Category: Science Communication

Peter Barthel became the first director (Rector) of the Pre-university Academy (Scholierenacademie) of Groningen University, in 2005. This Academy, which recently celebrated its 12.5 years of existence, is now an important tool in the outreach towards secondary school students. The Science Hub Northern Netherlands (Wetenschapsknooppunt Noord-Nederland), targeting elementary schools was added in 2010. Many Children’s University (Kinderuniversiteit) lectures and lots of other inspirational activities have been offered since 2005. The picture below shows a lecturer (Dutch astronaut), director Peter Barthel, and Academy coordinators Arjen Dijkstra and Douwe van der Tuin. In July 2018 Barthel stepped down: prof. Diederik Roest became his successor.

Peter Barthel was member of the (2005-2011) NiNa (Nieuwe Natuurkunde: New Physics) committee revising the national secondary education physics curriculum.  The revised curriculum now offers elementary astronomy and astrophysics within the HAVO and VWO exam programs.

Peter Barthel initiated the production of a sun-moon-earth model (Tellurium), to be used in primary education. The Tellurium was produced by Nienhuis/Heutink, a firm specialized in Montessori education, and can be ordered from their website.

Peter Barthel made an audiobook (“luisterboek”) on the Moon, with six separate lectures/chapters, for the age group 9-90. The audiobook (in Dutch) can be ordered as CD or download..

At Peter Barthel’s initiative, Mozart’s last symphony, #41, KV 551 “Jupiter”, was performed in the central hall of the Faculty of Science and Engineering building, end of 2009, to mark the end of that year – the World Year of Astronomy.

Peter Barthel was member of the Royal Netherlands Academy of Sciences (KNAW) committee composing an advice as to ICT in secondary education. The report is available from the KNAW website.