings, and facts, about the menstrual cycle.
This project developed an article about those myths and facts, and conducted a survey of students. We will also present a yoga video specifically developed to address common symptoms of the menstrual cycle.
The Spy in Our Hands
Can US-allied countries trust Huawei? Will using the Chinese company’s equipment leave communication networks and our private and personal data vulnerable to cyber-security threats?
The Chinese telecommunications company Huawei was critical in the development of fifth generation mobile Internet connectivity, 5G, but Huawei was also at the center of a political argument over cyber-security, and the US increased pressure on the UK to bar Huawei from having a role in the UK's creation of a 5G network.
The UK government decided to allow the Chinese tech giant to be part of its 5G network. Our report evaluates that decision from the perspectives of business, government, and the law. We also created a video describing the relevance of 5G.
IDEA: Intelligently Designed Educational App
This project is an exploration into innovative and effective online education.
Although technology has come a long way in the past two decades, online education leaves much to be desired: Unengaging videos and slideshows, and too-long teacher monologues make the online classroom difficult for teachers and students alike.
We took a deep dive into the world of online education and from our research developed “IDEA” an interactive educational app tailored to suit the needs of the individual, with engaging and interactive content.
Our final deliverables include a white paper detailing the IDEA concept, and a prototype.
Criminal Justice: a Trip Around the World
This project investigates theories of criminal punishment from around the world, focusing on case studies from Australia, Norway, the USA and Saudi Arabia.
We created a website where you can explore the subject, and we will offer a live presentation and interactive quiz on criminal justice around the world.
Learn more about the world's systems of criminal justice!
Waste Management Groningen: A Student Perspective
How do you rate your recycling behaviour compared to others?
Are you aware of the waste management system in Groningen?
Is there more the municipality could do to encourage students to recycle?
Our research set out to better understand the sustainability of student behaviour regarding waste management. We investigated recycling habits in the student population, and considered this in light of psychological theory.
We developed advice for individuals as well as policy recommendations, with the aim of fostering better and sustainable waste management behaviour in Groningen.
Check out our research, and attend our presentation learn how to improve your own recycling habits! #GetInTheBin
Lorem Ipsum
This project created a 'socio-economic card game' that strips human nature down to its most primary instincts, while players debate recent events.
Each player is a made-up country with multiple challenges, and must strategize, make decisions, and weigh short term satisfaction against long term consequences.
If you are too selfish you lose, if you are not selfish enough you are left with nothing more than a ‘thank you’.
Visit our website and explore the game!
Shift to Thrift: A guide to sustainable clothing
The 'fast fashion' phenomenon of young people buying trendy and affordable clothes has an immense impact on the world.
We investigated the clothing industry and the impact of fast fashion, as well as the shift among young people toward more sustainable clothing.
Our video presentation gives background on that shift and makes recommendations for how everyone can contribute.
Fun Foods
We have created a sustainable cookbook for students with recipes for breakfast, lunch and dinner which are easy to make and contain in-season ingredients. We know that students are bound to a certain budget and therefore the recipes allow for cheap ingredients and provide tips to lower your budget. The goal of the cookbook is to raise awareness for sustainable eating patterns among students.
PostNL: Performances behind the numbers (business research)
PostNL is a representative of transformation. The entrepreneur and start-up business today can embrace smart solutions and automation in operation from the beginning because of the immediate availability of high-technology. However, the conventional business company must foresee the necessity of changing and must drive the transformation carefully, effortfully, and in the long-term. PostNL is an example; its transformation started in 2012 and not finished yet until now.
In 2016, Bpost (a Belgian state-owned delivery operator) proposed to acquire PostNL. The latter rejected this take-over offer with confidence in future success. Otherwise, we would have no longer seen PostNL as PostNL but a PostBE.
In this research project, we look into what the company did to confidently survive in the rapidly changing business world by analyzing its business and financial performances during the last three years (2017-2019). Also, we briefly mention how it can be further successful in a 2020 outlook. PostNL publishes an annual report each year, but they require too much knowledge and effort to read and understand for the ordinary people. We interpret the figures and expand the analysis behind the numbers to shape a holistic image incorporating a broad range of stakeholders. We created a booklet and a full report. By the end of the reading, you will see how PostNL drives an organizational transition and motivates people and the organization to change and improve progressively.
BrainTime
What do you understand about human connection?
This project begins with the research of Marieke van Vugt on EEG synchrony between dancers, and delves into questions surrounding the meaning of connections between people.
If you would like to know more about how and why people form connections with one another from the perspective of physiology, neuroscience, the creative arts and philosophy, this is a project for you!
Pro-environmentalism and Neuroticism
We have tried to understand the relationships between neuroticism, pro-environmental attitudes and pro-environmental behaviour by conducting a conceptual replication of a previous experiment. We also asked UCG students for their input about UCG’s current practices related to environmental sustainability, and whether they thought these could be improved.
We would like to offer a list of practical solutions that UCG can implement in order to make our faculty a more sustainable environment. In addition, we would like to gain a deeper insight into how our personality may influence the way we feel about the environment and in turn, behave in a pro-environmental manner.
Machine Learning for Breast Cancer Diagnosis
Machine learning is the newest cool thing in computer science. Cancer is old but gold - we’ve known about it’s existence for decades and yet we have yet to figure out how to cure it. While medical technicians can identify obvious cases of cancer, many tumors pass by unnoticed. When identified too late, these tumors end up killing the patients. Maybe it’s about time we stop trying to get doctors to diagnose cancer patients and instead use our advanced technologies to do their job more efficiently.
The password for the website is: AI
UCG x UGP Editorial Board
The UCG x UGP is a collaboration between the University College Groningen (UCG) and the University of Groningen Press (UGP). The UGP is an open-access initiative by the University of Groningen Library and publishes open access books and journals under a number of Creative Commons licenses and has agreed to publish further work of UCG students (or staff members). The published work will be digitally available free of charge on the UGP website. This collaboration between a faculty and a University Press is the first of this kind in the Netherlands.
The task of the Editorial Board of UCG is to review proposals, decide about publications, copy-edit and typeset work.
Did you or your project create a manuscript that you want to get published? Use this unique opportunity and contact us!
A “feminine” approach to structures
With this project we wanted to reflect upon the ideas and principles behind most of the organizing structures which regulate almost every aspect of our life. We wanted to show how a large majority of the social, political, laboral and cultural organizations are designed according to certain “masculine” characteristics (cf. Hofstede’ s dimensions), which in our society tend to be granted higher value, in comparison to alternative ideas.
With our videos we first wanted to show the limitations and the negative connotations that these “masculine” structures might have if taken into an extreme. At the same time, we wanted to introduce the ideas and functioning behind more “feminine” structures and how this way of organizing can lead to positive and quite successful outcomes. We wanted to reflect upon how those characteristics, which traditionally have been associated with the female gender and as such have been perceived as “inferior”, can be implemented. This can be in the way we work, socialize, interact, and can prove quite beneficial in the short and long run.
The four videos that will be presented introduce those ideas and provide three case studies of successful “feminine” structures in different contexts (psychology, politics, industry).
Alzheimers: a Helping Hand
The Green Groninger Student
We have created a guide for students to live a more sustainable lifestyle in Groningen. It is by no means an exhaustive or comprehensive account of what sustainability is all about, but it is hoped that by showing you some of the things you can do, no matter how big or small, we can help create a greater movement of people concerned with the health of our planet.
Corona Humour: Memes in the Face of Crisis
Nearly everybody would agree that the coronavirus has been a somewhat challenging experience. While we saw the pandemic unfold everywhere across the world, we also recognized our social media feeds increasingly being flooded with humorous memes about the corona virus crisis. Many of these memes would address life during quarantine, or make satirical jokes about politicians handling the crisis, both things that we can now all relate to. Inspired by these developments, we decided to study the use of humour during the coronavirus crisis and pursue the question of how the Coronavirus crisis promotes and/or affects humour appreciation. We conducted our research through an ethnographic survey in which we asked participants how they were experiencing the Coronavirus crisis, how humour helps them understand and cope with their situation, and what humorous content they were exactly consuming.
Phantom Notes
One of the effects of the coronavirus is that young people around the world face crazy and uncertain times, in which their lives are on hold, while we struggle for much-needed human interaction. In the meantime, we have social media platforms that provide the ability to connect.
This project attempts to make those connections around the topic of life during the crisis, in conversations with young people and with the researcher's personal reflections. The project offers example online interviews and also 'life notes': Artistic illustrations by the researcher, visualize the experience.
Bringing Youth to Europe: the Model European Parliament
Although we all live in Europe and many of us are European citizens, most of us know next to nothing about the European Parliament, and in general we find it little appealing. The Model European Parliament (MEP) tries to change that.
However as a high school project, MEP engages a limited audience of youth (ages sixteen to eighteen) with the functioning of the Parliament. While the local and national sessions sometimes reach the (local) news, the international sessions are not as well-known.
This project asks: What is the MEP? What does an international MEP conference look like? How could MEP Europe reach more people?
Groninger Kombucha
We have been brewing our own sustainable “Groninger Kombucha” drink, an alternative to sodas and alcoholic beverages, with plans to produce it here in Groningen. We have developed our recipes for two flavors of Groninger Kombucha using fresh local ingredients!
If you are interested in
The fermentation process
Sustainable food production and packaging
Food security
Locally produced food
Defining Dutch Kombucha
Join us! Our background research and Brewing Notes detail our work, and our video takes you through the brewing process. You can also see our strategizing for the business part of the project.
Shaping Sex Podcast
Love, sex, and relationships are topics that concern most of us, yet often they are not talked about as openly as they should. Thanks to online communication channels, we have the opportunity to stir up and provide a platform for dialogue. In our mini podcast series we explore various aspects of these themes, and each episode is devoted to a different topic. We combine research, ideas, and our own as well as our friends' experiences to provide an informative and diverse yet also personal set of conversations. We begin our series with an episode about sexual liberation, discovering the different meanings it carries. For the second episode, we invited a friend of ours to share her thoughts on monogamous and polyamorous relationships. The third episode is a collection of stories related to love during the global pandemic. For the fourth episode we chose to investigate the reasons behind the use of dating apps, like Tinder, and the effects these have on the users. Finally, we concluded our podcast with a fifth episode on fetishism and paraphilia, which allowed us to make a full circle and touch upon a topic which is closely interconnected with the notion of sexual freedom.
Dutch as a second language
As an international student, learning the Dutch language might not be your first concern, since you’ll find you can get by with English relatively well. However, if you do not want to settle for a bleak extracurricular life, you will find that learning Dutch is a necessary step to take. Still, limited options are available for international students willing to learn Dutch. This is a shame, since international students could enter the job market, volunteer and do internships by learning Dutch. Even museums require fluency in Dutch. When you do decide to learn Dutch as an international student, you will potentially face some disappointments. Learning Dutch is not easy. Many learning tools, including beginner courses and textbooks have not been designed for international students, and may not always provide translation.
This project focuses on the process of learning a second language and provides you with tips to learn Dutch, based on neuroscientific research. I also volunteered at Humanitas as a language tutor in order to gain practical experience for my project. More information about the project can be found on my website.
A day in the life: the last six months
It’s April 2020 and the world is dealing with an unexpected pandemic that is slowly spreading. Three students in their early twenties are harmoniously living together, sharing time and feelings, discussing relationships and career choices. Their life is going forward, between a pizza and a game of darts, when one fine but slightly atypical guy disrupts their daily routine and throws the house into chaos.