Tilburg University and De Reit: the evolving relationship of good neighbors
From March 23 to April 23, De Reit, the relatively young community in which Tilburg University is located, will be home to the Stichting Straat festival, and our campus will host a variety of activities, including tours, concerts, and a lecture by City Professor Ton Wilthagen on chess grandmaster and Professor Emeritus of Computer Science at our university Max Euwe. The spectacular final weekend, 22 and 23 April, offers a fitting close to the festival. “All languages can be heard here, as well as the authentic Tilburg tongue”.
When asked for his view on the university’s connection with the local community, Rector Magnificus and President of the Executive Board Wim van de Donk is clear: “It is good and important that everyone is involved and feels at home on our campus. As a university, we are aware of the strong impact we have had in recent years on spatial developments in the community, and that is why we want to be a good neighbor.” Ton Wilthagen’s appointment as City Professor is a case in point: “It’s a genuine innovation that enables us to use our knowledge to help the city and it districts face current and future challenges.”
During the festival, Wilthagen will present a lecture on Max Euwe, chess grandmaster and Professor Emeritus of Computer Science at our university. Wilthagen emphasizes the importance of the university giving back to the community: “We are partly internationally oriented but at the same time we are embedded in the city and the region. We also want to offer something to the neighborhood, for instance, with the IMC Weekend School, but also by participating in this festival. There are certainly opportunities to do more in this context.”
A presence in the local community
It’s not just the university buildings that have a presence in the local community; street names like Cobbenhagenlaan, Verbernelaan, Hogeschoollaan, and Academielaan also point to the interconnectedness of the community and the university. Academic Heritage Project Leader Pieter Siebers of Tilburg University will take festival visitors on guided tours: “The more you know, the more you see. We cordially invite everyone to get to know the university better and we are happy to show how the university cherishes its ties with the city.”
Paul Hoeijmans, Facility Services Director, gets a lot of response from local residents: “Many visitors are surprised by the size of our campus, the high quality of our buildings, and our art route. Today’s campus started with just a few buildings. In construction periods, we have meetings to discuss inconvenience, and we involve everyone in showing what the entire area will look like in a few years’ time.” That is also how connections are forged: “All languages can be heard here, as well as the authentic Tilburg tongue. There’s elderly local residents who like to visit the restaurant for their Friday lunch as well as young people who come here to play weekend soccer on the campus green or wade through the water in one of our ponds.”
About Stichting Straat
Stichting Straat has organized cultural events in which Tilburg streets, neighborhoods, communities, and urban districts take center stage since 2003. A varied one-month program highlights the past, present, and future of the city section in question, drawing attention to its architecture, heritage, monuments, history, nature, and streetscape details.
Starting March 23, a range of activities will be hosted on Tilburg University’s campus and the spectacular final weekend, 22 and 23 April, is a fitting close to the festival. A program overview is available at www.stichtingstraat.nl, as is the downloadable flyer for the final weekend. Hoeijmans: “We open our doors not just to local residents but to all Tilburg citizens to see for themselves the beauty that is this part of the city.”
More information is available on our website: Stichting Straat - De Reit 2023 | Tilburg University.