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From in-person lectures to a first-class degree: our year on social media

Covid year 2021 might have felt somewhat less strange than the year before, but the virus still left its mark on University life and our students and staff. Fortunately there was also room for research, visiting dignitaries and in-person classes. And our social media accounts weren’t only about covid either. Here are just a few of the highlights. Here’s to a happy and healthy 2022!

First female Rector Magnificus and President

The year 2021 began with a special Dies Natalis. For the first time in Leiden University history, women were appointed to the posts of President of the Executive Board and Rector Magnificus, Annetje Ottow and Hester Bijl respectively. Carel Stolker bade farewell to the University.

Winter wonderland

The change of the guard took place in a freezing-cold, snow-white city. Leiden takes a pretty picture, particularly as a winter wonderland!

Love is in the air

Despite all of our posts about groundbreaking research and innovative teaching, there’s one thing that prevails: love. Thirza and Dana found love (with a touch of Leiden) and shared their message on Valentine’s Day.

Letter scanner

For the first time ever a research team managed to read a centuries-old letter without breaking the seal, thus maintaining valuable physical evidence. This was with the aid of an advanced scanning technique and an algorithm that had taken the researchers four years to build.

Janssen vaccine

Covid was obviously a recurring topic on our social media channels, sometimes in a positive sense even. Whichever way you look at it: 2021 was the year of the coronavirus vaccine, including the Janssen one. The University made a significant contribution to the development of this vaccine, and we produced an animation about it.

Back to the lecture hall

The rising vaccination rate in the Netherlands meant that after the summer holidays could attend lectures in person for the first time in a long time. ‘A bit apprehensive but mostly pleased.’

Coming out

On 11 October the rainbow flag flew on our university buildings. Bram Kerhoffs, a who’s doing a master’s in labour law, shared his experiences on Instagram this Coming Out Day.

10 for astronomy student

Earning your master’s degree is a huge achievement already. But if you do so with a mark of 10 (A+) for your research into chaotic black holes, people outside the University will notice too. Master’s student Arend Moerman did just that, and made the news at Radio 1 and NOS, among others.

Visiting dignitaries

Before the climate summit in Glasgow, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau visited the Netherlands. He and Mark Rutte answered our students’ questions at Campus The Hague.

The year 2022 will undoubtedly bring more great stories on our social channels. So follow us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and TikTok. A very happy new year to one and all!

Main photo: Pixabay.com / MarieXMartin

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