We regret to share the news that our colleague, friend, and former professor of Assyriology at Leiden University, passed away on 15 May 2021.

Nadine Akkerman, associate professor of early modern English literature is receiving the Dr Hendrik Muller Prize 2021 for her work.

The academic year officially commences on 1 September and ends on 31 August. On collective closing days the university is closed and no lectures take place. The academic calendar applies to the whole university and to all study programmes with the exception of medicine.

Online, hybrid, on campus... It was an unpredictable year, also for the Faculty of Humanities. Luckily, there were also non-corona related stories. Let's review 2021 with this list of the most-read news articles per month.

The academic year officially commences on 1 September and ends on 31 August. On collective closing days the university is closed and no lectures take place. The academic calendar applies to the whole university and to all study programmes with the exception of medicine.

The opening of the new academic year highlighted students' and lecturers' personal motivators. Incoming students were encouraged to be bold, forge their own paths and grow by trial and error.

The integrity and reliability of academic research are of fundamental importance to the University. All parties, both within and outside the University, must be able to have confidence that our research is conducted in a scrupulous, fair, verifiable, impartial and independent manner.

If you wish to increase your academic impact and your interaction with your field, the University can support your efforts in a number of ways: from help in organising events to advice on international collaboration. We have listed the possibilities below.

In the week of 22-26 September, we celebrate the national Open Science Week at Leiden University. What is your next step towards openness?

We are saddened by the news of the unexpected passing of prof.dr. Pieter Sjoerd van Koningsveld on 28 July 2021.

Workshops, lectures

Organisation

Over two days in the middle of April the Leiden University Centre for the Arts in Society hosted the virtual Bodies Matter conference. Almost two years in the making, the conference was an exciting and timely opportunity to discuss and debate histories, theories and practices of bodies.

Open Science verandert de manier waarop onderzoek wordt gedeeld en wordt samengewerkt. Anna van ’t Veer won een award voor haar Open Science-activiteiten.

In de maanden maart, april en mei organiseerde het programma Transparantie in Informatie, van de ministeries van Economische Zaken en Klimaat (EZK) en Landbouw, Natuur en Voedselkwaliteit (LNV), gesprekken over de veranderopgave naar een Open Departement. De sessies hadden als doel om een eerlijk en…

The academic freedom core team was established by Rector Magnificus Hester Bijl in the summer of 2022. It comprises five professors from five different faculties: Martine de Vries (LUMC), Frits van der Meer (FGGA), Sense Jan van der Molen (Science), Jannemieke Ouwerkerk (Law) and Herman Paul (Humanities).…

Every year, an outstanding lecturer receives the Faculty Teaching Prize. Lecturers are nominated by students and a jury decides who will receive the prize. The prize is awarded during the official opening of the academic year on 8 September. This year, students nominated four candidates. We spoke to…

The University’s historical collection is housed in the Academic Historical Museum. The museum is situated in the Academy Building.

The Department of Strategy and Academic Affairs is responsible for strategy and policy advice in the areas of education and research.

Debate

The theme of the opening of this year’s academic year was peace and justice. With the climate crisis and the war in Ukraine, these are turbulent times. During the ceremony those present reflected on what the academic community and universities can mean in times of crisis and conflict.

Within all bachelor’s and master’s programmes, depending on the type of programme, attention is paid to ensuring that academic research is carried out scrupulously. For each programme, this is done in a way that is appropriate for the discipline in question.

Paul Wouters has been involved in open science for 30 years, from his first introduction to a preprint server in 1992 to his recent roles as Dean of the Faculty of Social and Behavioural Sciences and open science ambassador for Academia in Motion. Wouters is now retiring. He is leaving with high hopes…

‘Culture change takes time,’ said Vice-Rector Hester Bijl at the closing panel of the University’s Diversity Symposium on 26 January. She talked about the road to a diverse and inclusive university. The symposium provided plenty of concrete examples of small steps that can already be taken.

Research, Communication, Transferable skills

Education, Research

The LUCAS Audience Award 2021 has been awarded to Nadine Akkerman. This is a prize for researchers who appeal to an audience wider than the academic community. The prize consists of 1000 euros, a trophy and eternal fame.

Research

Leiden University wants to attract the best academics. What requirements does it set for new academic staff members? What requirements must you meet for a career in academia? Read more about our career policy for academic staff.

Research

Crucial information about research, funding or how university rankings are created is often not freely accessible. The Barcelona Declaration on Open Research Information calls for such information to be made open. Professor Ludo Waltman is one of its initiators. What needs to change?