Over 1000 signatures on first day

Click here to sign the petition

6 December
This afternoon the petition was set up and Cornelius Hasselblatt, professor of Finno-Ugric Languages and Cultures at the University of Groningen, was first to sign. The Universiteitskrant was present and made a movie (which you can watch here). Many signatures followed and with dr. Ilona Laha from Latvia as 1052nd signature was the first day of the petition very successful.

Signatures from across the world:

On the first day the petition was signed by people from Aruba, Australia, Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Canada, China, Croatia, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, the Faroe Islands, Finland, France, Germany, Hungary, Iceland, Indonesia, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Laos, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Norway, Puerto Rico, Poland, Russia, Serbia, Slovenia, South Africa, South Korea, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, the United Arab Emirates, the United Kingdom, and the United States of America.

What people said:

Mr. Laurentius Huber - Leipzig, Germany

Mr. Drs. Alexander van Hoboken - Nijmegen, Netherlands

Dr. Viola van Bogaert - Aruba

Mrs. Pityi Brigitta - Budapest, Hungary

Ms. Anna Tardy - Budapest, Hungary

Dr. Bo G. Ekelund - Stockholm, Sweden

Dr. Per Erik Ljung - Lund, Sweden

Drs. Linda Hoekstra - Leeuwarden, Netherlands

Professor Dr. Hans Aili - Stockholm, Sweden

MS Eszter Zinkstok - Luxembourg

Dr. Tjeerd de Graaf - Paterswolde, Netherlands

SIGN OUR PETITION

Click here for the petition

Last year the University of Groningen decided to merge most of its Modern Language Programmes into a single programme: European Languages and Cultures, featuring the study of 10 European languages from a European perspective. But this new programme was barely in its third month when the University announced plans to reduce the number of languages from 10 to 6. As of September 2013, students will not longer have the possibility to choose Danish, Norwegian, Finnish or Hungarian.

However, the value of these languages extends well beyond the university walls. Cultural exchanges between countries large and small are of great economical importance. Accordingly, the study of languages and cultures at academic level is vital –language students go on to work as writers, communicators, translators, interpreters, editors etc. If the University of Groningen’s plans to discontinue four modern language programmes take effect, unique expertise will be drained from the country, with devastating effects in the long term. With this petition, we urge the University of Groningen to reconsider these plans, and to continue to offer Danish, Finnish, Hungarian and Norwegian as part of the European Languages and Cultures programme. If you want to support our cause, please sign this petition and spread the word!

On behalf of staff, students and alumni of the departments of Scandinavian and Finno-Ugric languages at the University of Groningen

Prof. Muriel Norde
(Chair of Scandinavian Languages and Cultures)

Prof. Cornelius Hasselblatt
(Chair of Finno-Ugric Languages and Cultures)

We urge the Board of the University of Groningen to reconsider these plans, and to continue to offer Danish, Finnish, Hungarian and Norwegian within the curriculum of the European Languages and Cultures programme.