Students open academic year
For the first time in the 441-year history of Leiden University, students will be the keynote speakers at the opening of the new academic year. Their talks will focus on refugees.
Ceremony
The 2016-2017 academic year at Leiden University will open officially on 5 September in the Pieterskerk. In line with tradition, the ceremony will start with the entrance of the student and staff procession, after which Rector Carel Stolker will deliver the opening speech. He will be followed by students Lesage Munyemana (Biology) and Celine van Es (Civil Law). Munyemana will talk about the Dutch education system and the new Meeting Point, a platform for refugee students. Van Es, who is taking part in the Leiden Leadership Programme, will introduce the project on Online higher education for Syrian refugees in Turkey.
Complete programme and how to register
Carel Stolker will also present the Mr. K.J. Cath Prize. Mikal Tseggai, student of Public Administration and chairman of the Leiden University Student Platform, will present the Leiden Teaching Prize. The full programme can be found in the agenda.
Photo (left to right): students Lesage Munyemana, Celine van Es and Mikal Tseggai.