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Three new Leiden bloggers for Faces of Science

What is life like as an academic? Twelve PhD candidates will report on their daily work in videos and blogs on the Faces of Science website (in Dutch). They include three researchers from Leiden who are researching topics such as North Korean support for African liberation movements, how differently opposition and government parties actually behave and belief in the divine power of amulets.

The new Leiden Faces of Science are:

Rick van Well (27) - Social and Behavioural Sciences, Institute of Political Science

In a democracy, opposition parties offer voters an alternative. Rick is studying how differently opposition and government parties actually behave in parliament. This involves analysing parliamentary documents and talking to politicians. When do the opposition and government work together and when do they seek confrontation with each other?

Tycho van der Hoog (28) - Area Studies, Africa Studies Centre

North Korea appears to be an isolated country, but it secretly maintains close ties with African governments. Tycho is researching how North Korea supported various African liberation movements during their struggle for independence in the previous century. Now many of these movements are in power, this collaboration continues, despite sanctions by the United Nations.

Patricia Kret (28) - Humanities, Institute for History

Amulets were used in the Greco-Roman world. With the aid of a necklace or statuette at the door, people hoped to secure the help of divine powers for healing or protection. Christianity did not succeed in eradicating this specific use of objects. Patricia is researching why people kept using amulets.

On FacesofScience.nl (in Dutch) dozens of PhD candidates blog about their lives as researchers. The blogs are of interest to anyone who wants to know more about academia. And they help secondary school students who will soon be deciding what to study gain a realistic idea of what it’s like to work in academia. Faces of Science is a project by the Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences, Young Academy and NEMO Kennislink.

Photo l-r: Rick van Well, Tycho van der Hoog and Patricia Kret.

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