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"Studium Generale is a Place to Try Out
Ideas"
TU/e's cultural department Studium Generale is planning
more activities specifically targeted at the foreign population.
"We want to try to organise at least two interesting public
lectures in English every trimester," says manager drs. Maarten
Pieterson. Foreign staff and students will also receive information
in English on the arts and culture program at TU/e, starting this
month.
The first public lecture in English coming up will be on April
26 by prof.dr. David A. Turrell of Caltech, Pasadena, on synthetic
biological materials. He will also be receiving an honorary doctorate
from TU/e during his visit. It's possible other lectures in English
may be held before April.
Brochure
Information on cultural activities at TU/e has always been mostly
in Dutch. That too is going to change. Films, concerts and art
are of interest to everyone at TU/e. "We're sending out a
brochure in English to all non-Dutch staff and students describing
our program for the coming months. The problem with this is that
there is no complete address list of foreign staff and students
available. So I'd like to ask anyone interested to mail us at
sg-english-request@listserver.tue.nl, stating 'subscribe' as mail
subject. The brochure will also be available from BIA and all
departments," says Pieterson.
Studium Generale's broad cultural program consists of lectures,
workshops, excursions, concerts, movies, theatrical performances
and expositions. "Though the majority of the scheduled events
are Dutch-spoken, we want to include a number of English-spoken
events in each trimester. Some performances, like concerts and
dance, are of course totally language-independent," Pieterson
explains.
Many of the Studium Generale activities are open to the general
public, including lectures, films, concerts and art exhibitions.
Sometimes Studium Generale takes part in outside events, such
as the 'Cement Festival' in Eindhoven from February 7 to 11. A
video project is planned in the skeleton of the old chemistry
building.
Some activities, such as excursions and workshops, are limited
to TU/e students (including the various types of graduate students
and post-docs), who are allowed to bring a guest when taking part
in excursions to popular events like the Rotterdam Film Festival
or the Crossing Border music and literature festival. Coming up
this trimester are workshops where students will learn the basics
of sign language, 'hand' theatre, video editing and 'brain training'.
Pieterson says workshops may be held (partly) in English if enough
foreign students sign up.
Chinese Film Festival
Events at Studium Generale are organised by SG staff, assisted
by student volunteers. Often ideas for activities originate with
the student population. "We have a long tradition of participation
by students and we would appreciate any suggestions from our foreign
staff. Studium Generale is a place to try out ideas. We offer
a kind of testing ground."
"Recently, one of our Chinese researchers asked us to help
set up a Chinese film festival. Our film committee is working
on it and we hope to screen some excellent Chinese movies during
the coming trimester. We would welcome more of this type of initiative,"
says Pieterson.
Ideal
Studium Generale has had a place at Dutch universities since after
the Second World War. "There was much embarrassment on the
part of universities about the way they were taken over by the
Germans. Jewish professors and students disappeared without much
protest. Curriculums were quietly adjusted. There was a feeling
that academics had kept to their ivory towers."
"After the war, it was decided that academics and students
needed a general cultural education as well as an academic one.
That more attention should be paid to the connections between
sciences and arts, and those between academia and society. Now
every university in the Netherlands has a Studium Generale department.
Some of them are focused only on education, others, like TU/e
offer quite a broad program in the arts and culture. Ironically,
the idea of the ideal university, that Studium Generale is based
on, was thought up by Humboldt, a German."/.
