Philosopher Jungbir quits science to protest ‘inappropriate behaviour’

Some academics were “hopelessly naïve” and now regret their affairs, says Fleur Junguibert (1986). Until last week, she was a lecturer in ethics at the Faculty of Philosophy, Theology and Religious Studies at Radboud University in Nijmegen. Others call Jungeber “frank assholes with no remorse whatsoever”—it was her (now former) classmates who were “shocked when reports of dissenting behavior appeared in the university newspaper or magazine, and blackmailed or pressured others”.

Nothing was known about abuses in Nijmegen. In 2020, there were reports in the media about the planned appointment of a new dean, which was canceled due to ‘improper behaviour’. Consulting Berenschot researched this. It showed that nearly thirty people had reported sexual treatment and “inappropriate” relationships between teachers and students over the past fifteen years.

Then the “culture process” began. Did that help? Jungeber: “We worked really hard on it, but it was only allowed to be about fictional situations, for example. Not about what people were actually angry and sad about. It wasn’t the intention of calling man and horse. And the students were participating too late and too little.” .

It was resolved by investigating the conversation

Jungeber asserts that the professor of philosophy was not allowed to become dean because of his “unbecoming behaviour”. Fearing legal consequences, she does not want to say what he did. She maintains that her departure is related to the “unauthorized behavior” of many people who “forgot that they were responsible for education and their eagerness to learn”. “It is clear with therapists: do not sleep with a patient, even if the patient is an adult and the intimacy is consensual. The same should apply to teachers. At university, something like this is ‘solved’ through an investigative conversation.”

She herself says she is “only indirectly” a victim of abusive behavior “because of what I’ve seen and heard in recent years”. “And above all, I lost my respect for science and didn’t want to meet with some of the leaders in this industry anymore. I was disappointed and became cynical.”

Jungeber knows from his own observation that “Reporters, complainants, or whistleblowers were sometimes warned to be silent, and sometimes brutally silenced.” She did not say how she herself was treated.

Also in Utrecht

Her criticism applies not only to the Nijmegen Academy. Also—”and perhaps more”—at Utrecht, where Jungeber studied, “passers-by sensed things and did nothing, or received reports and did nothing yet.”

There were no secret advisors? “Yes, even capable people, but they were often kept outside all over the place. There were also secret advisors who had not had enough training and didn’t know what to do with the reports.”

For Jongepier, the fun in science has been over for a while, she adds. She has always cherished the idea that “academy is the highest level attainable if you are good at something”.

More creative and meaningful

Fleur Jongepierre received a large Veni grant from NWO and won the Heineken Young Scientists Prize this summer. “I thought of taking this scholarship with me to another university.” But she gives her flag. “I now prefer to throw myself into freelance writing and photography — it’s a much more creative and meaningful work.”

Dean Helen Morey van den Berg stated in the Radboud University Journal that he regretted Jungeber’s departure. “It is clear that despite all efforts aimed at a safe and social work and study environment, we are not done with it at our college and university,” says Morey van den Bergh of the Culture Track and criticizing Jungeber.

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“Inappropriate behavior” kills the intended brigadier Nijmegen

In 2020, the appointment of a dean at the University of Nijmegen was blocked. He had himself for “misconduct”. There was also something going on with the other teachers, who had “intrusive conversations” due to complaints being made about them.