Australia
These are two separate Erasmus+ International Credit Mobility projects with Monash University in Australia, one of the Leiden Academic Centre for Drug Research (LACDR), the other of Leiden University’s Faculty of Law (LLS).
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Project 1: Computational drug discovery
Through this Erasmus+ ICM project, Leiden University/LACDR and Monash University strengthened their collaboration in the field of computational drug discovery. The project supported two staff mobilities. Project coordinator Willem Jespers visited Monash University in February 2025, where he gave an invited lecture and seminar and met with the local research team. Viktor Prypoten visited Leiden University in September and October 2025. He gave two seminars, and was embedded in the research group.
Although the project was implemented on a smaller scale than originally planned, the staff exchanges had concrete and lasting outcomes. They contributed to an ongoing long-distance collaboration, the preparation of a joint scientific paper, and the submission of a joint grant application. The collaboration is expected to continue, including through a future visit of David Chalmers from Monash University to the Netherlands.
More about the project strategy and impact
Strategy on internationalisation
The project contributed to the internationalisation strategy of the participating research groups by strengthening academic cooperation and enabling knowledge exchange between Leiden University and Monash University. In addition, the scientific focus of the collaboration is closely connected to the digital transition, as the groups work on computer models and computational approaches for drug discovery. The staff mobilities supported the exchange of expertise in these digital and computational methods, and the collaboration has continued partly through long-distance and digital communication.
Impact
There is a clear positive impact on the participating staff members and research groups. For the participants, the mobilities created opportunities to present research, exchange expertise, discuss future collaboration, and become embedded in each other's academic environments. For both partners, the project strengthened an existing international collaboration in the field of computational approaches to drug discovery. The impact is visible in concrete follow-up activities, including an ongoing long-distance collaboration, the preparation of a joint paper, the submission of a joint grant application, and the expected visit of David Chalmers from Monash University to the Netherlands.
Overall, the project contributed to the internationalisation of education and research, the development of durable international partnerships, and the exchange of knowledge and expertise between European and non-European higher education institutions.
"The concrete follow-up activities indicate that the project had a positive and sustainable academic impact."
The project functioned as a bridge between higher education, research, and innovation by supporting staff mobility in an active research field: computational approaches to drug discovery. The exchanges facilitated the sharing of scientific expertise, the development of new research ideas, and the continuation of collaboration beyond the mobility period. This is reflected in the preparation of a joint paper and the submission of a joint grant application. The collaboration has created a basis for future joint funding opportunities.