Webinar - Recognition and Rewards in Academia in the UK and the Netherlands - 26 September 2022
The Netherlands and the UK, as North Sea neighbours, often take the opportunity to exchange knowledge and share good practice. The British Council Netherlands and the UK Science & Innovation Network are excited to share the latest developments in the area of ‘recognition and rewards’ or ‘research culture’ in academia in the UK and the Netherlands. In this webinar, Professor Jeroen Geurts from Vrije University Amsterdam (VU) and Professor Catherine Davies from the University of Leeds will share perspectives from both the UK and the Netherlands.
Robbert Dijkgraaf, Dutch Minister of Education, Culture and Science will open the webinar with a video message.
The webinar will be moderated by Dr Annette Bramley,Director and ‘Chief Collaboration Officer’ of the N8 Research Partnership - one of the strongest university research alliance in the UK. As one of the UK’s foremost experts in research culture she has become a regular, compelling and in demand speaker on the subject.
Professor Jeroen Geurts, Rector Magnificus at Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam (VU) and co-chair of the Dutch Recognition & Rewards steering group, will talk about the position paper ‘Room for everyone’s talent: towards a new balance in the recognition and rewards of academics’ that was published in 2019. In the paper, a group of Dutch higher education stakeholders indicated how they aim to more broadly recognise and reward the work of academic staff. This includes placing less emphasis on the number of publications, and a greater emphasis on the other domains in which the academic is active, such as education and impact. This broader form of recognition and appreciation is better suited to the current core tasks of knowledge and educational institutions and what society requires of these establishments. Modernising the system of recognition and rewards requires a cultural change as well as national and international coordination between all parties involved. Moreover, it requires the academics themselves, including academic leaders, to give shape to this modernisation and to embrace it.
Professor Catherine Davies, is Professor of Language Development and Dean for Research Culture at the University of Leeds and within the Northern 8 Research Partnership, a collaboration between the 8 most research-intensive universities in the North of England: Durham, Lancaster, Leeds, Liverpool, Manchester, Newcastle, Sheffield and York. The UK Government published the ‘UK Research and Development People and Culture Strategy’ in 2021, setting out how we can ensure that careers in research and innovation are open to people from all backgrounds, working within environments that nurture and get the best out of them. Professor Cat Davies will tell us more about the Research Culture roadmap developed by the Northern 8 Universities, which includes the use of metrics at all assessment points and the reduction of fixed term contracts for example, and led to the launch of the Inaugural Research Culture Awards.
Find out more about more about the latest developments and join the webinar on 26 September at 14:00 – 15:00 (UK) / 15:00 – 16:00 (NL). All UK and NL higher education representatives are invited to join the session and learn more about recognition and rewards in the UK and the Netherlands.
Find out more about the Dutch position paper on the recognition and rewards website.
Find out more about Research Culture and the Research Culture Awards at the University of Leeds.
Find out more about the UK Science and Innovation Network in the Netherlands.