Even mankind is a threatened species. That is the central message in a new campaign by Radboud University, which was launched today at the university's New Year's gathering. An accompanying campaign video can be viewed on TV and the internet in the upcoming weeks.

Under an ominous tune and images of forest fires, polluting factories, and melting ice caps, various messages appear, such as: “we threaten their food sources”, “we threaten their ecosystems”, and “we threaten their chances of survival”.

At first glance, as a viewer, you might think it’s about the dire situation of endangered animal species, but nothing could be further from the truth. “Even mankind is a threatened species” is the message of the new campaign film from Radboud University, which will be shown in the upcoming weeks on platforms such as NPO, NPO Start, and YouTube.

IPCC Report

The premiere of the video took place at the end of the New Year’s gathering in the Aula, which was filled for the occasion. ‘Now is the time to harness the power of science and education to understand urgent sustainability issues,’ said university president Daniël Wigboldus. ‘For several years, we have acknowledged the existence of a climate crisis. We have started incorporating sustainability issues into all of our programmes.’

Radboud University, as stated by the university president, aligns itself with the call of the most recent scientific IPCC report. It emphasizes the need for drastic measures worldwide to secure the future of life on this planet.

Vegetarian and vegan

According to Wigboldus, Radboud University aims to contribute to this goal in various ways. Not only through education and research but also by scrutinizing collaborations with external companies. ‘We want to be transparent about whom we collaborate with and under what conditions,’ said Wigboldus. ‘In the coming quarter, we will work with experts to determine how to implement this in practice, and these are complex questions.’

Therefore, starting this year, the university intends to make vegetarian and vegan dining the norm in all its restaurants and canteens, with ‘attractive prices, default promotions, and an expansion of the vegan assortment.’ In an honours lab, students and researchers will examine whether the university is doing enough to restore biodiversity on campus, which has been affected by factors such as nitrogen emissions and extreme weather.

Social safety

Earlier in the gathering, José Sanders delivered her first New Year’s speech as the rector magnificus. According to the rector, many young people are questioning who they are and who they want to be. ‘As a university, we are not a welfare organisation, but we do have to deal with our students raising well-being issues,’ said the rector. ‘What are their expectations, and what pressure do they experience? Who expects all of this, and why must it be this way?’

‘The need for clear rules and agreements is evident. However, they will not solve everything’

Sanders emphasized that the way we interact with each other requires re-evaluation. Just before the Christmas break, the board presented a comprehensive plan to address social safety. The twenty-page document outlines how the university intends to address boundary-crossing behaviour over the next two years.

According to the rector, social safety is not only about the position of women or issues of gender and diversity but also about hierarchical differences. ‘The need for clear rules and agreements is evident. However, they will not solve everything.’

International classrooms

Finally, Sanders advocated for internationalisation, stating that we do society no favours if the academic world stops at the borders of our country or language. ‘An academy without international classrooms, without the influx of foreign talent, and without connections to the global network of academics, will become irrelevant, and faster than you would hope.’ It seemed to be a message to the winners of the parliamentary elections, who have different plans in that regard.

The financial challenges that Radboud University will face in the upcoming years were not mentioned in the New Year’s speech.

Translated by Siri Joustra