Thank you so much, everyone!

After reflecting on the advisory report of the policy evaluation committee, the Executive Board has decided to continue the diversity policy for a further three years. A new work plan will be produced and the present Diversity Office will become an Expertise Office with a more demand-oriented way of working. Headed by a new Diversity Officer, it will build on the foundations laid by Isabel Hoving and her team since 2014. An opportunity to say goodbye will be arranged, and the details will be announced via the website and newsletters.

Leiden University is in third place in the Netherlands for the percentage of women professors, behind the Open University and Radboud University in Nijmegen. This is reported in the Review of Women Professors 2018.

Bringing Dutch and international students together. One way to do that is by playing Archery Attack, archaeology student Timothy Stikkelorum suggested. On 13 November, he and his team, a committee from the Terra study association, won the Van Bergen Prize with their idea.

More than 85 colleagues attended the Active Bystander workshop, where they learned how to draw attention to unacceptable behaviours, and also how to prevent them. The participants were given some highly practical guidelines, providing considerable clarification and helping to create an inclusive organisational culture. The workshop will be offered again in February. Further information will follow soon via the website.

Leiden United is a student association that aims to bridge the gap between Dutch and international (exchange) students in Leiden and The Hague. Every semester it hosts dinners at the largest student associations in Leiden, plans trips to iconic places in the Netherlands, and organises a variety of social activities. In January the sign-up will open for the spring semester. Become part of the community!

Jojanneke van der Toorn appeared in several Dutch media. Her expertise centers on diversity and inclusion at work, sexual orientation prejudice, social inequality, and political ideology.

FEL was featured in the local paper Leidsch Dagblad last week and had a succesful art exhibition in the Red Carpet Lounge with ROEM and Dansblok. For the upcoming year they organise a New Years mingle event together with de Bovengrondse. You can now also find them on Instagram.

On 9 February, 2019 we celebrate the UN-proclaimed International Day of Women and Girls in Science 2019 in Leiden. At this date, Leiden University, National expert organization on girls/women and science/technology  VHTO and NOVA collaborate to organise a festive day for (female) scientists and (PhD, university and high school) students. Also graduates (as well as their daughters and grand-daughters) are cordially invited to attend the event.