Leiden University’s vision on teaching and learning expresses where our emphasis lies in teaching students and which new and existing requirements we apply to our curriculum and learning environment. This vision offers a long-term perspective for developing education and marks the start of a process…

Activating teaching and learning is one of the ambitions of our vision on teaching and learning (Learning@LeidenUniversity).

Good education starts with good educators. The university has taken various steps in recent years to help our teaching staff develop. But new teaching staff require particular attention, say staff who work on teacher professionalisation.

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…

Flexible learning pathways are one of the ambitions of our vision on teaching and learning (Learning@LeidenUniversity).

Fifteen passionate lecturers from Leiden University were awarded the Senior Teaching Qualification (SKO) on Thursday 27 January. One of them is Frank Takes, as of 1 February Associate Professor of Computer Science. For him the SKO was a good opportunity to reflect on how he teaches.

Application of technology is one of the ambitions of our vision on teaching and learning (Learning@LeidenUniversity).

Integration of research and teaching is one of the ambitions of our vision on teaching and learning (Learning@LeidenUniversity).

Internationalisation and diversity is one of the ambitions of our vision on teaching and learning (Learning@LeidenUniversity).

Higher-education institutions must be assessed and accredited once every six years to ensure they provide a high standard of education. You may be asked to speak to the assessment panel during the institutional audit.

The Academy for Professionals project started in November. The project will focus on further developing existing and new educational programmes for professionals. ‘This is part of taking valorisation seriously.’

Are you a senior lecturer and do you play an active role in the university’s educational development and innovation? If so, you are eligible for the Senior Teaching Qualification (SKO). This qualification shows that you possess strong didactic and educational skills and that you contribute to the development…

In our new strategic plan (Innovating and Connecting – 2022-2027) we focus on stronger connections: between disciplines, with society and within our university community.

When do you submit a thesis proposal to the Ethics Committee? And how do you ensure that students save their data properly? On 9 June, thesis supervisors will be able to ask these questions at the Ethics Education Afternoon. Professor Herman Paul and policy officer Marcel Belderbos will tell us more…

A celebration was held in the Tabú restaurant: Mark Rutgers, Dean of the Faculty of Humanities, was presented with the first copy of LEAP, a journal where Humanities master’s students can prepare for an academic career by publishing articles themselves.

Our vision on lifelong development

The Comenius innovation programme for higher education and universities of applied science gives teachers the resources to implement their vision for education. Every year, the programme creates the conditions for a wide range of teaching innovations to flourish. The government’s aim with this programme…

What is the vision of Leiden University on education? And what kind of education does the university offer to her students?

Research by The Young Academy on the length and intensity of the Dutch academic year has given us food for thought. Do our staff have enough time and space to conduct research? And do we ask too much of our students? The Ministry of Education, Culture and Science asked us universities to think about…

On Friday 10 June a workshop on students’ unique skills was organised in the context of the joint Erasmus+ project ASSET-H. In this workshop, teaching staff learned how to showcase the skills that students can learn in their classes. Trainer Catho Jacobs has five tips on helping students to recognise…

Didactics

Conference

Ylva Klaassen has been reappointed for three years as Director of Teaching and Learning of LUCAS. Her second term begins on 1 October, which she will combine with her duties as institute manager.

If students are to develop their talents, they will need an inclusive learning environment where they feel at home and can share their experiences and opinions. This teaching guide helps teaching staff in their ambitions to foster students’ development at our university, regardless of their backgrou…

PhD candidates spend most of their time on conducting research. However, teaching is another skill you need to acquire as an academic.

At some faculties, postdocs are required to take on teaching duties straight away; at other faculties, this isn’t always the case. If you would like to teach and you have time to do so, please contact your institute’s programme director. Leiden University also offers opportunities for you to follow…

The Faculty of Humanities values good teaching and expert lecturers and encourages lecturers to further professionalise themselves, obtaining the University Teaching Qualification (UTQ, or in Dutch: BKO) being the first step.

Good teaching is a skill in itself. In order to guarantee the quality of education in the Netherlands, the University Teaching Qualification (Basis Kwalificatie Onderwijs, BKO) is now compulsory for all lecturers, university lecturers (UD), senior university lecturers (UHD) and professors. What does…

Whether you’re giving a course for the first time or aiming to update your learning objectives or teaching formats, effective education starts with good course design. This step-by-step plan will help you create or innovate your course: from learning objectives to teaching formats.

How can we work together to create a safe study and learning environment and offer students the support that they need? The Vision on Student Well-Being outlines the University’s plans to promote student well-being in the coming years.

As you may know, a draft profile for a broad BA programme in Languages and Cultures has been in development for some time. On 21 December 2021, the Faculty Board decided to end the design process of that broad bachelor’s degree programme. However, as the Faculty Board and partners in the discipline…

From interview training and competence tests to internships and contact with alumni. At Leiden University there are many ways for our students to prepare for the job market, but the support available is often too fragmented and hard to find. How can we best prepare our students for a job market that…

Leiden University considers good education to be of paramount importance. That is why we invest in our teachers’ professional development, to ensure that their teaching methods continue to match the needs of individual students.

How can you encourage students to actively participate in your course?

Hybrid teaching combines face-to-face teaching on campus with online attendance: some students are present in class, while others join remotely at the same time via a livestream.

Mirjam de Baar has been Vice-Dean of the Faculty of Humanities and portfolio holder for education of master’s and research master’s programmes since 2016. As a result of her reappointment, she will continue to fulfil this role for an additional four years. ‘Being asked by the Vice-Rector and the Dean…

It’s time once again to take the National Student Survey (NSE), the annual student satisfaction survey for all students at research universities and universities of applied sciences. Annie de Jong is a Policy Officer for Quality Assurance at Strategy and Academic Affairs and the central contact person…

The annual National Student Survey (NSE) was conducted in the first quarter of 2024. A third of all Leiden University students responded. Lecturer appreciation and atmosphere were rated highly, whereas job market preparation and student well-being remain points for development.