The United Nations Charter at Eigthty: United or Divided on the International Rule of Law?

• By: prof.dr. Nico Schrijver
  Language: English

Eighty years after its signing, the United Nations Charter remains the foundation of the international legal order – a promise to safeguard peace, justice, and human dignity. Yet in today’s world of persistent warfare, geopolitical rivalry, and global inequality, that promise is under severe pressure. This lecture examines the resilience of the Charter as both a legal and moral framework for international cooperation in four parts: I – The Vision; II – The Erosion; III – The Innovation; and IV – The Future. In a time when might often seems to prevail over right, this event invites reflection on a fundamental question: Can the international rule of law still unite a divided world?

Prof. Nico Schrijver:
Professor Emeritus of Public International Law and former Academic Director of the Grotius Centre for International Legal Studies of Leiden University. He also served as a Senator in the Dutch House of Parliament, member of international parliamentary assemblies and a State Councillor in the Dutch Council of State. Schrijver has appeared as legal counsel before the International Court of Justice (ICJ) and the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea (ITLOS) and as expert in various cases before Dutch courts. Schrijver was also a legal officer at the United Nations Legal Service, specifically on the staff of the UN Security Council, a member of the UN Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Human Rights and judge ad hoc in ITLOS. Drawing on his extensive experience, he presents his thought-provoking views on the functioning of the United Nations in a rapidly changing geopolitical context.

* We will only admit people who receive a confirmation email from us.  A maximum of 70 participants can be admitted. The registration deadline is Monday, December 1st.

For further questions and information, please contact us at cleveringa@luf.leidenuniv.nl. 

An independent view on Slovakia’s Energy Security

• By: Ms Lucia van Geuns
• Language: English

The EU has over recent years substantially reduced energy ties with Russia as a response to Russia aggression against Ukraine and the EU is preparing to fully terminate oil and gas relation with Russia by the end of 2026. In this regard, the European Council has recognized Slovakia’s landlocked nature and its particular energy-system constraints. Ms. Van Geuns, an independent and experienced professional, will during a special lecture dive deeper into the highly debated topic of decoupling of energy relations from Russia while assuring security and affordability in Central-Europe . She will dive into Global, European and the Central-European energy markets and share considerations that can support the ongoing policy debate regarding Slovakia’s energy policy.
 
Ms Lucia van Geuns is an energy expert at the Hague Centre for Strategic Studies (HCSS). She held research positions at the Netherlands Organization for Applied Scientific Research (TNO) and the Clingendael International Energy Programme (CIEP), following a 22-year career at Shell. She has a background in geoscience, petroleum engineering, economics & planning. Her work focuses on international political and economic developments in the energy sector, including oil, gas, and renewable energy. She has held academic positions at Delft University of Technology and the Anton de Kom University of Suriname. From 2013 to 2019, she served as President of the Royal Geological and Mining Society of the Netherlands (KNGMG). Since November 2024, she is a member of the Mining Council (Mijnraad), an independent advisory body to the Dutch government.

For further questions and information, please contact Zuzana Kepplova at zuzana.kepplova@minbuza.nl of +421 911 916 010. 

Recente ontwikkelingen omtrent de behandeling van tinnitus

• By: prof.dr. Jos Eggermont
• Language: English

Tinnitus, een soort fantoompijn, heeft to nu toe geen afdoende therapeutische behandeling gekend. Dat is aan het veranderen. Deze methoden ziin vrijwel allemaal gebaseerd op het idee that er een duidelijk centrum in de hersenen is dat tinnitus veroorzaakt, en dat het stil leggen ervan tinnitus zou verdwijnen. Dit is niet het geval, tinnitus is het resultaat van een ‘maladaptive plasticity’ van de hersenen. Stimulatie van de vijfde aangezichtszenuw, gekombineerd met aan tinnitus aangepast geluid kan deze ‘maladaptive plasticity’ veranderen. De hierop gebaseerde methoden van behandeling hebben zeer positieve resultaten opgeleverd, namelijk lang-durige verzwakking en vaak ook volledig verdwijnen van tinnitus.

The Nature of Engineering: A Bio-inspired Approach

• By: prof.dr. Marjan Eggermont

Bio-inspired Design is a rapidly growing field, which combines biology, engineering, and design to come up with solutions. This approach to design takes inspiration from nature and its processes to create products that are more efficient, effective, and economical. Designers can use the principles of biomimicry to mimic natural structures and processes, or they can use more advanced technologies such as evolutionary algorithms to help solve complex problems. By looking to nature for inspiration, designers can create solutions that are both innovative and often more sustainable. This talk will give an overview of 20 years of teaching, designing and working with students in this field.

If you have any questions please contact Cleveringacommittee member Mary Eggermont via memo45@shaw.ca. 

* Omdat er drie jubilea worden gevierd zijn er dit jaar geen kosten (met dank aan Jos en Mary Eggermont). Namelijk:
het is de 40e Cleveringa-bijeenkomst in Calgary
Jos en Mary zijn 60 jaar getrouwd en
de Leidse Universiteit bestaat 450 jaar.

• Speaker: Alberto van Klaveren
• Language: English

Albert Leo "Alberto" van Klaveren Stork (born 27 October 1948) is a Dutch-born Chilean lawyer, political scientist, and diplomat who has been serving as Minister of Foreign Affairs since 10 March 2023. Previously, he served as the Undersecretary for Foreign Affairs of Chile between 2006 and 2009. Van Klaveren also represented Chile in the International Court of Justice in the case regarding the Chilean–Peruvian maritime dispute. Before assuming his post as a minister, he taught at the University of Chile.

For further questions and information, please contact us at cleveringa@luf.leidenuniv.nl 

The Gaza War on Campus: Dutch Academia in Polarized Times

• By: dr. Noa Schonmann
• Language: English

The talk explores how the ongoing violence and human suffering in Israel/Palestine have permeated campus life, creating a deep sense of crisis. We examine the profound impact of the Gaza War on Dutch universities and ask: what can be done when class conversations grow polarized? What is at stake when scholars combine scientific expertise with activist commitments? What role should universities serve for Dutch society today? In conversation with current students, we consider how Leiden University can foster spaces for deep and well-informed public deliberation—platforms where dialogue across political divides becomes regular practice.

For further questions and information, please contact us at Cleveringa Committee member Wouter Korteweg at wouter@daanlegal.nl or on 06 22 57 15 89.

Repurposing freedom of expression in inforuptive times: many challenges, any opportunities?

• Speaker: Prof. dr. Tarlach McGonagle
• Language: English

For further questions and information, please contact Amina Amriou via amin.amriou@minbuza.nl or Christopher Jones via christopher.jones@minbuza.nl. 

Reclaiming the Future in the Age of AI:  Islam, Disruptive Technologies and the Need for Future Literacy

• By: prof.dr. Bart Barendregt (Faculty of Social and Behavioural Sciences, Leiden University)
  Prof.dr. Phil. Sahiron Syamsuddin ((Director of Islamic Higher Education, Ministry of Religious Affairs) and
  Dr. Baiq Hana Susanti (Universitas Islam Negeri Syarif Hidayatullah, Jakarta)
• Language: English

Building on insights from the multi-year research initiative One Among the Zeroes, this lecture examines how generative AI technologies are being appropriated, reinterpreted, and lived with across Muslim communities in Southeast Asia. It turns attention to the everyday: to how students, artists, scholars, and entrepreneurs are already engaging these tools in ways that shape emergent futures. The lecture explores the spiritual, epistemic, and cultural dimensions of these interactions: the dangers posed by biased, exclusionary datasets shaped by Global North perspectives, as well as the generative potential of Muslim intellectual and creative agency in reclaiming AI. In doing so, it asks how plural, localized, and spiritually meaningful futures might be imagined, and made, from within.

Seats are limited. Registration is required.

The Cleveringa Lecture is organized in collaboration with the Indonesian Ministry of Religious Affairs, the Office of Leiden University in Indonesia, and the Dutch Embassy in Jakarta. The lecture will be opened by Ambassador Marc Gerritsen and the Minister for Religious Affairs, Nasaruddin Umar.

For questions about the event, please email Marrik Bellen at
m.w.bellen@library.leidenuniv.nl.

Democracy under Threat

• By: prof.dr. Sarah de Lange, prof.mr. Ferd Grapperhaus and dr. Marenne Mei Jansen
• Language: English

In the aftermath of the Second World War, democracy became the assumed norm across Western Europe. Dictatorships were viewed as relics of the past – underdeveloped, uncivilized, and not part of our world. But recent global developments have shaken that confidence, reminding us of a hard-earned lesson from the 1930s: democracy is not invincible. It can be eroded from within. In fact, as Aristotle warned even much longer ago, when the rule of law is neglected, democracies become dangerously susceptible to demagogues. A democracy can, in fact, destroy itself.

This year’s Leiden Cleveringa Meeting invites you to examine the fragility of democratic systems. We will explore both internal weaknesses and external threats, and ask: How can we safeguard our institutions and strengthen democratic resilience? What roles should democratic institutions play? Is there a responsibility for the military? And what part can—and must—we in Academia play?

Join us for a timely and urgent conversation about the future of democracy.

For further questions and information, please contact us at cleveringa@luf.leidenuniv.nl. 

Collective protest

• By: prof.dr. Don Weenink Ph.D.
• Language: English

Mindful of the speech delivered by Professor R.P. Cleveringa on November 26, 1940, this lecture is about protest. It focuses on collective protest in the form of demonstrations in public spaces. These protests have increased significantly in recent years in Western democracies. I will address how demonstrations arise and their consequences, particularly for social change. The lecture will also address how the police can effectively manage demonstrations, and under what circumstances protests become violent.

Don Weenink is Professor of Violence and Law Enforcement at the Institute of Security and Global Affairs, Leiden University.

If you have any questions about the meeting, please contact Cleveringa Committee member Victor Juttmann via victor.juttmann@iese.net or tel. +44 7767 372 056.

As soon as we know more about this Cleveringa event, we'll share it here. As a Leiden University alumnus, you'll also receive an email invitation to the event in your area.

Democracy in Danger?

• By: dr.mr. Floris Mansvelt Beck
• Language: English

Shortly after the beginning of the Nazi occupation of the Netherlands, on November 26, 1940, professor Rudolph Cleveringa of Leiden University spoke out against the dismissal of his Jewish colleagues at the university. The next day, he was arrested and imprisoned by the Nazi regime. In commemoration of this early act of resistance, Leiden alumni organize yearly Cleveringa Lectures around the world — including in Munich.

This year’s lecture, organised in cooperation with the Stiftung Weiße Rose, will be delivered by Leiden legal scholar and political philosopher Dr. Floris Mansvelt Beck. In his talk, he will address current concerns about democracy. In particular, he will explore the tension between democratic ideology and its functioning in practice, and examine how contemporary technological developments influence this relationship.

If you have any questions about the meeting, please email Cleveringa Committee member Susanne Regehr at susanne.regehr@web.de.

The Geopoliticisation of Europe

• By: Dr. Joris Larik
• Language: English

We are witnessing a remarkable transformation of the European Union. Propelled forward by the full-scale Russian invasion of Ukraine in 2022, but having started already earlier, several longstanding taboos were broken: ranging from delivering lethal aid to an active conflict to relaxing fiscal rules to procure considerable funds for defence procurement. Today, following its “geopolitical awakening”, Europe is in the process of “rearmament” . This lecture retraces the milestones of this development, increasingly codified in EU law, examines how they reflect a deeper transformation of the European integration project, and provides an outlook on the EU as a “post-peace” project.

Joris Larik is Associate Professor of Comparative, EU, and International Law at Leiden University and Director of Education of Leiden University College The Hague. He is an expert in EU external relations, comparative foreign relations law, and global governance. In 2022, he was appointed to the Committee on European Integration of the Dutch Advisory Council on International Affairs (AIV). 

Parking is paid in the neighborhood, the venue is best accessible by public transport. If you have any questions about the meeting please contact Cleveringa committee member Martina Vachova via martina.vachova@minbuza.nl. 

The young Eduard Maurits Meijers as empirical researcher: a lawyer in the polder

• By: prof.mr. Alex Geert Castermans
• Language: English

On 26 November 1940 the Dutch Professor Rudolph Pabus Cleveringa gave a now famous protest speech. As Dean of the Law Faculty, he denounced the measure taken by the invading Germans of removing all Jewish professors from their posts. One of these professors was his colleague Eduard Maurits Meijers, who should have been lecturing his students at that point in time.

In his speech, Cleveringa painted an intimate portrait of Meijers, who was now carelessly brushed aside and forced to interrupt his work after thirty years of service. Naturally, he commemorated Meijers’ authority in the field of civil law, but his colleague’s work covered many topics outside that specific area as well. Cleveringa remembered hearing someone from the banking world, after having read Meijers’ work, refer to him as a Professor of Political Economy instead.

During this year’s Cleveringa lecture in Rome, on 27 November 2025, we will focus on the origins of Eduard Maurits Meijers’ versatility as a researcher. When he was young, he performed all sorts of empirical research, related to farmers and to families working in the mat-industry. How did all these different experiences influence his later work as a lawyer?

If you have any questions about the meeting, please email Cleveringa Committee member Frianne Zevenbergen at friannezevenbergen@hotmail.com or to Inge Weustink at iweustink@gmail.com.

The ECHR as a threat to the Trias Politica: fact or fiction?

• By: Prof. Tom Barkhuysen

• Language: English

In this lecture, Prof. Barkhuysen will reflect upon the separation of powers (Trias Politica) in relation to the European Court of Human Rights and the European Convention on Human Rights. For instance the interpretation by the European Court of Human Rights and national judges of articles 3 and 8 of the ECHR in relation to irregular migration is currently a heavily debated topic in Europe. Some might argue that the Convention system poses a threat to the separation of powers. In his Cleveringa lecture Tom Barkhuysen examines where the concerns around these topics come from and how they should be assessed. He also looks for ways to address concerns about the Trias Politica without making radical changes to the European Convention on Human Rights. 

If you have any questions about the meeting, please email us at cleveringa@luf.leidenuniv.nl or call Laura Stymans via +33 3 88 36 20 48.

The UN at 80: towards a ReUnited Nations for the 21st century

• By: Prof.dr. Niels Blokker
• Language: Engels

This year the United Nations is celebrating its 80th anniversary. But is there anything to celebrate? The UN is often criticized for its failures. It is blamed for not solving armed conflicts. Often, UN member states are disunited. The current political climate is characterized by increased nationalism and populism and by geopolitical changes. This Cleveringa lecture will discuss how to adapt the UN to such a changing international landscape, and what is required for the UN to ‘save succeeding generations from the scourge of war’ in the 21st century. It will look at threats to withdraw from the UN, the need to distinguish between the UN and its member states, and the need to reform the Security Council.

If you have any questions about the meeting, please contact Konstantin Korkelia at konstantin.korkelia@tsu.ge or tel. +995 599 953040.

Universalising Universal Jurisdiction

• By: Prof.dr. Larissa van den Herik
• Language: English

In February 2024, Armenia was welcomed as the 124th State Party to the International Criminal Court (ICC). This accession does not only expand the ICC’s jurisdiction, but it also contributes to universalising the potential of domestic prosecutions based on universal jurisdiction. This lecture discusses the new accountability options that arise with new ratifications and it compares best practices from domestic courts prosecuting international crimes based on universal jurisdiction, including experiences from Dutch courts in The Hague. Such domestic prosecutions may only become more important in times to come given the backlash against the ICC and the increasing challenges for the rule of law more broadly.

If you have any questions about the meeting, please email Thymen Kouwenaar at tha.kouwenaar@minbuza.nl.