Jasper's day
Jasper Knoester is the dean of the Faculty of Science. How is he doing, what exactly does he do and what does his day look like? In each newsletter, Jasper gives an insight into his life.
Friday 22 August - ‘Asia makes consistent, large-scale investments in research and education’
‘I wake up in my hotel room in Ningbo, a large port city in China, about three hours’ drive from Shanghai. I am here with Yun Tian, our Policy Officer for Global Engagement, to discuss collaboration with a recently established university, the Eastern Institute of Technology (EIT).
We are in Asia because it is important to build new partnerships. Unlike the Netherlands, countries here are making consistent, large-scale investments in research and education. As a result, developments move quickly and it is essential for us to stay connected.
(Renewed) collaboration with China
We also visited last year for an initial introduction, on the recommendation of CML alumnus Lan Song, who is now Head of Global Engagement at EIT. This is the second step on our journey; on Wednesday we were in Beijing to represent our university in talks with the China Scholarship Council (CSC) about renewing our agreement.
I get ready, have breakfast, and at a quarter to nine we are picked up for our visit. The first stop is the new campus, built at remarkable speed. Last year the site was still full of scaffolding; now a whole series of large buildings has sprung up. Hundreds of people are working feverishly to complete the interiors and installations. The first undergraduate students arrive next week, and they must be given a warm welcome – after all, they will become the university’s first ambassadors.
An impressive university in American style
This university is special: it is a private institution founded with a major donation, supported by many other smaller contributions. The aim is to create a university modelled more on the American system, with English-language teaching and a strong focus on science and technology.
The first intake of undergraduate students has been carefully selected. Great effort went into the admissions process and EIT is rightfully proud of the calibre of students it has attracted – on a par with China’s top universities. This can be seen in their results on the national entrance exam, the “Gaokao”.
The campus lies beautifully along a river and does indeed resemble American campuses, with, among other things, a centrally located library topped with a distinctive dome. After our tour of the new site, we head to the temporary campus, where the first researchers have already set up their laboratories.
A tour by an old acquaintance
We are shown around by Assistant Professor Junwei Wang, a physicist specialising in soft condensed matter. He obtained his PhD in Germany and stayed on as a postdoc before coming here. He talks with great enthusiasm about the facilities and his research. He was drawn by the vision behind this new university and is eager to be part of the adventure, which he sees as full of opportunities. As it happens, he is also familiar with Leiden and knows colleagues at the LION in the same field.
Next comes the formal part of the visit: a meeting with Vice-President Chunmiao Zheng, two vice-provosts, a dean and, of course, Lan Song. Both sides give enthusiastic presentations, followed by lively discussions about possible collaboration. We sign two agreements, the result of months of negotiations carefully coordinated by Yun and Lan. One is an exchange agreement for undergraduate students, the other covers joint supervision of PhD candidates – up to five new ones a year, fully funded by EIT.
‘I see valuable opportunities for our faculty’I am delighted with the opportunity to build a joint PhD programme with EIT. I find the spirit of this university and its leadership inspiring. EIT is attracting talented young scholars and leading researchers from across the world, with a clear drive for quality and innovation in both research and education. There is an open atmosphere in the discussions. I see valuable opportunities for our faculty and staff, especially around PhD projects, which are an excellent way to foster collaboration. For EIT, partnering with an established faculty like ours is an additional incentive, as being a new university they are not yet authorised to award doctorates.
A bicycle trip through historic Ningbo
Over an extended lunch with our hosts, we discuss a return visit: EIT researchers will come to Leiden in spring 2026, a wonderful opportunity to connect them with our colleagues. Afterwards, Yun and I head back to the hotel, where we work for a while on the CSC agreement. Later in the afternoon we take a short bike ride nearby, discovering a surprisingly historic part of the city which is very lively on a Friday afternoon.
After a successful dinner we walk back to the hotel over one of the city’s many long bridges. Tomorrow, we have an early start to catch a flight to Taipei, so we keep the evening short. As I switch off the light, I look back with satisfaction on the China part of this mission. Now I am curious to see what Taiwan – new to me – will bring.’