Education at Leiden Science

From publishing students, to addressing bottlenecks in education logistics and a completely new bachelor’s programme. Scroll through our highlights on educational innovation and achievements of our outstanding students.

From ‘cookbook’ experiments to an ‘open lab’ format: practical teaching innovation

‘A theory is (almost) never correct in practice’. Therefore, associate professor Paul Logman believes students learn a lot from practical teaching. He challenges his students to come up with research questions themselves. The Leiden Institute of Physics (LION) is at the forefront of developing this innovative practical teaching.  

And it’s paying off: one of the first-year bachelor projects even resulted into a scientific publication.

Master’s student investigates a lost human sense

Can humans sense where north is, using what is known as magnetoreception? This question had master’s student Björn Keyser (Media Technology) so intrigued that he started crowdfunding to be able to study this together with the California Institute of Technology. Inspired by animal navigation and methods used to train dormant senses, Björn aims to ‘reawaken’ human magnetoreception using sensory substitution techniques.

College or university? Computer science students in the right place

The right student at the right place. That is what LIACS programme director Frank Takes and education coordinator Joyce Glerum are aiming to do with the ‘Wisselstroom’ project. By joining forces with the Leiden University of Applied Sciences, the programme helps computer science students to transfer smoothly between university and college, while mimising delays. With joint experience days, students can explore both university and college programmes, meet the faculty, and make informed choices for the right educational fit.

Student cleans up archival data and uncovers two stellar cocoons

While investigating sixteen years of images of young stars from a retired astronomical camera, Leiden master’s student Sam de Regt discovered that two of those stars were still enveloped in birth clouds. Never before has anyone captured these two stars in so much detail. He published his data-cleaning method and the new images of the two stars in the journal Astronomy & Astrophysics.

Targeted support to effectively develop vital skills

Education extends beyond knowledge transfer: it’s also about developing essential skills. Over the past year, the Science Skills Team has collaborated with lecturers to enhance the visibility of essential skills in their courses. The team conducted a comprehensive survey and held discussions with over a hundred teachers, using the insight to create tailored materials for each course. This directs students to relevant modules on the Science Skills Platform: a digital learning environment offering over a 100 skill modules, background information, step-by-step guides and templates.

From the lab to the Olympic Games

In her daily life, she is a student of Life Science and Technology, but not this summer. Guusje van Bolhuis participated in the Olympic Games with the French hockey team. ‘Studying and playing hockey at top-level are very different, but with the right mindset, you can go far in both.’

Jointly into the quantum future: ‘A crucial role for education and science communication’

‘Taking legal, societal and ethical implications into account is an essential part of any new technology’

The second quantum revolution is in full swing, bringing all kinds of new technologies to within reach, and offering many opportunities as well as challenges. Leiden and Delft decided to join forces – not only in research, but also in education and connecting to society. Think of the new joint Master’s programme Quantum Information Science and Technology that started in 2023. In an interview with LDE magazine, Miriam Blaauboer and Julia Cramer reflect on their efforts and experiences.

Animal-friendly and effective: Leiden students develop nanobodies using yeast

Yeast, alpacas, and antibodies. They may seem unrelated, but within the project of the Leiden iGEM students, they come together perfectly. For the international synthetic biology competition iGEM, the team is working on an innovative method to produce nanobodies—a special form of antibodies—using brewer’s yeast. Their aim is to develop a more animal-friendly and effective approach for medical applications.

The team ended up winning a golden medal and a nomination for ‘best Wiki’.

Excelling students

Master’s students Brechtje de Jong (Bio-Pharmaceutical Sciences), and Ilse de Weert (Pharmacy), have won a KNMP Studentenprijs 2024. They received the award for their outstanding academic performance and research internships. De Jong investigated liver damage from approved medicines and lipids in Alzheimer’s brains. De Weert showed that a certain type of medication works longer in patients with obesity.

A true shower of awards for students from the Faculty of Science during the annual KHMW Young Talent Awards ceremony. On Monday 25 November, no less than nine first-year students received a prize for the best academic results in their first year. In addition, there were graduation prizes for master’s students in Astronomy, Biopharmaceutical Sciences, Biology, Pharmacy, and Mathematics.

This year’s Unilever Research Prize went to master‘s student Governance of Sustainability Juliana Klaura. Her master’s thesis reveals that 18 billion animals are lost annually in meat production, equating to one-sixth of global meat output. Klaura proposes three reduction plans to minimise waste and enhance animal welfare, offering valuable guidance for policymakers and industry leaders aiming for a more sustainable food system.

New bachelor programme: Science for Sustainable Societies

Step into the future with the new bachelor’s programme Science for Sustainable Societies of the Leiden Institute of Environmental Sciences (CML). The programme merges natural and social sciences to adress pressing sustainability issues. Students will engage in hands-on learning, tackling real-world challenges like climate change and biodiversity loss. This interdisciplinary approach equips future change-makers with the skills necessary for a sustainable future.

Quality education? That requires careful organisation

From enrollment to graduation—how can we better organise the logistics of our education? That’s the focus of the new Education Logistics programme, which looks at all the administrative processes students go through. Staff from all eight institutes and the Science Education and Student Office are working together on this initiative. Want to stay updated on developments? Be sure to keep an eye on the programme’s page!