Dies Natalis 2026: Change for whom?

In 2025, WUR presented a new educational vision. Its ambition: to train students as responsible changemakers, people who advance both science and society. But Bruins immediately adds a critical note.

“Even in colonial times, WUR graduates saw themselves as changemakers. But the question is: change for whom? And at whose expense?”

In his course Environmental Justice in Practice, he works with a concrete example: a large-scale hydropower project in the Himalayas. Green on paper, sustainable energy, no emissions. Yet students quickly discover the other side of the story.

“We always ask students: who benefits here, and who loses out? Even green development can be unjust. In this case, it turned out that the voice of the Indigenous population had been completely ignored. They had never consented to the dam.” Working together with the Indigenous community, the students reached a clear conclusion: the dam had to be stopped. But how you do that, and from what position, is another question. Bruins emphasises that taking responsibility does not take a single form.

“You can work towards justice as a scientist, as a policymaker, in business. Anywhere. What matters is that you reflect on the effects of your actions on others.”

Ultimately, his plea is for a university that makes space for many truths and many pathways.

“Some people think I am turning the university upside down. But I am simply arguing for a place where we can all be and become changemakers. Not one truth, not one single model.”

Bert is not the only speaker at the Dies Natalis. Historian Larissa Schulte Nordholt will reflect on WUR’s colonial past, and Professor Aarti Gupta will explore how WUR can further strengthen its international role. Two early-career researchers will show how, as responsible changemakers, they are already making an impact through research that addresses pressing challenges.