Young Academy Leiden
Newsletter - March 2026 |
How many bees are there in a beehive? A healthy hive can contain tens of thousands of worker bees! In academia, we often do not even know how many “worker bees” our institutions rely on. In this newsletter, we highlight our new blog “Forming a Hive: The Importance of Recognising and Organising Postdoctoral Worker Bees,” alongside a Manifest for Slow Science and announcements of upcoming workshops and symposia.  |
New Blog: Forming a hive: The importance of recognising and organising postdoctoral ‘worker bees’ 🐝
Following a recent article about the struggles of postdoctoral researchers in academia, Lieke Smit and Renske Janssen emphasise the importance of recognising and organising postdocs, the ‘disposable worker bees’ of academia. Read the blog to learn more about the underrepresentation of postdocs in academia, and Lieke and Renske’s suggestions for improvement.
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Workshop: The added value of International Mobility for research groups and institutions
International mobility has always been an important policy instrument. The coalition agreement presented on January 30 also clearly puts attracting and retaining international talent back on the agenda. With these workshops, we want to establish a broader agenda for discussion: not only ‘What talent do we need now?’, but also ‘What is the added value of international mobility for research groups and institutions, for example in the field of knowledge circulation?’, and 'What are the bottlenecks in realising this added value?
Two workshops are organised: The first workshop is meant for scientists leading a research group, for the second workshop we would like to invite policymakers working on this topic at higher education institutions.
When: 2 April 2026; 14:00 – 16:00 and 9 April; 10:00 – 12:00
Where: Rathenau Instituut in The Hague.
You can find more information and the registration link here. |
Symposium: Fostering a Positive Research Culture
The NRIN Half-day Research Symposium on Fostering a Positive Research Culture aims to bring together researchers, policy advisors, HR, and other academic and non-academic staff to critically reflect on the opportunities, challenges, and concrete actions to foster a positive research culture within universities. The day will include a reflection on the outcomes and steps ahead on the National Recognition & Rewards Program. We will also showcase examples of ongoing initiatives at some Dutch institutions aimed at improving the current research climate. The day will finish with an interactive theatre play on fostering a positive research culture.
When: 10 April 2026; 12:00 – 17:00
Where: VU Amsterdam – Atrium room
This is a free event (registration is mandatory!). Lunch will be provided! |
Save the date: Academia in Motion symposium and Town Hall meeting
Academia in motion is organising a symposium and Town Hall to share outcomes and experiences and to engage in dialogue about the progress of and future of Academia in Motion.
During the Town Hall morning session, people can engage in a dialogue on specific elements of the programme, such as faculty career policies, opportunities for PhDs, quality criteria, and publishing practices. In the afternoon, the symposium session will further deepen the conversation with participants, Universities of the Netherlands (UNL), and university leaders. Which changes are being implemented in practice? What stands in the way of optimal implementation? And what is needed to turn good intentions into everyday practice? More information about registration will follow!
When: 12 May 2026; 10:00 – 16:00
Where: PLNT, Leiden |
Slow Science updates
The Slow Science Movement challenges the prevailing "publish or perish" culture in academia and research institutions. We believe that the current pressure for rapidpublication and high citation counts undermines the quality, integrity, and societal value of scientific work. The movement advocates for a shift to more thoroughresearch practices that allow scientists the time needed for deep thinking, careful literaturereview, and meaningful collaboration.
 This manifesto envision a scientific ecosystem where researchers can cooperate rather than compete, and their work is evaluated based on the significance and rigor of their contributions rather than on bibliometric indices.
Find out more & sign here. |
“Een teken van hoop is universiteiten bouwen van tenten”
 In Leiden, we’re using VR to imagine a new and empty university building, there they build tents to replace the university buildings destroyed by bombings. In her column in Mare (in Dutch) Lieke Smits reflects on visiting the ‘Picturing Scholasticide’ exhibit in the Pieter de la Court Agora (FSW) building.
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Sara de Wit in Trouw on the importance of valuing local knowledge
In an article (in Dutch) discussing that local African knowledge
 is valuable in helping deal with the changing climate, Sara challenges the paternalisticandcolonial mindset toward Africa, saying “too often we see people going to Africa thinking we should teach something to Africans, even though there is so much we can learn from them”. |
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