FAQs

The Strategic Plan will give direction to the choices we make together in the coming years. What shape do we want our teaching to take in six years’ time? How do we want to behave as a university community? How can we increase the impact of our research? What could we stop doing or do less of? These are examples of questions that we answer in the plan. This makes the Strategic Plan a vision document: it shows the future we want to move towards. How exactly we will do this and when is what we are going to decide on together in the coming period.

The Strategic Plan didn’t come about overnight. In autumn 2019 the University management came together to talk about what they thought should be the key principles of the new plan. Just before the pandemic broke out, students were asked at the Student Conference to brainstorm about their ideal university: what would this be like? The development process was postponed for a year because of the pandemic. In March 2021 this process was resumed under the leadership of the new Executive Board.

In spring 2021 various groups from inside and outside the University were asked which topics they considered important for the plan, and online consultations were held for students and staff. A first draft was written in summer 2021: ‘the rough sketch’. This rough sketch served as a basis for further discussion with people from within and outside the University in autumn 2021. Young researchers, established professors, students, student representatives and organisational and policymaking staff were able to express their views on the plan. The plan was also discussed with a number of alumni and stakeholders.

De University Council (UR) had the right to approve the Strategic Plan. It was kept in the loop during the development phase and was able to offer its opinion. The UR approved the plan in December 2021. The Board of Governors was also updated regularly and also approved the plan in December 2021.

The University Strategic Plan sets the course for the University as a whole. We want to realise the ambitions in the plan together with all the faculties and to give the faculties room to interpret the plan in a way that suits them. The faculty strategic plans may have been developed before or after the University Strategic Plan. This means that the faculty strategic plans do not always derive from the University plan. But account was taken of the faculty plans while developing the University plan, and vice versa. This means that our ambitions are aligned.

Depending on your role and duties within the organisation, you may find that the focus of your work has changed or become sharper. You might want to reflect with your team on topics from the plan that affect you – can you see any points that might be relevant and how would you give shape to the ambitions?

The ambitions and action lines will be translated into an implementation agenda. This will involve looking at which actions are needed exactly, in what shape, who will play a role in this and when. It will also help us keep track of how far we are in implementing the Strategic Plan. The implementation agenda is still being developed. The ambitions and actions lines that will be addressed first still have to be chosen. This will involve seeking a good balance between ones that tie in with existing activities and ones that involve starting new initiatives.

As with the creation of the plan, we want to involve you in its implementation over the coming years. If you’d like to join us, take the time to read the plan and discuss it with your colleagues or fellow students. We will tell you about the latest developments on our website and will invite you to participate and share your ideas at various moments. Keep an eye on the website and newsletters for more information. If you have any questions or ideas that you’d like to share straight away, please get in touch via the contact form. We’ll reply as soon as possible.

Je kunt een papieren exemplaar aanvragen via communicatie@leidenuniv.nl