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  Hester Bijl Rector Magnificus

  Hester Bijl studied Applied Mathematics at Delft University of Technology, where she also obtained a PhD in numerical mathematics in 1999. She also obtained a master's degree in English Language and Literature from Leiden University. For her research on applications of numerical fluid dynamics in aerospace and wind energy technology, she received, among other things, person-oriented grants from NWO. She was a member of the first cohort of the Young Academy of the KNAW and also served on its board. From 1999 to 2003, she was a visiting researcher at NASA Langley Research Center for several periods. 

  Before coming to Leiden in 2016, where she was appointed vice-rector magnificus, Bijl spent 17 years at Delft University of Technology's Faculty of Aerospace Engineering, where she eventually held the position of dean.

  In 2021 she succeeded Carel Stolker as President of the Executive Board of Leiden University.

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  Annetje Ottow President of the Executive Board

  Annetje Ottow studied Law at Leiden University, receiving a Master of Laws (cum laude) in business law, and went on to receive a Master of Laws from Queen Mary College in London in 1990. She then worked in the legal profession for 16 years, first at De Brauw Blackstone Westbroek and later as a partner at Houthoff Buruma. From 2006 to 2013, she was a member of the Board of the Independent Post and Telecommunications Authority (OPTA). 

  In 2007, Ottow was appointed professor of Public Economic Law at Utrecht University. From 2014 to 2018, she was dean of the Faculty of Law, Economics, Governance and Organisation there, and Vice President of the Executive Board from 2018 to 2021.

  In 2021 she succeeded Carel Stolker as President of the Executive Board of Leiden University.

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  Pieter Slaman Assistant Professor

  Pieter Slaman is a university historian at Leiden University, with the support of the A.E. Cohen Fund. He is an assistant professor at the Dual PhD Centre and the Institute of History, and an advisor to the Department of Strategic and Academic Affairs of the University's Administration Office. Previously he published a.o. De glazen toren. De Leidse universiteit 1970-2020 and In de regel vrij. 100 jaar politiek rond onderwijs, cultuur en wetenschap. Slaman obtained his PhD in 2015 on the history of scholarships and student finance in the Netherlands.He likes to sing Harrie Slinger songs in the shower.

Honorary doctor

• Eliot Higgins Citizen journalist Bellingcat

  Eliot Higgins is a British citizen journalist, blogger and founder of the investigative journalism collective Bellingcat, which identifies abuses in conflicts and human rights violations on the basis of open data. Higgins will receive an honorary doctorate in the society field, for his contributions to the use of open source intelligence – gathering and analysing information from publicly available sources – to guarantee historical accuracy and fair judicial process.

Honorary doctor

• Kelly Chibale Professor of Organic Chemistry University of Cape Town

  Kelly Chibale is Professor of Organic Chemistry at the University of Cape Town (South Africa). His research focuses on development of new drugs, in particular for malaria and tuberculosis. Chibale’s team is the first to have brought an antimalaria drug of African origin to the clinical development stage. He will receive an honorary doctorate in the science field, for his groundbreaking work on developing new drugs to combat endemic diseases in Africa.

Honorary doctor

• Bonnie Honig Nancy Duke Lewis professor of Modern Culture and Media and Political Science Brown University

  Bonnie Honig is a renowned Canadian-American political philosopher, who combines political, legal and humanities perspectives in her research on democracy. She will receive an honorary doctorate from Leiden University in the science field, for her exceptional contributions to democratic theory over the past thirty years. She has given further interdisciplinary impetus to research on law and politics by combining disciplines such as philosophy, law, political science and cultural studies.