Universiteit Leiden

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Leiden did not forget you: Sign your name in the Sweat Room

Most young alumni who graduated during the COVID-19 pandemic did not get a graduation ceremony, nor did they have the chance to sign their name in the Sweat Room. Thanks to the Alumni Office, they now have the chance to do so after all.

Many young alumni graduated during the COVID-19 pandemic, between March 2020 and April 2022. This period was not the most fun time to be a student, let alone to graduate from university. Some graduations took place in the middle of a lockdown, and diplomas were sent by post. These students also probably missed out on the wonderful Leiden tradition of immortalising their name in the Sweat Room.

Our Faculty’s Alumni officer Sanderien de Jong decided to organize special Sign your name-days in late Spring, together with Maud Alberts from the central Alumni Office. Everybody who graduated between March 2020 and April 2022 got an invitation.

Sanderien: ‘The response after we sent out the invitation was overwhelming: the first two dates were fully booked within a day! We also received many enthusiastic emails from alumni that they were so happy with our initiative. Very nice to notice that we really meet a need!’

Sign your name-days!

On 26 May and 2, 9 and 16 June, all so-called ‘Covid graduates' are very welcome in Leiden. They are welcomed in the Academy Building where they can put their signature on the wall of the Sweat Room. A photographer is present to capture this memorable moment. They also receive a voucher for a free cup of coffee or tea in the Hortus, a discount voucher for the University Shop and a discount on a canal cruise with the Leiden shipping company. We hope to be able to offer this group of young alumni a nice conclusion.

Some reactions from alumni:

‘I just wanted to commend you on this fantastic initiative; it's only sentimental, but this is really a wonderful tradition and it was a shame many of us didn't get to partake.’

‘As an international student who was unable to attend graduation due to living outside of the Netherlands during the height of the pandemic, it is particularly meaningful to be offered the opportunity to mark the end of my formal academic education in this way.’

Available dates

Did you graduate in Covid times but did you not receive our invitation? There are still time slots available on 09 en 16 June, so apply a.s.a.p.! See this page for more information.

If you would like to update your contact details, you can do so via the form on this page.

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