3,248 search results for “this week s discoveries” in the Public website
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Reflecting on Professor Carrie Vout's Masterclass on Classical Art
From March 27 to 31 Byvanck Professor Carrie Vout gave the intensive masterclass Classical Art - Definitions, Politics, Limits. This special lecture series was open to students and PhD candidates in Archaeology and Classics. One of the attendees, Nicky Schreuder, on the class: 'It was a critical and…
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'Researching research is not a luxury; it’s a necessity'
It sounds credible: ‘Research has shown that…’, but is it really? Read in the research dossier ‘From data to insight: the importance of sound research methods’ how Leiden University contributes to more reliable social science research.
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Conference on Multilingualism 2019: a bird's eye view
Over 80 speakers from around 15 different countries came together to discuss the latest developments in multilingualism during the Conference on Multilingualism 2019 (COM2019). This year’s conference was hosted by Leiden University Centre for Linguistics (LUCL) at Leiden University.
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Omics data integration with genome-scale modelling of dopaminergic neuronal metabolism
Parkinson's disease is the second most common neurodegenerative disease in the world. One of its symptoms is the loss of dopaminergic neurons in the substantia nigra pars compacta.
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Annemarie Drahmann on the government’s new public administration culture
The Dutch childcare allowance affair has exposed the failings of the democratic constitutional state. Early in 2021, the government therefore pledged to establish a new public administration culture. There’s still a long way to go to achieve this.
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Bart Custers on BBC News about Uber’s Greyballing
In just over a decade, Uber has revolutionised how we move around our cities. The ride-hailing app was a game-changer: you just tapped your phone and a cab would find you. You even paid through the app. However, some of the Uber’s more controversial practices have triggered the interest of law enforcement,…
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Anthe Janssen wins the YMCS Public's Choice Prize
Anthe Janssen, a PhD student in the Molecular Physiology research group of Prof. Mario van der Stelt, has been awarded the Public's Choice Prize for Best Oral Presentation during the Young Medicinal Chemist Symposium '18 in Ljubljana, Slovenia.
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Children's stories as inspiration for an artificial brain
Max van Duijn, Assistant Professor at the Leiden Institute of Advanced Computer Science (LIACS), has been awarded a Veni grant for his research into children's empathy. The ability to empathise can be studied by telling stories. This process, known as 'Theory of Mind' or ‘mindreading’, can provide important…
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New Programme Director for master’s programmes in Law
After more than five years, Professor Armin Cuyvers has handed over the position of Programme Director for the master’s programmes in Law to Marije Schneider, who started on 1 January 2024. Her vision, drive and experience mean she is well placed to fulfil the role.
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Let's have lunch! Lunch meeting with the Faculty Board
Do you want to make your voice heard and discuss your study experience with a member of the faculty board? Sign up and perhaps you are one of the students invited to a lunch meeting with student board member Aurelie van 't Slot and vice dean Mirjam de Baar on July 5th 2017.
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MOOC: ‘Federalism & Decentralisation: Evaluating Africa’s Track Record’
What is federalism; what are the implications of decentralisation? Do federalism and decentralisation contribute to democratisation, governance, and diversity? Virtually all African countries south of the Sahara are now either federal or decentralised—but how do their systems of governance perform?…
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NRC on Federica Casano’s research into European tax havens
In Europe, citizens have a right of access to government information. The European Commission, however, has various methods to prevent this. For example, destroying all e-mails, invoking state security and protection of privacy, and not taking minutes. As a result, it is almost impossible to review…
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Video production of Richard Barrett's composition 'world-line'
The Elision Ensemble made a video production of Richard Barrett's half-hour composition 'world-line'.
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Industrial Ecology and Mathematics Leiden's best master specialisations
The master specialisations Industrial Ecology and Mathematics ranked highest among the master specialisations in Leiden.
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Symposion Goethe in honour of Klaas Gille's birthday
“Goethezeit” – Goethes Zeit – Zeit für Goethe? That was the title of the conference held for the 80th birthday of Germanist Klaas Gille.
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Martina Vijver on nanoparticles at Paradiso's Science & Cocktails
Professor of Ecotoxicology Martina Vijver of the Institute of Environmental Sciences has given a public talk at Paradiso Amsterdam for Science & Cocktails on 4 March 2019. Her presentation was called: 'The added value & added risk of size: nanomaterials'.
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The sky's the limit for non-drone applications
As with other dual-use technologies, non-lethal drone applications are increasingly becoming both a cause for concern and an exciting area of development.
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Eugenio Cusumano on Euronews about EU's migration dilemma
A tv crew from Euronews came to Leiden to interview Eugenio Cusumano about his work on migrant rescue operations in the Mediterranean. Eugenio is an expert on international relations.
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Leiden Classics: Leiden University’s first women students
It was not until 1878 that the first female students enrolled at Leiden University, but the discussion on whether women were suited to study was by no means over. 8 March is International Women's Day. BBC correspondente Kim Ghattas will deliver a lecture on 6 March on the struggle by Arabic women for…
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‘There’s a difference between inclusion and change’
If you want to talk about inclusion, you have to bring up the subject of race. This is what Kamna Patel said at Leiden University’s annual Diversity Symposium on 22 January. She is Vice-Dean for Equality, Diversity and Inclusion at University College London. We spoke to her beforehand.
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Basic income would not reduce people’s willingness to work
A basic income would not necessarily mean that people would work less. This is the conclusion of a series of behavioural experiments by cognitive psychologist Fenna Poletiek, social psychologist Erik de Kwaadsteniet and cognitive psychologist Bastiaan Vuyk. They also found indications that people with…
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Fierce protests against Education Minister's redistribution plans
Over a thousand researchers and students protested in Leiden on 2 September against the plans to transfer money to science and technology at the expense of other disciplines. Just metres away, Minister of Education, Culture and Science, Ingrid van Engelshoven, was giving a speech at the opening of the…
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Aisha Hassan’s lifelong fascination for developing countries
Aisha Hassan came to the Netherlands when she was two months old. Her mother had fled Somalia and made a new home here. Aisha doesn't remember much about that time, but her mother’s stories about Somalia ignited a lifelong interest in developing countries. ‘Her stories have always fascinated me.’
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What crime reporting can teach us about women’s history
How can you learn about women’s history if they are under-represented in historical sources? Look at news coverage of crime, says Clare Wilkinson, PhD candidate in gender and history. ‘Historical crime reporting offers a glimpse into forgotten groups.’ The doctoral defence will take place on 23 Apri…
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Successful international conference on Safeguarding children’s rights in immigration law
On 22 and 23 November 2018, the international conference ‘Safeguarding Children’s Rights in Immigration Law’ organized by the Institute of Immigration Law and the Department of Child Law took place at Leiden University. Currently, there exists tension between the idea that children deserve specific…
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Media Technology lecturers in NVON's magazine Terugkoppeling
Maarten Lamers and Peter van der Putten were guest editors of magazine Terugkoppeling, the publication of the NVON (Dutch Association for Education in Natural Sciences), and wrote two articles. On March the 29th 2018 the Media Technology lecturers are opening speakers at the national Bétatechniekdag,…
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Leiden University's nominees New Scientist science talent
Mathematician Stéphanie van der Pas and psychologist Sandy Overgaauw have been nominated for the New Scientist science talent competition, a prize for the most talented scientist in the Netherlands and Flanders.
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2017: Leiden Asia Year. Let's have your ideas!
The Leiden Asia Year is almost here. Asia will be the key theme for the University and the city throughout 2017. If staff and students have any ideas about how to make the programme even better, we'd like to hear from you!
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Meloni’s migration plan contrary to international law
Italy recently struck a deal with Albania to accommodate thousands of boat migrants in two reception centres in Albania. Is this not contrary to asylum law? Mark Klaassen, Assistant Professor in immigration law comments in a Dutch RTL news article.
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ESA grant to improve the Earth's 'digital twin'
Global warming, deforestation, nature conservation. All major environmental challenges that call for major measures. To see what the effects of these measures are, observation data from the Earth is used. Researchers at LIACS receive €90,000 from the European Space Agency (ESA). With this they are investigating…
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Helena Vrabec’s new book on Data subject rights
In a new book forthcoming with Oxford University Press, Dr Helena U Vrabec, guest researcher at eLaw and privacy lawyer at Palantir Technologies, explores the area of control rights under the GDPR.
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Italy’s green light to ship boat migrants to Albania
Italian PM Meloni’s election promise to limit the number of boat migrants entering the country looks like being fulfilled with help from Albania. A deal was recently approved that provides for two reception centres for asylum seekers in Albania. Dr Mark Klaassen, an expert in immigration law, questioned…
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Blog Post | Diplomacy’s Response to the Coronavirus
The coronavirus outbreak has demonstrated the strengths and weaknesses of modern diplomacy. In this two-part series of blog posts, I will attempt to analyze how diplomats grappled with the coronavirus pandemic and how international diplomacy can best prepare to meet similar challenges in the future.…
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Executive Board column: Let’s be alert to unacceptable behaviour
This is a difficult time. Above all, for all those directly involved in this horrible case – unacceptable behaviour by a professor and his removal from the University – the case we went public about on 18 October and that has been reported in the media. This is painful and tough for the complainants…
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‘A country’s immigration narrative really influences the people arriving there’
Immigration and naturalisation policies are an important theme in the upcoming Dutch elections. The Netherlands should be mindful of its immigration narrative, says PhD candidate Hannah Bliersbach, as this greatly influences the relationship between ‘new’ citizens and their new home country.
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Coronavirus student campaign launched: ‘For student life. That’s why’
The National Chamber of Student Associations (LKvV) launched a coronavirus campaign today: ‘That’s why.’ The campaign was launched together with Ingrid van Engelshoven, Minister of Education. The aim of this national campaign is to get students to follow the coronavirus rules. The virus is still spreading…
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Soil samples show impact of Columbus's arrival
After Columbus landed on the island of Hispaniola (present-day Haiti and the Dominican Republic), the farming culture of the indigenous people quickly disappeared. This has been demonstrated by Leiden archaeologists and colleagues from other universities on the basis of soil research. Publication in…
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These students know what it’s like to be old
What is it like to be old? Many young people cannot really imagine what it is like. For a group of Honours students, however, this question has been answered. They had the chance to wear an age simulation suit during the Bachelor Honours Class ‘Vitality and Ageing’.
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Young mathematicians uphold Leiden's honour at international programming contest
Three young MI students have upheld Leiden's honour in the finals of the International Collegiate Programming Contest (ICPC). PhD candidate Ludo Pulles and Master's student Reinier Schmiermann travelled to Russia and came 15th out of 117 teams. PhD candidate Pim Spelier participated in the online contest…
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Leiden online course among the world's best
An online course offered by Leiden University on the European Union is among the top 50 MOOCs in the world. This was announced recently by MOOC platform Class Central.
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What's Next: the Graduated Class of 2016
After three (or four) years of hard study, there are every year a lot of Bachelor students that say goodbye to go and explore the wide world. Where are they going next? And what will they miss most about our beautiful city? For the coming weeks, we will tell the stories of 6 recent Bachelor graduates…
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Anne Meuwese on EU's impending AI regulation
This regulation – also known as the AI Act – aims to ensure that AI systems sold and used in the EU are safe and consistent with existing fundamental rights legislation and Union values. AI harvests its factual material on the Internet, but in some cases it can be misleading. This is sufficient reason…
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‘The linguist’s work is by no means done’
Brain research and statistics are advancing our understanding of language and language acquisition. Linguists are still essential, however, says Professor of Dutch Linguistics Sjef Barbiers. Inaugural lecture on 8 December.
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Aske Plaat in NRC on AlphaZero's success
Thanks to deep learning, computer program AlphaZero plays better chess than the best person. The computer wins because it can predict further ahead than a human being through pattern recognition. Aske Plaat discusses this special development in Dutch newspaper NRC. He expects the major tech companies…
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Casper Wits in POLITICO on the EU's China Policy
University lecturer Casper Wits wrote an opinion piece on the ongoing diplomatic tensions between the European Union and China for POLITICO. In this article, he argues that 'rather than shrinking from the fight, the EU must develop a China policy that prioritizes progressive values and human rights.…
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Rogier Creemers on CNBC about China’s big tech policy
Chinese State-backed entities have taken tiny stakes in parts of two Alibaba subsidiaries that oversee a video platform and web browser. Professor Rogier Creemers argues on CNBC this move is part of a larger plan for tech regulation.
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Casper Wits in Politico on Europe's relations with China
Europe must be prepared to stand up for its values in its relationship with China, argues University Lecturer Casper Wits in an article in Politico.
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Even a duck can parrot
That a parrot can copycat sounds is nothing new. But vocal learning is not common in animals. Researcher Carel ten Cate of the Institute of Biology Leiden (IBL) of Leiden University has now discovered a duck species that can imitate sounds. ‘It started with an obscure reference about an Australian musk…
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Researchers discover how malaria parasite survives in mosquitoes
Researchers from Leiden University Medical Center (LUMC) have discovered how malaria parasites escape the immune system of mosquitoes. The so-called QC enzyme changes proteins on the outside of the malaria parasite such that the immune cells are unable to recognise the parasite. As a result, the parasite…
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Investigating a prehistoric Pan-European culture with an NWO grant: ‘One of the most transformative periods in European prehistory’
Archaeologist Quentin Bourgeois received an NWO Vidi grant to investigate the emergence of a pan-European culture in the third millennium BC. ‘We see ideas being shared across the entire continent in pre-literate societies. And not only that, for a thousand years, the same cultural ideas persist.’