Highlited

Adolescents experience how susceptible they are to fake news with VR glasses and rubber hands

Adolescents experience how susceptible they are to fake news with VR glasses and rubber hands

BrainTrain: an initiative from Leiden University in which a team of students visit high schools to make adolescents more resilient against disinformation on the news and on their socials. In an interactive two-hour guest lesson, high school pupils discover how easily their brains can be tricked into thinking something is real. For example by taking part in a VR-experiment. 'Man, it felt like I was having a heart attack.'

Executive Board column: how can we help our lecturers develop their talents?

Executive Board column: how can we help our lecturers develop their talents?

Good lecturers are extremely important to our university. I therefore think it is crucial that we provide them with enough professional development opportunities. The Lecturer Development Taskforce has issued concrete recommendations on how to improve this. As the Board we welcome this advice.

Taskforce calls for more scope for lecturer development: ‘Dare to raise the issue yourself’

Taskforce calls for more scope for lecturer development: ‘Dare to raise the issue yourself’

The quality of academic education depends on good teaching. A taskforce of lecturers, education specialists and HRM experts is therefore calling for Leiden lecturers to be given more opportunities and scope to develop their talents. The group hopes that, with a new lecturer development model and concrete recommendations, teaching and learning can be brought closer together. The Executive Board welcomes the advice from the taskforce.

A call with Annemarie about an online fair in China

A call with Annemarie about an online fair in China

Last week Annemarie Montulet and several of our colleagues attended an online fair in China to talk to Chinese PhD candidates. ‘I had some very good discussions with potential candidates. It gives me a lot of energy to do my utmost to find a suitable research position for them in Leiden.’ We have a set regional policy at the University, which means there are three areas on which extra attention is being focused: Indonesia, Latin America and China. Annemarie is our University’s China advisor and coordinator. The fair is a good reason to call Annemarie about the discussions she has had there and her other activities.

Executive Board column: Spui building is a magnet for interdisciplinary collaboration

Executive Board column: Spui building is a magnet for interdisciplinary collaboration

This month the University and several partners signed the rental contract for the brand-new Spui building. What will this location mean for the future of Campus The Hague, Leiden University and the population of The Hague? Martijn Ridderbos explains in his column.

‘If you want to resolve the big challenges in healthcare, you have to work across disciplines’

‘If you want to resolve the big challenges in healthcare, you have to work across disciplines’

Marieke Adriaanse is Professor of Behavioural Interventions in Population Health and researches behavioural science issues in health. She advocates for better interdisciplinary collaboration and a new form of recognition and rewards within academia. ‘We have to stop being so blinkered,’ she says in her inaugural lecture.