Our new production centre in Leiden will bring CAR-T cell therapy closer to cancer patients in Europe Bristol Myers Squibb chose the Leiden Bio Science Park as the European location for a new CAR-T cell therapy facility we are investing in the expansion of our global network to bring cell therapy closer to patients in Europe Leiden: A hub for innovation in cell therapy Bristol Myers Squibb has chosen the Leiden Bio Science Park as the European site for its CAR-T cell therapy facility This facility is a key part of our global expansion which aims to bring novel cell therapies to patients with blood cancer across Europe and make it easier for them to access these personalised The Leiden manufacturing centre is our first European site for CAR-T cell therapies joining our global network of facilities transforming care for patients with blood cancer Equipped with the latest technology and state-of-the-art production facilities the centre represents our commitment to ensuring supply of CAR-T therapies It will play a central role in our efforts to meet the growing demand for CAR-T therapies in Europe shortening lead times and improving patient outcomes by manufacturing them closer to patients' homes The information posted on this website is intended for residents of the Netherlands You can contact our EU Data Protection Officer at EUDPO@BMS.com to exercise any data protection rights you may have and to raise any concerns or questions about Bristol Myers Squibb's processing of your Personal Data Unlock discounted publishing that highlights your organization and the peer-reviewed research and clinical experiences it produces Find out how channels are organized and operated including details on the roles and responsibilities of channel editors Offering a variety of advertising and sponsorship options for reaching influential specialists from targeted demographic splits efficient publishing and peer reviewing experience without sacrificing publication times Generate broad awareness and deliver relevant peer-reviewed clinical experiences directly to potential customers Dedicated Cranial Radiosurgery: Clinical Experience with New & Innovative SRS Technologies Real-Time Adaptive Motion Management on Helical and Robotic RT Platforms Please note that by doing so you agree to be added to our monthly email newsletter distribution list The Faculty of Governance and Global Affairs (FGGA) established a faculty team to contribute to Academia in Motion (AiM) This is the university-wide programme aimed at fostering a cultural shift towards an open knowledge community with Open Science and Recognition & Rewards at its core Academia in Motion supports Leiden University’s goal of creating a transparent and inclusive academic environment that promotes collaboration and knowledge exchange with other universities It places emphasis on recognising and valuing contributions to shared strategic goals critical thinking and a diverse range of perspectives the faculty Academia in Motion team (fAiM) serves in an advisory body and comprises colleagues from the faculty’s three institutes – the Institute of Public Administration the Institute of Security and Global Affairs and Leiden University College – as well as members of the faculty office The team is driven by a shared enthusiasm to contribute to the cultural shift that AiM envisions.   experimentation and tailoring approaches to each institute and subject If you have questions about Academia in Motion at FGGA or if you would like to contribute or participate in fAiM activities, please contact Annemarie Bouwman (a.t.bouwman@fgga.leidenuniv.nl) or one of the fAiM members from your institute Read more about the university-wide programme Alessandra Silvestri has been appointed professor in Theoretical Physics in the area of Cosmology For her this promotion in Leiden is the icing on the cake ‘But there are many more boxes I would like to tick.’ for exploring the unknown and answering open questions is what brought me to this career I always look forward to having more time to do research Not sure if a full professorship will make it easier or harder what makes me even more enthusiastic is to address open challenges with a vibrant and motivated research group That is something I always look forward to having a big and highly motivated research group Another thing that I particularly enjoy is outreach activities directed to young students That is the crucial age where biases form in their mind so I find it very important and rewarding to talk to them about science BOCA invites Leiden teaching staff and students to a museum visit to Museum West Den Haag on Thursday 13 May at 14.00 hours where we will meet with Colombian artist Nika Sorzano about her work 'Cannibal Enfleshments.' This event is a great opportunity to meet one of the artists and visit the exhibition To register, please send an email to boca@hum.leidenuniv.nl The BOCA project explores new forms of communicating academic knowledge as a way to strengthen the connection between the university and society The project was awarded a Kiem seed grant and is led by Daniela Vicherat Mattar (FGGA/LUC) and Nanne Timmer (FGw/LUCAS) BOCA combines research expertise in the humanities (arts literature) and social sciences (anthropology sociology) to unsettle dominant practices of academic knowledge production and dissemination and those defined by disembodied and mostly written forms We intervene in the University space to nurture other forms of communicating academic knowledge and in so doing contribute to positive transformation of the university as a force for societal change across borders.  Learn more by visiting the project website.  Eight early-career researchers from around the world have been awarded a 51 Pegasi b Fellowship – a prestigious opportunity for astronomers We asked her four questions about this remarkable fellowship ‘I’ll receive funding for a three-year research position with the possibility to extend it to a fourth year I’ll finish my PhD in Leiden this summer.’  The 51 Pegasi b Fellowship supports young scientists in the field of astronomy It’s named after the very first planet discovered outside our solar system – what we now call an exoplanet – orbiting a star similar to our Sun and the planet that circles it was named 51 Pegasi b was a major breakthrough in astronomy and marked the start of a new area of research: the search for worlds beyond our own solar system That’s why the fellowship carries its name.  It’s an incredible opportunity and also recognition of my work and ideas. I’m really excited to be part of a network of brilliant researchers I was fortunate to receive several offers for postdoctoral positions but I chose the 51 Pegasi b Fellowship because of the community it fosters The organisation also provides long-term support for a career in research ‘I’m looking forward to having the time and resources to dive deeply into the chemistry of planet-forming regions This fellowship offers the freedom to pursue my own independent line of research and I’m excited to begin carving out my own space in the field which is something I find incredibly rewarding.’   ‘My main goal is to grow as an independent researcher and solidify my own research direction one that I can continue to build on throughout my career.’  Bridging laboratory experiments and observations to explore molecular transformations that set the stage for planetary formation and organic life Non Leiden University attendees are required to register before 25 February 2025 via this form On 12 May we celebrate women in mathematics The goal of the day is to inspire women everywhere to celebrate their achievements in mathematics welcoming and inclusive work environment for everybody which is also the 70th birthday of the Leiden University Mathematical Institute we mark this day with a public lecture by prof Eva Miranda on certainty in uncertain times All students and staff are invited and encouraged to join While there’s a faint chance it could make a dramatic arrival on Christmas Eve 2032 Despite our reliance on mathematics and physics for precise predictions history warns us that certainty is elusive Eva Miranda is a Full Professor at UPC and a leading expert in Differential Geometry Recognised with two consecutive ICREA Academia Awards (2016 she has also received prestigious honours such as the François Deruyts Prize from the Royal Academy of Belgium and the Bessel Prize from the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation she was named the London Mathematical Society Hardy Lecturer delivering a nine-stop lecture tour across the UK Currently the director of the Laboratory of Geometry and Dynamical Systems and leader of the GEOMVAP research group Miranda has recently co-founded the SYMCREA excellence unit Her research spans Symplectic and Poisson Geometry with a focus on b-Poisson manifolds and their applications in Celestial Mechanics and Fluid Dynamics.  Miranda will hold distinguished positions as the Gauss Professor at the University of Göttingen and Nachdiplom Lecturer at ETH Zurich was one of the most important and largest cities during the Preclassic period (ca Excavations led by the “Proyecto Arqueológico Cuenca Mirador” have uncovered evidence of vast settlements a large contiguous area within the Mirador-Calakmul Karst Basin (MCKB) of northern Guatemala has been identified as a unique concentration of Preclassic Maya sites consisting of 964 sites that form 417 ancient cities The larger monumental centers are joined by 177 km of Preclassic causeways forming what is believed to be the first superhighway system in the world Massive cities with monumental architecture flourished in the area thanks to a heavy focus on chinampa and terrace agricultural systems and forming what must have been a powerful political and economic state system The lectures will present an overview of the archaeological sites of “Cuenca el Mirado” as well as the importance of the rainwater management system that allowed ancient residents to capture water Water control and management was a key innovation in Maya history allowing the development of life and cities in this region that is characterized by little surface water and seasonal rainfall patterns It also contributed to population growth and the expansion and maintenance of agriculture we plan to showcase an overview of Dutch water expertise and knowledge on water management highlighting how modern techniques relate to the ancient technologies of the Maya known for its pioneering solutions and innovative approaches focuses on international collaboration to address global water challenges This event aims to bridge the historical ingenuity of the Maya with contemporary Dutch innovations offering valuable insights into sustainable water management practices As we face the uncertainties of climate change in our world today We hope this lecture and photographic exhibition provides some examples of the impact Maya people had on their landscapes and their ingenuity in the construction of cities and water management systems – all very much central to the development of the Netherlands as well The Faculty Lecture will be followed by drinks Hansen is a Research Professor at Idaho State University in the Department of Anthropology He is the founder and President of The Foundation for Anthropological Research and Environmental Studies (FARES) and director of the Mirador Basin Project in Guatemala and 31 technical volumes for the Government of Guatemala Enrique Hernández has been a part of the Mirador Basin Project since 2004 He started with regional mapping and is now a specialist in that area His most recent work is focused on the excavation of roads and lowlands Enrique has a licenciatura degree in Archeology from the School of History of Universidad de San Carlos de Guatemala The Plants & Planets exhibition brings two worlds together in a dazzling mix of science It opens at Old Observatory Leiden and Hortus botanicus on 7 February and will remain there for five years ‘This is the perfect place to show how plants and planets belong together’ He curated the exhibition with art historian Meta Knol and a team from the Hortus and Leiden Observatory Striking installations about Earth and the universe show the links between astronomy and biology ‘Plants & Planets highlights a new collaboration between the Hortus and the Observatory’ ‘There’s a lot of overlap in how we view the world: as an ecosystem that is a tiny part of a big The exhibition is about life on Earth: how it arose what forms of life there are now and how these will look in the future.’ Plants play a crucial role in life on Earth The predecessors of plants – blue-green algae – formed the first life on Earth billions of years ago They changed the entire planet with their oxygen production – and that is the link to modern astronomy we are going to use new telescopes to look for signs of extraterrestrial life One of our questions is: Is there plant life out there?’ The exhibition opened on 6 February 6 by President of the Executive Board What might the Netherlands look like in a hundred years One cabinet of curiosities is devoted to the around 350,000 plant species on Earth and the biodiverse ecosystem they form together Also in the exhibition are unique seeds and plants from the Hortus such ancient plant species still alive today The exhibition also looks ahead at what the Netherlands might look like in a hundred years Visitors are invited to think about the future they are creating with the choices they make The creators of Plants & Planets want to build new bridges between disciplines and genres ‘That’s why we’ve worked a lot with artists in the exhibition They ask questions and come up with completely different insights.’ Visitors enter the exhibition in a room completely transformed by the dynamic artwork created especially for the exhibition by Jos Agasi There are also reproductions of botanic illustrations by Maria Sybilla Merian (1647-1717) and present-day botanic illustrators The colourful Plastomorph by Driessen & Verstappen shows corals that absorb microplastics from seawater Plants & Planets opens at Old Observatory in the Hortus botanicus on 7 February. It is open from Wednesday to Sunday (from 11.00 to 16.00) and entrance is free to Hortus visitors. The exhibition features an extensive range of activities with workshops, lectures, stargazing nights and tours of the Old Observatory domes. Read more on the plantenenplaneten.nl site Join us on April 17 for a discussion on China’s strategy for global AI governance at the United Nations and other multilateral forums. As nations and institutions grapple with the implications of AI’s rapid development the contest for setting international standards has intensified. China has emerged as a key player in this landscape actively shaping AI governance through agenda-setting and leadership in the UN Security Council including the rise of Chinese AI innovations such as the DeepSeek large language models highlight China’s growing prominence in the global AI race so too does its influence on international discussions regarding ethical AI use Assistant Professor of International Relations at Radboud University will share her insights on China’s AI ambitions She will be joined by Annelotte van Beek researcher at the LeidenAsiaCentre and co-author of a new report on China’s AI governance approach We hope you can join us for this important conversation on the future of AI and China’s role in shaping it An extra-long procession with musical accompaniment will mark the beginning of the university’s 450th birthday celebrations on 7 February students and musicians will join the procession to Pieterskerk And there will be many other special guests too A standard-bearer and the beadles will lead a long procession of students and professors from the Academy Building to Pieterskerk and to mark this special anniversary the Jong K&G marching band will join in as will the rectors of all the other Dutch universities Towards the front of the procession will be two school classes together with the professor who has taught them that morning Everyone is welcome to watch this special cortège – which starts at 14.25 – from Rapenburg The drastic cuts to research and teaching will not be forgotten during the celebrations The red protest flag will hang from university buildings and anyone wishing to wear the red protest symbol is welcome to The inaugural procession in 1575 took a longer route the procession set off from the city hall on Breestraat Steenschuur and ending at the Barbara Convent at the start of the Rapenburg canal.  Below are a few abbreviated sections from this book on the university’s inception in the destitute Leiden of 1575 ‘It must have been cold and dark that Tuesday 8 February 1575 At seven in the morning the large Pieterskerk stripped of its ornamentation by a blasphemous mob in 1566 filled with a crowd of people (...) The church must have been packed to the rafters The municipal council had ordered everyone in the city to lay down their tools and attend the church service.’ ‘The council had also instructed anyone who owned a house along a specific well-defined route in the city to level the streets they should open their houses and adorn them with rugs and strew the streets with bay and olive leaves It was along these streets that the foundation procession for Leiden University would march after the church service.’ ‘The pièce de résistance of the procession was the allegorical section bearing Sacra Scriptura – the holy scripture – a woman in a simple white dress beneath a round canopy She was accompanied on foot by the evangelists Matthew bearing her scales and sword (...) She was followed by Medicina a pisse-pot in her hand (...) And finally Minerva in an ensemble that had taken a lot of work Her cuirass was of starched fabric; Medusa was painted on her wooden shield This part of the procession was embellished with footmen and halberdiers.’ ‘Then came the dignitaries and the professors At the front was church minister Caspar Coolhaes who had agreed to give some theology lectures (...) They were followed by lawyers each of whom had promised to give a few lessons in their discipline Each of these provisional professors was flanked by dignitaries from the city and the States of Holland the first governor of the university.’  Otterspeer concludes the description by commenting that it was ‘a beautiful yet somewhat strange day’ in the poverty-stricken Leiden which had only been liberated from the Spanish on 3 October 1574 ‘Such a procession was not a celebration for celebration’s sake but a statement of principle about what the university aspired to be’ Back to the present:  the university is returning to its roots with an extra-long procession and a ceremony in Pieterskerk on Friday 7 February Join us as we look back over the past 450 years and ahead to the next ones William of Orange founded Leiden University in 1575 – making it the oldest university in the Netherlands. In 2025 the university is celebrating its anniversary with the theme ‘Ahead of the times’. See the full jubilee programme at universiteitleiden.nl/450  Dutch universities will take staggered strike action against the planned cuts The strike will begin in Leiden on Monday 10 March The university supports the strike action but is not going to close that day Below we inform you how the strike will affect our university The staggered strike action is the initiative of the FNV and AOb unions The Executive Board fully supports the initiative and understands that students and staff wish to speak out against the planned cuts and the erosion of higher education Our buildings will remain open on 10 March The Executive Board will make every effort to ensure that essential processes at the university such as examinations PhD ceremonies and inaugural lectures can go ahead as planned that day University staff are free to strike on 10 March we do ask them to inform their students and managers in good time if they are going to strike Let us all try to ensure that students do not experience study delays due to cancelled exams and that young researchers do not have to cancel their PhD defences The unions and WOinActie are working hard on the programme for the strike in Leiden and The Hague As with the national protest on Malieveld in The Hague in November 2024 the Board would like to express its support and will be joining in on 10 March We are still looking into what shape this will take As the strike programme has not been finalised yet make sure to check for updates about the strike (and the potential impact) over the next few weeks A new graphene-based method could make for faster say a group of Leiden physicists and chemists They have received EUR 1.2 million through the Dutch Research Council (NWO) Open Technology programme to prove their new method The new DNA sequencing method builds on a previous Leiden discovery in which the research groups of chemist Grégory Schneider and physicist Jan van Ruitenbeek got an electrical current to jump across two layers of graphene By bringing the two layers close together at a certain angle This is a quantum mechanical phenomenon where electrons jump from one material to another despite there being no direct contact between the two ‘Then the tunnelling is activated and characteristics of the molecule can be sequenced.’ How does it work? This DNA sequencing method – determining the sequence of nucleotides in DNA – is sensitive to the electronic characteristics of nucleotides ‘If a DNA string passes between the graphene we think this method will enable us to identify each separate nucleotide by the strength of the current at the moment when that specific nucleotide passes.’ This will allow for DNA sequencing it will be more accurate than other DNA sequencing methods A common DNA sequencing method uses nanopores and is only sensitive to differences in size between the building blocks of the molecule If two building blocks that are of an equal size but a different chemical composition pass simultaneously through a measuring point ‘We expect to be able to measure different signals with our tunnelling method’ The physicists and chemists have good ideas on how to pass the molecule between the graphene but they still have to demonstrate that it really does work They also want to prove they can differentiate between the four nucleotides in their analyses The group expects this method to be more accurate than other methods which will enable a wider group of researchers and other professionals to use it for DNA sequencing and detecting individual molecules in general: for research on different diseases But there is also interest from customs at airports They could use this method to quickly find out whether someone is carrying endangered animals or plants The method could also be used to detect certain molecules in Then you could quickly test for the presence of gas that causes the food to rapidly decay ‘You could use it wherever you need to detect a certain molecule at a very low concentration New generation of graphene biosensors based on smooth surfaces and sharp edges SDS-PAGE at the nanoscale: A nanorecorder for single molecule protein sequencing with graphene Sequencing biological molecules with graphene Development of Cost efficient Advanced DNA-based methods for specific Traceability issues and High Level On-site applications Per Erik Solli, Marie Robin and Dirk Brengelmann As European security is significantly challenged an informed dialogue on the future of deterrence in Europe is necessary Increased understanding of European strategic positions regarding conventional deterrence and all factors that contribute to a credible and capable deterrence position is paramount to stimulate and inform policy making European allies need to consider how to share the deterrence burden and whether current postures and policies can be transformed to quickly develop an effective deterrence posture Our conversation will aim to identify shortfalls with regard to military mass and investment in Europe in industrial capacities as well as to formulate possible pathways to overcome divisions on common defence and foreign policy needed to bring about strategic autonomy and security for Europe over the centuries painters and photographers have depicted students at study in Leiden An exhibition at the Hortus botanicus reveals the similarities and differences in 450 years of student life The opening was also a chance to look ahead: what will studying be like in the future Five students threw graduation caps into the air together with Rector Hester Bijl and the exhibition was officially open This outdoor exhibition in the lush green of the Hortus takes visitors on a 450-year journey through studying at Leiden University The displays in the shape of giant books have visitors leafing through that long history: from lessons in the anatomical theatre to classes with VR headsets The exhibition shows how students learn in lectures study in libraries or observe in the field and the lab And also how students over the centuries have suffered from pre-exam jitters and have finished their studies with much-loved rituals A noteworthy example is the observatory on the roof of the Academy Building Students could observer stars and planets there from 1633 to 1864 The exhibition features a photo of this observatory and a new observatory – now known as the Old Observatory – emerged in the Hortus botanicus students and academics use data from the world’s most powerful telescopes in Chile and La Palma Students obviously don’t spend all their time studying The exhibition also features images of 450 years of student life The exhibition does not pretend to be complete They relied on their knowledge of collections and a touch of humour to create a cohesive narrative Large-format photos of studying and student life in the mid-20th century and earlier can also be seen at various university buildings outside the Hortus The outdoor exhibition is an ode to everyone who makes education possible: students the curators want to show that the university has been educating students for 450 years and that this education must be preserved for future generations This was one of the reasons why Rector Hester Bijl also called for Uni-visionaries who can describe what studying will be like in 2075 ‘when we’ll be celebrating our 500th anniversary’ Anyone (16+) can enter and in a genre of their choice: a drawing as long as it shows your vision of the future Three winners will have the chance to create their work and exhibit it in Leiden and The Hague Students and staff from Leiden University are protesting in The Hague on 25 November against the billions in cuts to higher education ‘The cuts are a terrible idea and we want to show why’ ‘Research and teaching are essential to society.’ The national demonstration against higher education cuts in Utrecht on 14 November was cancelled a day before The organisers were following the advice of  the Utrecht ‘triangle’ (mayor which stated that the demonstrators’ safety could not be guaranteed On 14 November, students and staff from the university took part in a spontaneous protest. Around 1,000 people made theier voices heard against the planned cuts to higher education. Read about this protest on the live blog from the day The text below is a revised article that was published before the 14 November protest The demonstration is being organised by the FNV Algemene Onderwijsbond and LSVB unions together with partners including WOinActie we want to show how important research and teaching are for all of society’ who is involved in WOinActie and an assistant professor at the Institute for History The damage caused by the cuts will come as a nasty surprise to the population.’ The protest will be held just before the Ministry of Education Culture and Science’s budget is discussed in the House of Representatives and Senate ‘There has been some criticism in the Senate of these cuts and the government does not have a majority there’ ‘That makes it crucial for masses of us to show in Utrecht that we condemn these cuts.’ Signing the petition against the cuts is still possible. Also read the regular updates provided by the Executive Board on the impact of the budget cuts on Leiden University People are being mobilised in various ways to come to The Hague on 25 November: through university app groups and teaching staff telling students about the demonstration in lectures ‘The cuts will also affect future students The programme they may be considering may no longer exist by then Others will be affected by the late graduation penalty which can make studying much more expensive.’  And the universities are talking to politicians to explain just how disastrous the effects of the cuts will be The government has promised to tackle society’s problems and yet it is cutting the budget of the degree programmes and research that are essential to this Jan Joost Aten and Tanja de Bie are calling on students and staff from Leiden University to join the protest on 14 November against the higher education cuts The demonstration in The Hague is expected to be the biggest ever in higher education ‘I think the gravity of the cuts and what is hanging over our heads is beginning to hit home with more and more students and staff’ The protest will be held on Monday 25 November, from 13.00 to 15.00 hours. Protestors will gather at Malieveld in The Hague. From 10am-1pm, you can make banners at the Spanish Steps in the Wijnhaven building If you are taking action in some other way, do let us know. The red felt square has become an international protest symbol at universities teaching staff and researchers a Quebec university used it in protests against tuition increases and cuts There are many links between Leiden and the US The highest office there has been held an impressive nine times by presidents with Leiden roots This has led to memorable visits to Leiden University To celebrate the university’s 450th anniversary, Leidraad alumni magazine dived into the university’s history. In 45 key moments, milestones and highlights, the magazine details how the university developed over more than four centuries. This article also appears in the anniversary edition Barack Obama can trace his roots back to the Leiden pilgrim family Blossom And he is not the only one: nine former presidents are descendants of the Leiden Pilgrims The university played an important role in the life of these Puritans who had fled England Some took classes at the university and later introduced new ideas to America the Leiden Pilgrims are considered the Founding Fathers of modern America And no Thanksgiving without Leiden’s 3 October celebrations because the Relief of Leiden is one of the inspirations for this celebration enrolled his two sons – one of whom was the 13-year-old John Quincy Adams – to study law at Leiden University ‘Also important was that Leiden did not have corporal punishment The Adams children had been mistreated at the Latin School in Amsterdam – where they were expected to speak Dutch John removed them from that school and brought them to Leiden instead.’ the President has gone Mad) Klis has had a photo of the young Adams on his desk ‘He suffered from depression and achievement pressure his whole life but in Leiden he got to be a child He learned to ice skate on the Rapenburg and Nieuwe Rijn canals and had fun – something his parents did not allow because everything he did had to lead to the greater goal of becoming president It was 17 July 1989 when President Bush’s limousine stopped on the Rapenburg canal he decided to get out and mix with the public He shook some hands and visited the Academy Building In the Sweat Room he signed a statement that he had visited Leiden University and was outside again a few minutes later Among the frenzied crowds was psychology student Margreet van Lookeren ‘I was a student at the time and had a job at the Dutch Dairy Board I often appeared as a dairymaid at events but I never expected to be kissed by the American president.’ She pauses: ‘That would be inconceivable now!’ She remembers it all going so fast and Queen Beatrix looking decidedly unamused ‘The Netherlands is more than cheese and clogs but I could be wrong.’ Bush grabbed a block of cheese and gave Margreet a kiss “The most important man in the world is putting a sweaty block of cheese in his mouth” because I had been waiting for some time with the cheese.’ His family are also descendants of the Leiden Pilgrim Fathers as were the families of Franklin Delano Roosevelt Barack Obama and five other American presidents with Leiden ancestors After the fall of the Soviet Union and the withering away of planned economies the 20th-century literature on communism shifted decisively toward the 21st-century literature on authoritarianism while the field of comparative politics appears to have moved on from communism enduring questions and concepts have lingered through their doppelgängers with the modifier “communist” now replaced by “authoritarian.” Paradigmatic thinking about communism has find expression in contemporary studies of authoritarianism Ding identifies two threads connecting these two literatures: first the centrality of questions surrounding non-democratic legitimacy and regime resilience; and second binary assumptions about authoritarian states and their citizens She critiques this paradigm on two grounds: first a functionalist tendency in explanations of legitimacy and resilience; and second incommensurability between dueling binaries about states and citizens Iza Ding is Associate Professor of Political Science at Northwestern University She is currently a research associate at the Hertie School of Governance She is the author of The Performative State: Public Scrutiny and Environmental Governance in China (Cornell University Press Taking probiotics can help reduce negative feelings This is shown by research by Katerina Johnson and Laura Steenbergen published in the journal npj Mental Health Research They also investigated which people benefit most from these ‘good’ bacteria Probiotics are ‘good’ bacteria in the form of drinks or tablets that you can buy in the supermarket and are also found in foods like yogurts There is growing interest in the possibility that probiotics improve not only gut health but also mental health ‘The gut–brain connection provides various routes through which bacteria in the gut can influence how we feel and behave While animal studies have previously found promising effects of probiotics on the brain and behaviour human studies have yielded inconsistent results Johnson and Steenbergen therefore used a combination of methods to capture how probiotics might influence the ability to regulate our emotions and affect our moods These included psychological questionnaires daily mood reports and computer tasks testing how people process emotions healthy adults who took a probiotic (containing bacteria such as Lactobacillus and Bifidobacterium) daily for a month This is the first study to use daily mood reports to assess the effects of probiotics It clearly shows that probiotics can reduce negative feelings compared to a placebo This could mean a reduction in feelings such as anxiety ‘It is striking that by simply asking participants how they were feeling each day we could detect the beneficial effects of probiotics on mood’ the standard psychological questionnaires that are common in this field were not sensitive enough to pick up these changes.’ The researchers found that it took about two weeks for the probiotics to improve negative feelings It takes about the same amount of time for antidepressants to work but whereas antidepressants tend to reduce both negative and positive mood the results showed that the probiotics only reduced negative mood although the researchers stress that probiotics should not be considered a substitute for antidepressants When the researchers observed the decrease in negative feelings they were keen to explore whether they could predict who would benefit most from probiotics most notably a propensity for risk avoidance were associated with a greater effect of probiotics on mood’ the researchers found evidence that probiotics may affect the way participants process emotional cues The participants who received probiotics were slightly more accurate at recognising facial expressions Many questions remain unanswered about how exactly probiotics work and their long-term effects ‘Perhaps in the future probiotics could be used in a targeted way as an early intervention to reduce the chances of negative feelings progressing to mental health conditions such as depression though more research would be needed to confirm that’ Johnson and Steenbergen hope their findings will also spur other mental health researchers to include simple daily measures of mood in their studies ‘In an attempt to delineate the complexity of the human brain and emotion we cannot lose sight of asking the obvious Sometimes the most simple questions reveal the most meaningful answers.’ Read the article: Probiotics reduce negative mood over time: the value of daily self-reports in detecting effects This conference marks the 25 years anniversary of the Intersections series (published by Brill) and reflects on a topical theme: the role of interdisciplinarity within the study of late medieval and early modern (expressions of) culture conference will give participants the opportunity to examine recent paradigms in interdisciplinary research as well as looking forward to the future of interdisciplinarity in the study of early modern culture.  Papers should foreground methodologies with a view to showing how they have been put into practice How has the series Intersections and its thematic volumes served to promote interdisciplinary approaches to the study of word and image Speakers are invited to present a case study relevant to their practice of interdisciplinary research with special emphasis on working across two or more media.  How has interdisciplinarity as a scholarly method helped them to move beyond the boundaries of their academic discipline how has it allowed them to reflect on their respective disciplines and transform them?  What advantages has interdisciplinary research offered scholars; what benefits can it offer them in the future?  9.15-10.00 Anita Traninger 10.00-10.45 Karl Enenkel The Paratextual Construction of Early Modern Authorship in Various Media 11.30-12.15 Claus Zittel The Frontispiece as a Medium between Text and Image 12.15-13.00 Anna Dlabacova Understanding the Book of Hours in Dutch as a Cultural Phenomenon: Reading Techniques 14.00-14.45 Paul Smith 14.45-15.30 Stijn Bussels The Evaluation of Beauty and Death in the Dutch Republic 16.15-17.00 Robert Seidel The Interpretation of Disputations as Interdisciplinary Challenge: Friedrich Gotthelf Gotter's Dissertatio de ornatu orationis (1711) 17.00-18.00 General discussion on the Contributions of this day 9.45-10.30 Walter Melion S.J.’s Sacrum sanctuarium crucis (1634) 11.15-12.00 Cornel Zwierlein Company Media: The General letters of the India Companies 12.00-12.45 Lukas Reddemann Between Taming and Eliminating the Passions in Jesuit Spirituality 14.00-14.45 John Thompson Digging the Foundations for the Tudor House of History: a View from the Trenches 14.45-15.30 Alicia Montoya Was there a Middlebrow in Early-Modern Europe Programme pdf  The Impact of Incunabula on Late Medieval Spirituality Religious Practice and Visual Culture in the Low Countries Pages of Prayer: The Ecosystem of Vernacular Prayer Books in the Late Medieval Low Countries A long-term approach to fishes in science and culture Ronsard and Du Bartas in Early Modern Europe Elevated minds: The Sublime in the public arts in 17th-century Paris and Amsterdam Magnificence in the Seventeenth Century: Performing Splendour in Catholic and Protestant Contexts The Amsterdam Town Hall in Words and Images Understanding the evolving landscape of extremism in the 21st century The research group on terrorism and political violence is dedicated to conducting rigorous empirical research on the complex and ever-changing landscape of radicalisation With a focus on contemporary manifestations of these phenomena the group seeks to shed light on the underlying factors and consequences of political violence in the 21st century Terrorism and other forms of political violence have had a profound and far-reaching impact on the world since the dawn of the new millennium the devastating September 11 attacks and the subsequent 'war on terror' that Western states launched have fundamentally altered global geopolitics and foreign policy priorities The reverberations of these events continue to be felt to this day the extremist threat landscape has been in a constant state of flux presenting new challenges and concerns for governments The early 2000s saw the emergence of ‘homegrown’ Islamist extremism with individuals born and raised in Western countries becoming radicalised and engaging in terrorist activities This trend reached new heights in the mid-2010s as thousands of individuals from around the world travelled to Iraq and Syria to join the ranks of the so-called Islamic State as foreign fighters the focus has shifted to the growing threat of right-wing extremism and anti-government movements which have gained momentum against a backdrop of increasing societal polarisation and political instability The rise of populist and nationalist sentiments coupled with the spread of conspiracy theories and disinformation through social media has created fertile ground for the radicalisation of individuals and groups across the ideological spectrum In addition to examining terrorism and extremism more broadly the group also investigates political violence as well as policy responses in the Global South and contemporary geopolitical dynamics shape manifestations of political violence (for example This critical orientation extends to an examination of how Global South experiences and knowledge production can fundamentally reframe our understanding of radicalisation processes challenging dominant epistemological assumptions and illuminating complex intersections between local grievances More than 1.3 million people worldwide die of tuberculosis (TB) each year making research on its prevention and control essential Researchers from various disciplines in Leiden are studying TB A symposium on 24 March will highlight different activities in the hope of boosting nationwide collaboration It may sound somewhat crude but Leiden and TB have a close relationship Leiden scholar Sylvius discovered the presence of nodules in the lungs German physician Robert Koch revealed the bacterium that causes TB and the different methods he had used to make this discovery This speech – considered by some the most impressive academic lecture of all times – was given on 24 March 1812 researchers in Leiden continue to conduct TB research from numerous perspectives This is essential because different strains of the disease can be found all around the world and it claims more than 1.3 million lives each year The KNCV Tuberculosis Fund calls the disease ‘the forgotten pandemic’ The entire chain of TB prevention and control is studied at Leiden University: from understanding the mycobacterium that causes the disease to developing new drugs and vaccines More information about the symposium and registration Russia has been conducting a covert sabotage campaign against Europe The ‘Bewaken en Beveiligen’ (Surveillance and Security) project team at Leiden University has investigated the scale of these operations and compiled its findings in the report Russian Operations Against Europe The report provides a detailed overview of the variety and intensity of attacks which extend beyond cyberattacks and disinformation to include physical sabotage of critical infrastructure and political assassinations these operations have increased in both scale and intensity Their objective is to destabilise Europe and cut off Ukraine from crucial support The research reveals a sharp rise in sabotage operations since 2022 Russia targeted critical infrastructure such as energy supplies Recorded incidents included attacks on DHL cargo planes and an assassination attempt on the CEO of German arms manufacturer Rheinmetall Professor of Terrorism and Political Violence Bart Schuurman explains: ‘What we are witnessing is a clear escalation of Russian tactics These are no longer limited to cyberattacks or propaganda but now include actions with direct consequences for physical infrastructure and civilian safety.’ The analysis shows that Russia is escalating its efforts to destabilise European nations While previous operations mainly focused on disinformation and cyberattacks recent activities demonstrate a shift towards hybrid warfare including physical sabotage and political assassinations Another striking pattern is the shift in Russian operations towards Western Europe Germany and France have become the new priorities This suggests that Russia is expanding its activities into the ever more members of the European Union highlighting the urgency of a coordinated European response This research adopts a systematic approach to mapping incidents of Russian sabotage and subversion in Europe a comprehensive dataset has been compiled to document these incidents The dataset provides valuable insights for policymakers illustrating both the geographical spread of the incidents and the diversity of tactics employed From economic sabotage to the disruption of critical infrastructure Russia is deploying a wide range of methods to achieve its objectives The research underscores the need for a coordinated response to hybrid threats Many countries remain insufficiently prepared for the complexity and scale of Russian operations Schuurman emphasises: ‘Europe must invest in resilience and develop a joint strategy to effectively combat sabotage and hybrid warfare.’ The project team hopes that the publication of this research will spark a broad discussion on the Russian threat and the necessary measures to strengthen Europe's resilience It highlights the urgency of a unified European approach to counter Russia’s hybrid warfare This is a call to policymakers to work strategically together and take the necessary steps to protect vital infrastructure and public services ensuring that Europe can effectively defend itself against future sabotage and hybrid warfare Register for the lecture The environment is full of tiny particles of plastic called nanoplastics These dust-like particles are released in large numbers from plastic trash when it is dumped in the ground or into the sea Scientists are now detecting these particles inside our bodies and there are concerns about their possible effects on our health Michael Richardson will discuss his research into nanoparticles and their effects on living things This work is a collaboration between several great Leiden Institutions: the Institute of Biology the Institute for Environmental Sciences (CML) and Naturalis Michael Richardson is a British citizen who carries out research in developmental biology He was appointed in 2000 to the van der Leeuw chair of evolutionary developmental biology at the University of Leiden His active research focus is: fundamental developmental biology (the evolutionary developmental biology of vertebrates mainly reptiles and fish); and applied developmental biology (zebrafish embryos as models for compound screening) These two areas synergise in his future plans to use zebrafish embryos as screening models to study the evolutionary developmental biology of the snake venom delivery system Taking Pleasure in Gloves in the Seventeenth-Century Netherlands Gloves are donned and held by both female and male sitters in 17th-century Dutch portraits Art historians have long dealt with symbolic meanings of gloves in Dutch visual culture but in this talk I consider the multi-sensory engagement of gloves and how portraits channel the experience of gloves as affective objects Based on first-hand examinations of surviving gloves and olfactory sensations are intertwined in gloves’ surfacescape (Jonathan Hay’s term) creating pleasure and a sense of wonder in the beholder/ wearer Of special interest is Constantijn Huygens’s collection of recipes for perfuming gloves now preserved at the Royal Library in the Hague Huygens’s recipes flesh out an understanding of the interactive and connective roles that “experience” plays in both production and perception of gloves This paper contends that the affective-sensory experience of gloves not only establishes social relations but also links ideal and real A schematic representation of a drainage windmill towers over the suggestion of a landscape in a rare surviving drawing on parchment by the Dutch mill-maker and engineer Jan Adriaensz Leeghwater (1575-1650). The sheet is a retrospective visualization of one of his greatest achievements the reclamation of the Beemster Lake in North Holland and the present talk will consider how Leeghwater deployed the practice of drawing to describe the nature of his work the sheet interacts not only with a standpoint toward drawing developed by skilled tradespeople but also art theoretical conceptualizations of drawing The lecture ultimately argues that Leeghwater deliberately engaged tropes and practices of artistic draftsmanship to unite his drawing of an invention with an understanding of drawing as invention reclaiming land and representing landscape became connected practices through their realization by a unique creative personality.   Leiden University contributed to colonialism and slavery through its research and teaching And governors and residents of Leiden had an active role in colonial networks These are the findings of two explorative studies presented on 3 April Three Leiden historians spent a year researching the university and city’s historical links to colonialism and slavery in archives The research was commissioned by the Executive Board of the university and the Leiden municipal council Emma Sow and lead researchers Alicia Schrikker and Ariadne Schmidt During a special meeting at the town hall in Leiden the researchers presented the reports to Annetje Ottow The research encompasses the start of Dutch colonial enterprises around 1600 up to the post-1945 period of decolonisation historian Ligia Giay gives numerous examples of how the university’s governors scholars and students were active in colonial networks linguists and civil servants who worked in the colonies after graduating Scholars produced knowledge about the colonies in studies of the law or languages and cultures which would help control the indigenous people They also used knowledge from the colonies in their research and teaching Giay also researched the role of physicians: some conducted research in the colonies and carried out experiments Leiden was an important training institution for the sons of colonial governors Leiden University had close links with political and economic elites in Leiden and beyond comprising influential members of the nobility and wealthy merchants governed the university and determined appointments and financial strategies Many of these administrators were also active in the Dutch East India Company (VOC) the Dutch West India Company (WIC) and the Sociëteit van Suriname which facilitated colonial trade and slavery Leiden was also an important training institution for the sons of colonial governors and merchants These alumni were often appointed to important posts in the colonies after graduating the sons and later the daughters of affluent Indonesians and Surinamese came to study in Leiden They formed critical networks in Leiden from the first half of the 20th century and began to spread the idea of independence from colonial rule The report also calls for more attention to the origins of the university collections because much is still unclear about these Leiden scholars and collectors brought back objects but it is not always clear under what circumstances Physicians imported human skulls and remains which were used in the 19th century to develop theories on race The university itself did not own enslaved people or shares in plantations the university and its community did benefit from the wealth amassed through slavery and colonialism Some scholars and students even had enslaved or formerly enslaved people from Suriname or Indonesia working for them as servants in Leiden Knowledge sometimes served as a basis for criticism of slavery and the colonial system But public criticism of slavery was rare in Leiden until the mid-19th century Nedermeyer received his doctoral degree in 1816 for his explicitly critical thesis on slavery and other Leiden theses on slavery were mainly about the practicalities of it The report emphasises the need for more research in areas such as the origins of the collections the scientific research in the colonies and the financial constructions Although the university was never directly funded by the VOC and WIC with some bequests and benefactions deriving from colonial profits The university was part of a colonial society and the question is how much room there was for a different stance it is clear that the university was not passive but contributed to and benefitted from the colonial system by historians Sjoerd Ramackers and Emma Sow looks at the role of the city of Leiden and its residents Leiden’s involvement seems less significant than port cities like Rotterdam and Amsterdam that many of Leiden’s governors actively promoted the city’s colonial interests They worked for the Amsterdam chambers of the VOC and WIC and acted as contact persons for Leiden investors in the colonies Some also had private interests in the colonial trade and slavery ‘ordinary’ Leideners also came into contact with colonialism poor Leideners produced uniforms for the colonial army and Leiden’s Kweekschool voor Zeevaart (a nautical school) trained underprivileged boys for the ships that sailed to the colonies Leiden soldiers also left for the colonies to physically enforce the Dutch regime The Executive Board takes the conclusions of the preliminary research very seriously President of the Executive Board Annetje Ottow said in a first response ‘It’s good that we now have a better picture of the university and city of Leiden’s historical ties with colonialism and slavery We were already familiar with individual cases thanks to previous studies it’s confronting to see the role some of our predecessors played in this painful chapter in our history’ ‘but this explorative research was absolutely necessary we have an important role to play in promoting knowledge and critical reflection on this history We can only do so if we examine our own involvement Emma Sow and Sjoerd Ramackers for their work We will carefully consider the report and will respond very soon We will also look at what steps to take next concerning our role in colonialism and historical slavery.’ HERLING invites you to celebrate the UNESCO's Silver Jubilee of International Mother Language Day During the event three impressive paintings of New Zealand forest trees by local artist Corien de Kler (de Leidsche Mondialen) will be shown you may add stunning leaves to the tree on the actual painting On the leaves you may write your ideas about how languages 'branch out' and transform.  This will create a stunning visual communal art work and local journalists targeted by the Israeli military reporting the genocide in Gaza has been a particularly challenging mission Sami Al-Ajrami is a Palestinian journalist who has lived and worked in Gaza his entire life until he was displaced to Egypt last year During the war on Gaza he kept a diary in the Italian newspaper La Repubblica These fragments form the basis of his book The Keys to the House which has recently appeared in Dutch (De sleutels van het huis Set between the Hamas attacks of 7 October 2023 and his escape into Egypt in April 2024 Al-Ajrami writes about the constant search for a safe refuge but also about the grief of leaving everything behind The book forms the chronicle of the immense tragedy of the war in Gaza combining journalist reporting of the scale of destruction to an intimate portrait of family life under conditions of extreme deprivation Gerlov van Englenhoven (LUCAS) and Judith Naeff (LIAS) will talk with Al-Ajrami about surviving and about what he hopes his book can do in its aftermath Please sign up via the registration form (accessible via the button below) Is it a coincidence that three chemists from the same department have each independently received a ZonMw grant 'The role of chemistry in medical biology is becoming increasingly important and we’ve worked hard to make this happen.' In this round of the ZonMw Open competition research teams were asked to propose initiatives that contribute to the advancement of fundamental biomedical science and healthcare innovation Madeline Kavanagh and Kim Bonger will receive over €800,000 in funding separately Van Kasteren says: 'The fact that three projects from our institute were separately awarded is definitely a milestone we can be proud of.' Madeline Kavanagh joined the faculty in January of last year few chemistry departments are as invested in interdisciplinary and translational research as Leiden and advanced technologies (like mass spectrometry) to study disease and develop therapeutics it is essential to have access to all these facilities which is uncommon in traditional departments.’ But more importantly says Kavanagh: it is about the people we can easily collaborate with researchers in other institutes which was critical to putting together our ZonMw proposal Fostering interactions between researchers from different fields helps spark new ideas I often find we are interested in similar biomedical questions but have different perspectives and skills that when combined can help us come up with exciting solutions.’ ‘We've often told our story in immunology and biology departments and at conferences Sander van Kasteren has been a professor of Molecular Immunology at the faculty for 12,5 years His research focuses on the molecular workings of the immune system the three form a perfect complement to one another 'We share a very similar vision,' explains Van Kasteren 'namely that chemistry is of great value in medical biology We look at how molecules interact with biology on a molecular level we can better understand the foundation of various diseases and Our role as chemists in medical biology is growing but we and a lot of other researchers had to work hard to get here.' Van Kasteren compares this to starting a band where no one listens at first and you’re certainly not going to have a hit 'We've often told our story in immunology and biology departments and at conferences We’re being asked more and more to share our thoughts or speak Kim is currently in Italy speaking at a conference and I am speaking again as a chemist on a immunology conference next month.' With the arrival of Bonger and Kavanagh at the chemistry institute and the focus on immunology, it was decided to create a new division: Chemical Biology & Immunology. Kavanagh: 'This allows us to combine our strengths, knowledge, and networks.' This also aligns with the LED3 network which stands for Leiden Early Drug Discovery & Development Kavanagh and Van Kasteren explain: 'This way we can rely on a large group of experts we work with Read more about the proposals here.  Unraveling cross-presentation pathways using a chemical biology approach Sabine Luning passed away after an illness of more than six months Sabine was an inspiring teacher who enthused generations of anthropology students with both the theoretical side of social science and the practice of intensive fieldwork she produced innovative analyses of the relationships between ritual and politics and studied the often-devastating impact of gold mining on local societies in West Africa as well as the multifaceted ways in which individuals and communities related to this A similar generosity characterised Sabine as a researcher She would gladly involve colleagues old and new in the research projects she set up on the impacts of gold mining giving everyone room to bring in their own expertise She was also tireless in setting up new partnerships both within and (far) outside Leiden University She was never concerned with institution building; rather she was driven by concern for the vulnerability of the people with whom she did research care for individual students and colleagues and the content of societal debates.  An incredibly dear friend and inspiring colleague has passed away far too soon but her inspiration will remain with us.  on behalf of the Institute for Cultural Anthropology and Development Sociology.  A personal reflection on a life in West African structure and gold - by Jan-Bart Gewald FYSICA 2025 will take place next year on 11 April in Leiden University's completely new Gorlaeus Building The university will celebrate its 450th anniversary in 2025 under the motto 'Ahead of time' FYSICA joins in with the theme 'Shaping Society in Time' the drive and scientific curiosity of physicists have been a driving force behind many groundbreaking changes in our society Often they hadn't foreseen these themselves and sometimes these changes came only decades later The theme of FYSICA 2025 also refers to a contemporary question: what are the main topics physicists are working on these days and what will they mean for the world of tomorrow Broadening Youth Participation in STEM Learning From research on the first human ancestors to leave Africa to mathematical models in random disturbances For Leiden researchers have been awarded a prestigious Vici grant by the Dutch Research Council The grants provide creative space for adventurous They receive up to 1.5 million to develop their own line of research and expand their research group The grant allows them to do research of their choice The Leiden recipients of a Vici grant are: Mathematical models for the emergence of structures such as rings spirals and waves in nature are typically based on an idealised world where random disturbances and complicated spatial structures are ignored The researchers will develop a framework to describe such effects in a precise fashion which will allow us to actually include them in our models Homo erectus was the first of our ancestors to leave a narrow range of African habitats and expand into Eurasia but the behavioural changes that allowed this migration remain debated This project will use an interdisciplinary combination of new and established methods to understand how changes in diet and food processing (such as cooking and fermentation) contributed to this species’ expansion into new regions It is generally assumed that the alphabet was only introduced to Greece in the 8th century BCE after a long illiterate ‘Dark Age’ of some four centuries This project will explore the possibility that the Greek alphabet is much older but was first written down on perishable materials that have not survived If this hypothesis is proven to be correct the historical repercussions will be significant as it will fundamentally change our perception of literacy in the Aegean and the history of the alphabet Child maltreatment has serious consequences This is partly due to the limited effectiveness of interventions aimed at stopping and preventing maltreatment A factor that can play an important role in this is the trust parents have in care providers This study will examine predictors of trust and the role of trust in the effectiveness of interventions The researchers will also look at the relationship between trust in care providers and other forms of trust Three research projects with researchers from Leiden University have received a Dutch Research Council Open Competition Science-M grant high-quality fundamental research within the science domain Twenty-one projects have received a grant in this round The research projects with Leiden researchers will receive between EUR 400,000 and 800,000 The electrochemical synthesis of hydrogen peroxide Biomimetic Copper Complexes for Energy Conversion Reactions Towards efficient low-temperature CO2 electrolysis The serosa: an evolutionary novelty in insect eggs Insect egg development in a warming world: the eco-evo-devo of embryonic developmental time Various Leiden researchers have been awarded a European grant to explore the commercial or societal potential of previous research To be eligible for an ERC Proof of Concept grant researchers must have already received another European research grant The new EUR 150,000  grant will allow them to put their research into practice with the goal of commercial of social innovation Below are the names and projects of the Leiden researchers who have received an ERC Proof of Concept: Jean-Louis van Gelder (Institute of Education and Child Studies) The YourFutureU project builds on previous research using virtual reality and smartphone apps to generate future-self avatars The idea will now be further developed into an AI-driven conversational agent that enables users to interact with their older selves This could improve self-reflection and reduce self-destructive behaviour This approach has the potential to improve goal-setting academic performance and mental well-being while reducing self-defeating behaviours such as procrastination which in addition to Van Gelder includes behavioural scientist Dr Esther Mertens clinical psychologist Maggie Webb and computer scientist Janis Butz will test the intervention through targeted studies and study applications in both prevention and therapy Roxanne Kieltyka (Leiden Institute of Chemistry) The SUPRAHEART project is a proof-of-concept to develop a synthetic material for growing engineered heart tissues (EHTs) EHTs often rely on natural materials like collagen or Matrigel which makes it difficult to produce them on a large scale By using a fully synthetic self-assembled material held together by dynamic interactions Kieltyka and her team aim to create heart tissue models that are more consistent This could make them ideal for testing new medicines more efficiently The plan involves increasing the production of these supramolecular hydrogels studying their properties in detail and developing methods to use them to grow high-quality heart tissues to eventually bring this innovation to the market with local partners Sebastian Pomplun (Leiden Academic Centre for Drug Research) The MYSTIC project aims to transform cancer treatment by advancing the development of HeloMYC a groundbreaking therapeutic candidate that targets MYC MYC is considered to be very difficult to target with conventional drugs because it lacks clear binding sites for small molecules HeloMYC is a synthetically enhanced protein drug that can effectively enter cancer cells and block MYC function the research will focus on three main goals: further developing and testing HeloMYC and devising a strategy to bring it to market This project could not only lead to a new treatment for MYC-driven cancers but also more generally introduce a new strategy to tackle diseases that were previously untreatable with traditional drugs It aims to bring hope to millions of patients and has the potential to change the future of precision medicine The Experimental Cardiology lab at the Department of Cardiac Diseases is exploring the possibility of immediately and painlessly stopping an abnormal heart rhythm allowing the normal rhythm to be resumed anytime and anywhere a flash of light and gene therapy will make this new form of therapy possible The ERC Proof of Concept grant will allow the team to take the first steps towards valorisation they will work with a commercial partner from Amsterdam on research on gene transfer vectors Supramolecular materials: from biosensors to cell delivery devices Professor Meta Roestenberg has been awarded the Mercator Sapiens Stimulus 2025 by the Royal Holland Society of Sciences and Humanities (KHMW) The prize of EUR 1 million will allow Roestenberg and her team to further develop an innovative malaria vaccine Professor of Vaccinology and clinical head of Leiden University’s Controlled Human Infection Center is working on a unique approach in the fight against malaria This infectious disease claims more than half a million lives each year around the world What is innovative about her research is the use of living genetically attenuated malaria parasites as a vaccine The first research results are promising and show almost complete protection This breakthrough has already gained attention in leading medical journals Roestenberg will use the prize money to make the vaccine even more potent for effective application in countries where malaria is widespread She will also be able to add a PhD candidate and two postdoctoral researchers to her team ‘That is one of the great aspects of prizes like this: they give young academics the chance to develop The Mercator Sapiens Stimulus is the largest privately funded science prize in the Netherlands What is special about this prize is that the researchers have full freedom in how to spend the money ‘Securing trust-based funding has a huge impact’ The prize ceremony will be held at Hodsonhuis in Haarlem on 12 February 2025. Roestenberg is the second researcher from Leiden to receive this prestigious prize. The prize went to Professor Mariska Kret last year for her research looking at emotions from a comparative and evolutionary perspective How can the academic world best handle the new political reality in the United States researchers and students at Leiden University discussed on Friday afternoon at a gathering in the Kamerlingh Onnes building ‘Don’t just give in; defend academic freedom.’ There were two notable aspects to at the Leiden meeting an initiative of university historian Pieter Slaman: the will to find concrete solutions and the impact that the American turnaround is already having on Leiden and The Hague The packed lecture hall and the strong media attention immediately set the tone on the new situation Slaman asked all those present not to make any recordings while discussions were ongoing so that everyone could feel able to speak freely but that’s the situation we’re in right now.’  Rector Magnificus Hester Bijl is very aware of the unrest that the reports of the attacks on academic freedom in the United States have caused in recent weeks She makes it unequivocally clear that the university is behind the thousands of academics affected in the US and obviously is also behind our own staff and students In the Kamerlingh Onnes building four other speakers besides Bijl presented the first steps for a structured approach to the restrictions from America those present conclude: don’t make a general statement express concerns and engage in discussions did not beat about the bush: ‘Our universities are under attack: our students but also our broader academic community.’  She outlined the changed environment in which American universities are having to work polarisation and the personal leadership created by Trump the universities and their research are no longer for ‘the people’ Van de Wetering has four tips: be open towards other people and to the differences; choose your own path and keep to it – don’t just give in; defend the institute and its academic freedom; and make eye contact assistant professor of North American Studies She was pleased to see that all those present – when they could have been sitting outside enjoying a drink in the sunshine – instead chose to attend this important debate Morgan-Owens spoke with dozens of colleagues and fifty students before the meeting ‘It’s not about what has happened or how we got into this situation The question is: what are we going to do at this moment in time I would like to stop time and carefully examine the developments But that’s not possible right now; it will be a task for future researchers Morgan-Owens knows colleagues who have lost their funding professor of Normative Aspects of Medicine Martine de Vries is already seeing the consequences of the American policy in practice There are financial obstacles because around 80 percent of the budget of the National Institutes of Health (NIH) the world’s biggest funder of medical research The LUMC will be left with expenditure that will not be refunded But there are also personal consequences: subsidies are being refused and publications withdrawn And then there are the concerns about the reliability of research data one of the principal databases for publications in medical and health sciences ‘I check my own publications every day to see whether they are still there.’ De Vries pointed out that it is a good idea to bear in mind that how research from the US is interpreted may have to change in the future and that science will lose important partners ‘ A lot is unclear; at times we are no longer able to reach people in American programmes.’  Her advice is to pay attention to the small print in contracts with partners in the US ‘Our contracts comply with the core values the KNAW; it’s important for us to honour them Collaboration continues to be important; if that disappears it will have major consequences for science Pieter Slaman was impressed by the afternoon’s discussion I’m very happy that so many practical tips have been put forward.’ Staff from Leiden University are starting the Dutch universities’ staggered strike against the government cuts on 10 March There are teach-outs at schools and in public buildings throughout the day and a rally will be held at Garenmarkt in Leiden (11.00-13.00 hrs.) with various speakers 17.00 The strike in Leiden and The Hague has ended The staggered strike against the cuts to education will continue in Utrecht tomorrow 16.00 Associate Professor Jenneke van der Wal gave an interactive lesson to Year 5 at Rijnlands Lyceum secondary school in Sassenheim on how Xhosa women in South Africa avoid using certain words. ‘Based on the data I brought along the pupils described what you can do if you are not allowed to say a certain word And the school was fully behind our strike ‘I have chosen this strike action to show how interesting and relevant our work at the university is Languages need to be described because they offer their perspective on reality you can also find out more about the predecessor of a language and about human migration the schoolchildren I have just taught about African linguistics will no longer have the chance to do an academic programme like that That will result in fewer critical thinkers and us being less able to come up with  solutions to all sorts of problems: from language barriers to climate conversations.’ 14:24 University staff also taught at more than 20 primary and secondary schools today Julia Wasala visited a reception class at the Leiden primary school De Tweemaster to talk about her PhD research on AI models that allow her to see greenhouse gases from space. ‘The children had lots of questions and wanted to know Leiden alderman Abdelhaq Jermoumi (Equality Ed.) was also there and helped them ask questions about AI ‘I’m striking because education is really important I went into academia because I was encourage from an early age to watch Klokhuis on TV and go to the Space Expo The cuts will ultimately also affect today’s children when they want to go into higher education.’ linguist Benjamin Storme explains how his discipline of linguistics helps discover patterns in languages 13.15 There are also public lectures in protest at the cuts at Waalse Kerk on Breestraat Four researchers from the Faculty of Humanities make it clear how their expertise benefits society explains how over time Dutch incorporated Italian loanwords 13:10 Alderman Wietske Veltman (Economy Sport and Health) opens the session at City Hall The Municipality of Leiden fully supports the strike Then university lecturer Anne-Isabelle Richard begins her microlecture on European cooperation 12.45 The rally at Garenmarkt comes to an end. The teach-outs at Waalse Kerk (Breestraat 62) and Stadsfoyer in Leiden City Hall (Stadhuisplein 1) will begin at 13.00 hrs 12:40 Abdelkader Karbache from LSVB student union is one of the last speakers at Garenmarkt. ‘Protest works The late graduation penalty is now off the agenda Change is possible and students and teaching staff must stand side by side Students are the ones who will be at the controls in the future!’ 12:10 Many students are also demonstrating Veerle: ‘I’m here because the generations of students after me also need to be able to study.’ Juno: ‘I teach primary school children in The Hague every week who need extra support So we’re here for all stages and levels of education!’ Rector Magnificus Hester Bijl is sad yet defiant. ‘It’s amazing to see all these students and staff here together with the support of the municipality and secondary vocational and higher professional education We won’t give up.’ There is a lot of fear and uncertainty among staff she says. ‘We’re facing a perfect storm decreasing student numbers at some programmes and universities and on top of that It’s not clear where the impact will be felt I really want to do all I can to stop these cuts And I also want to make sure that we stay together and continue to stand together for education.’ President of the Leiden University Executive Board is proud to see so many people at Garenmarkt ‘Whoever thinks education is expensive doesn’t know what stupidity costs My message to the government is: don’t do it In these times of geopolitical tensions there’s no way we should be cutting back on education ‘This is not just a fight for your jobs but a fight for the country that we want to be We have to make our society resilient and we can do so with good education.’ 11:34 Claire Weeda from WOinactie gives the first speech to the crowds at Garenmarkt. ‘We’re proud that Leiden University is starting this strike against these drastic cuts Education is not a luxury; it’s a necessity We are expanding the campaign with public partners.’ 11.31 It’s not just staff from Leiden University that are striking – staff from University of Applied Sciences Leiden and mboRijnland have come along too a lecturer on the Biology and Medical Laboratory Research programme at University of Applied Science Leiden ‘There are masses of cuts coming and they will also affect universities of applied sciences We are already suffering from a drop in student numbers and the NPO funding that is disappearing.’ She is in regular contact with the university because the government wants universities of applied sciences to conduct more research but I’m already hearing from colleagues that certain grants that we need to conduct research at our departments will not be forthcoming is deeply concerned. ‘The government is on a path of destruction Education is being undermined when it is crucial to the future of our country.’ 11:04 Hundreds of demonstrators have come to Garenmarkt Researchers Yuanyuan and Lingli want their voices to be heard ‘Our research at the Institute of Environmental Sciences is completely international We mainly have contact with researchers in the US We would no longer be able to do our work if we had to do all our research and teaching in Dutch ‘The humanities will be hit hard when it’s so important to preserve and explore different perspectives on the world’ ‘We are striking because we are deeply concerned about the quality of our education And people are concerned for personal reasons too: many of us are worried about losing our jobs’ a lecturer at the Faculty of Humanities:  10.50 Joanne Stolk, a Greek papyrology lecturer is joining the strike today and has come to Garenmarkt where the speeches will start at 11.00 She is particularly concerned about the smaller programmes at the university such as the classical languages. ‘They are an important element of the teaching here in Leiden That really is our strength – it’s why people come here from abroad I’m worried that if programmes are looked at through commercial eyes addresses those present at the Atrium in City Hall ‘We are all concerned about the cuts to higher education and the Balanced Internationalisation Act This will have a huge impact not only on universities but also on us as a city That’s why we need to continue expressing our concerns.’  who took up the role of Vice-President of Leiden University’s Executive Board last week is also there in The Hague. ‘It’s incredibly misguided what has been decided especially given what is happening in the world.’ 10.25 The last preparations are made at Garenmarkt in Leiden. The rally there with various speeches 10.15 The strike has begun in Leiden with a talk about financial stress by Professor Wilco van Dijk at Stadskamer ‘Cutting the education budget is the dumbest thing you can do Education is essential if you want a better world These cuts will affect everyone in the Netherlands.’ 10.00 The staggered strike has officially started in The Hague a lecturer and researcher at Leiden University’s Campus The Hague. ‘I’m concerned about the cuts and the critical stance towards English-taught bachelor’s programmes’ he said. ‘I was born in the Hague and know it has been the international city of peace and justice for decades With institutions like the International Court of Justice the International Criminal Court and the many embassies the city has a strong reputation in international relations This attracts students from around the world who want to learn how to tackle global challenges It is crucial we keep these programmes if we want to continue to play an important international role in the future.’ 9.30 Throughout the day there will be teach-outs at schools and in public buildings The strike is the initiative of WOinActie, student unions and the AOb and FNV unions. It is in protest against the over one billion euros in cuts to higher education announced by the government. For more information see our previous news article International Coalitions for Peace in the Era of Decolonization Generative AI presents journalists with new options for image use but also raises ethical questions Leiden research shows that GenAI image use is yet limited and calls for guidelines to seize the opportunities without losing sight of the risks The research report AI in Beeld shows that AI image generators are not yet widespread in journalism This offers  great promise but presents serious risks Researchers from Leiden University call for new guidelines for using this technology The AI in Beeld report by Leiden researchers Jaap de Jong Maartje van der Woude and Stef Arends is based on 59 interviews with policymakers editors and experts from the world of journalism KRO-NCRV Pointer and the Foundation for Regional Public Broadcasters with financial support from the Dutch Journalism Fund GenAI images can enrich journalism: as an illustration visualisation or for topics that cannot be photographed for practical or ethical reasons ‘The technology opens up new forms of visual imagery’ But the risks should not be underestimated AI models are often trained on datasets with copyrighted materials and stereotypical imagery And it is increasingly difficult to tell the difference between AI and real photos The public does not always realise that images are artificial even if they are labelled or captioned as such ‘Transparency is essential but is not a watertight solution’ To encourage responsible use of AI image technology the researchers make five recommendations: ‘This is an opportunity for journalism to reevaluate its visual craft’ ‘But that will only be possible if it retains control over how Read the AI in beeld research report​​ a quiz about 450 years of university history a Dies Natalis rap and a call to defend academic freedom: these all featured in Leiden University’s 450th Dies Natalis celebration and the official start of its jubilee year was one of the many guests at the Pieterskerk ceremony But this day of celebration did not mean the drastic cuts to higher education were out of mind The red protest flag hung from university buildings and many staff members wore the red symbol to protest the drastic cuts. And around 15 demonstrators were waiting at the entrance to Pieterskerk to protest the university’s ties with Israeli universities The Dies Natalis ceremony was special from the very start, with children from the De Arcade and De Spiegel primary schools in Leiden and The Hague taking to the stage. Earlier that day Professor Fijs van Leeuwen had come to teach a class about radiology and Professor Ton Liefaard had discussed children’s rights with ‘his’ pupils 50 professors had given a lesson at a primary school Bijl took the audience back to that cold winter’s day in a war-torn Leiden on 8 February 1575 when Leiden University took its first breath and how the university’s core values – freedom and service – still inform all that we do The planned cuts were extremely concerning as is the new legislation that puts pressure on academic freedom Using the image of a ray of light shining through the church window as a symbol of hope she called on the university community to face the challenges together and remain true to the university’s mission ‘Because this university is more than an institution reflected on knotty problems from the 450-year history that offer inspiration for today Such as the strict oath students had to take in 1575 ‘I swear to (...) obey the rector and professors and not to adhere to any doctrine than that proclaimed at the university.’ The oath meant Catholic students were not welcome at the Protestant Leiden University in its early days the university and city council asked the States of Holland to be released from this strict oath Because Catholic students opted en masse for Heidelberg and Leuven The lobby succeeded and the strict oath was rescinded It took quite some time before students in other university towns no longer had to take a strict oath ‘Or was it Leiden’s city council?’ Koops also mentioned the affair surrounding Leiden legal scholar Willem van Assendelft who started a Catholic school at the end of the 16th century The States of Holland wanted to mete out a harsh punishment on him but he was almost entirely vindicated by the Leiden academic court ‘The past can inspire how academic freedom is interpreted in the here and now’ Although the theme of the jubilee is ‘Ahead of the Times’ university historian Pieter Slaman took the audience back to some special moments in Leiden University’s history the audience in Pieterskerk answered questions such as: Who was awarded the only honorary doctorate in 1925 but three honorary doctorates were awarded this Dies Natalis Hester Bijl gave an eulogy for each of the three honorary doctors Professor of Organic Chemistry Kelly Chibale has dedicated himself to fighting endemic diseases He also trains talented African researchers ‘You continue to inspire new academic talent and support the next generation of African scientists’ Feminist and legal theorist Bonnie Honig received her doctorate for her groundbreaking work in democratic theory which combines law and political theory with literature ‘Your work offers continued inspiration to researchers from a wide range of disciplines on how to fight intolerance breathe new life into democratic theory and defend our hope for a shared democratic future’ founder of the Bellingcat research journalism collective received his honorary doctorate for defending justice and democracy ‘You started a revolution in the way we use open-source investigation and digital forensic research to reveal the truth’ Hip-hop beats sounded through the church as science rapper Jon Chase performed a special Dies Natalis rap together with singer Celesta da Vinci The piece was composed especially for this Dies Natalis ceremony and describes the history of the university The performance met with resounding applause Annetje Ottow emphasised what a privilege it was to be President of the Executive Board at this historic moment in time A bastion of freedom for 450 years and thus 450 years of academic freedom ‘We are proud of what we have all achieved.’ Then Ottow called the winners of the Gratama Anniversary Award onto the stage.  This is an incentive award for talented young researchers As the Gratama Foundation is also celebrating a jubilee – its centenary – it had EUR 100,000 in prize money to award The prize went to the interdisciplinary Claire Weeda Johannes Müller and Krijn Trimbos and their interdisciplinary project historians and agribotanists are studying ecological change in the 19th-century Netherlands How did people respond to and keep track of these changes?  Ottow then launched a special anniversary campaign by the Leiden University Fund (LUF): the LUF Children’s Fund the two funds will provide extra support to research projects that help create a better future for vulnerable children The launch was also a call for donations to the LUF and LUF Children’s Fund Ottow continued with a word of thanks to the staff who have worked on the year-long jubilee programme I’m really looking forward to the The Eternal Student exhibition Ottow also reflected on the planned government cuts and the profound effect they will have ‘This is a celebration with a tear and a smile.’ She would continue to fight the plans Hester Bijl thanked everyone present for their dedication and support ‘Let’s celebrate our special anniversary this year and face the future together.’  Leiden University will be conferring three honorary doctorates in its special anniversary year expert in feminist theory and legal theory who works on prevention of endemic diseases such as malaria The honorary doctorates will be conferred on 7 February 2025 during the 450th Dies Natalis of Leiden University Honig and Higgins will receive the honorary doctorates in recognition of their exceptional contributions to the fields of science Eliot Higgins is a British citizen journalist, blogger and founder of the investigative journalism collective Bellingcat which identifies abuses in conflicts and human rights violations on the basis of open data Eliot Higgins has conducted extensive investigations of the Syrian civil war the downing of flight MH17 and the poisoning of Sergei and Yulia Skripal Higgins will receive an honorary doctorate in the society field for his contributions to the use of open source intelligence – gathering and analysing information from publicly available sources – to guarantee historical accuracy and fair judicial process: data that can also be used as evidence in international criminal cases Leiden University contributes to knowledge development in the areas of peace Kelly Chibale is Professor of Organic Chemistry at the University of Cape Town (South Africa) His research focuses on development of new drugs in particular for malaria and tuberculosis Chibale’s team is the first to have brought an antimalaria drug of African origin to the clinical development stage. His team delivered two antimalarial drugs to the preclinical development stage One of these reached phase 2 human clinical studies where it showed highly promising results in patients’ Chibale will receive an honorary doctorate in the science field, for his groundbreaking work on developing new drugs to combat endemic diseases in Africa. He displayed exceptional leadership in establishing the H3D Foundation in 2019 H3D is one of the few drug development centres on the continent and it also aims to train and retain talented African scientists Chibale’s work is a great source of inspiration for the next generation of African scientists who is an important inspiration for her. Among Honig’s well-known works are the classic Political Theory and the Displacement of Politics (1993), Emergency Politics: Paradox Democracy (2009) and Public Things: Democracy in Disrepair (2017) Honig will receive an honorary doctorate from Leiden University in the science field for her exceptional contributions to democratic theory over the past thirty years She has given further interdisciplinary impetus to research on law and politics by combining disciplines such as philosophy She is the Nancy Duke Lewis Professor of Modern Culture and Media (MCM) and Political Science at Brown University (United States) Bonnie Honig was nominated to receive the honorary doctorate by Leiden Law School The honorary supervisor is Bastiaan Rijpkema Professor by Special Appointment of Tolerance and Scientific Director of the Institute for the Interdisciplinary Study of Law Kelly Chibale was nominated to receive the honorary doctorate by the Faculty of Science the Faculty of Social & Behavioural Sciences and the LUMC He will be presented with the honorary doctorate by Gilles van Wezel Eliot Higgins was nominated for an honorary doctorate in the society field by the Faculty of Governance & Global Affairs He will be presented with the honorary doctorate by Bas Rietjens Professor by Special Appointment of Intelligence in War and Conflict The Centre for Science and Technology Studies (CWTS) at Leiden University opens a new PhD position to better understand and combat paper mills This will be in collaboration with Sheffield University and Wiley The PhD candidate will produce original research that gains a deeper understanding of the scale and operation of paper mills, as well as of the complex interplay between the superstructure of incentives and varying research norms in scholarship that enable them Anticipated outputs will advance knowledge and produce actionable insights for the research community including by exploring approaches to systematic manipulation; helping inform academic evaluation criteria; enabling policymaking; and delivering recommendations that may be applied directly to scholarly publishing workflows.  Despite the well-documented threat presented by paper mills, there has been little formalized research to understand the mechanisms that allow them to thrive. A recent call for action underscores the need for robust research on this topic senior researcher and deputy director at CWTS "We are excited about the opportunity to fund a 4-year PhD position through a partnership with Wiley Papers mills and related forms of systematic manipulation in publishing are still vastly understudied in relation to the significance of the problem The project will require innovative use of research methods as well as conceptually sophisticated analysis to unpack the embedding of paper mills in different research cultures." “Research integrity is a significant priority for us at Wiley and we continue to invest in our own teams as well as in industry initiatives that seek to uphold the values of research integrity,” said Mike Streeter Wiley Director of Research Integrity Strategy & Policy “We’re excited to formalize this partnership with CWTS and the successful candidate.” Professor of Information Services Management at the University of Sheffield said “There is an urgent need for more research on this topic I hope that partnership between academic researchers and Wiley on this project will yield important insights that make a difference to policy and practice” The PhD candidate will undertake their research with independent supervision and the project will undergo an institutional ethical review The research outputs will be owned exclusively by the research team will incorporate open research practices to ensure that others can build on this important work.  This collaboration builds on an extensive body of meta-research projects the team has carried out in the Research on Research Institute (RoRI) a consortium of funding bodies and academic institutions committed to better understanding and improving research culture Interested candidates can learn more and apply here. For more information on the background of the envisioned research, please see this blog post The Faculty of Humanities has shared a new spending reduction plan with its students and staff Although the plans are less sweeping than previous ones we still need to make painful decisions: the proposal to scrap the Bachelor’s in Italian Language and Culture The Faculty Board recently held extensive discussions with the programme chairs and they have provided input on the new plans The following measures have now been proposed: The student and staff participation bodies still need to issue an opinion on the proposed plans The Executive Board will make the final decision about whether to close the programmes There is good news for programmes previously mentioned in the plans that may have been scrapped: ‘One consideration of our board in this respect is that as a university we also have a clear societal responsibility which is why we are choosing to maintain the languages taught at school This will enable us to continue to train secondary school teachers the programme is at least offered elsewhere in the Netherlands.’ The cuts at the Faculty would now be realised by reducing the large number of courses offered within the degree programmes There are also many elective courses that only a handful of students enrol in ‘Degree programmes have already started scrapping courses and electives,’ says Dean Mark Rutgers ‘That will already result in significant savings and we are going to continue with this This means that although fewer courses will be offered to students there will still be enough to obtain a full degree We are also asking programmes to work together more where possible The programme chairs have been very proactive in looking into this ‘We are convinced that these choices will allow us to build a strong We do not yet know whether this is enough: the effects of government policy such as the Balanced Internationalisation Act Following a highly successful first edition we are delighted to announce the second Leiden eLaw Summer School on ‘Regulating AI in the EU Digital Market’ taking place from 23 to 27 June 2025 This year’s summer school will feature renowned experts from top international academic institutions and public regulators including representatives from the European Data Protection Supervisor and National enforcement authorities It will be directed by Dr Gianclaudio Malgieri and coordinated by Dr Constanța Roșca amplifying both opportunities and risks while challenging public authorities to adapt their enforcement strategies This edition of the eLaw summer school will delve into critical questions such as: Registration is open. See this website for more information and registration Leiden University will continue to offer its BA in Italian Language and Culture The Board of the Faculty of Humanities has reversed its decision to stop admitting new students as of the 2026/2027 academic year The Faculty Board reached this conclusion having consulted the programme and carefully evaluated the plan it submitted to make the programme more efficient and future oriented staff from the Italian Language and Culture programme have worked intensively on a supplementary plan to future-proof the programme and has given the Faculty Board every confidence that the expertise in the Italian language culture and history can be embedded for the future in the faculty’s range of programmes The financial projection for the revised and optimised programme shows that the financial deficit will not be as large as previously expected once the suggested measures have been implemented the Faculty Board has concluded that closing the BA in Italian Language and Culture would be too sweeping a measure at the present It’s fantastic that Italian can continue within Leiden’s distinctive tradition of languages and cultures We’re bursting with energy to start working on an updated programme and attractive curriculum for the Italian specialists of the future’ ‘we appreciate that this will be a relief for students and staff from the Italian Language and Culture programme and are glad to be able to share this news with them And we have seen a great deal of solidarity with this programme within the faculty and beyond Italian will therefore be given an additional task which will be fleshed out over the next few weeks The student intake numbers also remain a point of concern We will continue to closely monitor the developments within all our degree programmes so we can take prompt action should this prove necessary.’ ‘We realise this announcement is not the answer to all our questions Tough decisions need to be made to turn the faculty’s situation around who will take over from Mark Rutgers as of 1 March ‘As the new Faculty Board with our new and serving members we will continue to face this challenge in the period ahead We will keep talking to all involved and greatly value everyone’s input and dedication.’ We'll be kicking off with introductions to our labs and studios at 16:00 and then meet in the Digital Lab 0.09 at 16:30 to hear short pitches from colleagues who employ the labs and studios for their research and teaching Then we open the bar at 17:00 with complementary drinks/snacks The remaining hour we will have two sets of demonstrations and you can further choose to see demos of the media editing process the UNICEF Student Team Leiden is organising a lecture on children's rights We spoke to board members Rewina Teferi Hagos and Tugwell Chadyiwanembwa to find out what motivates them Rewina: We’re a student volunteer organisation that works for UNICEF and organises all sorts of events. For example, this year we’re focusing on a big project to mobilise resources for eco-smart villages in Madagascar to help children cope with the effects of climate change our main focus is to advance and promote children's rights on a global scale We’re partnering with UNICEF to get these rights onto the global agenda It’s important for me that people clearly understand and appreciate the importance of children’s rights We need to engage people in the process of promoting that kind of understanding and we’re trying to do that by building a community Rewina: UNICEF is a children’s rights organisation so the two most important things are to raise awareness for children’s rights and to raise funds for all sorts of projects to improve those rights We’re trying to raise awareness of the issues outside of your own ‘bubble’ and to expose people to different projects Tugwell: I think we all have our role to play here at Leiden University we’ll be moving on to different ventures and areas throughout the world So this is the best time to implement a culture of promoting children’s rights Rewina: We’re generally targeting students with local activities and we’re trying to keep it affordable so that everyone can join in we’ve organised a pub quiz and a bake night we’re holding a lecture to mark World Children’s Day and hopefully a bake sale across various locations in Leiden Rewina: I used to work at UNICEF in my home country it was more like an extension of what I’d been working on in Ethiopia I was already working and interested in children’s rights so within the Student Team I could combine this work with  promoting children's rights Tugwell: For me, it’s purely a passion to promote children’s rights. I’ve been working in this area of work for some time and we both follow the Advanced Master’s in International Children’s Rights I thought this could be an opportunity to try to motivate others so it’s my responsibility to coordinate the board Most of the other board members are responsible for volunteers who are constantly coming up with new ideas for activities I help with communicating those activities and I’m responsible for the contact with the national board and the UNICEF office my main responsibility is to raise awareness for children’s rights I try to connect all the projects we’re organising to the essence of children’s rights Tugwell: 20 November is an important day on the United Nations’ calendar It marks the anniversary of the date the UN General Assembly adopted the Declaration of the Rights of the Child and the Convention on the Rights of the Child It’s a day to reflect on where we are now and what needs to be done to ensure that every child in the world has rights It’s also a day to celebrate how far we’ve come who is the current Chair of the UN Committee on the Rights of the Child Tugwell: The theme of the lecture is ‘Investing in our children is investing in our future’ If we’re all serious about investing in children We want to convey this message to all students and staff at Leiden University as well as everyone in Leiden we want to paint Leiden blue on 20 November The colour blue represents both children and UNICEF we’re encouraging everyone to wear something blue that day The lecture organised by the UNICEF Student Team will take place on Wednesday 20 November from 15.30 to 17.00 in the Kamerlingh Onnes Building, room C1.31. Register here two other events will take place next week which Leiden Law School staff will be attending to share their expertise on children’s rights: Effective Protection of Fundamental Rights in a pluralist world a travelling photo exposition on the Mayan archaeological site El Mirador saw its festive opening at the Van Steenis building For the occasion a special Faculty Lecture was organised entitled 'Water Legacy: Mayan World Meets the Netherlands' We were honored to receive the Ambassador of Guatemala to the Netherlands Her Excellency Ana Cristina Rodriguez Pineda the use of LiDAR technology led to the identification of even more Preclassic Maya sites in the area members of the archaeological project discussed the water management strategies used by the inhabitants of El Mirador and its surroundings corporate lawyer and PhD candidate at the University of Amsterdam, discussed water management in the Netherlands The archaeologists also spoke about the future of the site and the way small-scale tourism can be valuable for the archaeological site as well as the preservation of the forests in the area Resilience as Human–Environmental Engagement: Sustainability in Pre-Columbian Central America Emergency recording of Chontales style sculpture at the El Gavilán site Fixing history: Ancient cultural practices of stone sculpture in central Nicaragua The linguistic past of Mesoamerica and the Andes: a search for early migratory relations between North and South America The Routledge Handbook of Archaeology and Globalization