Jasper's year
Jasper Knoester is the dean of the Faculty of Science. Normally Jasper looks back on a day in his life, but in the last newsletter of the year he does it a little differently....
‘It’s December, the shortest day is approaching, though the temperatures hardly reflect this fact. Our well-deserved Christmas holiday is just around the corner, and I’m writing my 22nd column of the year. This one’s a little different – a reflection on our year. And I do so with pride because we’ve accomplished so much together!
Connecting through curiosity. With that wonderful motto, we’ve worked together on implementing the agenda from our strategic plan, as institutes, services, and the faculty board. We initiated a new governance model for the institutes, streamlined our operations, improved education logistics, launched Tuesday Talks as a faculty-wide meeting place, and much more.
There was so much to be proud of this year. We educated many young people, attracted new staff, shaped our research alongside PhD candidates and postdocs, and established and strengthened collaborations with partners in Leiden, across the Netherlands, and worldwide. We secured outstanding grants for our research and teaching from NWO, the EU, industry, and many other organisations. And we celebrated our 449th Dies Natalis with an inspiring honorary doctorate for astrophysicist Sara Seager from MIT.
Visit of the Swedish king and Members of Parliament
We hosted numerous delegations, including the Swedish king and his large entourage. We welcomed Members of Parliament to showcase our faculty, received CEOs from the Leiden Bio Science Park, and stood together at protests at the Pieterskerk and the Malieveld.
Thank you for 2024!
One of my fondest memories is the festive week surrounding the opening of our magnificent Gorlaeus Building, a space that so beautifully fosters connection and collaboration. Together with students, staff, and Constantijn van Oranje, we marked the opening. The celebrations continued with a networking lunch, a fantastic Tuesday Talk by Ionica Smeets, and a party for all staff and students – an event still talked about today. It was a truly special week, with colleagues and students from across the faculty coming together to celebrate.
And of course, we had another We are Science Week, featuring our now-legendary Beat the Professor Pub Quiz. The competitiveness was as fierce as ever. I suspect Anthe and Timo are already hard at work making next year’s quiz even more challenging.
The year of Leiden Science
Be sure to relive the highlights of this past year on our We are Science website. Take a look at the photos and videos of 2024’s milestones and read about our discoveries, from extremely large telescopes and quantum breakthroughs to DNA research in animal dung, and much more.
A safe and welcoming space for everyone
Connecting and collaborating will remain hugely important in the year ahead. At a time when polarisation seems to dominate, our faculty aims to be a safe and welcoming space for everyone. A place with a positive atmosphere and an international outlook, where we listen to one another, show respect, and take each other’s interests into account.
In 2025, as the first impacts of budget cuts to education and science become apparent, it will be more important than ever to stand together. This applies both within our faculty and in collaboration with other parts of the university. By working together, we’ll be best equipped to face these challenges.
On behalf of Bart, Suzanne, and Berber, I want to thank you all for your dedication and enthusiasm this year. We’ve achieved so much together in 2024, and I’m proud of how we’ve done it. I look forward to continuing to build on this with you in 2025.
Let's ring in the new year together!
But first, it’s time for a holiday. Take a well-deserved break to relax, spend time with loved ones, and recharge. I hope to see you all at the New Year’s reception on Tuesday, 7 January, at 15.00 hrs. Alongside my New Year’s speech, there will be a Tuesday Talk and, of course, the presentation of the faculty awards, this time with our university president, Annetje Ottow. Who will be Teacher of the Year? Which PhD candidate wrote the top dissertation? And which bachelor’s student produced the best thesis? Find out on the 7th. Let’s ring in the new year together!’