The Netherlands returned 478 artefacts to Indonesia and Sri Lanka this week, on the advice of a Dutch committee. Rightly so, says Leiden professor Pieter ter Keurs from the Museums, Collections and Society interdisciplinary research programme. ‘But do make it clear why you are returning something.’

From receiving our salary to doing our shopping: we are completely dependent on commercial banks for all our payment transactions. But what happens if they collapse? In his inaugural lecture, Professor Bart Joosen calls for a rigorous change: ‘Put payment transactions for private clients under one…

Didactics

A web lecture in most cases shows a recorded lecture, often in combination with interactive slides or a blackboard. The lecture recording can be made available afterwards or streamed live for students who cannot attend the live lecture.

How should we address our colonial heritage? And how digital and accessible are our collections? Outgoing State Secretary Fleur Gräper spoke with researchers and heritage specialists about this on 25 January.

From the start of your PhD you make agreements with your supervisors concerning your personal development and the supervision you receive. These agreements should be recorded in a Training and Supervision Plan. This plan contains agreements concerning your research, supervision, training, and potential…

A talking head is a video in which the presenter is recorded from the waist up. This format usually includes visual aids like slides, a board, an object or an animation. This can be recorded in your office, at home or in the studio. If you consider recording in your office or at home, you might want…

What distinguishes a documentary from other formats is that it uses people and situations in real life to give voice to different opinions, provide a statement on a societal phenomenon and/or give insight into a world that is not easily accessible. If you want to record a documentary, it is important…

Didactics

The layout of a dissertation must meet certain requirements. Special rules also apply if the dissertation was written with others or if a commercial edition will be published.

When you use a screencast, you record the changes on your computer screen, and enhance this with a voice over. You can use different supporting software & hardware, like PowerPoint or a drawing tablet. In some cases this is used in combination with a webcam recording or an animation.

Animation is a fun way to explain complicated theories and concepts, in which the visual aid plays a central role and is based around a storyline. An animation can be a stand-alone video with a voice-over but can also be used as part of a talking head video or screencast.

A fiction film portrays a narrative with well thought out characters as realistically as possible with the use of actors, lighting and decor. The strength of a fiction film is being able to relay a deeper meaning in an entertaining and artistic way.

Transferable skills, Career development

Whatever editing programme you choose to work with, an editing project generally follows the same workflow. Below you will find more information about each step in the editing process.

Before you start creating text and visual content for your educational video, make sure you have a clear picture of your learning objectives and how you are going to assess these. When you have established these, you can further develop what you want to teach. Keep in mind that there is already a lot…

Demonstrations can be used to show and explain a skill or procedure in a setting from practice, like a lab or (fictitious) courtroom.

Didactics

Teachers at Leiden University are experts in their field and passionate about educating students in their discipline. It is also important that they can work effectively as a member of a team, together with colleagues and students, and that they feel committed to our organisation. We will therefore…

Audio podcasts or audio recordings have a broad range of opportunities in education. Podcasts can be used to transfer knowledge (audio lectures), record interviews, record instructions for a field trip or to make a short radio documentary on location. Podcasts are a flexible medium, the small file size…

Working effectively

An organisation the size of Leiden University requires careful internal communication.

If you wish to start a project site for a temporary Leiden University project, or if you need a new domain name, please apply to the Functional Web Management department.

Personal development, Transferable skills

Seminar

Follow these steps to start a new mailing or newsletter.

For the academic year 2025-2026, nine (teams of) teachers will receive a Grassroots or Grass shoots grant. Here you can read about their projects.

Depending on its purpose, assessment can support ongoing learning, provide final evaluations, or help students reflect on their own progress.

Research, Didactics, Career development

Explanation of improvements and additions to templates and blocks.

Would you like to share your academic news with the world? Since 1 January 2024, Leiden University has been a partner of The Conversation, an international not-for-profit news platform that unlocks academic knowledge for a wide audience.

Didactics, Career development

Communication, Research