It was a special sight in Rotterdam: on Thursday 26 June, 45 professors pedalled through the city in togas on their bicycles. They went to primary schools to teach over 1,500 pupils, introducing them to science in an interactive and approachable way. 'What I love about Meet the Professor is the opportunity to inspire children at a young age and show them that science is accessible to them too', said Jantine Schuit, Rector Magnificus at Erasmus University Rotterdam. 'Their curiosity keeps us as scientists on our toes and reminds us why we do what we do.'
Curiosity as the basis for science
The second edition of Meet the Professor kicked off at the Woudestein campus with Carola Schouten, mayor of Rotterdam. She addressed a school class in the aula and told them that, according to her, there is only one quality that is really important for science: curiosity. That curiosity can of course be stimulated and that is why it is so important that Meet the Professor exists. 'In Rotterdam, there are many children with many talents. But we need to see that and the children need to see that they can become anything if they are given the chance. That is what Meet the Professor does', says Carola Schouten. 'By going to class, we show the children that they can do something and if they have questions, we will help them. That is incredibly important for the city.'
Scientists are also just people
After the opening, the professors in togas spread out over the city on bicycles. Rector Magnificus Jantine Schuit went to the Fatimaschool to talk about her field: behavioural interventions and health policy. 'I enjoyed teaching the children immensely, they were very enthusiastic and they really already knew a lot', says Schuit. 'I challenged them to come up with their own ideas they could do at their school to become healthier.'
Schuit hopes that the children are inspired to pursue research and science by seeing that scientists are just people too, and certainly not stuffy or dull. For her, Meet the Professor is the university's way of fulfilling its social role, with a lot of fun: 'All professors I spoke to thought it was great to go out into the city and talk to the youngest Rotterdammers.'
"Why aren't you wearing a white lab coat?"
Other topics taught included: the best taste for a medicine, falling in love, what is public administration, taxes and doctors' dilemmas. Professors also talked about science in general and what a professor does.
'I hardly got to my class because they had a barrage of questions: about the university and the subject I teach, but also many other questions. For example: why aren't you wearing a white lab coat?', says Annelien Bredenoord, chair of the Executive Board and professor of Ethics of Technology. 'They are also always impressed that you have to go to school for so long to become a scientist. Then I always try to explain that it doesn't feel like something you have to do, but something you choose to do yourself.'
Meet the Professor 2025
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About Meet the Professor
Not all children continue studying after school or know what a university is. Meet the Professor introduces primary school pupils to university in an approachable way: by bringing professors to primary schools. This way, they get to know what happens at a university, what science really is and that it is also an opportunity for them to go there.Meet the Professor 2025 was made possible thanks to the Erasmus Trust Fund.
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- Newspaper Telegraaf (in Dutch) - Professoren ruilen Universiteit dagje in voor basisschool: ‘We laten zien dat wetenschap echt niet stoffig is’
