Student Representation Series – Part 2: Life Sciences Representatives & Educational Committee of Life Sciences

In today’s episode, Maarke and Gisela explore a new education form for dialogues, The Square. They talk to Sigrid Merx who is part of the Educational innovation project which developed this form at Utrecht University. The Square was piloted within the Life Sciences and Society (LSS) profile. Student and LSS-alumna Maayke Balemans shares her experience as a student who participated in this education form.Maayke Balemans is a student Neuroscience and Cognition. She followed the LSS-profile in P3 and P4 of 2025 and is now working on her writing assignment to complete her master’s program.Sigrid Merx is an associate professor at the department of Media and Culture Studies at the Faculty of Humanities. She is a work package leader in the Comenius Leadership Project Fostering an Open Mind and Open Attitude where she has co-developed creative tools to foster dialogue in higher education at a time of growing polarization both inside and outside the classroom. The Square is one of these tools.

In this episode, Maria and Fabíola chat with members of the Life Sciences Representatives (LSR) and the Educational Committee for the Graduate School of Life Sciences (EC-LS), Eva Wiesner and Elfie Moesker. They share how their groups work to improve the quality of education, represent student perspectives within the GSLS, and address key issues affecting Life Sciences students. From giving feedback on courses to tackling challenges students face during their studies, our guests offer an inside look at how they help shape the learning experience at GSLS. Tune in to discover how these committees make student voices heard and why their work matters for every Life Sciences student.

In this episode Maria and Fabíola talk to Niels Vreeswijk and Sebastian Bok, who are student assessors at Utrecht University and at the UMC Utrecht, respectively. From sharing their daily activities and challenges to advocating for positive change for students, Niels and Sebastian discuss their roles at UU and UMC Utrecht and go into detail on what it means to be a student assessor. Tune in to learn more about this important student representation role within the university!

In this episode Eveline talks to Isabella Spaans. Isabella is a PhD Student at UMC Utrecht and she is about to defend her dissertation about role models.In this episode she will tell you more about what role models actually are, why they are important and you will get to know what walking buffets and shopping for clothes have to do with role models. Also, she will reveal who her role model is!Enjoy listening!

Two experienced teachers, Lizette Utomo and Koen Braat, developed a new course on lab calculations and made use of an innovative method: virtual reality. They tell Gisela and Maarke about their experience and how the course can bridge the gap between calculations and actual experiments in the lab.For more information about the course, visit the OSIRIS course catalogue.

In this episode Maria and Fabíola talk to Chanel and Bianca about their experiences as international students who moved to the Netherlands for their education. From culture shocks and academic challenges to making new friends and finding a home away from home, we explore the highs and the lows of studying in a new country. Tune in to enjoy their stories and get valuable insights on things you wish you knew before coming to study in the Netherlands!

Today’s Radio Life Sciences guest is dr. Chantal Tax, associate professor at the Image Sciences institute and programme coordinator of the GSLS Medical Imaging Master’s programme. She recently won the prestigious Vidi grant and tells us all about how she prepared for the application. Furthermore, Gisela and Maarke ask her about her passion for this research field, what type of students fit the programme, and how she combines research and teaching.

In this episode Eveline talks to Chanel Sam and Wiepke Koekenberg again. Chanel is an alumnus from the GSLS Master Neuroscience & Cognition and is currently setting up her own business: I SEE YOU Baby Care.Being an entrepreneur goes with ups and downs and in this series we follow Chanel's experiences along the road! Wiepke is part of the Centre for Entrepreneurship of Utrecht University and she also shares more about an interesting event that you as a student can go to if you are interested in becoming an entrepreneur. This will be hosted on this Friday January 31st 2025! For more information about this day, go to https://www.uu.nl/en/organisation/playground and follow The Playground on Instagram @playground.uu.Enjoy listening!

In this episode Eveline talks to Chanel Sam and Wiepke Koekenberg again. Chanel is an alumnus from the GSLS Master Neuroscience & Cognition and is currently setting up her own business. Being an entrepreneur goes with ups and downs and in this series we follow Chanel's experiences along the road! Wiepke is part of the Centre for Entrepreneurship of Utrecht University and she also shares more about an interesting event that you as a student can go to if you are interested in becoming an entrepreneur. This will be hosted on Friday January 31 (so one day instead of two as mentioned in the podcast). Enjoy listening!

In this episode Eveline talks to Chanel Sam and Wiepke Koekenberg. Chanel is an alumnus from the GSLS Master Neuroscience & Cognition and is currently setting up her own business. Being an entrepreneur goes with ups and downs and in this series we follow Chanel's experiences along the road! Wiepke is part of the Centre for Entrepreneurship of Utrecht University and she also shares more about how this centre helps students with entrepreneurial ambitions. Enjoy listening!