October 10, 2014 · Team HG
The Groningen introduction week for new students, the KEI Week, has once again been a great success this year. This is evident from recent figures from the various surveys conducted by the KEI board among participants, group leaders, and, for the first time this year, city residents.
Chairman of the KEI Board, Max Dannenburg, reflects: ‘Looking back, a number of things stand out. First of all, of course, the new record number of participants of 5,308. A record that we had not expected, certainly given the restrictive measures regarding studying from The Hague. In short, we fished better, from a smaller pond. In addition, we made many changes to the daily schedule and event locations this year, which proved to be a great success. Highlights included the study-related event KEI to your Future with Jort Kelder, the Open Air Festival in the Stadspark, and the Closing Party with nearly six thousand visitors. Finally, the KEI week was voted ‘Most Sustainable Introduction Stunt’ for the first time this year, and a record amount was raised for the charity OneMen.’
This success is also evident from the surveys: ‘As every year, we ask our participants and group leaders for their opinion on the KEI Week. This shows that the 1,501 KEI participants who completed the survey rate the entire KEI Week with an average of 8.19. Further standouts include the rating of the atmosphere on the Grote Markt with an 8 and the Closing Party with an 8.38. The social campaign of the KEI Foundation, the ‘Dare 2B Aware Campaign’, has also grown in awareness this year from 53.3% to 63.7%. In addition, the KEI leaders give the atmosphere during the KEI Week an average of 8.7.
New this year is a survey conducted among city residents, which was completed by 2,275 inhabitants of Groningen. The survey was conducted in collaboration with the Research and Statistics Department of the Municipality of Groningen. Dannenburg: ‘The KEI Week has a major impact on the city, and therefore the opinion of city residents is very important to us. Contrary to what is perhaps often thought, 80% indicate that they experience little to no nuisance from the KEI Week. It also shows that 74% believe that the KEI Week makes a positive contribution to the city. It can therefore be concluded that the KEI Week was a success for the entire city.’
Aftermovie of the KEI-week 2014: https://vimeo.com/108232683
