Quentin Bourgeois appointed new Vice-Dean for Education at the Faculty of Archaeology
Quentin Bourgeois, Associate Professor of European Prehistory, will assume the position of Vice-Dean for Education at the Faculty of Archaeology of Leiden University as of 1 February 2026, for a term of four years. Quentin Bourgeois succeeds Alex Geurds, who became Dean of the Faculty on 1 January 2026.
About Quentin Bourgeois
Quentin Bourgeois has been Chair of the Department of World Archaeology since March 2023. His research focuses on the 3rd millennium BC and makes use of innovative network analyses to investigate the spread of cultural information in prehistoric Europe. He does this through close collaboration with geneticists, linguists and mathematicians. In addition to this research, Quentin was also one of the project leaders of the award-winning Citizen Science project Heritage Quest, in which hundreds of previously unknown burial mounds were discovered in the Netherlands together with thousands of volunteers. Following a career path that included Rubicon, Veni and Vidi grants, he is now Associate Professor of European Prehistory at the Faculty of Archaeology.
Open to dialogue
The University’s Executive Board is very pleased with this appointment, according to Rector Magnificus Luc Sels. ‘We are delighted that Quentin Bourgeois is willing to take on this challenging role as Vice-Dean. We know Quentin as an excellent lecturer who is well aware of what is going on within the faculty. In addition, Quentin demonstrates a strong willingness to collaborate within the broader university and engages constructively with initiatives such as Academia in Motion. He has a keen sense of the unique challenges of education and carefully considers possible side effects, such as workload. This is exactly the kind of person we need in a university that is constantly evolving.’
The Faculty Board also feels greatly enriched by Quentin’s appointment, says Dean Alex Geurds. ‘The education portfolio is a demanding role within the board, but Quentin is extremely well prepared. He has an affinity with the strategic side of our curricula, is familiar with educational dynamics through his previous roles and, last but not least, he is a passionate lecturer who has been offering students challenging and in-depth courses for many years. Apart from his very active international research agenda, I also know him as a pleasant colleague, and I speak on behalf of everyone when I say that I very much look forward to continuing to implement the Faculty’s strategic agenda together with this critical thinker.’
Response from Quentin
‘I am honored to be able to take on this role. Education has always been my passion, and I am therefore happy to take over the baton from Alex. Our education is facing a number of major challenges which, in my view, also offer new opportunities. Our Faculty is an international top institute with groundbreaking research, and above all with wonderful colleagues. How do we ensure that our education also remains at the top, and that we integrate this research into our curriculum? We have a highly motivated team with people who share my passion for education (as evidenced by the teaching awards our lecturers have won in recent years!). Against the backdrop of cuts to higher education and the rise of AI, we need to safeguard and channel that passion. And how do we at the same time ensure that our students can participate as effectively as possible in the exciting research in our laboratories, in the field or in museums? This is something in which we in Leiden are fairly unique, but do not always fully realise ourselves. In the future, it seems crucial to me that students can participate much more actively in this research, without increasing the workload for lecturers. I find that balance a very interesting challenge, and I therefore very much look forward to trying to achieve it in the coming years.’