Sarah de Rijcke Bids Farewell as Dean: “The Sense of Community Here Is Strong”
During the New Year’s reception of the Faculty of Social and Behavioural Sciences (FSW) on 12 January 2026, Sarah de Rijcke said farewell as our dean. She will become the new Rector Magnificus of Leiden University. It was not the only change of leadership announced that afternoon.
The first snow of 2026 is melting quickly, but in the central hall of the FSW building the New Year’s reception still feels decidedly wintry. Snow made of cotton wool, trees dusted in white, and logs glowing in fire baskets — it is all there.
Sarah de Rijcke Steps Down as Dean
Amid this winter scene stands the stage where Sarah de Rijcke begins her speech — her final one as dean of the faculty. “A very happy New Year; it is wonderful to be here together.” She reflects on her two-year deanship. According to her, the words ‘resilience’ and ‘movement’ best capture this period. “The circumstances in which the faculty had to operate — and still must operate — were completely different from what we had anticipated,” she says. “More challenging, above all.”
A Strong Sense of Community
There were budget cuts in higher education, discussions about workload and the wellbeing of students and staff, and the loss of colleagues Sabine Luning and Andrea Evers. “In such difficult moments, we were able to rely on the strong sense of community here — doing things together. That made a deep impression on me.”
Changes in the Faculty Board
De Rijcke is not the only one stepping down during this New Year’s reception. Vice-dean Kristiaan van der Heijden is also concluding his work after three terms.
“After all, the saying goes ‘third time lucky’, not ‘fourth time lucky’,” he jokes as he joins De Rijcke on stage. “It has been a great honour to hold this position.”
He will be succeeded by Carlijn Bergwerff, formerly Director of Education at the Institute of Education and Child Studies.
Bart Barendregt Becomes Acting Dean
The vacant portfolio of De Rijcke will for the time being be provisionally taken over by Vice-Dean Bart Barendregt. “We are extremely fortunate that Bart Barendregt immediately put up his hand when I announced that I was going to become rector,” De Rijcke tells the audience. He will remain in this position and fulfil this role until a permanent successor has been appointed.
Staying the Course in 2026
What are his plans? “Above all, to bring calm to the organisation and keep us on course. That is my mandate,” he says as soon as he steps onto the stage. The focus, he explains, will be primarily on collaboration — between colleagues and students within FSW and the wider university, but also with external partners such as municipalities. “In this way, we can strengthen our profile as social scientists.”
New name for the building: Agora
So much for the administrative changes. On to the renaming of the FSW building, which until recently bore the name of Pieter de la Court. He was a freethinker, but his name has also proved to be strongly associated with colonialism and slavery. “That stands in stark contrast to what we as a community want to represent,” says Barendregt. Staff and students were invited to submit suggestions for a new name, and an election was organised.
With 25 per cent of the votes, the name Agora emerged as the winner. Why that name? “Well, the idea is the agora of Ancient Greece — the heart of the city. A place where people meet and exchange ideas. And that aligns with what we as a faculty strive to be,” explains Robin Buijs, the student board member.
With this new name, and a blend of familiar and fresh faces in the faculty board, FSW is ready for a promising 2026.
