Koen Lemmink has been head of the department of Human Movement Sciences for several years. For him, after 40 years, the circle is complete; in 1984, he was among the first group of students in what was then the open programme Human Movement Sciences as part of medicine. 'I had completed the Academy of Physical Education and was interested in the science surrounding sports. We were about 50 students. It was really pioneering. Within a year, we had founded our own study association, Studiosi Mobilae. Every Friday, the lecturers evaluated with us how we had experienced that week's teaching. Incomparable to now!'
Human movement Sciences became a three-year specialization within pedagogy in 1987, then in 2002 the independent bachelor's programme started. The first master's degree followed in 2005 and the second in 2012. In 2024, around 240 students register for the study every year and there are approximately 850 students in total. The study comprises a high-level bachelor's programme, two two-year master's programmes (Sport Sciences and Human Movement Sciences) and several minors that provide a solid foundation for scientific positions in the field of sport and movement.
Gradually, a research programme has been developed. Lemmink: ‘I was the first human movement scientist in Groningen to obtain a PhD in 1996. There was little structural money for research; I myself had several short appointments. Later, we were able to develop several lines of research. In human movement research, we mainly focus on rehabilitation, healthy ageing and sports. For this, we have several labs with high-tech equipment. We also have a lot of mobile testing equipment to measure in schools, in rehabilitation centres, on the sports field or in neighbourhoods. All this provides a very good infrastructure for research and education. We currently have approximately 40 PhD students.'
Lemmink ensures that Human Movement Sciences continues to innovate and improve. 'We consciously also appoint young people. They bring new ideas to research and education, such as developments in data science and AI and the renewal of our master's programmes.
‘Everyone on the move!’, the slogan of the public festival on 11 October in the Forum, is an appropriate motto for Human Movement Sciences. 'You have to integrate developments in society into your programme. That way, you can prepare students well for their role in society. Social relevance is becoming increasingly important, it is no longer just about publishing in scientific journals. We share with the outside world more and more of what we do. And we also involve the outside world much more in our research.'
Lemmink is optimistic about the next ten years. Knowledge about more, better and smarter movement and sports remains crucial for people's well-being, quality of life and health, but also for society. In particular, he sees the ‘active and healthy lifestyle’ theme becoming increasingly important. 'During the corona period, many initiatives in this area emerged. Everyone noticed how important a healthy lifestyle is in preventing diseases. We now have plenty of this expertise in-house. Together with clinical departments, we want to better integrate movement advice and interventions into patient care in the coming years. Not only in the UMCG, but also beyond. This is a priority, because the benefits are very clear.'
Looking back on 40 years, Lemmink is proud that Human Movement Sciences has been able to lay a scientific foundation for sport and exercise, where previously a lot happened on intuition. 'But I am most proud of the enormous commitment of the staff and everyone's willingness to do better together every year. The year-in, year-out high appreciation of the students is truly the merit of everyone who works here. So, I am sure we will celebrate another great anniversary in ten years' time.'
In 1984, permission for the open programme Human Movement Sciences was almost withdrawn. The then Minister of Education, Deetman, did not want this programme. Lemmink: ‘We went to The Hague with almost all students and lecturers and many banners. It was very exciting. Ultimately, it turned out that the minister should have responded to the RUG's request within 90 days. However, he was just too late with his response. The Council of State was of the same opinion and so, at the time, Human Movement Sciences was allowed to start.
