In the early tenth century, Radboud was Archbishop of Utrecht. He promoted the sciences and later became the patron saint of Catholic science. Does Radboud University still honour its namesake today? José Sanders, Professor of Communication in Organisations, thinks so. “These roots won’t be denied, nor do they have to. Organisations like ours are marked, often for longer than they realise, by where they come from.”
“Science is a search for knowledge and a testing of theories,” she explains. “There is nothing inherently Catholic about that, apart perhaps from the fact that Christianity upholds ‘truth’ as one of its core values. Clearly, we cannot research everything, but our choice of topics may well be motivated by our common values.”
Human dignity
Following those values, scientists in a Catholic-rooted organisation can be guided in their choices by the four core values of Catholic social teaching (see box; one of which is the bonum commune: the wellbeing of all, or common good), and by the principle of human dignity.
Radboud University has produced countless research studies with a social urgency that express these values: from future-proof dykes and privacy-friendly systems to effective learning methods for children with dyslexia. Of course, there is also plenty of research that is not guided by these values, Sanders acknowledges. Nor would she dare to claim that Radboud University does more of this kind of research than other universities. “That in itself is worth investigating! But where research is conducted with roots in Catholic values, there may be a certain sensitivity to these themes.”
Four core values
bonum commune – the wellbeing of all, or common good
solidarity – mutual interconnectedness and common fate
subsidiarity – placing responsibility where it can be borne (in an organisation: as low as possible)
human dignity – each person has individuality and value
Multilingual children
A great example of socially relevant research is that of linguist Sharon Unsworth. She investigates how multilingual children learn languages, and how to best help these children in their development. According to Unsworth, this fits perfectly with a university that values emancipation: the energy of a hundred years ago in giving Catholic children better opportunities is echoed in her own energy in assisting multilingual children. “There is still plenty to discover in this field. That is what I want to work towards, and this University provides space for that.”
Already as a child, the British-born researcher was fascinated by language. She associated foreign languages with distant travels and exploring the world. As a researcher, she increasingly immersed herself in multilingualism in children. “I found it so extraordinary, the ease with which children learn a language – and even two languages at once. How do they do it?” She also saw that knowledge about multilingualism does not always reach the right places.
Children who only come into contact with Dutch later on sometimes have a harder time, since they need this language to function and learn at school. The solution is not to tell parents to speak Dutch to their child, but to tell them to talk to their child a lot, in any language. Unsworth: “I heard that a Turkish parent who had recently arrived in the Netherlands was advised by the child healthcare centre to focus on speaking Dutch with the children at home. But we know from research that it is better for children’s acquisition of Dutch if they also have a good command of their home language. And it is also better for their social and emotional wellbeing.”
With her research, Unsworth hopes to contribute to adequate guidance of multilingual children by their parents, teachers, and speech therapists. And she is successful at it. “There is also a growing awareness in education that we can make better use of the two languages a child speaks. Saying ‘hello’ in another language in the classroom also makes non-native pupils feel at home more quickly. And it gives them self-confidence, because they know something the other children don’t know.”
Asking different questions
According to José Sanders, it is good to reflect on one’s emancipatory origins. “An organisation that knows its roots understands itself better. This is something that can give the University direction even now.” Above all, she sees the University’s mission in involving different groups of people in research and teaching. “We can put even more effort into it than now. People from groups from which we now have few students and employees may ask different questions. If we want to have a significant impact as a university, we need people who can show us the way in our wider society, who show where the relevant questions arise.”
Unsworth shares this conviction. To make her scientific knowledge more accessible to the people who need it, she started working with social partners, such as libraries. With these partners and her colleagues, she organises the Kletskoppen language festival, and programmes for children who are less likely to be exposed to science. “I want to reach children who are not yet aware of the fact that they could also become scientists, for example because they are a girl, look different, or do not yet speak Dutch very well,” says the researcher. In 2021, Kletskoppen received a grant from the Dutch National Research Agenda (NWA), which the initiators used to organise activities in the Rivierenland, Transvaal (The Hague) and Parkstad Limburg areas for children with a migration background or low-educated parents.
Rolled up sleeves
The emancipatory task of involving more groups in teaching and research is great, but it requires being approachable, says Unsworth. “The other day, a librarian in Transvaal said to me: you’re such a normal person! You walk around with your sleeves rolled up and you talk like normal people.” That is also the strength of a first-generation student, she thinks. “I was the first in my family to pursue a university education and I really had to try my best at home to explain what I was doing.”
According to the linguist, it is the University’s job to communicate about its research to people outside academia. “I think you’re a better researcher if you can explain to a nine-year-old what you are researching and why. Certainly a university like ours, which prides itself on its values, should support researchers in this.”
Unpopular conclusions
José Sanders – also a first-generation student and Radboud alumnus – wonders how her own research is linked to the Catholic values. These values can be reflected not only in what you research, but also in how you research it. “For my qualitative research, I often conduct interviews. The question in this context is always: is my respondent group broad enough? Is my research doing justice to the dignity of the people I spoke to? And: if I reach a conclusion that some of my respondents do not like, can I still draw that conclusion?” As a researcher, this sometimes means that you have to stand firm, especially in times of polarisation. Scientists should stand up for each other in the search for new insights, even if these insights are unpopular. “As modern people, we value freedoms in our individual lives that are sometimes at odds with the bonum commune and the future,” says the communication expert. “Practising science rooted in Catholic values may mean aligning your own actions with what you hold to be true and good, and in doing so seeking connection with others through good communication. We can come up with amazingly accurate insights and future models, but if they are not understood by the general public, it may lead to misunderstanding or even conflict, which is the exact opposite of what you want.”
Rebelliousness
Scientists at Radboud University really don’t have to jump through different hoops than at other universities, Sanders says. “But people who come to work here may notice a certain atmosphere. I noticed it too. I hope that the people who join the organisation feel seen.”
That is in any case how Unsworth experienced it. “What strikes me is that it is a friendly university. People talk to each other. Before the pandemic, there was always coffee here on our floor at 11.00 a.m., and colleagues bring cake when it’s their birthday. When people greet you on the stairs, you go to work with more pleasure. I feel I'm appreciated and given the space to do what I want.” She suspects that location may also play a role in this. “As a university outside the Randstad, it may be easier to form your own identity.”
Sanders concurs that Radboud University has a certain rebelliousness. “We also have formalities, but sometimes, there is just a little more leeway. This is perhaps the result of the Catholic principle of subsidiarity: placing responsibility as low as possible in the organisation, where it can be borne. For example, faculties have a lot of autonomy. This brings some degree of individuality.” A downside to this, Sanders feels, is that the organisation is sometimes closed. “The fact that we are a fairly white organisation, for example, may have to do with the demographics of the region, but perhaps also with a certain closed-mindedness. We can try harder to bring in the outside world, and we can work more together. The emancipatory aspect of Radboud University doesn’t just apply to people with a migration background. There is also the present challenge of connecting with areas outside the Randstad. The Nijmegen university in particular can give students from these areas, and specifically the first-generation students among them, a real chance. In this way, we can really make a difference.”
This article was written by Wies Bakker and also appears in the special anniversary edition of Radboud Magazine. The photographs were selected from the Radboud University collection. The persons appearing in the photographs have no relation to this article.