There was no lack of interest, because students managed to find their way to the lunch lecture en masse. In no time all seats were filled. Outside, a long queue of interested people was still waiting, hoping for a place in the hall. It was a big disappointment when they were kindly asked to leave. The lucky ones who were allowed to enter clapped their hands when the well-known neurologist made his appearance and entered the floor. 'As you can see, I'm not retired yet,' Scherder kicked off.
Motivate your brain
Scherder opened with a presentation about the coordination and complexity of the brain. The bridges to motivation, stress, physical training and dopamine were then quickly made. 'Challenge your brain, as often as you can', he motivated the students. 'Show commitment and make an effort, that creates motivation and new ideas. According to Scherder, this leads to the achievement of set goals. 'You will succeed.'
When you think of a lecture about the brain, you might expect to hear Latin terms such as anterior, posterior and cortex. And they came. But Scherder knew how to explain the material in great detail, with a touch of humour, in normal human language.
Squatting with Scherder
The lecture took a surprising turn after half an hour when he asked the audience a question: 'Why do we sit at lectures all day? If you sit and study for an half an hour you should move for three minutes. In my lessons, I squat with my students for three minutes after half an hour.' The announcement that everyone felt in the air also came. ‘So stand up for a moment,’ Scherder said. Without resistance, everyone responded to his call and squatted for three minutes, including all associated arm movements. And that with Professor Scherder as a sports teacher in the lead. After the workout he said: 'Exercise has become my mission. Do you pass it on to others?'
The professor managed to hold the attention with his enthusiasm and interaction with the audience. Scherder concluded with a clear message: 'AI is the future, but there is another side to that story. It means the end of universities of applied sciences and universities. Again, stimulate your brain as often as possible. Do it by yourself, and think by yourself. Because studying is great. ’
about erik scherder
Erik Scherder is Professor of Clinical Neuropsychology at the Vrije Universiteit in Amsterdam. He is also head of the department of the same name. The lecturer is a familiar face because of his lectures for DWDD University. He can also regularly be seen on television as a speaker on talk shows. Here too, he discusses the functioning of the human brain.
Scherder has received several awards, including the Betto deelman prize and the VU education prize. In 2021, the Open University awarded an honorary doctorate to Scherder. He received this title for his merits as a 'connector between science and society'.
