The outline agreement proposed by the new cabinet will have serious consequences for higher education and research. If the plans go through, there will be significant cutbacks in our sector. We will keep you up to date with developments on this page.

The first hybrid Leiden Research Support Conference – organised for and by research support staff – took place on 27, 28 and 29 September and focused entirely on organising effective research support.

On 5 May we celebrate freedom, a basic human right that should not be taken for granted. We asked international students and staff what it means to them.

Social

They are big and white, devour energy and could be gathering dust in your department: old, faulty or unused fridges are anything but sustainable. This spring, staff from the Faculty of Humanities swapped 18 of these electricity guzzlers for more energy-efficient models. How did they go about this and…

An international team of researchers, including scholars from Leiden University, has received a Seed Funding Grant within the Una Europa network. The project, Democracy and AI, focuses on the impact of artificial intelligence on the functioning of democratic systems.

With the long lockdown, it’s been a hard year for Leiden businesses. How can the local economy bounce back and how can the University help? Two talk shows discussing this were recently recorded in the Academy Building. They will be aired on Unity TV on 28 September and 12 October.

Different groups can have different memories of the same historical event. This can lead to conflict but does not have to. How is this, and how can countries and people reconcile with the past?

The US intervention in Venezuela and the country’s ongoing instability pose risks for the Dutch Caribbean. How serious is that threat? ‘Dutch men and women will have to defend our external borders there,’ says Professor by Special Appointment of Kingdom Relations, Wouter Veenendaal.

On 31 January 2024, Alex Schilin defended his dissertation ‘United in Distinctiveness: The Institutionalisation of Differentiated Integration in Economic and Monetary Union during the Sovereign Debt Crisis.’ What motivated him to research this specific topic, and how did he tackle this project? And…

From 1 January 2022, the procurement thresholds for European tenders are increased. For many colleagues, procurement and tendering does not affect them on a daily basis. That is why Faculty controller Rob van Amsterdam catches us up on the ins and outs of tenders.

This study is important because it seeks to uncover whether clinicians' communication influences neurobiological and physiological outcomes for patients.

Jaïr van Rhenen studied Medicine in Leiden and is now a GP in the largely religious Veenendaal. Before this, he worked as a tropical medicine doctor in Lesotho. ‘If you have the prospect of an afterlife, you often respond differently to illness.’

ICT

Neuroscientists Ineke van der Ham (Leiden University) and Anouk Keizer (Utrecht University) regularly use VR in their research. Their experiences with the medium raise many questions about the ways VR is experienced by different people. Therefore they conducted an VR experiment at the cinedans festival…

‘We didn’t find any mechanisms in the brain for transmitting child abuse from generation to generation. What we did find is that experiences of neglect and abuse affect the brain differently,’ concludes Lisa van den Berg (Clinical Psychology). PhD defence 30 June.

Apps to help people stop smoking, eat more healthily or exercise more are everywhere. eHealth programmes are abundant, yet they are often not accessible to people with lower incomes and levels of education. For her PhD research, Isra Al-Dhahir investigated how this could be improved.

Organisation

Over the past five years, medical anthropologist Annemarie Samuels has studied palliative care in different parts of the world. Over the next five years, she will focus on end-of-life care in the Netherlands. 'Everyone has the right to good care at the end of their life, but what that means differs…

Consumer grade smartwatches may not be as accurate as promised when measuring tiredness or stress. That is the conclusion of researchers Björn Siepe and Eiko Fried based on a comparison between smartwatch measurements and self-reports by users.

Piercing through the skull with an ice pick, administering electric shocks without an anaesthetic, or applying leeches to the uterus: these may seem like medieval methods of torture, but they are in fact therapies used in medicine. Willem van der Does writes about all of them in his new book. ‘Physicians…

Course

Course

There are several complaints committees at the university.

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

Can you have ADHD even if you’re not hyperactive? How does Ritalin work? And does ADHD present differently in girls from boys? In a University of the Netherlands video, neuroscientist Lara van Wierenga answers questions about ADHD.

If you have lost something in or around the University, look on iLost to see if it’s been found. You can collect your lost property from a reception.

That a pupil can get along well with the teacher is enormously important. Both for the pupil and the teacher. How does that work? Education researchers Tim Mainhard and Hinke Endedijk explain.

Each month, we publish an article showcasing how social science research and education contribute to solving societal challenges. Researchers, lecturers, students, and societal partners work together to make knowledge accessible and to make a difference. Through open science and engaged education, we…

The confidential counsellor for research integrity is your first port of call for any questions or situations relating to research integrity, or if you have suspicions about a current or former employee of Leiden University. All your meetings with the confidential counsellor are confidential.

Please report any failure to buildings or equipment to your building’s service desk. If your building does not have its own service desk, please contact the Management and Maintenance department.

Research

Marjan van Dasselaar is the Staff Ombuds Officer. The Staff Ombuds Officer gives independent advice to the University on how the staff’s work environment can be made safer.

If you wish to use a lactation room or quiet room for meditation or prayer, you will find one in many of the University’s buildings.

If you handle personal data, there are a number of legal grounds on which this can be done. One example involves obtaining consent from the person in question, also known as 'informed consent'. This informed consent must adhere to several requirements.

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).…

Treasury is about the scrupulous management of liquid assets in both the short and long term. There must be enough money in the bank account to be able to make payments.

If you relocate for your work or if the University requires you to move, you may qualify for a relocation allowance or bonus.