The University of Twente is committed to creating an inspiring environment for young scientists, who are at the beginning of a promising academic career and offering them the opportunity to reach their full potential by actively shaping the UT. For this purpose, the Young Academy Twente (YAT) was established in 2011, following the example of the Young Royal Dutch Academy of Arts and Sciences.
OUR mission
Our mission is to build a community of early career academics, facilitate a learning platform for academic leadership, and strengthen the societal impact of our university.
As an advocate for the interests of early career academics, we:
- Support. We help to shape the future of our university, by supporting early career academics in their development as educators, scientists, leaders and entrepreneurs within and beyond their own fields.
- Advise. We provide solicited and unsolicited advice to the UT community (including the Executive Board and Strategic Board of the UT) along the lines of our university core tasks research, education, and innovation.
- Connect. We go beyond our daily business taking a radiating role in various ecosystems for the UT, connecting science and society, by expressing our passion to reach and inspire others.
To this end, our activities for 2024-2025 are centred around four themes:
- Team science: this working group aims to make the UT a better platform for interdisciplinary projects to take off, especially for early-career researchers, who are still building up their network. We aim to organise funding workshops and matchmaking meetings for early career academics and create a platform to stimulate interfaculty research and make it easier for early-career researchers to apply for interdisciplinary grants.
- Talent recognition and development: the focus points will still be an extension of the ius promovendi and the development and implementation of recognition and rewards (for example in designing the Career tracks).
- Education: the Education working group is there to have an education community in which they learn from each other’s good practices and challenges, while advocating for the appropriate recognition and reward of education
- Reducing Administrative Burden: sees themselves as a think-tank to discuss which bureaucracy is needed, where it may be reduced and how it could potentially be replaced in the interest of UT researchers
History
From YA@UT to YAT (2021-2025) From YA@UT - 2020 - 2025
Information exchanges with board P-Nut, Post-doc Network & YAT
Meetings YA@UT and board YAT
YAT Alumni Summerdrinks with members & rector
General Assembly
Feedback on building blocks Future Proof Research & Innovation
Joint event TNO & YAT
New Year's Message "Team UT"
Team Science & Education lunch meetings
Organisation of Local YA meeting in Utrecht
YAT becomes founding member of Green Young Academy together with the National Young Academy and other local young academies
YAT Alumni Summer drinks
Team science event on "speaking up and critical feedback in academia"
Working Group on Starter and Incentive Grants
YAT position on carbon pricing for business flights at the UT
YAT Open letter Freezing Starter Grants
Contribution to Higher Management Strategy Day UT
YA@UT becomes YAT.
Lunch series on Team Science.
YAT Policy updated.
YAT new work plan approved by EB.
Wrote position paper IUS Promovendi.
Provided input for the Recognition & Reward policy of the UT.
The first YAT education Support Award presented the YAT Alumni Summer Drinks
Provided advice to the UT Starters- and Incentive Grant working group.
4TU YA position paper on internationalisation.
Session on 'Everyone Professor' together with S&T faculty club.
Revision mission and working methoud YA@UT.
Organised alumni summer drinks with the rector to discuss plans to restart.
Participation Studium Generale 'Future of Dutch science' with Wim Saarloos.
Memo about talent development policy of the UT.
Start of Team Science events throughout academic year 22/23: 'How to get started?', 'Finding your profile', 'How to become an entrepreneur?', 'How to be an open scientist'.
History of Young Academy Twente (2012-2020) From YA@UT to YAT 2012- 2020
Wilfred van der Wiel, Jennifer Herek and Hans Hilgenkamp initiated JA@UT.
Regulations formulated, including acceptance criteria.
EB decided to proceed and establish the 'Jonge Akademie van de Universiteit Twente' (JA@UT).
Establishment Young Academy of the University of Twente.
Supporting staff: Susanne de Gooijer (S&P), Nienke Nijenhuis (M&C), Remke Schwartz (HR).
Pilot of 2 years.
Working groups: Governance, Outreach, Talent Development.
Founders became advisory board.
Symposium Studium Generale & YA@UT: Science of the Future or Science Fiction?
Contribution governance discussion.
Open letter to Rector about lacking digitalisation at the UT.
Project 'responsible research' started.
YA@UT pilot successfully evaluated.
Contribution to communication strategies within Vision 2020.
Design mentoring program with TGS for excellent MSC students.
Session of Museum TwentseWelle about the mission of YA@UT + Valorisation/outreach.
Contribution to Science Night and Studium Generale.
Policy about internationalisation.
Regulations are adjusted so that ITC members can included.
Participated in developing a faculty handbook with regulations.
Central Education Prize is critically reviewed.
Work group about CuriousU is formed.
Members featuring in the 'Universiteit van Nederland'.
Working group "Families in science'is formed.
Investigation about working conditions Ph.D.'s.
Contribution to Week of Inspiration.
Members are involved in the Personal Pursuit Programme and Digital Transformation trajectory initiated by LISA.
Contribution to (re)designing Tenure Track Policy and HR policy on education careers of researchers.
Working group 'Education' and 'Integrity' started.
