The Northern Times
  • News
  • Lifestyle
  • Culture
  • People
  • What’s happening
  • Economy
  • Opportunities
No Result
View All Result
  • News
  • Lifestyle
  • Culture
  • People
  • What’s happening
  • Economy
  • Opportunities
No Result
View All Result
The Northern Times
No Result
View All Result

Friesland’s flag hung at half-mast following RUG’s failure to appoint Frisian professor

by The Northern Times
November 28, 2022
in Uncategorized
Home Uncategorized

Unidentified persons have hung the Frisian flag at half-mast on the Academy Building in Groningen today, in an apparent protest against the decision by the University of Groningen not to appoint a new professor of the Frisian language, the Dagblad van het Noorden reports.

Who lowered the flag is not known, but the demarche follows the cancellation of the professorship for Frisian language and history after the retirement of Goffe Jensma, a RUG professor who specialized in Frisian linguistics and history.

Frisian is integral to the heritage and national identity of the Netherlands. It is one of the country’s oldest languages but historical events such as the dissolution of formerly united Frisia in the medieval times and carving up of its domains between Germany and the Netherlands, have impacted its growth dramatically.

Despite a comparatively high number of native speakers, Frisian is currently a vulnerable minority language because of present-day low levels of literacy and lack of inter-generational language transmission. Hence the fear among Frisian speakers that the abolition of the Frisian language professorship will only contribute to the language’s further transformation into a predominantly oral language.

According to Omrop Fryslân, the flag was later taken down and removed.

In a separate development, the Global Responsibility and Leadership program, taught at Groningen University’s Campus Fryslȃn, has been rated as the best bachelor’s program in of the Netherlands. The hands-on course is inspired by the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals and dedicated to training new generations of leaders.

The prestigious honor was awarded by Keuzegids, an independent Dutch consumer guide that rates university programs across the country.

Tags: endangered languagesfaculty of artsfrisian languageGoffe Jensmagroningen universityRUG

Related Posts

The Northern football clubs’ monthly round-up: August
Sports

The Northern football clubs’ monthly round-up: August

August 28, 2023
FC Groningen: A Fallen Giant Lifted by Its Supporters
Sports

FC Groningen: A Fallen Giant Lifted by Its Supporters

August 16, 2023
Dutch women’s football team roars into the World Cup
Sports

Dutch women’s football team roars into the World Cup

July 19, 2023

Popular News

  • Groningen Market Day arriving with its biggest market to date

    Groningen Market Day arriving with its biggest market to date

    382 shares
    Share 153 Tweet 96
  • More explosions rock Groningen province

    408 shares
    Share 163 Tweet 102
  • University of Groningen facing financial trouble

    363 shares
    Share 145 Tweet 91
  • University of Groningen becomes first official TOEFL test center in the North

    346 shares
    Share 138 Tweet 87
  • Three people killed in Rotterdam shootings

    338 shares
    Share 135 Tweet 85
The Northerntimes is powered by: TopDutch

No Result
View All Result
  • Arts
  • Contributors
  • Covid-19 News
  • Covid Chronicles
  • authority
  • personal
  • photo reportage
  • professional
  • Crime
  • Culture
  • Drenthe
  • Dutch history
  • Econ 050
  • Economy
  • Education
  • Eurosonic Noorderslag
  • Friesland
  • Groningen
  • Health
  • Lifestyle
  • Make it in the North
  • National
  • News
  • Nightlife
  • Opinion
  • Opportunities
  • Education
  • People
  • Expats
  • International students
  • Politics
  • Shopping
  • Sports
  • submitted articles
  • Top Dutch Business
  • Travel
  • Typical Dutch
  • Ukraine
  • Uncategorized
  • What’s happening
  • World

Welcome Back!

OR

Login to your account below

Forgotten Password?

Retrieve your password

Please enter your username or email address to reset your password.

Log In

Add New Playlist

Submit a article

Send in an article to be published on The Northern Times.

Send a news tip

Got a story idea or want us to be aware of anything?