FSW Booster Grant 'Social Transitions' awarded to two interdisciplinary projects
Following a successful matchmaking event on 31 March, the Faculty of Social and Behavioural Sciences (FSW) has awarded two FSW Booster Grants that contribute to collaboration within the profiling theme of Social Transitions. The grants support interdisciplinary initiatives between institutes as well as faculties that strengthen connections between research, education, and societal challenges.
Project 1: Methods for fostering dialogue on controversial topics
This project focuses on methods for engaging in constructive dialogue on controversial issues. Themes such as social transitions, diversity, and inequality often evoke strong emotions, which can lead to polarisation, declining trust in government, and the denial of factual truths. Meaningful conversations about these topics are increasingly difficult, with people retreating into like-minded circles. This trend is also visible in the classroom.
In Leiden, several initiatives have already been developed to create space for such dialogue. Between 2014 and 2022, Maurits Berger (LUCSoR) organised a series of student “think tanks” to discuss Islam and Dutch society. In 2024, Noa Schonmann (LIAS) launched Radio Israel/Palestine, where students conduct interviews with academics and activists. Nadira Saab (ICLON) is developing the concept of Theatre of the Oppressed to facilitate conversations on marginalisation. There are several other initiatives as well.
This project aims to map and analyse these initiatives and to present a curated selection as inspiration for Leiden lecturers who wish to develop similar approaches in their teaching.
Call:
Leiden colleagues who have developed methods for discussing controversial topics are warmly invited to share their experiences. Please send a brief message to Maurits Berger at: m.s.berger@hum.leidenuniv.nl.
Project 2: Human-Centred Cybersecurity in an AI-driven society
The rapid integration of artificial intelligence is transforming not only the technologies we use, but also the digital environments in which people learn, work, communicate, and develop. This raises new questions about digital security, responsibility, trust, and societal resilience, as well as about the future of scientific research itself. How can we ensure that people are able to participate safely, responsibly, and fully in a society increasingly shaped by digital technologies?
An interdisciplinary team of researchers at Leiden University is working to develop a shared research agenda addressing these questions. The initiative brings together researchers from Education and Child Studies, Psychology, CWTS and Computer Sciences.
Cybersecurity is often approached as a purely technical issue. However, many challenges related to digital safety are not only technological but also involve human behaviour, development, social contexts, and institutional choices. In this initiative, researchers from multiple disciplines combine their expertise to examine these challenges from different perspectives and to develop new research lines that contribute to a human-centred approach to digital security in an AI-driven society.
Interested in this initiative?
In the coming period, workshops will be organised in which researchers from various disciplines will jointly explore the knowledge, research questions, and collaborations needed for a human-centred approach to digital security.
Would you like to contribute your ideas?
Please contact Marga Sikkema-de Jong or keep an eye out for upcoming workshop invitations.