Young Academy Leiden
Newsletter - September 2025 |
The new academic year has officially begun! We wish you a productive and rewarding year, building on the insights from last semester’s focus on slow science, taking the time for reflections and thoughtful discussions. We hope to see you at one of our events this year. 
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New blog post: Loss of academic freedom: Are we halfway there?
Recent developments surrounding the proposed discontinuation of the International Bachelor in Psychology (IBP) at several Dutch universities — including Leiden University — raise serious concerns about the state of academic freedom in the Netherlands. This is not just about one programme or one decision.
In a new blog, YAL reflects on how this case exemplifies a troubling shift: academic decisions increasingly shaped by political pressure rather than academic judgement, and made through processes that bypass those with relevant expertise. We argue that the process through which this decision has been reached should serve as a wake-up call that academic freedom can easily be lost.
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| Things that might interest you: |
APNet event: "The Academic Edge: A practical workshop in strategic career development"
APNet organizes an in-person event with a hands-on workshop on strategic career development. The workshop will be held by Maria Sovago from the company Stralia.
The APNet Symposium will take place in the afternoon of the 28th of October in Utrecht. You can register here.
About APNet: The APNet network is open to all young researchers at the assistant professor (or equivalent) level employed at Dutch universities or research institutes. We seeks to connect, support and advocate for assistant professors. To find out more about what ANnet does, visit their website: https://ap-net.nl/.
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Arjan Louwen has won the 2025 Leiden Teaching Prize
We want to congratulate YAL member Arjan Louwen for receiving the Leiden Teacher of the Year award!
Arjan Louwen is a lecturer in Archaeology who stands out for his passion and dedication. His lectures are full of energy and commitment, and his students always feel seen and heard. One of his students said at the LUS symposium: ‘He is incredibly understanding, and is by far the best lecturer we have.’ He not only conveys the lesson material with passion, but with seemingly little effort is also able to weave his own practice into the lectures. He is warmly praised by his students: Arjan isn’t just a skilled teacher, he is also an inspiration.
We would also like to congratulate Carmen van den Bergh (Humanities) and Egbert Koops (Law) on their nomination for the 2025 Leiden Teaching Prize.
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