Studium Generale Groningen | Meet the Dutch

What counts as typically Dutch? Is it a love of cheese, bicycles, tulips, and wooden shoes? In 2023 alone approximately 142.000 (CBS) people moved to the Netherlands. How do they experience the country? How do the Dutch see themselves, especially when Dutch identity itself remains the subject of so much debate? What makes something ‘typically Dutch’ and are these qualities really that exceptional?

During this Kenniscafé we will Meet the Dutch and go beyond the stereotypes to understand Dutch culture. Moderator Meriam Tuinhof talks with Joana Duarte, professor of Educational Sciences – who acquired Dutch nationality last year – about multilingualism, diversity, individualism and inclusion in Dutch society. How does Dutch society deal with the wealth of languages and cultures it has attracted over the centuries? Karen Prowse, Operations Manager at the International Welcome Center North (IWCN), explains how the integration events of the IWCN – from FietsFriend to Let’s Talk Dutch – help to integrate internationals in the Northern Netherlands. Cultural historian Sven Gins explores the Dutch in relation to ‘other animals’. How have pragmatism, cruelty, compassion, and ingenuity towards animals shaped Dutch society, past and present?