Annual Report 2023 published
In its new Annual Report 2023, Leiden University reviews its research and teaching, as well as its ICT, staffing, finances, real estate, impact and knowledge transfer.
The annual report (in Dutch) is divided into a general section and a section with the figures, including the university’s financial statements. We follow the Ministry of Education, Culture and Science’s guidelines for such reports.
At the front of the report are key facts and figures (over several years) such as student numbers, the BSA, student satisfaction, degrees awarded, publications and staff numbers. The report also contains information about government and third-party funding and sustainability at the university, such as its emissions and energy consumption and generation.
The introduction (page 5) provides an overview of the main developments in 2023.
Well-being
In 2023 we invested in the well-being of our university community. Important topics such as safety, dignity and respect, workload, student well-being, and diversity and inclusion received the attention they deserved. Various events were held to mark Slavery Memorial Year, and research into the university’s role in this history is in full swing. The university was one of the signatories in 2023 to the National Student Well-Being Framework 2023-2030.
A focus on student and staff well-being corresponds with not only the ambitions of our Strategic Plan ‘Innovating and Connecting’ but also the wishes of the University Council. The Council was particularly insistent about the need to address increasing workloads in 2023.
Collaboration
One of the ambitions from our strategic plan is ‘pioneering interdisciplinary research and teaching’ and this led to the launch of three university-wide tools: Kiem, Groei and Bloei. The Kiem pilot has now begun: 33 Kiem grants will allow Leiden researchers to explore or start collaborative projects with colleagues from other faculties. These grants are designed for bottom-up initiatives and focus on connection and collaboration between faculties.
Connection
Developments at our university and in the world show once again how important it is to seek, maintain and where necessary restore connections. The war that broke out between Israel and Gaza in October 2023 has caused great upset on our campuses. That makes it particularly important to keep the conversation going and to respect one another and our academic values.
Much achieved
Looking back at 2023, we can say it was an intensive yet rewarding year. The challenges we all face came into sharp focus but it is clear that we have once again achieved great things in our research and teaching, many of which have an immediate impact on society. We are hugely grateful to our students and staff for all their efforts.