Liselore Tissen appointed ambassador for network of congress ambassadors
External PhD candidate Liselore Tissen has been appointed ambassador for Leiden City of Science. As the youngest member and the only non-professor in the network, she will be working to raise Leiden's prominence as a city of science.
‘Leiden naturally benefits from a rich academic tradition, but internationally, people tend to associate more with Amsterdam or The Hague,’ Tissen explains. ‘The goal of the ambassador network (made possible by Leiden&Partners and the Leiden Convention Bureau) is to promote Leiden both domestically and abroad as a vibrant city full of scientific possibilities. We can do that by attracting conferences to the city, but also by showcasing the excellent museums we have here.'
Delft-Leiden
Tissen, in her research on modern technology and art, is affiliated with both Delft University of Technology and the Faculty of Humanities at Leiden University. As an ambassador, she will initially focus on strengthening the connection between the humanities and sciences. ‘We tend to stay within our own field of research, whereas we could benefit enormously from collaborating more with one another,’ she remarks. ‘Once I’ve completed my PhD, I plan to organise a symposium alongside the defence. I believe this should involve not only scientists but also societal partners and businesses. For instance, I collaborate extensively with camera and printer brand Canon. It could be highly beneficial for them to work with humanities scholars. Currently, the perspective is often technology-centric, while my research is about the perception or reactions of the user. Using these findings as input for the technical specialists reduces the risk of failure.’
Young Audience
In a later phase, Tissen hopes to strengthen ties with the network's societal partners. ‘Leiden has numerous organisations, all of which put in a lot of effort, but sometimes they operate as separate entities. It would be much better if we could collaborate on initiatives. Being the youngest ambassador, I’ve also been asked to engage with a younger audience, so I’m planning to collaborate more with the Young Academy Leiden.’
Interested in collaborating with Leiden City of Science? Or maybe you have a useful tip? Liselore can be reached at l.n.m.tissen@hum.leidenuniv.nl.