717 search results for “this week s discoveries” in the Student website
-
Using a camera to look into a book's spine: ‘You might just find that one rare text’
What do you do if you have a book from the sixteenth or seventeenth century, but you suspect that the binding contains a fragment of a medieval manuscript? University lecturer Thijs Porck has received an NWO grant to experiment with a camera attached to a tube. 'The project boils down to keyhole surgeries…
-
Motion of stars near Milky Way's central black hole is only predictable for few hundred years
The orbits of 27 stars orbiting closely around the black hole at the center of our Milky Way are very chaotic. As a result, researchers cannot predict with confidence where they will be in about 462 years. ‘That is astonishingly short,’ says astronomer Simon Portegies Zwart who collaborated on the r…
-
Student well-being in the spotlight at the EUniWell symposium
‘There’s so much knowledge, research and experience in the field of student well-being. Let’s put this topic on the agenda, work together to promote it, and learn from each other.’ This was the message of the two-day virtual symposium on Good Practices for Student Well-Being.
-
New protein inhibitors against cancer? Unilever Research Prize for Aukje Beers
Aukje Beers combined theory and practice, as well as chemistry, biology, and computer models. In this way, she discovered two protein inhibitors during her master’s project that could contribute to the development of a new cancer drug. For her research, Beers received the Unilever Research Prize on…
-
BrAInpower exhibition: tremendous and troubling uses of AI in our daily lives
Care robots, medical treatments, deepfakes and self-driving cars all with the aid of artificial intelligence (AI). The BrAInpower exhibition at Rijksmuseum Boerhaave shows spectacular applications of AI and explains how it can make such huge leaps. Bas Haring, Professor of Public Understanding of Science,…
-
New research project makes the internet even better
How is it that the internet works so well, with billions of users sending millions of gigabytes all together every day? That's because the foundation of the internet is solidly set up. Yet sometimes there are problems on the internet. For example, when certain systems misbehave and disrupt the routing…
-
Guide dogs: anything but a modern invention
For a long time, even many researchers thought that guide dogs were a relatively modern invention. An accidental encounter with archival material showed university lecturer Krista Milne that guide dogs helped their blind owners as far back as the Middle Ages. Milne now has received an NWO XS grant to…
-
Hard chews: why mastication played a crucial role in evolution
We do it every day but barely give it a thought: chewing our food. But the ‘simple’ process of masticating food may have played a crucial role in the evolution of our jaws, facial muscles and teeth.
-
Karsten Lambers appointed as Professor of Digital and Computational Archaeology
In January, Dr Karsten Lambers was appointed as Professor of Digital and Computational Archaeology at Leiden University's Faculty of Archaeology. With his extensive background in both archaeological research and computational sciences, the installation of Professor Lambers further strengthens this discipline…
-
New method for extracting human DNA from archaeological objects yields success
An international team of researchers led by Leiden archaeology professor Marie Soressi and Leipzig senior geneticist Matthias Meyer has recovered the DNA of a woman belonging to an Ancient North Eurasian population from a 20,000-year-old pendant. This is the first time DNA analysis has been used to…
-
Nadine Akkerman appointed professor: 'Interdisciplinarity also strengthens the humanities'
Leiden University has a new professor. On 1 June Nadine Akkerman became Professor of Early Modern Literature and Culture, a position she feels is designed to help her help others.
-
Promising new technique to treat cancer receives NWO grant
Biological chemist Nathaniel Martin and his team received an NWO grant to examine how blocking a specific enzyme in our body, NNMT, could be helpful in the treatment of some cancers. Trials with mice have been promising, and together with the Netherlands Cancer Institute, Martin wants to take the next…
-
More than just blue domes and camels: new Louvre film on Uzbek artefacts
Terracotta pottery, precious ikat fabrics and the bazaars where these goods are sold: all these can be seen in a new Louvre film premiering on Friday 9 December. University lecturer Elena Paskaleva collaborated on the film Uzbekistan a timeless journey in Central Asia about Uzbek artefacts.
-
Astronomers see birth cluster of galaxies in early universe
An international team of astronomers has discovered a large reservoir of hot gas in the cluster-in-formation around the Spiderweb Galaxy. Based partly on that hot gas, the astronomers predict that the cluster-in-formation will grow into one of the largest objects in the universe. A step closer to discovering…
-
Asteroid named after Emeritus Professor Corrie Bakels: 'I revolve around the sun in 5.5 years'
Corrie Bakels is known as one of the founders of bio-archaeology in the Netherlands. One of her former students, Dr Marco Langbroek, active in astronomy, made a request to the International Astronomic Union to name a recently discovered asteroid after her. Hearing the news, Bakels was astounded. 'My…
-
Homicide rate drops, but not in criminal milieu
The annual homicide rate has decreased considerably since the 1990s. In their hunt for an explanation, researchers Pauline Aarten and Marieke Liem made a surprising discovery: if you divide homicides into categories, you find significant differences in the homicide rate. Publication in the European…
-
People used bearskins to keep warm 300,000 years ago
Cut marks on the bones of bears show that people in North-West Europe used bearskins to keep warm 300,000 years ago.
-
Depot or place of honour: what to do with Nobel laureates in the museum?
What do you do with a museum collection full of individual white Nobel laureates at a time when diversity, inclusion and teamwork reign supreme? Ad Maas, professor by special appointment, and researcher Hilbrand Wouters have been awarded an NWO Museum grant to answer that question.
-
Archaeologist Mette Langbroek works on beads exhibition: ‘Humans have a special relationship with beads'
Beads are among the oldest types of human artistic expression. Even so, the small ornaments have a bad status record regarding archaeological investigation. PhD candidate Mette Langbroek, usually at home studying early medieval beads, had the opportunity to work on a publication and exhibition on 5000…
-
Tackling climate change with the ground beneath our feet
Soil ecologist Emilia Hannula has been awarded a Vidi grant by NWO to examine how soil could become a promising ally in combating climate change and improving biodiversity. ‘Soil creatures might be invisible’, she says, ‘but they play a huge role in creating a healthy environment.’
-
Annual Lecture 2021 by Prof. Howard Louthan
All are warmly invited to the 3rd Annual Leiden Austrian Studies Lecture, organized by the Foundation for Austrian Studies and Special Chair for Central European Studies in cooperation with the Institute for History, Friday 29 October 2021, 15.15-17.00 in the Faculty Club, Rapenburg 73 in Leiden.
-
Research and current affairs: 2022 in six stories
Life returned to something resembling normal after Covid but other crises soon took its place. These great challenges are also being felt at the University and our researchers are working on solutions. The nitrogen crisis, problems with young people’s services and an increasingly urgent climate crisis:…
-
ERC grant for Sebastian Pomplun to precisely influence gene expression
In order to stop a whole range of diseases or disorders at their source, you would have to be able to switch certain genes on or off. Sebastian Pomplun wants to develop substances that can do this very precisely. For example, he wants to disrupt cancer processes and make cells produce an important missing…
-
A blue or gold background? NICAS grant awarded for research on restoration
Should the background of the painting remain blue or be restored to its original gold colour? PhD candidate Liselore Tissen will be using 3D prints and eye-tracking software to answer this question. NICAS is giving her a grant of 18,000 euros to accomplish this.
-
What influence did French really have on Dutch?
Just as some people today dislike English influences on the Dutch language, in early modern times people also criticised the Frenchification of Dutch. But to what extent did French actually leave its mark in our language? PhD student Brenda Assendelft made a surprising discovery. PhD defence 24 May.
-
Drugs with fewer side effects through a collaboration between LACDR and PTS
LACDR, the Leiden Institute for Drug Research, developed better tolerated excipients to prevent adverse effects related to the surface of nanosized drugs such as vaccines. LADCR professor of Biopharmacy Matthias Barz and Polypeptide Therapeutic Solutions (PTS) are collaborating to develop processes…
-
Leiden researchers join forces against tuberculosis
About one and a half million people worldwide die each year from tuberculosis. For thirty years, therapy with antibiotics has been the same, while it takes far too long and can lead to resistant pathogens. Leiden researchers from four institutes are now joining forces to develop more effective and efficient…
-
Sabine Witting
Faculteit Rechtsgeleerdheid
-
Master's Open Day
Study information
-
Leiden Law School Professor Ann Skelton Awarded Honorary Doctorate from the University of Strathclyde
Leiden Law School takes great pride in announcing that the University of Strathclyde has bestowed an honorary doctorate on Professor Ann Skelton, Professor of Children's Rights in a Sustainable World at Leiden Law School and Chair of the United Nations Committee on the Rights of the Child. This prestigious…
-
Minor's Information Market
Study information
-
Andrew Gawthorpe on ABC Radio about ‘Orbánism’ and the American right
Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán addressed the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) in Texas last week. University lecturer Andrew Gawthorpe explains in an interview with ABC Radio what the embrace of 'Orbánism' means for the American right, and democracy more broadly.
-
Too late for your lecture? That’s a thing of the past with the new Kwartiertje pass
Being on time for a lecture can be hard for students. To make life easier, you can now request for a ‘Kwartiertje’ pass.
-
Blankenstein: 'I want to study online risk behaviour of young people in it's full depth'
Neeltje Blankenstein receives an LUF grant to conduct research on online risk behaviour among young people. What risks do young people take online and why? 'With this research, we not only want to help prevent serious risk behaviour, but also understand what drives young people to it.'
-
Flash interview with alumnus Joost Bunk: As a diplomat, you know there's a risk of being declared persona non grata
When Russia attacked Ukraine in the night of 23-24 February, alumnus Joost Bunk, who was working as a diplomat in Russia, knew that everything would change.
-
From excavation to public outreach: our bachelor's students experienced the full cycle of archaeology
In May and June of 2021, Bachelor 1 and 2 students of the Faculty of Archaeology joined in the excavation at Oss. After the fieldwork itself, a second post-excavations week started in Leiden where each of them participated in small groups conducting archaeological find processing and working on creative…
-
Leïla Gfeller and Tobias van Brandwijk win Political Science bachelor’s thesis prizes for 2021
2021, again, sees a rich harvest of bachelor theses in Political Science. Students have been tackling fascinating subjects—ranging from European solidarity in the COVID-19 crisis to the representation of women in democratically elected parliaments—and crowning their research projects with interesting,…
-
Boeklancering 'Atlas van ons Brein' van Lara Wierenga
Boekpresentatie
-
Master's Open Day
Study information
-
Threat(s) to Democracy
Debate, Roundtable
-
Symposium Women's Rights
Symposium
-
collapse, caused overburdening of judicial system and violation of children's rights in Germany
The Dutch conservative VVD party plans to make the right to family reunification more difficult for people with temporary residence permits. In Germany, this restriction led to several lawsuits which were won by status holders. Mark Klaassen, Assistant Professor in Migration Law, believes this is a…
-
Quantum Meets Leiden: IBM lecture & mini-symposium
Conference
-
Master's Experience Day Archaeology
Study information
-
Handbook on European law relating to the rights of the child
On 20 November 2015, on the occasion of Universal Children’s Day, the Council of Europe and the EU Agency for Fundamental Rights launched the Handbook on European law relating to the rights of the child.
-
Official opening of Leiden European City of Science 2022
Festival
-
Céline Zaepffel
Faculty of Humanities
-
Master's Open Day (cancelled)
Study information
-
New Year's Reception FSW
Festival, Reception
-
‘All students want to be seen and heard’
A safe place to discuss burning social issues such as racism with each other. The student workspace Space to Talk About Race and the Afro Student Association both meet this need and also organise many other activities. Three board members explain why this is necessary.