Newsletter  
18 June 2015  
 
 
 
 
The next international newsletter will be published in mid-September.
 
 
 
  Spinoza Prize for Leiden statistician Aad van der Vaart

Aad van der Vaart, professor of stochastics at Leiden University, has been awarded the NWO Spinoza Prize for his groundbreaking research in statistics. Van der Vaart conducts fundamental research on models that can help, for instance, to identify genes that play a role in cancer.

  Read more
 
 
  Flying start for Athena’s Angels website

On the new website Athena’s Angels, four female Leiden professors address the unequal treatment of women in academia. ‘Since we launched the website, our mailboxes have exploded,’ says Judi Mesman, Professor of Child and Family Studies and one of the initiators.

  Read more
 
 
  A new building block for the quantum computer

The race to build the first quantum computer is still ongoing, but Morten Bakker has made big step forward in that process with qubits. A qubit is a unit of quantum information that can be produced in large numbers on chips. Qubits capable of exchanging photons (light particles) could be used in the future as building blocks for a quantum computer.

  Read more
 
 
  Online students from Leiden to São Paulo share their views on the international tax law system

What is it like to study without seeing the inside of a lecture hall? Three students talk about their experience with Leiden University’s Massive Open Online Course (MOOC) on Rethinking International Tax Law.

  Read more
 
 
  Modern humans probably arrived in the Levant earlier than previously thought

The new carbon dating of shells indicates that modern humans already lived in the Levant and Southwest Asia at least as early as 45,900 years ago, and that it is from this area that modern humans colonised Europe. This is a few thousand years earlier than previously thought.

  Read more
 
 
  The brain on alert

When focussing attention, the neurotransmitters noradrenaline and acetylcholine play an important role. This new finding made by psychologist Stephen Brown provides clues for further research on how focussed attention comes about. Dissertation defence on 16 June.

  Read more
 
  More news
Leiden University scores well in CWTS Ranking 2015
Buckling on demand
New ‘Virtual Reality’ elective included in PhD research
Fire, a universal landscaping tool
Meet and greet Jane Goodall in Leiden's Hortus
‘Your birth certificate is right, but you are not’
 
  Leiden Classics
How a Leiden professor came to be a Waterloo hero
 
 
  Leiden through the eyes of...
'Leiden maintains its Dutchness in a beautiful way'
 
 
  International students
Student Marten helped organise a MOOC: ‘It improved my knowledge of linguistics'
Elections for the University Council: SGL catches up to LVS
Research Conference seeking excellent bachelor’s research
A special part-time job: Susanne is vice president of the Youth Parliament for Water
 
 
  International staff
Dutch universities present their common vision for the future
Introductory meeting new staff  
Elections for the University Council: SGL catches up to LVS
P&O News, including Travel allowance via the selection model
 
 
 
  Coming events
21 June: Midsummer night festival Hortus botanicus
25 June: University Sports Challenge
26 June: Anniversary Party  
6-7 July: Summer School Big Data for Peace
10-15 August: Introduction Week El Cid
 
 
  Laureates
Einstein World Award of Science for Ewine van Dishoeck
Hermen Overkleeft wins the 2015 Jeremy Knowles Award  
Leiden University won prize for Best Written Memorials at the European Law Moot Court
 
 
  Blogs
Leiden Psychology Blog: Peer pressure in adolescence
Leiden Anthropology Blog: My Airbnb home is my market  
Leiden Institute for Brain and Cognition Blog: Do you see what you do 
 
 
 
More News & Events  |  Archive  |  Colophon  |  Subscribe or change address |  Contact
Discover the world at Leiden University