Opening of the academic year at Leiden Law School
The opening of the academic year at Leiden Law School on Tuesday 1 September was an afternoon filled with knowledge sharing, music, art and award winners.
The programme took place in the KOG restaurant and was presented by student ambassadors Lies and Rosalie, both students at our faculty. Dean Suzan Stoter officially opened the new academic year with a speech that briefly highlighted several important developments within the faculty, including a new career policy. The policy was developed by the faculty working group.
Faculty talks
PhD fellow Julia Rootenberg got the proceedings underway with the first Faculty Talk: ‘The Paradox of the Right to Record’. Julia works at the Institute for the Interdisciplinary Study of the Law, part of the Van Vollenhoven Institute. Her doctoral research focuses on the evolving relationship between citizens and the police in New York. Within the tradition of social law, Julia examines the right to film the police and what this means for both police officers and citizen activists. The presentation offered a timely perspective on a topic that is becoming increasingly relevant in our digitalised society.
Next, Steven Truxal, Professor of Air and Space Law and chair of the Steering Group on Internationalisation took the floor. In his talk Internationalisation: ‘Lead it or lose it’, he stressed the importance of internalisation within the faculty. ‘We can’t just sit back. Other Dutch and European universities are actively competing for talent, reputation and networks. Now is not the time to be complacent, out position may not be easy to regain later.’ Truxal closed his talk by asking staff to think along with the Steering Group about internationalisation and to fill in the survey.
Music
Musical duo Marion Collewet and Eduard Suari Andreu, both assistant professors at the Department of Economics, performed last year at LAWLANDS and provided a musical intermezzo playing flute and guitar during the opening event.
Presentation of artwork
A special moment followed with the presentation of the artwork Juncto by artist Stefan Hofmann. As artist-in-residence, he had spent the past months creating the screen print on the glass wall in the C corridor of the KOG building. Dean Suzan Stoter introduced Juncto as a work that expresses the interconnectedness of science, art and architecture. Rector Magnificus Sarah de Rijcke shared her personal perspective on and experience with art, drawing parallels between creating art and conducting research. The artwork by Stefan Hofmann was then unveiled as digital curtains opened, after which the artist himself gave a brief explanation of his work. There was also attention for the artwork created by Klaar van der Lippe in the new faculty room on the fourth floor. Following an introduction by the Dean, Klaar personally provided an explanation of the artwork.
-
Dean Suzan Stoter and rector Sarah de Rijcke -
Artist Stefan Hoffmann -
Artist Klaar van der Lippe
Award presentation
The afternoon concluded with the presentation of several awards. Our new student assessor Asya Bozkurt presented the JSVO Award for Best Course and Education with the Greatest Impact.
Winners:
JSVO Prize-Best-rated course: ‘Human-Robot Interaction’
- Eduard Fosch-Villaronga, eLaw – Center for Law and Digital Technology
- Roy de Kleijn, Institute of Psychology
- Chloe Gros, eLaw – Center for Law and Digital Technology
- Mohammed Raiz Shaffiqu, eLaw – Center for Law and Digital Technology
- Marie Schwed-Shenker, eLaw – Center for Law and Digital Technology
- Carlotta Rigotti, eLaw – Center for Law and Digital Technology
- Öykü Kurtpınar, International Institute of Air and Space Law
- Peter van der Putten, Leiden Institute of Advanced Computer Science (LIACS)
JSVO prize-Education with the greatest impact: 'Border Criminologies: The Criminalisation of Mobility'
- Assistant professor Amalia Campos-Delgado, Van Vollenhoven Institute. The prize was accepted on her behalf by Maartje van der Woude
Leiden Law Academy Award for best-rated lecturer
Awarded by Dean of LLA Egbert Koops to Yvonne Erkens, Professor of Labour Law, for the best-rated lecturer of Leiden Law Academy 2026 for the specialisation course Gerechtelijk Deskundige. She received an average rating of 9.27.
-
Eduard Fosch Villaronga and his team -
Maartje van der Woude accepting prize on behalf of Amalia Campos-Delgado, Van Vollenhoven Institute. -
Yvonne Erkens, winner of the LLA Award best lecturer and dean LLA Egbert Koops