Science thrives on freedom, safety, and stability. But what if these prerequisites are lacking? What if academics beyond our borders are threatened, persecuted or forced to flee? For dr. Nadia Sonneveld, the driving force behind Scholars for Scholars Leiden, these are not merely theoretical questions, but a call for action.
On a sunny Saturday, 15 nominees came to the Kamerlingh Onnes building to hear who had won the Schild-de Groen Research Prizes and the Leiden University Thesis Prizes. The stunning Lorentz Hall filled with family, friends, donors and thesis supervisors.
Professor by Special Appointment Anouk Goemans has received the National Youth Care Award 2025 from the ‘Stichting Steunfonds Pro Juventute’. The cash prize of €30,000 will go towards her research on youth care and youth protection.
The Executive Board of Leiden University has appointed Dr Alicia Schrikker as Professor of Dutch History in the World, effective 1 January 2026. The chair is based at the Faculty of Humanities Institute of History.
Houses, warehouses, wells, a mooring and even a stable. All of this can be seen on the oldest known map of the island of Dejima acquired by Leiden University Libraries (UBL). The map provides a highly detailed picture of a tiny living environment on the isolated island.
What reduces the likelihood of children being taken into care? At present, child protection services don’t have the data to answer that question. In her inaugural lecture, Anouk Goemans calls for data-driven systems, alongside attention to the stories behind the numbers.
A signing ceremony took place in the Academy Building on Thursday 11 December to confirm a new endowment to the Leporis Fund, a named LUF fund. This celebrated a special moment in the continued legacy of Ruurt Hazewinkel, an alumnus and ardent advocate of research and teaching.
A special event took place at the Academy Building on Thursday 11 December: the establishment of the new Leiden Egyptology Fund, which the LUF will administer. An alumnus who wishes to remain anonymous has endowed this named fund to support Dr Miriam Müller’s historical and archaeological research on the earliest periods of Egyptian civilisation.
Why did fewer women suffer from osteoporosis in the past than today? And which aspects of a city make public spaces safe, accessible and comfortable for all residents? These two research questions will be explored in more detail thanks to an Impulse Grant from the Leiden University Fund.
Growing numbers of young people with complex mental health problems are trapped in a vicious circle of despair. This seriously affects their future because they drop out of school, self-harm or, in the most extreme cases, die by suicide. Dr Laura Nooteboom and her team are researching how young experts by experience can help support their peers.
