Worldwide, more than a billion disposable plastic bags are used each year. It is unclear where these bags end up. Only 1% of them are recycled in Europe, and there is increasing evidence that the large majority end up in the natural environment. Although this problem is receiving increased attention, data for the Netherlands and the rest of Europe is scarce.

Bladder cancer is one of the most common forms of cancer in the Netherlands. And it is persistent: in eight out of ten people, the tumour returns after treatment. A remarkable discovery by Dr Gabri van der Pluijm and his team offers new hope. They found that the antipsychotic Penfluridol, which is used to treat schizophrenia, has an inhibitory effect on cancer cells.

Even as a university fund, we cannot do without good friends. With the support of our Friends, we work in a sustainable way to foster the growth of Leiden University.

Good Friends make all the difference. Your involvement strengthens the community around Leiden University and contributes to impactful projects in education and research.

Our motto is 'From ambition to achievement'. We can only do this with the help of our donors. Not all academic education and research is financed by the government. This makes contributions from donors indispensable.

The complex societal issues of our time rarely fit seamlessly within the boundaries of a single field of study or specialization. When seeking solutions to these challenges, it is crucial for scientists to engage in dialogue across the borders of their own domain and discipline.

In academic year 2018/2019, over 80 students set off for destinations all around the world to study, do an internship or carry out research. From the final reports that we received, ten deserved a place on the shortlist for the LISF Prize. A further five students were nominated for the Janneke Fruin-Helb Grant.

Thanks to medical innovations, more children are recovering from serious interventions such as heart surgery or stem cell transplants. A remarkable achievement, but for eight out of ten children and their families this has a lasting medical and psychosocial effect. Paediatric haematologist Anne de Pagter and paediatric cardiologist Arno Roest want to research how support for these children and their families can be improved.