Impressions 2014

Impressions 2014

The year in pictures

A record number of some 3,400 new students threw themselves into the EL CID introduction week. This was the first time that Leiden University and the University of Applied Sciences Leiden hosted a joint welcome week.

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OUR STUDENTS 24,500 students are enrolled at Leiden University. They attend lectures, workgroups and seminars, and take part in research.

More than 140,000 participants also take part in free online courses offered by the University via the Coursera platform.

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Princess Beatrix, Bettine Vriesekoop and Erica Terpstra attended a conference on Buddhism and the work of the late Professor of Sinology Erik Z端rcher. All three were back on familiar ground, having studied in Leiden.

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ROYAL VISITORS ‘Policymakers desperately need academics to help with the phenomenon of big data,’ said Prince Constantijn at the opening of the Leiden Centre of Data Science (LCDS). The LCDS is a network of Leiden researchers from different disciplines with expertise in data science. Professor of Applied Statistics Jacqueline Meulman is next to the prince in the photo.

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Vice-Rector Magnificus Simone Buitendijk opened the newly redeveloped University Library in 2014. The study areas have undergone a facelift, and that is not all: the updated library now offers a range of new services such as data management, data mining and virtual research environments that will benefit teaching and research at the University.

University expansion and renovation Construction is underway on the new Science Campus, and the Faculty of Archaeology moved to its new location, the renovated Van Steenis Building, in 2014. The University is also supporting other construction projects at the Bio Science Park, including a new Biotech Training Facility and the expansion of the Leiden Instrument Makers School (LiS).

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Two of the four NWO Spinoza Prizes for 2014 were awarded to Leiden researchers: physicist Dirk Bouwmeester and archaeologist Corinne Hofman were presented with this most prestigious research grant in the Netherlands by King Willem-Alexander.

Prize Winners Sustainable energy and the fight against cancer: two main issues facing today’s society that, thanks to an ERC Starting Grant, two Leiden chemists will be able to research further. Sander van Kasteren (left) studies how to activate the immune system to fight cancer. Dennis Hetterscheid (right) researches how to convert sunlight into sustainable energy.

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Science, art and music came together on the Leiden Night of Art and Knowledge, giving 5,500 visitors the opportunity to try 3D printing, conduct their own experiments, taste grasshopper, watch a play about the adolescent brain and bop along to band Spinvis.

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Art and knowledge Leiden University celebrated 30 years of writers in residence in style: this academic year the University has no fewer than eight young writers in residence.

Alumna Franca Treur is one of them.

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Anyone wanting to study Medicine in Leiden first has to sit a Biomedical Admissions Test. Candidates’ results in this test, together with their school results, a letter of motivation and a reference, determine whether they make it through to the selection day, a day of interviews and assignments.

CHOOSING THE RIGHT DEGREE PROGRAMME Admission, the first year, specialisations, employment prospects and a million other things: at the Leiden University Open Day, prospective students can grill current students, attend presentations on degree programmes and discover the city.

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Leiden archaeologists attracted widespread public attention when they presented an extremely rare seventh-century silver bowl discovered at a dig in Oegstgeest. The bowl can be seen at the National Museum of Antiquities, one of the museums with which the University works closely.

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DISCOVERIES A zigzag pattern on a half-a-million-year-old shell is the oldest human carving ever to be found. A discovery by Leiden archaeologists once again attracted worldwide attention. ‘Homo erectus was capable of more than we thought,’ commented project leader and archaeologist José Joordens.

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Beautiful prints, miles of exceptional books, pictures and maps: Leiden University is to have a unique expertise centre on Asia. This centre, the Asian Library, will hold extremely rare Asian collections and offer new opportunities for teaching and research.

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Knowledge of Asia At a conference at Leiden University, seven North Korean exiles revealed what life is really like in the most isolated country in the world. ‘The University motto, Bastion of Freedom, is no empty PR slogan. This is why the University invested in this conference,’ said Professor of Korean Studies Remco Breuker.

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Leidraad, the Leiden University alumni magazine, has been given a facelift. Two other new additions are the new monthly digital alumni newsletter and the Coach CafĂŠ for recent graduates. The University stages a whole host of activities that help us keep in touch with our alumni.

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Alumni contacts It took just one week for Leiden alumni to raise enough funds to restore the ‘Sweat Room’ – a cracking start for the University’s new crowdfunding platform. Alumna Claudia Thunnissen is restoring the walls.

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Children are the focus of much research in Leiden. In 2014, researchers in Education and Child Studies and in Psychology published on such topics as noise in day nurseries, children’s reading and arithmetic skills, the best learning environment for children with behavioural problems, the development of adopted children and the workings of the adolescent brain.

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Children The International Convention on the Rights of the Child is 25 years old. This was celebrated at the Leiden Children’s Rights Week. There were various events, including a Moot Court Competition for students, which was won by the Law Society of Ireland, and an international conference, organised by Ton Liefaard, UNICEF Professor of Children’s Rights in Leiden.

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NATO Secretary-General Anders Rasmussen gave a lecture at Campus The Hague. On the photo (l-r): Jaap de Hoop Scheffer, Professor at the Campus; Rasmussen; Dean Jouke de Vries; and Jozias van Aartsen, Mayor of The Hague.

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Indonesian Vice-President Boediono gave a lecture and was awarded the William of Orange Medal for his dedication to the cause of social equality in his country.

International guests Herman van Rompuy, outgoing President of the European Council, gave the Europe Lecture and was awarded the Leiden University William of Orange Medal for the determination with which he steered the European Union through various storms.

American Professor of Japanese History, Carol Gluck, gave an impressive inaugural lecture as Cleveringa Professor on 26 November.

She spoke about how former ‘comfort women’ changed the criminal code.

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Spectacular parties, a masquerade, a city run, an exhibition, a work of art for the University and much more: Minerva pulled out all the stops to celebrate its 200th anniversary as a student association. The whole of Leiden – including Rector Magnificus Carel Stolker – was involved in the celebrations.

Student life in the summer Lectures by Leiden University academics and staff from international courts of justice and war tribunals, and the sea close by for a bracing dip: where better than The Hague, city of peace and justice, to follow a summer course in International Criminal Law? This popular course attracts participants from 24 countries.

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Ten enthusiastic educational innovators were installed as fellows in the new Leiden University Teachers’ Academy. One of them is Marjo de Graauw, who aims to implement more electronic learning methods in the Bio-Pharmaceutical Sciences programme. With this Academy, Leiden University is showing its respect for the educator at heart, and giving a boost to educational innovation.

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Investing in education What else can we do to ensure international students get off to a flying start? Students offered their thoughts on this to Vice-Rector Magnificus Simone Buitendijk and the Leiden University Student Platform at a breakfast meeting. The Student Platform advises Buitendijk on teaching at the University. Buitendijk regularly consults students on what they consider important.

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Beerend Hierck won the 2014 Leiden Teaching Prize.

Medical students praised him as a ‘model lecturer who explains things really well.’

Qing-yi Fan, Kim-Lan Jong Baw and Thanos Souliotis won the Van Bergen Award for their ideas on how to improve the relationship between Dutch and international students.

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Cultural Anthropology student Sheryl Lynn Baas won the Echo Award for talented ethnic minority students with her fundraising initiative for the Philippines, her mother’s place of birth.

Celebrations A glimpse behind the scenes at the Opening of the Academic Year: the beadle, the video recording, tweeting and the choir warming up.

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What would the Dutch like to change in their constitution? Researchers from Leiden and Tilburg have developed an interactive site that uses the Wikipedia method and allows the public to change the text of the Constitution themselves.

The Constitution wiki is one example of research in Leiden in which the public is actively involved.

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Science by and for everyone Leiden academics publish books for the public, making their research accessible to everyone. A selection of books published in 2014.

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Sander Dekker, State Secretary for Education, Culture and Science and Leiden alumnus, returned to the classroom. He visited the Pre-University College, an academic programme of an afternoon a week for highly motivated high school students. Dekker wanted to see how Leiden University stimulates talent and excellence.

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POLITICANS AS GUESTS Jet Bussemaker, Minister of Education, Culture and Science, emphasised the importance of the humanities and social sciences at a meeting of the League of European Research Universities (LERU) in Leiden. The LERU and six other networks signed the Leiden Statement to support these sciences.

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Leiden astronomers Frans Snik and Michiel Rodenhuis provided the technology for the Rainbow Station art installation by Studio Roosegaarde.

Their innovative technology makes a real rainbow appear at Amsterdam Central Station for a few minutes every evening.

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Science is all around us More than 11,000 Twitter followers every day enjoy tweets by book historian Erik Kwakkel about the medieval manuscripts that are his specialist field.

His findings regularly make international headlines.

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The year in pictures A lot can happen in a year at Leiden University. Our scientists make ground-breaking discoveries, and the new knowledge they acquire finds valuable applications in society.

Our students work hard in challenging study programmes. We have an impact in the media and through our partnerships with businesses, hospitals and other universities – both nationally and internationally. We receive guests – from North Korean exiles to members of the Dutch royal family, from political leaders to eminent scholars – who inspire us with their vision. We celebrate important events and awards, and engage in construction and renovation projects to provide our staff and students with an excellent environment to work and study. This brochure gives you an impression of Leiden University in 2014.

Would you like to know more?

Impressions 2014 has been produced by:

You can find the stories behind the photos at: www.leiden.edu/impressions2014

Photography: Marc de Haan 3, 7 (below right), 9, 11,

Follow Leiden University in 2015: www.leiden.edu www.leiden.edu/newsletter Twitter.com/UniLeidennews Facebook.com/UniversiteitLeiden Youtube.com/UniversiteitLeiden

440-year anniversary In 2015 Leiden University will celebrate its 440th anniversary. www.leiden.edu/anniversary

12, 13, 20, 26, 27, 28 (left), 29, 31, Monique Shaw 4, 5, 10 , 17, 21, 22 (below), 23, 33, Nicole Romijn 7 (above left), 22 (above), Stefan Tetelepta 2, Peter van Evert 6, WAX Architectural Visualizations 7 (below left), Sacha Schalkwijk (NWO) 8, Restaura Haelen 14, Henk Caspers, Naturalis 15, Wim Lustenhouwer 15 (insert), University Library Leiden 16, Rob Overmeer 18, Hielco Kuipers 19, Jeronimus van Pelt 24, Martine Wierenga 25, Photo&Digital/UFB 28 (right), Dutch National Archives, The Hague 30, André van Haasteren 32, Studio Roosegaarde 34, Giulio Menna 35.

Editorial: Strategic Communication & Marketing Directorate, Universiteit Leiden

Design: Ratio Design, Haarlem February 2015