About us 2020
Contents Read about our: • Vision
6
• Teaching
8
• Research 10 • Impact
12
• Collections and facilities
14
• Sustainability
24
• Diversity
25
• Alumni
26
Discover our: • Facts and figures
4
• Prize winners
16
• History
18
• Partnerships
20
6
Vision
History 18
Get to know our faculties: • Archaeology
28
• Governance and Global Affairs
32
• Humanities
36
• Leiden Law School
40
16
• Medicine/Leiden University Medical Center 44 • Science
48
• Social and Behavioural Sciences
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Prize winners
The foundation charter of Leiden University from 1575.
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Sustainable Production: Strategic Communication and Marketing Design: Nanda Alderliefste, Noinoloi.nl February 2020 communicatie@leidenuniv.nl
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Alumni
in the Sweat Room
A WORD FROM THE EXECUTIVE BOARD
MARTIJN RIDDERBOS
HESTER BIJL
CAREL STOLKER
VICE-CHAIRMAN
VICE-RECTOR MAGNIFICUS
PRESIDENT AND RECTOR MAGNIFICUS
‘As Vice-Chairman, I focus on the operational management of this fine university. That covers a wide area: it includes a healthy balance sheet and the splendid buildings in Leiden and The Hague where our researchers work and students are taught, but it also includes how we give shape to the theme of sustainability, for instance. Another of my responsibilities is IT – in today’s world, we can’t function without first-rate computers. Every day, staff from the relevant departments and I look at whether our business operations can be made even smarter. What we want is to provide the best integrated support for our researchers, lecturers and students. This is no mean feat, and it is only possible if we all work together. It’s by working together that we make our university a great place to study and work.’
‘As Vice-Rector Magnificus, I’m responsible for diversity and knowledge transfer as well as for the University’s teaching. It’s fantastic to channel my efforts into the education of our students and so to contribute to society. Obviously I don’t do this alone, but work together with our lecturers and other staff. The next generation will build on the knowledge that we are now developing at the University. Through their work and other activities, our alumni have an impact on society. An important aspect of our teaching is how we apply activating learning in our teaching and research. Our students actively contribute to our research, and learn a lot in the process. We also teach them skills that are essential in modern society: critical reflection, dealing with digitalisation, communication and collaboration, including with people from other countries and cultures. And we are experimenting hard with new learning methods, such as digital lectures that students can follow at home. These are enabling us to make better use of our contact hours, and allow students and lecturers to actively engage with the subject matter. This is a university with many rich traditions, but that doesn’t mean that we aren’t innovating and moving forwards!’
‘Rector Magnificus is essentially Latin for organiser. As Rector and President of our Executive Board, I spend the day talking to people: not just researchers, staff, students and alumni, but also the mayors of Leiden and The Hague, say, or my fellow rectors or the Indonesian ambassador, for example. I’ve got the best job ever at the best university ever. What I love about Leiden is that we are so committed to our teaching and research, but still have time for one another. We are a broad university – from the infinitely large to the microscopically small, from local to international and from past to present. With our teaching and research and our fantastic collections we span the entire world: the sun never sets at our university. And we have numerous meaningful traditions that bring us together. Another intrinsic aspect of our university is the freedom of thought and speech that everyone here enjoys. This freedom is something I actively work to preserve. You can say anything here, as long as you say it in a respectful way and as long as you are open to discussion. And that is precisely what happens. This is something that I’m proud of every single day.’ LEIDEN UNIVERSITY CORPORATE MAGAZINE 2020
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FACTS AND FIGURES
Facts and figures 2019 Leiden University was founded in 1575 and is one of the leading international research universities in Europe. It has seven faculties in the arts, humanities, medicine, social, natural and life sciences, at locations in Leiden and The Hague.
ORGANISATION
30 research institutes 7,100 staff
29 %
587 professors €652 m turnover
female professors
RESEARCH Scientific publications:
NWO grants:
6,400
40
TEACHING Master’s programmes:
87
Bachelor’s students
20,089
Doctorates:
433
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SUCCESSFUL STUDENTS
Bachelor’s programmes:
45
European grants (ERC):
Total alumni:
122,140
Alumni abroad:
8,000
Students:
30,884
Nationalities:
122
Master’s students
10,795
Graduates per year: Master’s
4,217
Bachelor’s
3,900
These figures are based on data available in January 2020. See www.universiteitleiden.nl/en for the latest information.
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FACTS AND FIGURES
Leiden and The Hague
Leiden University provides teaching and research in the arts, humanities, medicine, social, natural and life sciences. It is located in two cities: Leiden and The Hague. Of our seven faculties, six have a presence at Campus The Hague. The teaching and research in The Hague are closely aligned with its profile – city of peace, justice and security – and the other opportunities afforded by the city. Our teaching and research here are concentrated around the following themes: 1. International law, peace and security 2. Politics, public administration and international relations 3. Urban issues 4. Health and patient care
The Faculty of Governance and Global Affairs, including Leiden University College The Hague, is located entirely in The Hague, as is the largest degree programme at the Faculty of Humanities, International Studies.
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VISION
A sustainable, prosperous and just world As a leading European research university, Leiden plays a prominent role in academia. High-quality academic research and teaching are crucial to a safe, healthy, sustainable, prosperous and just world. The University is committed to developing, disseminating and applying academic knowledge, and aspires to be a trusted figure in the public and political debate, both nationally and internationally.
OUR MISSION
OUR VALUES
OUR VISION
• We are an international researchdriven university, with a wide range of academic disciplines and degree programmes. • We have opted for a disciplinary structure, but our research and teaching are both disciplinary and interdisciplinary. • Our teaching is inspired and fuelled by scientific research. • Our research is pioneering and innovative, and has an impact on society. • We work with local, regional, national and international partners. These include Delft University of Technology and Erasmus University Rotterdam within the LeidenDelft-Erasmus alliance, and our partners in the League of European Research Universities.
• From its inception, Leiden University has stood for freedom of spirit, thought and speech, and for the independent development of research and teaching. It is a place of refuge where any question can be asked and answered in complete freedom. • We educate students and PhD candidates for academic roles in academia and beyond. Our graduates are able to make a critical assessment of academic and societal issues and to make well-considered choices when seeking to resolve these. • Our academics are guided by the highest ambitions of quality and academic integrity, and we aim to promote the same academic conduct in our students.
• We aim for excellence in all our research and teaching. • We focus on achieving the maximum impact from our research and teaching – academic, cultural, societal and economic. • We work hard to create a lively academic community of staff and students, inspired by the experience, expertise and engagement of our alumni. • We embrace inclusiveness and diversity: our doors are open to anyone who wants to study or work here and realise their potential.
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VISION
Bastion of freedom Leiden University believes in the importance of freedom of spirit, thought and speech. It is no surprise, therefore, that our motto is Praesidium Libertatis – bastion of freedom. This motto is part of our seal, which also features Minerva, goddess of wisdom.
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TEACHING
Our research and teaching are closely intertwined Small-scale classes, contact with diverse cultures and innovative teaching methods typify our teaching programmes for students from the Netherlands and abroad.
L
eiden University offers dozens of bachelor’s and master’s programmes. Fourteen of the bachelor’s programmes and most of the master’s programmes are taught in English. We also offer a number of joint programmes together with Delft University of Technology and Erasmus University Rotterdam. We want to encourage our students to get the most out of their studies and to complete their degree programmes on time. Personal super vision and a system of binding study advice in the first year are important factors in our students’ success. Curiosity-driven learning, where students make a contribution to research, is the essence of our teaching. Developing students’ talents to the maximum is a key aim in Leiden.
VISION ON TEACHING AND LEARNING Leiden University aims to play a key part in educating students to become academic professionals and engaged, responsible citizens. Our graduates will make a contribution to resolving the challenges of contemporary society, both within and outside academia. This ambition is the key principle of our new vision on teaching and learning: learning@leidenuniversity.
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To achieve this ambition, we are committed to delivering education that is strongly research-driven, promotes active learning and stimulates the development of academic and professional skills, while at the same time offering scope for individual choices. The ideal teaching and learning environment at Leiden University is international and intercultural and has close links with society. Both scientific and societal issues form a continuous source of inspiration for our teaching.
INTERNATIONALISATION Working and studying in an international community generates new insights, inspiring contacts and stronger research and teaching. Internationalisation helps make the world a safe, healthy, sustainable, prosperous and just place, and prepares students for the globalising world. We believe it is important for our students to develop an international mindset and to feel comfortable living and working in other cultures. A period of study abroad is the ideal opportunity for them to broaden their horizons. Our global network of partners helps make studying abroad a valuable and unforgettable experience.
HONOURS ACADEMY Our Honours Academy offers talented, motivated and ambitious school pupils and students an extracurricular programme in the form of: • Pre-University College for final-year pupils • Honours College for bachelor’s students • Leiden Leadership Programme for master’s students.
STUDENT LIFE The lively city of Leiden, with its rich history and picturesque canals, is a pleasant place to study, live and relax. This compact city has everything students need within walking or cycling distance, ranging from University buildings, shops and student bars, to student houses and associations (over 20!), and much, much more. The vibrant city of The Hague is a growing and internationally oriented student city that offers students a wealth of opportunities. It has many leisure and entertainment options, and is home to a growing number of student associations. Both cities are close to the beach.
TEACHING
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RESEARCH
Working towards a fundamental understanding of the world With our research, we are working towards a fundamental understanding of the world and the people around us. The goal of our researchers is to make the unknown known and push the boundaries of existing fields of science.
O
ur innovative research covers a very wide range of academic fields, and has a firm grounding in one or more disciplines. Collaboration is our first priority. Researchers in Leiden are inspired by scientific and societal issues, and are guided in their work by the highest commitment to quality and integrity. Our research infrastructure, facilities and collections are among the best in the world. Our research encompasses the following five themes:
pression techniques give researchers ever-improving opportunities to understand and control the most fundamental biological processes. Our researchers use this knowledge to search for and find leads for new medicines and therapies. This research field is closely linked to the field of health and wellbeing.
Fundamentals of science From the atomic nucleus to the enigmas of the human brain: Leiden’s physicists, social and behavioural scientists and biomedical specialists study the minutest particles, the greatest infinities and the oldest galaxies. They also explore the origins of our individual and group behaviour, the most complex datasets and artificial intelligence with its wide range of applications. Their research is driven by the desire to unravel the deepest secrets of humans and the universe, to make the unknown known and to find ways to apply this knowledge.
Health and wellbeing Leiden researchers and physicians look for the causes of and the best treatments for complex diseases such as cancer. They are actively engaged in regenerative medicine, personalised medicine and population health. They believe that prevention is key to a healthy society. This calls for know ledge of what constitutes a healthy lifestyle and why people do not always choose this option. This research largely takes place outside the clinical environment. The next question is how healthcare can best be organised. This involves not only medical but also social, psychological, organisational and legal considerations. This is how our researchers in Leiden and The Hague work together to promote a healthier society.
Life sciences The fundamental basis of all life is made up of complex processes involving cells, molecules and DNA. Knowledge of the human genome, powerful microscopes and gene ex-
Law, politics and administration A safe and sustainable society calls for a deep understanding of how societies work on a national and international scale. Our social and behavioural scientists work to understand
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political, societal, organisational and security issues, and our legal and criminology experts collaborate closely with national and international institutions, bringing together diverse legal and criminological insights. Languages, cultures and societies Our researchers study human culture from both today and the distant past in the broadest sense of the word. They provide us with essential know ledge of history, literature, music and other performing arts in Western and non-Western cultures. Humanities and social and behavioural science research plays a crucial role in current debates on our societal and cultural roots, migration issues, ethical questions and national, religious identity, technological progress and the influence of the media.
LORENTZ CENTER The Lorentz Center is a unique location where researchers from all around the world can work together intensively. Researchers attend workshops on single or multiple disciplines in this inspiring academic environment.
RESEARCH
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IMPACT
Children regularly visit the University to get a taste of science.
We serve society Leiden University places great importance on its academic and societal impact. Our work is helping us achieve the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals, and our research generates patents, start-ups and innovation. We are also keen to work with businesses, such as those on the Leiden Bio Science Park, and we actively encourage entrepreneurship.
ECONOMIC IMPACT
W
PARTNERSHIPS
e want our research and teaching to help create a better world. We join in the scientific and public debate, and seek answers to economic and societal issues, at the local, regional and global level.
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SCIENTIFIC IMPACT Our research advances science. Leiden University ranks highly in various league tables, and our research output is extensive, with almost 450 doctorates and over 6,000 academic publications every year.
Thanks in part to Leiden University and Leiden University Medical Center, the city of Leiden has the best business climate of all economic regions in the Netherlands. Our research brings innovation and leads to patents and start-ups. We are keen to work with businesses, such as those on the Leiden Bio Science Park, and have two funds that stimulate entrepreneurship.
We work with a wide range of partners, including other knowledge institutions, the private sector, the public sector, NGOs, museums and charitable organisations. We do so close to home, in Leiden with Leiden Knowledge City and PLNT (the Leiden Centre for Innovation and Entrepreneurship), as well as in
IMPACT
Computer skills are essential if you want to be a functioning member of Dutch society. Leiden University and Stichting Bestaanskracht, an organisation that aims to improve the quality of life of the vulnerable in society, have given computer lessons to refugees who could use some extra digital help. Leiden student Liam Zwitzer taught the lessons.
The Hague, with various partners in the area of peace, justice and security. We also have partners further away, for example in our institutes abroad and with many universities throughout the world.
ADVICE AND DEBATE Researchers make important contributions to issues facing society and to the public debate. This often takes the form of advice: legal experts advise on the administration of justice and legislation; psychologists and medical specialists advise on healthcare; public administration specialists and poli tical scientists advise on policy issues; and academics from the Humanities advise on international issues. With their unique expertise, such as knowledge of the closed world of North Korea, Leiden researchers are
frequently invited to speak in the media. They join in the public debate through their columns, comments in the media, opinion pieces and on Twitter.
LIFELONG LEARNING We offer a wide range of educational programmes, from bachelor’s and master’s programmes to advanced master’s. Our Graduate School of Teaching (ICLON) provides teacher training and we provide further training, summer schools, courses and learning tracks. In addition, we offer 20 free, English-taught online courses (MOOCs) on subjects varying from international law and terrorism to cultural heritage and kidney transplantation. At the start of 2020, our millionth participant registered for one of our MOOCs.
STUDENT IMPACT Our students are very active – outside the University too – and Leiden and The Hague benefit from their presence. In the Learning with the City project, our students try to resolve urban issues. In Lugus, young student entrepreneurs with specific plans and ideas join forces with representatives from the business sector. Many students do valuable work for employers, in an internship or a study assignment. Students are also active as volunteers. This ranges from helping out with Leiden’s traditional 3 October celebrations, hosting a dinner for the homeless and organising the Leiden Museum Night, to collaborating with local authorities on projects that benefit the local community.
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SPECIAL COLLECTIONS AND RESEARCH FACILITIES
Modern equipment and unique collections Researchers at Leiden University have access to cutting-edge equipment and research facilities. These include instruments to interpret astronomy observations, conduct advanced metabolomics research and apply molecular-biological methods. Not only are our facilities of the highest quality, so too are our collections, which attract researchers from all over the world.
THE UNIVERSITY LIBRARY Leiden University Libraries (UBL) curate an enormous archive including books, world maps, manuscripts, letters, photographs and drawings. Our libraries are a treasure trove of heritage sources for researchers, students and guests. Students and researchers can find here more than 5 million printed books, almost 1.5 million e-books and hundreds of databases, electronic reference works and digital text and image collections. Library users also have access to a growing number of electronic journals, from which they download in the region of 3.5 million articles every year. With over 25,000 paper and 90,000 digital acquisitions a year, the library’s book collection continues to expand at a rapid rate. The UBL collections range from medieval prayer books to works on number theory and from old photographs to legal literature. They are an invaluable source of information for researchers and students across many different disciplines. The UBL’s Asian Library, on the
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top floor of the building, holds the world’s biggest collection on Indonesia. It also houses major collections, around 30 kilometres in length, of unique material on other countries in South and Southeast Asia, China, Japan and Korea, including prints, books, manuscripts, photos, maps and much more.
THE HORTUS BOTANICUS Hidden behind the Academy Building at Rapenburg is the oldest botanical garden in the Netherlands and one of the oldest in the world. Created in 1590 and extended in subsequent centuries, the Hortus botanicus is the green heart of Leiden. It is here that Carolus Clusius grew the first large collections of tulips in Europe, and it is also where Philipp Franz Von Siebold cultivated some 700 previously unknown plants from Japan and China. Visitors, staff, researchers and students come to the Hortus botanicus for a relaxing walk, to admire the garden or to carry out research on the celebrated plant collections. Thou-
sands of plants, including tropical orchids, ferns and carnivorous plants, are cultivated in the greenhouses of Leiden’s Hortus for the purposes of research. Researchers from Leiden and all over the world conduct research on plant diversity to ultimately arrive at an even better understanding of the genealogy of life. The Hortus also works together with other botanical gardens in the Netherlands to cultivate plants that are under threat of extinction.
DRUG DEVELOPMENT
With the powerful electron microscopes of the Netherlands Centre for Electron Nanoscopy (NeCEN), housed at Leiden University, researchers from home and abroad are able to study abnormalities in blood cells in cardiovascular diseases, the inter action between pathogens and hosts in infectious diseases, molecular processes that cause cancer and the interaction between medicines and target proteins. Drug development is one of the University’s core activities.
SPECIAL COLLECTIONS AND RESEARCH FACILITIES
Thousands of plants, such as this pitcher plant, are cultivated in the greenhouses of Leiden’s Hortus.
NeCEN’s powerful electron microscopes.
Leiden University Libraries (UBL) curate an enormous archive including books, world maps, manuscripts, letters, photographs and drawings.
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PRIZE WINNERS
We are proud of our laureates from the past and the present Nobel Prize
Researchers at Leiden University have been awarded many national and international prizes. The Nobel Prize, the world’s highest scientific accolade, has been awarded to 16 scholars who worked at Leiden University, including physicists Albert Einstein and Hendrik Lorentz.
In 2018, Ewine van Dishoeck, Professor of Molecular Astrophysics at Leiden University, was awarded the prestigious Kavli Prize in the Astrophysics category. Here King Harold V of Norway presents her with the prize.
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Great physicists Einstein, Ehrenfest, De Sitter, Eddington and Lorentz in Leiden in 1923.
PRIZE WINNERS
Leiden Spinoza and Stevin winners
Leiden researchers have received the highest number of NWO Spinoza Prizes – 22 of them have been awarded this prize, the highest distinction in the Dutch scientific world. One of our researchers has received the NWO Stevin Prize for exceptional success in the area of knowledge exchange. These are our Spinoza and Stevin winners:
2019 Professor Andrea Evers
2018 Professor Carsten de Dreu
2017 Professor Eveline Crone
2017 Professor Michel Orrit
2015 Professor Aad van der Vaart
2014 Professor Dirk Bouwmeester
PSYCHOLOGY, STEVIN
PSYCHOLOGY
PSYCHOLOGY
PHYSICS
MATHEMATICS
PHYSICS
2014 Professor Corinne Hofman
2012 Professor Xander Tielens
2010 Professor Naomi Ellemers
2010 Professor Marijn Franx
2010 Professor Ineke Sluiter
2009 Professor Michel Ferrari
ARCHAEOLOGY
PHYSICS
PSYCHOLOGY
PHYSICS
GREEK LANGUAGE AND LITERATURE
NEUROLOGY
2007 Professor Wil Roebroeks
2006 Professor Jan Zaanen
2004 Professor Rien van IJzendoorn
2002 Professor Els Goulmy
2002 Professor Frits Rosendaal
2000 Professor Ewine van Dishoeck
ARCHAEOLOGY
PHYSICS
EDUCATION AND CHILD STUDIES
TRANSPLANTATION BIOLOGY
EPIDEMIOLOGY
ASTRONOMY
1999 Professor Carlo Beenakker
1998 Professor Hendrik Lenstra
1998 Professor Pieter Muysken
1997 Professor Frits Kortlandt
1995 Professor Frits van Oostrom
PHYSICS
MATHEMATICS
LINGUISTICS
LINGUISTICS
DUTCH LITERATURE
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HISTORY
An illustrious history
Leiden University is the oldest university in the Netherlands. It was founded on 8 February 1575 in Leiden’s Pieterskerk church. This was at the time of the Eighty Years’ War, the uprising by the northern provinces against the Spanish conquerors. Throughout the University’s entire 445-year history, innovation has been a firm tradition.
1575
1581
1600
Rembrandt World-famous Dutch painter Rembrandt van Rijn studied at Leiden University. He enrolled as a student of the arts, and later painted famous Leiden alumni such as Marten Soolmans, Jan Six and Nicolaes Tulp.
1620
Foundation
Academy Building
First tulip
Leiden University was founded by William of Orange in 1575. Legend has it that he founded the University to reward the city for its resistance to the Spanish occupier.
The Academy Building on the Rapenburg canal is the oldest building at Leiden University. It came into the University’s possession in 1581, and is used for ceremonies such as graduations, inaugural lectures and PhD defences.
Carolus Clusius brought the first tulips to Leiden at the end of the 16th century. The bulbs originally came from Turkey, and Clusius cultivated all sorts of new varieties in the Hortus botanicus. His research formed the basis of today’s bulb industry in the Netherlands. Hundreds of years later, his influence is still visible in the bulb fields between Leiden and Haarlem.
Foundation charter of Leiden University from 1575.
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The Clusius garden in the Hortus botanicus in around 1601.
Leiden Observatory Astronomy has a long and rich history in Leiden. The University acquired an observatory as early as 1633, on the roof of the Academy Building. The Old Observatory, which is still used in the University’s teaching, was completed in 1861. Astronomers now work at the Science Campus.
1633
1714
Boerhaave Herman Boerhaave inspired a revolution in the medical world: he put the patient first. In 1714, this Leiden professor introduced lessons at the patient’s bed. He transformed medicine from a theoretical to a practical, exploratory field.
HISTORY
Kamerlingh Onnes In his cryogenics laboratory, Heike Kamerlingh Onnes succeeded in achieving the exceedingly low temperature of four degrees above absolute zero, the temperature at which helium becomes liquid. Nothing can be colder than absolute zero (-273.15 degrees Celsius) because atoms and molecules then stop moving. This earned the Leiden lab the epithet of, ‘the coldest place on earth’.
1820
1908
First female professor
King WillemAlexander graduates
Sophia Antoniadis (1895-1972) was the first female professor at Leiden University. She was professor of medieval and modern Greek from 1929 to 1955. In 2020, almost 30% of the University’s professors are women.
King Willem-Alexander graduated in history in 1993, following in the footsteps of his mother, Princess Beatrix, and grandmother, Princess Juliana, who also studied in Leiden. The photo shows him being congratulated by his mother.
1911
1929
Von Siebold
Einstein
It is thanks to German physician Philipp Franz von Siebold (1796-1866) that the University was able to become an expertise centre in Asian history and culture. He was also very important to botany. Von Siebold lived in Japan in the 1820s and brought over 730 plant species to Europe.
Albert Einstein was professor by special appointment at Leiden University and spent a lot of time in Leiden, where he was able to put his groundbreaking ideas to the critical minds of his Dutch friends such as Hendrik Lorentz.
1940
1993
Honorary doctorate for Nelson Mandela The University awarded Nelson Mandela an honorary doctorate in 1999 in recognition of his great service to society as an antiApartheid activist (while serving a long prison sentence) and later president of South Africa.
1999
444 years We cele brated our 444th birthday in 2019.
1999
Cleveringa gives protest speech
Campus The Hague opens
The German occupiers closed the University at the beginning of the Second World War. This was in response to the protest speech given by Professor of Law Rudolph Cleveringa against the dismissal of his Jewish colleagues. He lived by the University motto: Bastion of Freedom.
Leiden University opened its Campus The Hague in 1999. The research and teaching there closely reflect the themes of this city: peace, justice and security. Six of the University’s seven faculties are now active in The Hague.
2019
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A NETWORK UNIVERSITY
Working in networks More than ever before, sharing knowledge and working together are key concepts in academia. In view of this, the university of the future will largely be a network university, as universities can only truly realise their ambitions through collaboration with others. Leiden University has partners close to home and on the other side of the world.
NATIONAL AND INTERNATIONAL
STRATEGIC ALLIANCE: LEIDEN 1 -DELFT 2 -ERASMUS 3
Collaboration makes us better. Close to home, we work with businesses, museums, schools, the municipalities of Leiden and The Hague and other universities. Nationally, we work with 13 other universities in the Association of Universities The Netherlands (VSNU). The VSNU works with public and private partners. Another example of such collaboration is Medical Delta: the Delft-LeidenRotterdam consortium for innovation in health and medical technology. The partners in this consortium are the universities and their medical centres in Leiden, Delft and Rotterdam, as well as science parks, incubators, businesses and local and regional government. At the European level, we are a member of the League of European Research Universities (LERU). LERU is a group of 23 leading European research universities that lobby in their own countries and Europe on the importance of fundamental scientific research. We also have partnerships with many other organisations and institutions.
Leiden University, Delft University of Technology and Erasmus University Rotterdam work together in the Leiden-Delft-Erasmus (LDE) strategic alliance. Resolving major societal issues calls for an intensive commit ment from universities, in close cooperation with other partners in society. By applying their high-quality scientific knowledge, the breadth of their largely complementary portfolios and their physical proximity to one another, the three universities are able to work together on regional, national and global issues. The three universities conduct joint research and offer joint educational programmes. They collaborate across four societal themes: Sustainable Society, Inclusive Society, Healthy Society and Digital Society. These themes also set the direction for future teaching and research within the LDE alliance.
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1 2
3
A NETWORK UNIVERSITY
LEIDEN BIO SCIENCE PARK
LBSP successes
Leiden Bio Science Park (LBSP), the largest knowledge cluster in the Netherlands in the field of Life Sciences & Health, has an excellent international reputation. At present, the LBSP houses 195 companies and institutes, with a total of 18,000 staff. This is expected to increase to around 27,000 by 2025. The LBSP is a cluster of top-level teaching and research institutions, healthcare organisations and businesses. It attracts students, researchers and entrepreneurs from all around the world to Leiden, city of knowledge.
• In 2009, the LBSP was named the ‘Best business park in the Netherlands’. • The Ministry of Economic Affairs regards the LBSP as one of the seven campuses of national importance. • The LBSP has an extensive service cluster, diverse knowledge institutes and two museums. • Three of the nine Dutch biotech companies listed on the stock exchange are located at the LBSP. • In 2012, the Leiden Instrument Makers School was appointed as an approved vocational centre for innovative professional craftsmanship in the field of life sciences. • In 2012, the University of Applied Sciences Leiden became a Centre of Expertise in Genomics.
PLNT Students and young entrepreneurs work together at PLNT, the Leiden centre for innovation and entrepreneurship. This is where research and entrepreneurship come together.
195 ORGANISATIONS AT THE LBSP • 10 educational institutions • 11 research institutes • 152 businesses • 22 healthcare and other organisations
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A NETWORK UNIVERSITY
Our researchers work intensively with colleagues in almost all the countries in the world. The University also has partnership agreements with various countries and regions, such as Indonesia and Latin America. It has three institutes abroad: in Rabat, Cairo and Jakarta.
Latin America Since 2014, Latin America has been one of Leiden University’s focus areas. The University has built up extensive knowledge about the region over the course of time. Leiden archaeologists and linguists have a wealth of knowledge on the indigenous cultures and languages of this continent, but there are also many exchanges with the region in the fields of social sciences, medicine and natural sciences. In recent years, delegations from Leiden University have visited Mexico, Brazil and Chile.
INSTITUTES ABROAD:
Netherlands Institute Morocco (NIMAR) Located in Rabat, NIMAR is the national expertise centre for Moroccan studies. It belongs to Leiden University’s Faculty of Humanities and provides teaching programmes, facilitates research and makes an active contribution to the understanding of Moroccan languages, cultures and society within the Netherlands. Netherlands-Flemish Institute in Cairo (NVIC) The NVIC was founded in 1971. Eight universities in the Netherlands and Flanders participate in the NVIC, aiming to stimulate and internationalise their educational and research activities in the Middle East. The institute is managed by Leiden University. Royal Netherlands Institute of Southeast Asian and Caribbean Studies (KITLV), Jakarta KITLV Jakarta is part of Leiden University Libraries (UBL) and represents Leiden University in Indonesia. Its key tasks are to broaden and intensify academic collaboration with Indonesian higher education and research institutions, to provide information about the range of international programmes at Leiden University and to maintain contacts with alumni.
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AFRICA STUDIES CENTRE LEIDEN (ASCL)
Researchers from the ASCL have been aware for decades of the crucial role that Africa plays in the world, a role that is only set to grow. In their research, they focus on four themes: politics and security; society, religion and culture; economy; and history. The ASCL is an interfaculty institute whose aim is to gain a better understanding of Africa in a rapidly changing world. The linchpin of the ASCL is its library, which has one of the best Africa collections in Europe, with unique books that attract researchers from all around the world to Leiden.
A NETWORK UNIVERSITY
LEAGUE OF EUROPEAN RESEARCH UNIVERSITIES Leiden University is a member of the League of European Research Universities (LERU), a group of 23 prominent European universities. The primary aim of this alliance is to persuade national and European authorities of the importance of fundamental scientific research and the role of research institutes.
China China is an important partner for Leiden University. We have partnerships with over 20 Chinese universities, and some 400 Chinese bachelor’s, master’s and PhD students are studying in Leiden.
Indonesia Leiden University has a long tradition of collaboration with Indonesia. The country provides many important research areas for researchers from Leiden. These include its biological, ecological, linguistic and religious diversity, its legal system, its emerging political role and its history and population. Leiden University’s Asian Library houses one of the largest Asia collections in the Western world, as well as the world’s most extensive Indonesia collection.
STUDENT EXCHANGES
Leiden encourages its students to spend some of their study time abroad. It facilitates this through its broad network of partners in Europe and beyond, relying on more than 600 agreements with universities throughout the world.
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SUSTAINABILITY
An increasingly sustainable university
Students from the Leiden University Green Office (LUGO)
Leiden University is at the heart of the local community, and is keen to promote sustainability with our teaching, research and business operations.
T
he University takes its responsibility to society seriously and works hard to improve its performance on sustainability and the environment in the fields of housing, energy, water, mobility, procurement and investment, and waste. Our environmental goals can be found in our Environmental Policy Plan, and we publish our results in an annual report. We will draw up a new plan in 2020 with more-ambitious goals.
Research into plastic in Leiden’s canals: Plastic Spotter.
CONCERNS ABOUT THE CLIMATE
ACTIVE STUDENTS
In response to growing concerns about climate change, one of our goals is to drastically decrease the University’s C02 footprint. We can achieve this by reducing our use of fossil fuels, investing in energy-efficient alternatives and compensating (purchasing green certificates) for the C02 emitted by flights. We aim to reduce the University’s C02 footprint by 50% in 2020. This will enable us to meet the goals of our Environmental Policy Plan.
Our students are actively involved in our sustainability activities. Some of our students work together with the University at the Leiden University Green Office (LUGO). They devise, collect and realise green plans and initiatives, and maintain close contact with the University community. LUGO has a presence in The Hague and Leiden.
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DIVERSITY
Four members of the LGBT+ Network.
The freedom to be yourself We believe that in our academic community you should have the freedom to be yourself. Inclusiveness and diversity are core values for the University, and they are promoted and monitored by our Diversity Officer and Diversity Office. Our LGBT+ Network and other networks also play an important role at the University. DIFFERENCES ARE A MAJOR ASSET Our university community is diverse in many ways. We differ from one another in our ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, health, religion, age, socio-economic background and more. This is a major asset. We want our University to be an open community in which everyone feels at home and has equal opportunities. This is not always a given, which is why the University pursues an active diversity policy.
DIVERSITY OFFICER Leiden University was the first Dutch university to appoint a Diversity Of-
ficer, in 2014. Our Diversity Officer, Aya Ezawa, and the Diversity Office promote an open community with equal opportunities for all. Sharing their expertise with the faculties, offering training and holding an annual Diversity Symposium for students are some of the ways by which they achieve this.
LGBT+ NETWORK The University’s LGBT+ Network helps people feel welcome and at home in the University community. It is a platform for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, intersex and queer students and staff at the University. The key aim of the LGBT+ Network is
to promote the inclusion of its target group, but everyone – students, staff and alumni – is welcome at its events, such as lectures, film evenings, debates and so on.
WOMEN’S NETWORK The Sophia Women’s Network aims to create equal opportunities and a better working environment for female academic staff at Leiden University, and the University itself intends to appoint more women to higher posts. It is pursuing a policy to increase the percentage of female professors at the University. This has now risen to almost 30%.
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ALUMNI
Leiden University is proud of its alumni Our alumni contribute in many ways to the University’s success. The University in turn contributes to the personal and professional development of its alumni. Our alumni take up diverse posts in the Netherlands and abroad, where their knowledge and experience enable them to make a valuable contribution to society. We help our alumni by providing information, career advice and opportunities for network building and by organising a series of events. The alumni magazine Leidraad is published three times a year and alumni receive a dedicated newsletter every month. For Leiden’s young alumni, there is also the Young Alumni Network. Our alumni also contribute to our teaching and research, and enhance our reputation. They help students and young alumni explore their career options, through the online Mentor Network, for instance. 26
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This gives students and young alumni the opportunity to ask experienced alumni for advice on their career.
LEIDEN UNIVERSITY FUND The Leiden University Fund (LUF) helps ambitions flourish. As not all academic teaching and research is government funded, contributions from donors are essential. With the generous support of our donors, scholars in Leiden are able to work on innovative research that contributes to the world of tomorrow, and talented students can use grants to gain experience and knowledge abroad or organise study trips, conferences and cultural activities.
THE SWEAT ROOM This is possibly Leiden University’s most popular tradition: when they graduate, students are invited to sign their name for eternity on the walls of the Sweat Room. We do not know who was the first person to sign their name, but the practice has become a longstanding tradition, and many thousands of alumni have added their name in pencil to these centuries-old walls. The signatures in the Sweat Room include those of Princess Beatrix and Princess Juliana, King Willem-Alexander and Dutch resistance fighter Erik Hazelhoff Roelfzema. The walls also bear the signatures of such famous Leiden Honorary Doctors as Sir Winston Churchill and Nelson Mandela. Visit the Sweat Room online at www.hetzweetkamertje.nl.
Leiden University has seven faculties in the arts, humanitites, medicine and the social, natural and life sciences, at locations in Leiden and The Hague. Read about our faculties on the pages that follow.
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FACULTY OF ARCHAEOLOGY
ARCHAEOLOGY
Where past and present meet At the Faculty of Archaeology, we research the development of human societies worldwide, from the earliest beginnings to the modern era. We also study the heritage that can teach us about the long history of humankind as well as about society today.
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FACULTY OF ARCHAEOLOGY
A
rchaeologists have access to effective methods that both explain the past and make it relevant to the present. Archaeology is an interdisciplinary field that uses approaches and theories from the social sciences, humanities and natural sciences, thus giving rise to new insights. Alongside research, the main focus of the Faculty is to train students as archaeologists and heritage experts. Research and teaching go hand-in-hand: every lecturer is an experienced researcher and every researcher is an experienced lecturer.
RESEARCH With a staff of over 140, the Faculty of Archaeology is the largest academic centre of Archaeology in continental Europe. The Faculty’s academic staff conduct research in three departments: • Archaeological Heritage • Archaeological Sciences • World Archaeology. Our research covers large parts of the world and nearly all eras. We study the complexity of the human past from interdisciplinary perspectives, and ask research questions that can help resolve the challenges facing society today. Our research gives rise to exciting partnerships within and well beyond the Faculty itself, all within an inspiring research-driven setting.
Master’s programmes in Archaeology Our specialised master’s programmes (MA, MSc or Research Master’s) in Archaeology provide a solid basis for an international career in archaeology, heritage management, heritage policy or the museum world. Fieldwork The Faculty of Archaeology runs fieldwork projects all over the world. Students can participate in excavations and projects not only in the Netherlands but also in other countries such as France, Cyprus, Oman or the Caribbean.
FACTS AND FIGURES 2019
535 students: 3 36 bachelor’s students and 199 master’s students
141 staff (100 academic and 41 non-academic)
Institute: • Archaeology
19 doctorates The Faculty is a world leader and is in the top 10 of the QS World University Rankings (discipline).
Graduate School The Graduate School of Archaeology offers extensive PhD programmes on the excavation, analysis and interpretation of material remains from the human past.
TEACHING Bachelor’s programme in Archaeology Our bachelor’s programme provides a broad introduction to archaeology, allowing students to delve into the role of heritage in society. This English-taught bachelor’s programme prepares our students for an international career. More-ambitious students can follow our Crossing Borders in World Archaeology honours programme.
BACHELOR’S PROGRAMMES • BA in Archaeology MASTER’S PROGRAMMES • MA/MSc in Archaeology • MSc in Archaeology (research)
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FACULTY OF ARCHAEOLOGY Archaeology Open Day The Open Day at the Faculty of Archaeology in autumn 2019 was a field day for archaeology fans. The full breadth of the discipline was covered in workshops, talks, activities for children and a pub quiz.
Valkenburg Field School Serina, an exchange student from Norway, poses at an excavation in Valkenburg, a village close to Leiden. The students from the bachelor’s specialisation in World Archaeology gain a significant part of their practical experience at this field school.
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FACULTY OF ARCHAEOLOGY Desert flowers What can we learn from 2,000-year-old irrigation methods? Dr Mark Driessen’s Udhruh project is exploring the hinterland of the archaeological city of Petra in Jordan. In antiquity, an in genious irrigation system made agriculture possible in this desert area. By applying archaeological know ledge, old irrigation channels can be used to make the desert flourish once more. Every year, many of our students do fieldwork, including Nils Schuurmans who can be seen on the photo here.
World’s first endowed chair in archaeology The year 1818 marked a major breakthrough in the serious study of human cultural history: in Leiden, Caspar Reuvens was appointed as the world’s first professor of archaeology. He also founded the National Museum of Antiquities (see photo). With its rich history, this is one of the leading museums of antiquity in the world. The close ties between the Faculty of Archaeology and the Museum were strengthened when Professor Miguel John Versluys was appointed to the Museum’s Board of Governors.
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FACULTY OF GOVERNANCE AND GLOBAL AFFAIRS
GOVERNANCE AND GLOBAL AFFAIRS
Working in The Hague to resolve societal issues The Faculty of Governance and Global Affairs in The Hague, city of peace and justice, looks at such global challenges as climate change, terrorism and economic crises from the perspective of governance, political science, law, sociology and economics.
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W
ith its interdisciplinary approach, the Faculty is a good match for the national and international organisations in The Hague. We join in the big debates in society not only with our teaching and research, but also with lectures and discussions. Enter prising by nature, we seek connections with other disciplines and innovative forms of teaching.
RESEARCH The academic research at the Faculty is organised into institutes and centres. The staff conduct research in the field of politics, governance, security and urban issues in the national and global arena. In their research, they explore
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FACTS AND FIGURES 2019
complex challenges that go beyond the limits of individual disciplines. Graduate School The Graduate School of Governance and Global Affairs is responsible for the PhD programmes at the Faculty.
TEACHING The programmes at the Faculty closely reflect the themes that characterise the city, such as peace, justice, law and public administration and international governance. Leiden University College The Hague Leiden University College The Hague (LUC) is Leiden University’s international honours college. LUC The Hague provides an innovative Liberal Arts & Sciences bachelor’s programme for talented and motivated students from all around the world. The focus is on the Global Challenges programme, in which complex global challenges are studied from the perspective of various disciplines. Professional learning Since Campus The Hague was founded, its Centre for Professional Learning has offered courses and programmes for professionals who work in governance. The Cyber Security Academy in The Hague provides tailored academic courses for businesses and institutions such as ministries. The Academy is a partnership between Leiden University, Delft University of Technology and The Hague University of Applied Sciences.
2,949 students: 1 ,936 bachelor’s students and 1,013 master’s students
289 staff (178 academic and 111 non-academic)
Institutes: • Institute of Public Administration • Institute of Security and Global Affairs • Leiden University College The Hague
4 doctorates
LUC was one of the top programmes in Keuzegids, the consumer guide to universities, for the seventh successive year.
BACHELOR’S PROGRAMMES • BA/BSc in Liberal Arts & Sciences: Global Challenges (Leiden University College The Hague) • BSc in Public Administration - Economics, Public Administration and Management - Policy, Public Administration and Organisation • BSc in Security Studies MASTER’S PROGRAMMES • MA in Crisis and Security Management • MSc in Cyber Security • MSc in International Relations and Diplomacy • MSc in Public Administration • MSc in Public Sector Management
Faculty centres • Centre for Modern Urban Studies • Centre for Professional Learning • Dual PhD Centre
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FACULTY OF GOVERNANCE AND GLOBAL AFFAIRS Stereotyping in schoolbooks There are far fewer female than male characters in Dutch textbooks, and relatively few characters from a non-Western background. There is also implicit stereotyping. This is what Judi Mesman, Professor of the Interdisciplinary Study of Societal Challenges, discovered in a study of all the textbooks used for the subjects of Dutch and mathematics in the first year of secondary school in the Netherlands. Mesman and her team research what children learn about gender and ethnicity from the world around them, from their parents, for instance, but also from textbooks or children’s literature. Mesman comments, ‘Children are very sensitive to subtle, hidden messages. Our research shows that stereotypes have also crept into textbooks, albeit unconsciously.’ To prevent such stereotyping in the future, the publishers will discuss the results of the study with their authors.
Children from IMC Weekend School at Wijnhaven Inquisitive children from The Hague between the ages of 10 and 14 come to the Wijnhaven building at Campus The Hague to attend the Weekend School. These are children from deprived neighbourhoods in The Hague who are not always given the opportunities that they deserve. Every Sunday, the Weekend School introduces this group to enthusiastic professionals from various disciplines. Its message is: follow your interests and get the most out of life. The University subscribes to this and is pleased to host the Weekend School.
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FACULTY OF GOVERNANCE AND GLOBAL AFFAIRS Students win competition in battle against plastic UNPLASTIC, a research project from Leiden University College The Hague (LUC), won the Dopper Changemaker Challenge 2019. Students Roos Kolkman, Iris Iedema, Jiske van Oeffelt and Maria Clara worked with lecturer Thijs Bosker on teaching modules on plastic pollution for secondary schools. The modules provide teachers from all around the world with the right tools to teach their pupils about plastic pollution and thus inspire the younger generation. The LUC students took part in the Challenge to secure funding for this initiative. The prize money of 5,000 euros will enable them to start their project. In the photo: Roos Kolkman between the second and third-prize winners. ‘We need to be better prepared for war’ What makes peace missions succeed or fail? Which new technologies will determine the outcome of a battle? Insufficient use has been made of knowledge of modern warfare in recent decades, while this is crucial to European security. This is what Frans Osinga, Professor by Special Appointment in War Studies and Commodore in the Royal Netherlands Air Force, said in his inaugural lecture on 11 November 2019. With wars at the outer reaches of Europe, the battle against Islamic State and superpowers that want to extend their sphere of influence, Osinga is concerned. ‘We are mainly involved in peace operations, but the risk of a major war should again be taken seriously, I’m afraid.’ His research will focus on these big issues.
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FACULTY OF HUMANITIES
HUMANITIES
Humanities offer windows on the world In these times of globalisation, the humanities are more important than ever. Migration, integration, trade and techÂnology are causing the borders between countries and cultures to fade. If we want to work and live together in harmony, we have to understand one another. The humanities provide the insights that we need for this.
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ur research and teaching range from languages, cultures and regional studies to history, philosophy, the arts and religious studies. Our researchers are driven by passion and curiosity for the world around them.
RESEARCH Our research covers almost all con tinents and periods, and our researchers are committed to developing, disseminating and applying academic knowledge. We strive to be an author-
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ity in the academic and public debate. Our research is interdisciplinary in its approach, with experts sharing their knowledge and understanding. This helps improve teaching and research projects. Research centres • Centre for Indigenous America Studies • Centre for Latin American and Caribbean Studies • Leiden Asia Centre • Leiden Institute for Brain and Cognition • Leiden University Centre for Digital Humanities • Leiden University Centre for the Study of Islam and Society • Netherlands Interuniversity School for Islamic Studies Graduate School The Graduate School of Humanities is responsible for all PhD programmes at the Faculty of Humanities.
TEACHING Our main priority is ensuring our students succeed. We regard curiositydriven learning as the core of our teaching. Our programmes are as small-scale as possible, and we provide opportunities for tailored learning such as personal learning pathways and an honours programme for ambitious students. We also have a talent programme for high school students. Our Faculty trains students to be critical thinkers, academic professionals and engaged citizens with international and intercultural skills. They will help resolve the future challenges. We want to prepare them for this role, and therefore consider career preparation to be essential.
7,539 students: 5,386 bachelor’s students and 2,153 master’s students
1,042 staff (660 academic and 382 non-academic)
Institutes: • Academy of Creative and Performing Arts • Centre for the Study of Religion • Institute for History • Institute for Philosophy • Leiden University Institute for Area Studies • Leiden University Centre for Arts in Society • Leiden University Centre for Linguistics 72 doctorates The research and teaching at the Faculty of Humanities are ranked among the top 30 in the world (THE Ranking).
BACHELOR’S PROGRAMMES • BA in African Languages and Cultures • BA in Ancient Near Eastern Studies • BA in Art History • BA in Arts, Media and Society • BA in Chinese Studies • BA in Classics • BA in Dutch Language and Culture • BA in Dutch Studies • BA in English Language and Culture • BA in Film and Literary Studies • BA in French Language and Culture • BA in German Language and Culture • BA in History • BA in International Studies • BA in Italian Language and Culture • BA in Japanese Studies • BA in Korean Studies • BA in Latin American Studies • BA in Linguistics • BA in Middle Eastern Studies • BA in Philosophy • BA in Philosophy: Global and Comparative Perspectives • BA in Religious Studies • BA in Russian Studies • BA in South and South East Asian Studies • BA in Urban Studies
MASTER’S PROGRAMMES • MA in African Studies • MA in African Studies (research) • MA in Arts and Culture • MA in Arts and Culture (research) • MA in Asian Studies (60 EC) • MA in Asian Studies (120 EC) • MA in Asian Studies (research) • MA in Classics and Ancient Civilisations • MA in Classics and Ancient Civilisations (research) • MA in Dutch Studies • MA in European Politics and Society • MA in History • MA in History (research) • MA in International Relations • MA in Latin American Studies • MA in Latin American Studies (research) • MA in Linguistics • MA in Linguistics (research) • MA in Literary Studies • MA in Literary Studies (research) • MA in Media Studies • MA in Middle Eastern Studies • MA in Middle Eastern Studies (research) • MA in Philosophy (60 EC) • MA in Philosophy (120 EC) • MA in Religious Studies • MA in Russian and Eurasian Studies
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FACULTY OF HUMANITIES Fact-checkers at work Politicians make all kinds of claims, particularly during elections. But is what they say true? For many people it is too difficult and timeconsuming to find out for themselves, which makes it useful having fact-checkers do it for you. Nieuwscheckers is the fact-checking project of the students and staff from the Journalism and New Media programme, including Peter Burger (see photo). It began as a teaching project but Nieuwscheckers now checks news and claims made by politicians during elections.
Writer-in-residence inspires students Novelist and essayist Karin Amatmoekrim was the writerin-residence at Leiden University in autumn 2019. She gave a series of lectures on creative writing and delivered the Albert Verwey Lecture, a permanent fixture of the writer’s residency, to the general public. The writer’s residency is a unique phenomenon and was instated at Leiden University in 1985. It is an opportunity for students and staff to meet a celebrated writer, someone who looks differently at the world around them, and who thinks and expresses themselves in a way that may open up new perspectives. Previous writers-in residence include famous Dutch writers such as Gerard Reve, Margriet de Moor, Gerrit Komrij and Anna Enquist.
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FACULTY OF HUMANITIES Handwritten texts full of mysteries Nadine Akkerman was awarded a grant of 2 million euros by the European Research Council for research into English manuscripts from the 16th and 17th century. Akkerman: ‘Working with handwritten texts and un ravelling their mysteries is one of my passions. And it’s especially rewarding when this work allows me to re cover a voice from the past that has lain hidden for centuries.’ These handwritten texts were often the result of collaboration between an author and a scribe. Like a modern secretary, these scribes would correct, edit and amend the words given them by their employer as they put their goose feather quills to paper. Akkerman will analyse these texts in order to disentangle the different voices that may appear in a manuscript. Students practise giving talks Lights, camera, action! In ‘LU-talks’, students from the Faculty of Humanities were able to practise communicating science to a wider audience in a real theatre. The challenge: how do you deliver an inspiring pitch about your research to people outside the University? To meet this challenge, students learn not only traditional academic skills such as writing papers, but also modern skills that prepare them for the job market of today and tomorrow.
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LEIDEN LAW SCHOOL
LEIDEN LAW SCHOOL
International and innovative over the full breadth of the law Leiden Law School aims for excellent international and innovative research over the full breadth of the law. Every year over 1,000 students begin a bachelor’s degree in Law, Notarial law, Tax Law or Criminology. A further 500 to 600 international students also come to the Faculty every year, from exchange students to students who have been selected for one of our advanced master’s programmes.
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L
eiden Law School is housed in two beautifully restored historical buildings in the centre of Leiden. Its staff also teach and conduct research at Campus The Hague, and its Grotius Centre for International Legal Studies has a presence in The Hague too. The Law School aims to foster international collaboration, and has over 80 exchange agreements.
RESEARCH The Faculty’s research results in dissertations, books and other academic publications. Its staff also inform the public debate through media appearances and popular publications. At present, there are eight
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FACTS AND FIGURES 2019
research programmes at Leiden Law School: • The Legitimacy and Effectiveness of Law & Governance in a World of Multilevel Jurisdictions • The Progression of EU law: Accommo dating Change and Upholding Values • Effective Protection of Fundamental Rights in a Pluralist World • Exploring the Frontiers of International Law • Criminal Justice: Legitimacy, Accountability, and Effectivity • Coherent Private Law • Reforming Social Legislation • Limits of Tax Jurisdiction. Graduate School The Graduate School of Legal Studies is part of the Meijers Research Institute, and its responsibilities include the Law School’s PhD programmes.
TEACHING The emphasis in the teaching at Leiden Law School is on the Dutch legal system. This is the area in which many of its alumni work, often in high-profile roles, for instance in the judiciary or the legal profession, or in government. To ensure that it can respond to developments in the job market, the Faculty constantly adapts its range of programmes. In the last few years, it introduced master’s programmes in the areas of Financial Law, Labour Law and – unique in the Netherlands – Child Law. Its teaching is intensive and provides a wealth of oppor tunities for talented students. Alongside the regular programmes, the Faculty offers online courses and a range of post-doctorate training programmes for lawyers and other law graduates or professionals whose work has a legal slant. It also offers summer schools for students and professionals, organised together with inter national partners.
5,694 students: 3 ,599 bachelor’s students and 2,095 master’s students
573 staff (377 academic and 196 non-academic) Institutes: • Institute for Criminal Law • Institute for Interdisciplinary Study of the Law • Institute for Private Law • Institute for Public Law • Institute of Tax Law and Economics
42 doctorates
‘Leiden LAW’ is number 26 in the QS World University Rankings, making it the best faculty of law in the Netherlands.
BACHELOR’S PROGRAMMES • BSc in Criminology • LL.B in Law • LL.B in Notarial law • LL.B in Tax Law
MASTER’S PROGRAMMES • LL.M. in Advanced Studies in Air and Space Law • LL.M. in Advanced Studies in European and International Business Law • LL.M. in Advanced Studies in European and International Human Rights Law • LL.M. in Advanced Studies in Global & European Labour Law • LL.M. in Advanced Studies in International Children’s Rights • LL.M. in Advanced Studies in International Civil and Commercial Law • LL.M. in Advanced Studies in International Dispute Settlement and Arbitration • LL.M. in Advanced Studies in Law & Digital Technologies • LL.M. in Advanced Studies in Law & Finance • LL.M. in Advanced Studies in Public International Law • LL.M. in Child Law • LL.M. in Law • LL.M. in Notarial law • LL.M. in Tax Law • MSc in Crime and Criminal Justice • MSc in Forensic Criminology • MSc Law & Society
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LEIDEN LAW SCHOOL
Law student at United Nations (UN) Leiden law student Aoife Fleming (21) was elected as the youth delegate for sustainable development at the UN in autumn 2019. She wants students to be better prepared during their studies for the sustainability challenges of the future. UN youth delegates build bridges between young people and the political arena in the Netherlands. Fleming: ‘One of your responsibilities is to travel to UN conferences with the Dutch delegation. You also talk to young people in the Netherlands to find out which sustainability issues interest them.’ Climate change and sustainability are topics that Fleming has been working on for some time at the University. ‘These are topics that we are going to hear much more about, because their role is set to increase in the future. This is something I was very aware of in my work for the Leiden University Green Office (LUGO). I realised that, if we want to help create a sustainable future, we students need to be prepared for this during our studies.’
Artificial intelligence ‘At the moment, artificial intelligence is better than experts at predicting the results of a court case,’ says Bart Custers, the first Professor of Law and Data Science and Chair of the Artificial Intelligence research theme. He issued expert advice to the Netherlands House of Representatives on why so little data about public transport is exchanged with other parties and why access to this data is so restricted.
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LEIDEN LAW SCHOOL
Partnership with District Court of The Hague Leiden Law School trains students and professionals for the legal and security sectors, thus helping further professionalise different branches in the Netherlands and abroad. We are also keen to involve the practical context in our teaching and research, so we work closely with the District Court of The Hague. This gives our students and researchers the benefit of a peek behind the scenes at a working court, and the District Court the benefit of the input from academia and contact with potential employees. We also organise conferences together with the District Court and a masterclass for students. Our students do internships at the Court, and the Court provides judges for our Moot Court, where students learn to present an argument. We also have an Extraordinary Professor of Societal Effectiveness of the Justice System: Rogier Hartendorp.
New master’s programme in Law & Society Danielle Chevalier (left) and Maartje van der Woude gave a webinar for prospective students on the new Law & Society master’s programme at Leiden Law School. This interdisciplinary programme takes an empirical, social science approach to law. It combines knowledge and methods from sociology and anthropo logy with those from law, political science and public administration, leading to an integrated study of the links between law and society.
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FACULTY OF MEDICINE/LUMC
MEDICINE/LUMC
A clear vision and mission for healthcare At the Leiden University Medical Center (LUMC) we aim to improve both the healthcare system and the health of the individual. The health of the world’s population is one of the greatest challenges of our times. The LUMC believes that this challenge demands a clear vision and mission.
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T
eaching, research and patient care come together under one roof at the LUMC. Students are trained for lifelong innovation and learning. Researchers gain inspiration and test their findings in clinical practice. Patients can be assured that they receive state-of-the-art treatment. The LUMC believes not only in cure but also in prevention. We like to think of this as pushing the boundaries of medicine.
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RESEARCH The research at the LUMC is closely interwoven with the clinical care in the hospital, giving it its own individual personality and a different organisational structure from the other faculties. The LUMC has around 70 research programmes that are linked to the preclinical departments, with some departments having several programmes. The LUMC participates in the University’s research profiles, and, wherever relevant, in those of the other faculties. It also has dozens of partnerships at home and abroad. Graduate School Medical and biomedical PhD candidates can follow a programme at the LUMC Graduate School. The programmes at this School are jointly developed by Leiden University and the LUMC.
TEACHING The teaching at the LUMC is innovative, in terms of both content and form. It is based on developments in science, healthcare and society. The LUMC programmes focus on practitioners who are fully aware of the broader context in which they are working: society, the organisation and the other disciplines with which they collaborate.
2,746 students: 1 ,356 bachelor’s students and 1,359 master’s students
Around 8,400 staff (total LUMC)
Priorities: • Oncology • Regenerative medicine • Population Health
136 doctorates Biomedical Sciences (BSc) was one of the top programmes in Keuzegids, the consumer guide to universities, for the third successive year.
BACHELOR’S PROGRAMMES • BSc in Biomedical Sciences • BSc in Clinical Technology with TU Delft and Erasmus University Rotterdam
• BSc in Medicine MASTER’S PROGRAMMES • MSc in Biomedical Sciences • MSc in Medicine • MSc in Pharmacy • MSc in Technical Medicine with TU Delft and Erasmus University Rotterdam
• MSc in Vitality and Ageing
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FACULTY OF MEDICINE/LUMC
Augmented reality in our teaching The new augmented reality application AugMedicine: Lung Cases makes it easier for Leiden medical students to identify different forms of lung disease. The application was developed by the Clinical Teaching Unit of the Internal Medicine Department and the Centre for Innovation at Leiden University. Light stops irregular heartbeat
Researchers from the LUMC in collaboration with Delft University of Technology have found a way to automatically reset a heart that is beating too quickly. This is with the aid of an implanted LED light. This bio-electronic defibrillator could be the first step towards a painless treatment for patients with atrial fibrillation. Atrial fibrillation is the most common form of arrhythmia. The system that DaniÍl Pijnappels’ research group developed detects an irregular heartbeat in the atrium of the heart and sends a signal to an LED light that has been inserted close to the heart. When this light flashes, the heart generates an electric charge to halt the arrhythmia. This is made possible by gene therapy that introduces light-sensitive proteins into the heart, causing the heart to immediately return to a regular heartbeat.
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FACULTY OF MEDICINE/LUMC
Massive Open Online Course (MOOC) The teaching at the LUMC is not limited to its lecture halls. Technological developments have made it possible for people from all around the world to follow high-quality flexible courses. One good example is our Clinical Kidney, Pancreas and Islet Transplantation MOOC, which thousands of people from all corners of the globe have followed. Through interactive lectures, unique 3D films and videos about surgery and immunology, participants learn about the many and varied issues at play before, during and after transplantation.
Future pharmacists
For the first time in over 35 years, degrees were once again awarded to pharmacists in Leiden: the first 12 students from the three-year Master’s programme in Pharmacy received their degrees in September 2019. The LUMC and the Leiden Academic Centre for Drug Research at the Faculty of Science are working together on this programme, which was launched in 2016.
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FACULTY OF SCIENCE
SCIENCE
Curiosity-driven and groundbreaking At the Faculty of Science, students and staff work together in a dynamic, international environment in which personal and academic development are given the highest priority. Driven by curiosity, our students and staff look beyond existing boundaries and increase our fundamental knowledge. They do so for the sake of science but also in a bid to resolve the major challenges of the future.
W
e are situated in the heart of the Leiden Bio Science Park, one of Europe’s largest science parks, where the University and businesses come together. The Faculty works closely with the Leiden University Medical Center (LUMC) and Delft University of Technology as well as with partners from industry, business and government.
RESEARCH Our researchers from different disciplines work together to devise solutions to problems facing society.
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FACULTY OF SCIENCE FACTS AND FIGURES 2019 5,056 students: 3,164 bachelor’s students and 1,892 master’s students 1,276 staff (905 academic and 371 non-academic staff)
The research in the Faculty falls within two research profiles: Fundamentals of Science and Bioscience, the Science Base of Health. Fundamentals of Science Astronomers, mathematicians, chemists, biologists and physicists conduct research into the youngest planets and the oldest galaxies, the largest numbers and the smallest particles. They do this out of a fascination for the unknown. At the same time, their fundamental and sometimes very technical work forms the basis for research into complex macrosystems, such as datasets or biological perspectives. Examples of this research include: • Data Science • The Quantum Computer • Exploring the Universe • Sustainable Energy • Artificial Intelligence. Bioscience: the Science Base of Health Recent developments in the life sciences have created exciting opportunities for fundamental research and clinical applications. Techniques for manipulating genes and knowledge about the human genome and model organisms are affording us a high level of control over important biological processes. This is delivering new insights into the working of cells, organs and organisms. Examples of this research include: • Effective Drug Development • Keeping the Planet Liveable.
Graduate School The Graduate School of Science offers eight PhD programmes in the field of science.
TEACHING The teaching covers the disciplines of mathematics, computer science, astronomy, physics, chemistry, bio-pharmaceutical sciences, biology and environmental sciences. Students are given a firm disciplinary grounding in the bachelor’s programmes, and in the transition to the master’s phase, they learn not only to specialise but also to work together with students from other disciplines. The teaching is closely linked to the multidisciplinary research at the Faculty. In the research periods, students have a high degree of one-on-one contact with researchers. They are supervised in a mentor and tutor system. Mentors are older students who help show first-year students the ropes. Tutors are lecturers who help students with academic questions or if they are behind in their studies, for instance.
UNIQUE LAB The lab in the Faculty of Science’s Gorlaeus Building is one of the lowest-vibration areas in the world. It has 16 low-vibration ‘islands’, each of which rests on a separate set of springs that absorb almost all vibrations. Our researchers use these islands for experiments that cannot tolerate the slightest disturbance, for instance observations at the atomic level with ultra-sensitive microscopes.
Institutes: • I nstitute of Biology Leiden • Institute of Environmental Sciences • Leiden Academic Centre for Drug Research • Leiden Institute of Advanced Computer Science • Leiden Institute of Chemistry • Leiden Institute of Physics • Leiden Observatory • Mathematical Institute
129 doctorates Mathematics (BSc) was one of the top programmes in Keuzegids, the consumer guide to universities, for the fourth successive year.
BACHELOR’S PROGRAMMES • BSc in Astronomy • BSc in Biology • BSc in Bio-Pharmaceutical Sciences • BSc in Computer Science • BSc in Life Science and Technology • BSc in Mathematics • BSc in Molecular Science and Technology • BSc in Physics MASTER’S PROGRAMMES • MSc in Astronomy • BSc in Biology • MSc in Bio-Pharmaceutical Sciences • MSc in Chemistry • MSc in Computer Science • MSc in Governance of Sustainability • MSc in ICT in Business and the Public Sector • MSc in Industrial Ecology • BSc in Life Science and Technology • MSc in Mathematics • MSc in Media Technology • MSc in Physics • MSc in Statistical Science for the Life and Behavioural Sciences LEIDEN UNIVERSITY CORPORATE MAGAZINE 2020
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FACULTY OF SCIENCE A new way to heal burns The Leiden students who entered the iGEM synthetic biology competition won the prize for the best production. They developed a method that induces bacteria to produce suckerine, a protein from squid. They intend to use this to treat burns. ‘The announcement was a very emotional moment because we had worked so hard for it.’
Bringing mammoth poop to life Doris van Bergeijk reawakened 40,000-year-old bacteria from mammoth poop. The sample came from a well-preserved mammoth from the permanently frozen ground (permafrost) from an island off the coast of Russia. The young researcher is hoping to discover new information that could help in research into antibiotics and antibiotic resistance. She conducts research into antibiotic-producing bacteria in Professor Gilles van Wezel’s group at the Institute of Biology in Leiden. ‘The bacteria that we cultured from the mammoth poop provide clues for finding new bacteria and understanding the evolution of these strains. Can these bacteria make something that the same strains can no longer produce, or vice versa?’
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FACULTY OF SCIENCE Electric cars Environmental scientist Benjamin Sprecher published a report that concludes that we do not have enough critical metals for a large-scale transition to electric cars. ‘We presented our report to the State Secretary for Infrastructure and Water Management, Stientje van Veldhoven. She will present it at the global Conference of Parties climate meeting. It’s great to see how much impact such a report can have.’
Folding puzzle How to you make folds in a piece of paper so that it can be folded in two precisely pre-programmed ways? Researchers from Leiden and Amsterdam showed that this is possible with an ‘alphabet’ of 140 elementary puzzle pieces, which they described in Nature Physics on 14 October 2019. The discovery could help with the building of robots, and is a step towards developing smart, programmable materials.
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FACULTY OF SOCIAL AND BEHAVIOURAL SCIENCES
SOCIAL AND BEHAVIOURAL SCIENCES
Putting people and society first The Faculty of Social and Behavioural Sciences conducts high-quality research in the field of cultural anthropology, education and child studies, political science and psychology, and offers a wide range of degree programmes, organised along disciplinary lines.
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FACULTY OF SOCIAL AND BEHAVIOURAL SCIENCES
T
he Faculty has earned a name as an international centre of social and behavioural science teaching and research. The academics at the Faculty work with their students on social challenges, and their con clusions are often of immediate value to society. As would be expected, the teaching, research and impact of the Faculty are closely intertwined.
RESEARCH The work of researchers in the social and behavioural sciences is interdisciplinary and internationally compe titive, and is driven by urgent problems in society. These problems generally relate to the behaviour of individuals and their relationship with systems, such as family, school, social group, society and political institutions. These issues could be linked to large migration flows, changes in healthcare and education or decreasing political legitimacy. The effects of globalisation call for approaches and solutions from the social and behavioural sciences. Research centre The Centre for Science and Technology Studies (CWTS) is a unique research centre that studies scientific research and its connections to technology, innovation and society. This includes data research. The CWTS has developed its own ranking of the 1,000 leading universities in the world. In this ranking, universities themselves choose the key indicators. Graduate School The master’s, research master’s and PhD programmes at the Faculty are the responsibility of the Graduate School of Social and Behavioural Sciences.
TEACHING The student population at the Faculty is diverse and international. In its bachelor’s programmes, the Faculty gives its students a firm academic grounding and prepares them for leading roles in a complex society. It also trains them as
researchers and teaches them skills for a career within or outside academia. The four bachelor’s programmes at the Faculty have a mono-disciplinary slant and are strongly methodological. In the master’s programmes, the students conduct independent research in an international and inter disciplinary learning environment.
FACTS AND FIGURES 2019
6,140 students: 4 ,312 bachelor’s students and 1,828 master’s students
711 staff (510 academic and 201 non-academic staff)
Institutes: • Centre for Science and Technology Studies • Institute of Cultural Anthropology/Development Sociology • Institute of Education and Child Studies • Institute of Political Science • Institute of Psychology 26 doctorates Stevin Prize 2019 for Andrea Evers.
BACHELOR’S PROGRAMMES • BA in Cultural Anthropology and Development Sociology • BSc in Education and Child Studies • BSc in International Relations and Organisations • BSc in Political Science • BSc in Psychology • BSc & BEd in Teaching MASTER’S PROGRAMMES • MA in Cultural Anthropology and Development Sociology • MSc in Developmental Psychopathology in Education and Child Studies (research) • MSc in Education and Child Studies • MSc in Political Science • MSc in Psychology • MSc in Psychology (research)
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FACULTY OF SOCIAL AND BEHAVIOURAL SCIENCES
Pieter de la Court Prizes 2019 The first three Pieter de la Court Prizes were awarded in 2019 to students Rose-Anne van Denderen, Rebecca Talbot and Willemieke Ligtenberg. They made a particular contribution to themes that Pieter de la Court raised as early as the 17th century. Their work for the Red Cross, the National Network for Student Welfare and the IncLUsion Foundation Leiden respectively was highly commended. On the photo (l-r): Rose-Anne, Rebecca and Willem Jan de Voogd from IncLUsion Leiden, who accepted the prize on behalf of Willemieke.
City photographers Each year, the City Photographer Foundation appoints a new photographer for Leiden. In 2019, the Foundation took a new approach, appointing not one but seven photographers. These photographers – four anthropology students and three members of the Cultural Anthropology staff – each tackled a different theme. Lecturer Simone de Boer explored the world of community work. De Boer: ‘I went to the WijkRuilbus, for instance, a bus where members of the community can swap clothes and other things. And I went to meetings at a community centre, which is also a breeding ground for creative initiatives.’
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FACULTY OF SOCIAL AND BEHAVIOURAL SCIENCES Stevin Prize for Andrea Evers Health psychologist Andrea Evers was awarded the Stevin Prize in 2019. She is heading an innovative, groundbreaking research programme on the influence of psychological factors on physical complaints and symptoms. She garnered global fame for her research into placebo effects and their counterparts, nocebo effects. Her research will significantly affect those working in medical practice.
Gift for psychology and financial literacy The Faculty’s Department of Social, Economic and Organisation Psychology received a gift of over 2 million euros from the Utopa Foundation in 2019. This will be used to establish a fund for teaching and research and a new knowledge centre that will help improve financial literacy in the general public. In the photo (l-r): Prof. Wilco van Dijk, Stan de Klerk-Waller (LUF), Loek Dijkman (Utopa), Rector Magnificus Carel Stolker, Paul Wouters (Dean) and Prof. Eric van Dijk.
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