Working towards resilient communities, transparency in science and connecting with the employment market – these are the three key themes being addressed by the departments of Social and Behavioural Sciences at Dutch universities. On 11 February, they presented a joint sector plan to Marcelis Boereboom,…

Teacher training should do more to prepare teachers for the pedagogical aspects of teaching, Professor of Educational Sciences Tim Mainhard will argue in his inaugural lecture. ‘Children who find learning difficult particularly benefit from a close relationship with their teacher.’

This year, there are elections for the student section of the University Council, the Faculty Councils and the Student Council of LUMC, the staff section of all Faculty Councils and all Employee Councils. What topics and positions do you find important? With your vote, you ultimately have a say in university…

Maaike Kempes works at the NIFP (Dutch Institute of Forensic Psychiatry and Psychology) and is also Professor by Special Appointment Enhancing Neuroscientific Knowledge at the Institute of Child and Education Studies at Leiden University.

Ten Leiden social and behavioural scientists have successfully applied for the NWO Open Competition. With this Open Competition, NWO gives researchers the chance to start small, high-risk, innovative or promising research projects.

Professor emeritus of Animal Behaviour Carel ten Cate is awarded honorary membership by the Dutch Society for Behavioural Biology (NVG). He received the honour for his activities for the Society and the discipline of behavioural biology.

Silke Herms is a PhD candidate at the Institute of Public Administration.

I suggest a systematic study into the influence of non-singing female companions on vocal learning in young birds as a proof-of-principle study into how non-imitative learning processes from the social environment influence the timing and content of vocal learning and thus drive the interface between…

I am a Postdoc and research the interactions between our gut microbes and the brain i.e. the science of ‘that gut feeling’. I am fascinated by the trillions of bacteria that inhabit our bodies and in particular the ways in which they may interact with our brain to influence our mood and behaviour. Bidirectional…

The Dutch Research Council (NWO) has awarded a grant of €2,858,000 from the Dutch National Research Agenda (NWA) for tackling sexually transgressive behaviour and sexual violence (SGOG). Mischa Dekker, assistant professor and member of the Violence and Violence Prevention research group, is a co-applicant…

A professor from Leiden University, together with a former employee (who is also the professor’s partner), has been guilty of long-term unacceptable and often transgressive behaviour in the form of abuse of power and manipulation. This behaviour led to a culture of fear among staff who were largely…

It is sufficiently plausible that the professor from the Faculty of Archaeology exhibited the ‘inappropriate and unacceptable behaviour’ detailed in the advice of the investigating committee. That is is unless the professor provides counter-evidence. This is the conclusion of the Subdistrict Court…

In memory of Andrea Evers, Professor of Health Psychology, the Prof. Andrea Evers Fund for Health, Behaviour and Society has been established. With this fund, we aim to honour her deepest wish: to continue research that contributes to health, well-being, and a resilient society.

The past year was once again a year of outstanding achievements and strong engagement for the Faculty of Social Sciences. In this hall of fame, we proudly highlight a selection of awards, grants and appointments as part of the many valuable contributions — visible and behind the scenes — that together…

Studying how single DNA molecules behave helps us to better understand genetic disorders and design better drugs. Until now however, examining DNA molecules one-by-one was a slow process. Biophysicists from Delft University of Technology and Leiden University developed a technique that speeds up screening…

Dr Mark Leiser, Assistant Professor in Law and Digital Technologies at eLaw, is part of a successful €1.5 million bid for a research grant from the acclaimed Volkswagen Institute on “Reclaiming individual autonomy and democratic discourse online: How to rebalance human and algorithmic decision makin…

Melanie Franse works as a PhD candidate at the Institute of Education and Child Studies of Leiden University. Melanie focuses specifically on the biopsychosocial profiles of juvenile delinquents to identify the different mechanisms underlying the development of delinquent behavior in adolescents.

Neeltje Blankenstein receives an LUF grant to conduct research on online risk behaviour among young people. What risks do young people take online and why? 'With this research, we not only want to help prevent serious risk behaviour, but also understand what drives young people to it.'

Taking part in TikTok challenges, online gambling, and forwarding nudes. ‘Why do adolescents take online risks?’, psychologist Neeltje Blankenstein wonders. Her research on online risk taking has been awarded a Veni grant by the Netherlands Research Council (NWO). Read her answers to five questions.

Prof. Sarah de Rijcke will succeed Paul Wouters as dean of Leiden University's Faculty of Social and Behavioural Sciences (FSW) from 1 January 2024. Paul Wouters will retire at the beginning of January.

Populist parties in national parliaments have a different style of working from their colleagues in other parties. They often vote against Cabinet proposals, but do not ask more questions about Cabinet activities. This is the finding of Leiden research in different European countries.

Leiden Law Cast is a podcast made by Leiden Law School, Leiden University, for everyone who wants to learn more about current legal issues.

I am passionate about aquatic ecology, conservation and evolution, behavioural biology and global change. During my PhD, I am investigating the density and diversity of pelagic fish in and around offshore windfarms in the North Sea, more specifically related to the underwater acoustic conditions. This…

Course, Workshop

Dutch politics has long been a paragon of stability. Think, for example, of our party system until, say, the last decade. At the same time, we also see occasional changes and significant shifts. Society has changed and this is reflected in, among other things, how we vote and how policy is made. About…

For the first time, a group of international and interdisciplinary researchers led by Karline Janmaat and her former MSc Student Chirag Chittar, have tested the several hypotheses on music simultaneously in a modern foraging society during their daily search for tubers – their staple food.

Active learning is one of the ambitions mentioned in the University’s educational vision (Learning@LeidenUniversity).

In his research, Van Gestel focuses on fundamental and applied research on health behaviour and behaviour change in an interdisciplinary context. He focuses on understanding the factors important for health behaviour (behavioural determinants) and on behaviour change techniques as building blocks of…

Cognitive biases affect how we perceive the world every day, but do they influence animal perception too? In my PhD project, I will study the cognitive biases in the acoustic perception in multiple species, to understand their origins and which role they play in the species-specific communication.

After researching inequity aversion in dogs and bonobos during her bachelor’s and master’s projects, Kia Radovanović conducted a study on cross-species pupil mimicry in dogs at the CoPAN Lab.

The gas prices now exceed 300 euros per megawatt hour – a record. The transition from fossil (natural gas, coal, oil) to renewable energy is needed and soon. But how do you get a society (and its citizens) to switch to sustainable energy?

Leiden University values participation: the participation organs are the ears and eyes of the university. They identify issues of concern among staff and students and help advise and decide on the future of our organisation. Something for you? Then stand as a candidate! This year, elections will…