Dutch Academic Network in the UK

DANinUK is a social and professional network for Dutch nationals working in Higher Education and (academic) research institutions in the United Kingdom.

Our aims are to:

1. establish a stronger cooperation between the Netherlands and the UK in the field of higher education and academic research through networking with (academic) organisations and governments in both countries;
2. promote social and professional interactions between Dutch nationals within the UK through events and national gatherings, knowledge transfer and regional activities.

Have you just moved to the UK, or are you planning to move to the UK? Would you like some help finding your feet and navigating the cultural differences?

We are setting up a mentoring scheme to link you with another Dutch colleague in your region or academic area. Please get in touch if you are interested.

Register to become a member of DANinUK. An annual membership fee of £10 will be used to further develop our network and to organise activities and events.

Find us on our LinkedIn page to receive updates from DANinUK.

If you are all Dutch, then why is this page in English? To broaden the reach of DANinUK, the communication language is English. However, you will certainly hear Dutch spoken at our events!

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Milou van Poppel, one of our board members, co-authored a Nature opinion piece. The article was written on behalf of the UK-based European diaspora organisations of Portuguese, Spanish, Polish, Italian and Dutch researchers.

The article argues that the European Union and the United Kingdom must mitigate the negative effects of Britain’s exit from the EU on scientific progress and promote a thriving cross-border research community. This could be done through an open and inclusive European Research Area, for example (see https://stick-to-science.eu).

Read more.

DANinUK has a new company page on LinkedIn:

https://www.linkedin.com/company/dutch-academic-network-uk

This replaces the existing private group (which we will close in the near future) and will allow anyone to see messages posted on this account. This way we aim to improve the visibility of the DANinUK network. Please follow for upcoming events and relevant information for Dutch academics in the UK, and tag Dutch Academic Network UK in posts relevant to our members.

Are you a Dutch-speaking student or scientist and would like to organise or participate in science outreach activities for children? There is an opportunity to receive training and volunteer for Native Scientist, in partnership with DANinUK. Native Scientist is a non-profit organisation that connects children with scientists with the goal of broadening children's horizons and promoting scientific literacy.

The aim is to organise (become a Coordinator) or to participate in (become a Mentor) in science workshops delivered in Dutch, to pupils in the United Kingdom. If you are interested in organising or co-organising a workshop, please email Natacha Ogando. She will tell you more about the programme and how to enroll. Science students and researchers at any stage of their careers and from any field of knowledge are welcome.

The Dutch Academic Network and the Dutch Embassy in the UK hosted a special, in-person, networking event at the Dutch Centre in London.

Hosted by Tim Harrison, Professor Emmy van Deurzen gave an impassioned talk about how we, regardless of our (academic) field of expertise, can navigate current global challenges and crises and become more resilient and flexible in order to future proof our lives.

The talk was followed by a panel discussion including Deputy Ambassador Hanno Wurzner, and an audience Q&A.

Date: Wednesday, November 23^rd 2022

Location: Dutch Centre, London

DANinUK hosted a webinar by Professor Rick van der Ploeg, titled Challenges and Obstacles in Climate Policy, and the Need for Flywheel Effects. Professor van der Ploeg is an economist and former politician (in the Dutch cabinet Kok II). He is an economist at the University of Oxford, and his research focuses on the economics of decarbonisation, the energy transition and how this impacts countries rich in natural resources, such as fossil fuels.

A recording of the webinar is available on the DANinUK YouTube channel.

After the 2022 Annual General Meeting, Willem van Schaik, Professor of Microbiology and Infection at the University of Birmingham, gave an inspiring and entertaining "New Year's Lecture" on Antibiotic Resistance, Your Microbiome and You. In the talk he introduces the concept of your microbiome and its relation to antibiotic resistance.

A recording of the webinar is available on the DANinUK YouTube channel.

In May 2021 DANinUK organised a webinar on the fascinating (and highly relatable) topic of culture and cross-cultural differences between the UK and NL. The event consisted of three short presentations by invited speakers, followed by a lively panel discussion. A recording of the event is available on the DANinUK YouTube channel.

• Opening speech by Karel van Oosterom, the Dutch Ambassador to the UK
• Professor Ronald Fischer discussed the concept of culture and what makes us different, yet the same
• Dr Nathalie van Meurs discussed the cultural differences between the UK and The Netherlands

The panel for the Q&A included: Professor Anna Watts, Professor Moniek Tromp, Professor Rob van Deursen, Professor Anu Realo and Maaike Esselaar.

Recording of the webinar on Friday 21 May 2021

In collaboration with the Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands in the United Kingdom, DANinUK was proud to host a webinar on "Tackling COVID19 — Dutch Academics in the UK" on July 17^th 2020. Three UK-based Dutch academics who are actively engaged in tackling the COVID-19 outbreak, provided insight into their work and answered questions.

For those who could not attend the event, there is a video recording of the webinar.

Speakers

• Dr Jeroen Nieuwland
  Senior Lecturer at Faculty of Computing, Engineering and Science, University of South Wales
• Prof. Marcel Levi
  CEO of University College London Hospitals
• Nina van der Mark
  Research Analyst at Centre for Universal Health, The Royal Institute of International Affairs, Chatham House

Moderator

Pauline den Hartog Jager
Dutch filmmaker and journalist based in London

Kick-Off Event —

In association with the Embassy of The Netherlands, the Dutch Academic Network in the UK (DANinUK) was officially launched in January 2020, attended by the Dutch Minister for Education, Culture & Science, Ingrid van Engelshoven; the Dutch Ambassador Simon Smits; and various Dutch and British stakeholders.