Since yesterday, Jacquelien Scherpen from Schoonebeek may call herself rector magnificus (professor-director) of the University of Groningen (RUG). She was installed yesterday and is taking over from Cisca Wijmenga.
When Wijmenga announced that he would not be available for a second term as Rector Magnificus, Scherpen felt that the time was right to step in. “I wanted to get to a point where I could think ‘now I’ve accomplished something’ and then I can start doing things like this.”
“Private plays a part in that decision, you speak to the environment. But it is something that I have always had as an idea for myself.” Scherpen has two sons who are both going to the RUG. “They think it’s cool that I will soon be rector magnificus, but as students they naturally come into contact with their lecturers more.”
It could have gone differently. “The eldest son is in a study where he would otherwise have had to deal with me,” she says, adding with a laugh, “He was just getting used to us running into each other in the hallways. I think It’s better for him that I keep my distance.”
Wijmenga was the RUG’s first female Rector Magician, Scherpen will be the second. Being a role model for women wasn’t always a priority for her. “I’ve come to think that’s more and more important. When you’re younger, you don’t want the focus to be on being a woman, but on the content. Over the years I’ve noticed that there are persistent prejudices among people about what kind of boys and girls is an appropriate course of study.”
She has experience with these prejudices herself. “In high school I had to choose between German and mathematics. Then I went to the school counselor and he immediately said German, so I walked away angry. I wanted an argument. I chose mathematics.”
For Scherpen, her high school days are a while ago, but the prejudices are still there: “Recently I heard an example of a girl who was advised to do Mathematics A, while her brother was advised by the same teacher two years earlier. to do math B, with the same grade. That’s not right. Then the teacher says ‘I think that would be easier for her’, but that’s a prejudice you want to get rid of.”
She also sees a role for herself in combating that prejudice. “I can continuously draw attention to those prejudices that everyone has, but they are strongly anchored in our culture. I can play a role at our university by organizing training courses.”