Two new Leiden members of The Young Academy
Leiden researchers Fenneke Sysling (Institute for History) and Joris van der Voet (Institute of Public Administration) will be admitted to the Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences’ The Young Academy.
The Young Academy is a dynamic and innovative platform for researchers from different disciplines. Sysling, Van der Van der Voet and eight other researchers will be officially installed in The Young Academy on 26 March. During their five-year membership, they will champion projects focusing on science policy, interdisciplinarity, internationalisation and the relationship between science and society. All new members have a proven academic track record and received their PhD less than ten years ago.
What are the new members from Leiden University researching?
Fenneke Sysling
What can we learn from the science of the past? Fenneke Sysling is a historian of science and colonialism, and researches the role of ordinary people as research subjects, influencers and users of scientific knowledge. She focuses in particular on the former Dutch colonies. Sysling is currently leading a project on medical experimentation on people in Southeast Asia during colonial times.
Joris van der Voet
Unclear, inconsistent or impractical political objectives make the work of civil servants not only more complicated but also more political. Joris van der Voet conducts experimental behavioural science research on decision-making and behaviour in the public sector – ranging from top civil servants who determine policy to public professionals delivering public services. With his team, he studies how official decision-makers divide their attention to understand and prioritise social problems, and to generate policy solutions for tackling those problems. In collaboration with public sector employees, van der Voet develops the knowledge needed to align policies and public services more effectively with people's needs, abilities, and expectations.