Conference
Kickoff Interfaculty Theme Social Transitions
- Date
- Wednesday 4 November 2026
- Time
- Address
- The Hague, exact location TBA
Pressing societal transitions - such as the energy transition, increasing social diversity, fast-paced digitalisation and political fragmentation - profoundly affect the political, economic, legal and social fabric of our societies. They redistribute costs, opportunities, status and authority. They place demands on institutions - courts, markets, schools, media and governments - that were not designed with them in mind. They also give rise to divisions and inequalities and put democratic institutions to the test.
Leiden University conducts research on a number of these transitions, drawing on insights from law, the humanities, and the social and behavioural sciences. The interfaculty theme Social Transitions brings together academics working on these questions across disciplines, departments and faculties, creating a broader interdisciplinary network for exchange and new forms of collaboration across research, education and societal impact.
Kickoff event
On Wednesday 4 November, we will organise the first event of the Social Transitions theme. During this kickoff, we will introduce the profile’s ambitions and current areas of focus, and researchers from different disciplines will briefly present their work on social transitions. In interactive sessions we will ask your input, exploring questions such as: Which themes and questions are important for research on social transitions? Where do different disciplines intersect? And what is needed to turn interesting connections into concrete interdisciplinary collaboration?
We will use the input from this first event to help shape the future activities of the thematic profile.
The event is open to researchers from all faculties and disciplines who work on social transitions or would like to contribute their expertise to the theme. Are you working on a research project that you would like to present in a short pitch during the kick-off? Let us know: j.l.j.buhari@hum.leidenuniv.nl (Jamel Buhari – Coordinator, Social Transitions).
Preliminary programme
15:00 – Welcome and introduction to Social Transitions
15:10 – Short research and project pitches
15:30 – Mapping Social Transitions
15:50 – Interdisciplinary break-out sessions
16:30 – Closing and drinks
See also the more detailed programme description in the right column.