Engagement with Society
The ‘Engagement with Society’ ambition is closely linked to the ‘Employability Enhancement’ and ‘Skills’ ambitions. Introducing students to social issues often gives them immediate insight into the job market they will enter. And working on social issues gives them the opportunity to develop skills and gain experience.
Engagement with society
Our teaching seeks to prepare students to become academic professionals and engaged citizens who are well-informed about social, political and professional developments. They are made aware of their own role and influence within these developments.
We are committed to stimulating and strengthening the social awareness of our students by encouraging them to engage with social issues during their time at our university. On this page, you can read about the various ways in which students learn about, for, in and with society during their studies.
Learning about, for, in and with society
Here we make a distinction between learning about and for society (where knowledge and insights are acquired) and learning in and with society (where students also gain practical experience).
Learning about and for society: acquiring knowledge and insights
• Learning about society means that students acquire knowledge about current social issues.
• Learning for society means that students gain insights into how their subject area and knowledge generated within that area relate to societal issues.
Students learn about and for society in courses that aim to impart theoretical knowledge. Social partners may also be directly or indirectly involved in teaching or may contribute towards the courses.
Current societal issues related to climate change, the energy transition and sustainability are integrated into our education in a variety of ways, from individual courses to complete degree programmes. Read more about this in the Sustainability dossier.
Learning in and with society: gaining practical experience
• Learning in society involves students applying knowledge and insights from their own subject area to a societal issue.
• Learning with society means collaborating with a social player on a current societal issue.
Learning in and with society is specifically geared towards gaining practical experience. Students engage more directly with society, which requires intensive cooperation with one or several social partners. To encourage students to become engaged and responsible citizens, the university encourages such activities as part of the curriculum or, where this is not possible, as extracurricular activities.
Working with community partners
Working with community partners to address their challenges in our teaching requires coordination. Leiden University has several platforms for integrating societal challenges with our teaching.
Leren met de stad (Learning with the City)
Leren met de Stad (Learning with the City) is one such platform in Leiden for establishing practical and structural partnerships between the university of applied sciences, the university, the municipality and social organisations. The aim of this collaborative platform is to solve problems in the city in consultation with the residents. Students learn from real-life, hands-on experience in the city, which contributes to active citizenship and a greater sense of social reality and engagement.
The Hague Southwest Thesis Hub
The Hague Southwest Thesis Hub is a Leiden-Delft-Erasmus Universities teaching programme that actively connects policy with practice.
Contact
Mandy Koenraads is The Hague Southwest Thesis Hub’s coordinator and can help:
- Facilitate collaboration with stakeholders in The Hague Southwest.
- Identify relevant societal challenges and link them to theses.
- Identify relevant societal challenges and address them in courses.
Contact Mandy at m.r.koenraads@fgga.leidenuniv.nl
Leiden-Delft-Erasmus Centre for Sustainability
The Leiden-Delft-Erasmus Centre for Sustainability is happy to help find relevant real-life circular-economy case studies in South Holland. They also have an extensive network and expertise in inter- and transdisciplinary collaboration.
Contact
Contact the centre at lde_cfs@cml.leidenuniv.nl
Knowledge brokers can help you get started
If you are looking for help contacting community partners or developing teaching that focuses on societal challenges, the following knowledge brokers can help.
Bas Nijboer
For advice on public-public collaborations with community partners and the different tiers of government, contact Bas Nijboer at s.g.w.nijboer@fgga.leidenuniv.nl.
Mijanou Blaauw
Mijanou Blaauw can help you contact community partners and develop teaching that focuses on societal challenges. She is available for Leiden Law School staff and for collaborations with the faculty. Contact her at: m.blaauw@law.leidenuniv.nl.