‘If we all possessed just an ounce of Cleveringa, then all would be well in the world,’ said Professor Leo Lucassen. In the Cleveringa debate on the line between free speech and threatening speech he called for ‘more guts’. He is not the only one who thinks this is badly needed if the debate at the Academy Building on Wednesday evening between academics, politicians and journalists was to be believed.

Michiel Veldhuis is looking for answers that our world urgently needs. As an ecologist working on the Liveable Planet interdisciplinary programme, he researches the impact of global climate change on the African savanna.

Giacomo Boffi, PhD candidate on Economics and Governance of Migration, is one of the many young talented researchers of Leiden University. We spoke to him about his research and the importance of giving scientists the opportunity to devise sustainable solutions for the challenges we face as a globalised society.

Professor of Governance of Sustainability Eefje Cuppen researches sustainability transitions and takes social values such as equity and equality into account. How, for example, can we reduce CO2 in a way that is fair?

Assistant Professor Maarten Schrama works at Leiden University’s living labs, where biology, environmental sciences and knowledge about agriculture and policy come together. We met him at the new Polderlab to ask him about his research.

One of our talented researchers is Anne-Laura van Harmelen. As Professor of Brain, Safety and Resilience, she studies distressing childhood experiences, such as abuse, bullying or trauma.

Exercising is generally good for your health. In addition, it proves a cheap and effective treatment of common cardiometabolic diseases like obesity, type 2 diabetes and heart disease. Not only because it increases energy levels, it’s anti-inflammatory, too. But what if you can’t do sports or exercise because of a serious illness, like cancer?

Scared to read aloud, put your hand up, answer a question or make a mistake at all: many primary school children suffer from anxiety and their numbers are increasing. Psychologists from the Knowledge Center Anxiety & Stress (KAS) are therefore developing and researching preventive training.

It’s over a year ago since Russia started its war in Ukraine on 24 February 2022. Life has carried on for the Ukrainian students in Leiden as they try to make the best of things. Last summer, we spoke to Sofia, who started her second year on the Psychology programme last September. How is she coping?