Interview with Peter Hagoort: 'Standing on the shoulders of giants'

Peter Hagoort began his career at the MPI under the mentorship of Pim Levelt. Together with Colin Brown, he pioneered research for our institute, accelerating the field of cognitive neuroscience and establishing an integrated approach to this area of study. Peter’s track record is extensive (as you will also read further in this piece, in ‘About Peter Hagoort’), but Steve Levinson, one of Peter’s long-time colleagues from the very beginning, manages to describe the professor aptly in just a few sentences: "You can find brilliant scientists, and outstanding administrators, but rarely in the same person. Even rarer is to find it fused with good nature, humour and a spirit of cooperation. Peter is not just a top scientist, he has retained an irreverent sense of fun and intellectual adventurousness which just makes it fun to be around him.”

Peter Hagoort at his reception on 27 September

A glimpse of the atmosphere on 27 September 

Peter often took researchers under his wing, like Jolien Francken, who, during her speech at the Stevenskerk, reflected beautifully on behalf of his PhD students: "Through us, your scientific children, you reach far into the future. The future in our field of research looks revolutionary, and you have made history. Isaac Newton once put it perfectly: ‘If I see further, it is by standing on the shoulders of giants.’ But actually, this is derived from a 6th-century quote: ‘A dwarf sees further than the giant. Not by his own stature, but by standing on the shoulders of the giant.’ I feel honoured to have stood on your shoulders, and I hope you will continue to look over my shoulder for a long time to come.”

Former colleague Esther Steenbeek has also learned a great deal from Peter and often applies his insights: "For me, a very meaningful quote was, 'Never flog a dead horse.' You need to build on the drive and motivation that people have themselves. I often keep this quote in mind to decide whether to continue with something I started, change course, or let it go."
 

Esther Steenbeek: 'You need to build on the drive and motivation that people have themselves.'

Daughter Lale Hagoort: “My father means a great deal to me. He is always there for me, whether he is busy or has other commitments. Whenever I need something, he is always available to help or reassure me. The bond my father and I share is very loving, a bond that gives you energy to keep going when life gets tough. It’s a bond I am very grateful for.”

Daughter Lale: 'It’s a bond I am very grateful for.'

Peter has countless memories of the MPI and invites everyone to share them with him. On his behalf, a fatherly piece of advice: "Our institute has succeeded in creating a warm environment for researchers and is a breeding ground for talent. We are the springboard to an even larger scientific world. Here, you are protected by strong arms and great minds. And when you're 'out there'? Please don’t ever worry about your career. We’ll still be watching, and you’ve grown strong enough to resist the illusion of control."

About Peter Hagoort

Peter Hagoort has been director of our institute since November 2006, and is the founding director of the Donders Institute, Centre for Cognitive Neuroimaging (DCCN, 1999). In addition, he was professor in cognitive neuroscience at the Radboud University Nijmegen. For his scientific contributions he has been showered with distinctions and awards, such as the Hendrik Mullerprijs in 2003, the Knighthood of the Dutch Lion in 2004, the NWO-Spinoza Prize in 2005, an honorary doctorate in science for his contributions to the cognitive neuroscience of language at de University of Glasgow (2007), the Heymans Prize in 2008, the Academy Professorship Prize (2012), the Distinguished Career Award (DCA) of the Society of the Neurobiology of Language in 2021, and the Yuen Ren Chao Prize in Language Sciences for his contributions to the interdisciplinary studies in cognitive neuroscience and the understanding of human language processing in the brain (2024). 

Further reads

• Peter Hagoort, oprichter van het Donders, neemt afscheid: ‘Ik heb een aversie tegen primadonnagedrag’ - Vox magazine (voxweb.nl)
• Peter Hagoort, a tireless brain ambassador | Donders Institute (ru.nl
•  Prof. dr. P. (Peter) Hagoort | NWO
• Met ChatGPT is Homo sapiens niet meer de enige die over een rijke taal beschikt | NRC

Watch Peter’s valedictory speech here: Afscheidsrede Prof. dr. Peter Hagoort on Vimeo.