Foundation Geo Promotion
Connecting students to the working field!
Welcome to the website of Geo Promotion.
Foundation Geo Promotion annually organizes an event that gives the opportunity for students to explore the field of spatial sciences. Our main goal is to connect students to the working field. Your future has our interest. Geo Promotion has organized events concerning the topics of geography, spatial planning, water management, demographics and many more. On this website you can find more information about the upcoming event(s), our board, previous themes and how to get in contact with us.
Last year, we had a very succesful Geo Promotion edition!
You can view the pictures here and the aftermovie here!
This year's conference theme:
Energy for Everyone: ‘An inclusive energy transition towards a futureproof living environment’
The shift to renewable energy is about more than just carbon neutrality—it’s about creating a sustainable, equitable living environment. During the Geo Promotion Congres the different sides of the energy transition will be highlighted, also in relation to the social aspects, which are often overlooked. While people support green initiatives, local resistance (“Not In My BackYard”) persists due to concerns about nearby projects like wind turbines. Policies that offer incentives or compensation have helped, but challenges remain, particularly around energy equity.
Many vulnerable communities face higher pollution and limited access to affordable, energy-efficient housing, while rising costs for green buildings add to these disparities. Global energy needs also vary significantly, making universal policies difficult. To succeed, the energy transition must include all voices, also those of the communities most impacted.
The 2025 Geo Promotion Congress on the 6th of March, hosted by the University of Groningen’s Faculty of Spatial Sciences, will gather experts and students to discuss these challenges. The goal is to explore sustainable solutions and inspire attendees to learn about inclusive, future-proof energy strategies.
We hope to see you there!
This year's conference location:
Martiniplaza Groningen
As the organizers of the Geo Promotion Conference, we are thrilled to announce that this year’s event will be held at Martiniplaza, the biggest event location in the northern Netherlands. With all amenities in-house, Martiniplaza is the perfect venue for the Geo Promotion Conference, offering multiple workshop rooms, a plenary hall, and a comfortable atmosphere.
Host of the day
Prof. dr. ir. Terry van Dijk
Terry van Dijk (1975) is an Associate professor at the University of Groningen Faculty of Spatial sciences. Terry is mainly involved in teaching courses with a heavy emphasis on design. His main curiosity is how interactive design and visionary thinking can be a platform for a more engaged, better informed way of decision-making and high quality urban spaces than deliberation by words alone.
During his time as a Post Doc at Wageningen University, Van Dijk became a coordinator and senior researcher for an NWO-funded research programme “Re-inventing Landscape Planning in MetroLand”. This interdisciplinary research programme resulted in many publications on open space planning, in particular the edited volume “Regional Planning of Open Space” published by Routledge, London.
His extensive portfolio has led Van Dijk to become a well-rounded scholar with international experience in planning practice. Moreover, this year, Geo Promotion is collaborating with professor Terry van Dijk for Design Challenge! – a multi-day project where students from the university of Groningen work in teams to tackle a real-life spatial dilemma through design solutions.
Keynote speaker
Prof. dr. ir. Hennes de Ridder
Hennes de Ridder is a former professor emeritus Integral Design at the TU Delft university and has decades of experience in the work field as a project manager and researcher at international firms. Hennes de Ridder is specialised in sustainable buildings and building development.
His talk will discuss the evolutionary process that is required in order to tackle the housing crisis and to combine it with smart green infrastructure. What will this process look like? Join the talk during the Geo Promotion conference to learn more!
Keynote speaker
Francien van Soest
Francien van Soest is specialised in spatial quality and landscapes: as a former professor at the faculty of spatial sciences, she has now put her knowledge to use as a leading architecture and landscape expert at the province of Groningen. She is in charge of a team of spatial designers that advise the province on large spatial issues.
The pressure on the different land uses is one of the biggest challenges for the regional government of the province of Groningen. Francien will discuss how the province deals with the pressure of different functions on the land use and how the province creates plans. She will further dive into her expertise and explain how they foster spatial quality and nature inclusive solutions in their projects.
Keynote speaker
Ir. (MSc) Nanco Dolman
Nanco Dolman is a lead expert in Water Resilient Cities at Deltares, the Netherlands, with wide experience in integrated (urban) water and spatial development projects. Nanco has worked in various water and adaptation strategies for delta cities in Thailand, the Netherlands, USA, Bangladesh and China.
Dolman has also been involved in several international ‘blue-green cities’ research studies, as an applied researcher and field expert, such as the EU Interreg NSR – CATCH project (2017–2022): ‘water sensitive Cities: the Answer To Challenges of extreme weather events’. From 2021 Nanco takes part in Redesigning Deltas (RDD): a research-by-design study which aims for a new Dutch condition in Delta Urbanism. One of the RDD designs is Rotterdam Sponge Water City 2100. Since 2020, Nanco has been a member of the editorial team for IWA’s Journal of Water and Climate Change.
On March 7th, Nanco will dive into the topic of Water-Sensitive and Sponge City concepts. He will cover the topic of the day from the ‘smart green-blue infrastructure’ perspective.
Panel Members 2024 Conference
Additionally to the keynote speakers, these following experts were of the panel discussion
Dr. Margo van den Brink
Dijkgraaf Roeland van der Schaaf
Partners of the Geo Promotion Conference 2024
Click on the company logo to learn more about the company, and discover workshops, vacancies and more!
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Our history
Previous conference themes
Participants
Conferences Hosted
The Board
39th Board of Foundation Geo Promotion
The board of Foundation Geo Promotion takes care of the organization of the yearly event. This team of students aspires to offer students with an interest in spatial sciences a fantastic day. This year the board of Foundation Geo Promotion consists of:
Chairman: Jurre Meijles
Secretary: Anne Pents
Treasurer: Jiska Post
Commissioner Internal Relations: Diana Stein
Commissioner External Relations: Jesper Leuwerink
Committee of Recommendations
We would like to introduce you to
Committee of Recommendations
Dr. Margo van den Brink
Dijkgraaf Roeland van der Schaaf
Dr. (MSC) Nanco Dolman
Dr. Ir. Francien van Soest
Dhr. Yves de Boer
Drs. Bas Eenhoorn
Drs. Mark Frequin
Emiel Reiding
Prof. dr. Tialda Haartsen
Prof. dr. Gert de Roo
Prof. dr. Elmer Sterken
Prof. dr. Jaqcues Wallage
General
The Geo Promotion Foundation was founded in 1986 by students of the Faculty of Spatial Sciences from the University of Groningen. Over the years Geo Promotion has organized several events such as symposia, seminars, and colloquials for the faculty. These activities all have a geographic, spatial, or real estate background.
Statutory Task
The foundation goes under the name Stichting Geo Promotion and is located in the city of Groningen.
The foundation aims to stimulate interest and involvement in the geographic and spatial sciences worldwide, thus providing more knowledge from the geographic scientific field.
KvK-number
41011610
Contact
Foundation Geo Promotion
Postbus 800
9700 AV Groningen
stichtinggeopromotion@gmail.com