Seminar
What can universities learn from their ties with the tobacco industry?
- Linda Knoester & Aaron Pereira
- Date
- Friday 16 October 2026
- Time
- Series
- CWTS Research Seminars
- Location
-
Willem Einthoven
Kolffpad 1
2333 BN Leiden - Room
- Online & common rooms at CWTS, with speaker in the room
About the seminar
This presentation is based on a study led by Leiden University and Solid Sustainability Research on the links between Dutch universities and the tobacco industry – and the lessons it offers for ongoing discussions about fossil fuel ties. The study shows that, despite the widespread view that collaborations with the tobacco industry are ‘inappropriate’, clear policies are often lacking and ties have persisted. It also highlights how both the tobacco and fossil fuel industries use similar strategies to influence research, policy and public opinion.
Like the tobacco industry, the World Health Organization (WHO) has identified the fossil fuel industry as a major contributor to the global rise in non-communicable diseases, including cardiovascular disease, cancer, and diabetes. Nevertheless, many universities continue to justify collaborations with this sector, for instance when these partnerships are linked to the energy transition.
Many researchers remain insufficiently aware of how companies in these sectors use academic partnerships to delay policy action and influence public opinion. Both industries employ similar strategies, such as creating doubt and gaining legitimacy through association with academia. They also steer scientific research and promote technological “solutions” that sustain their business models, such as e-cigarettes and blue hydrogen. In addition, they target young people, for example through donations to student associations.
Next to the findings, the study provides recommendations for universities, research funders, scientific journals, and health professionals to critically examine their ties to both sectors. By doing so, they can strengthen academic integrity, reduce conflicts of interest, and better align research with public health and sustainability goals.
The study has been published in PLOS Climate, and can be accessed here (https://journals.plos.org/climate/article?id=10.1371/journal.pclm.0000867)
About the speakers
Linda Knoester and Aaron Pereira are two passionate researchers with experience in environmental science, finance, statistical analysis, software development, and science communication who founded Solid Sustainability Research (https://www.solid-sustainability.org). Linda has a background in environmental science and sustainable development and Aaron has a background in mechanical engineering, software development, artificial intelligence, and aerospace robotics. Through their expertise and collaborations with researchers, they provide insight into various aspects of climate obstruction and climate justice, always firmly based on the facts.