Leiden Revisited: sharing knowledge and reuniting alumni
Alumni image: Monique Shaw
More than a hundred Leiden Law School alumni returned to the lecture halls during Leiden Revisited. Visitors of this annual alumni event listened to engaging talks, ranging from leadership to AI, and enjoyed each other's company during drinks with live music.
On Friday, September 4, we welcomed our alumni to the Kamerlingh Onnes Building: a familar place for them, where many attended lectures, studied, and where countless lifelong friendships were formed.
In her opening remarks, Dean Suzan Stoter emphasised the value of alumni: ‘You are our ambassadors. The people who turn the programs we offer here into connection – with society, with daily practice and with the future.’ Stoter looked ahead by highlighting the university's strategic research themes, which foster interdisciplinary collaboration between the various faculties. ‘Leiden University is an impressive institution with truly excellent faculties. What we want now, is to connect with one another – not only for our students, but also for our societal outreach.’
Turbulence
In his keynote, Professor of Turnaround Management Jan Adriaanse spoke about leadership in turbulent times. He argued that the world is becoming increasingly volatile due to political, economic, technological, and ecological influences. How leaders manage that turbulence determines their organisation’s survival.
According to Adriaanse, good crisis leaders combine stabilization with change by making decisive, fast decisions while continuing to listen. His conclusion: good leadership in turbulent times does not mean having the illusion of being in full control. ‘A good leader is able to build an organization that quickly discovers there is something wrong, and in which different perspectives are heard, so that you can adjust course in time.’
-
Dean Suzan Stoter -
-
Professor Turnaround Management Jan Adriaanse -
From game to TV format
In the breakout sessions, visitors could delve deeper into specific topics. Professor of Social Law Yvonne Erkens addressed labour law and sustainability, while Professor of Criminal Law and Criminal Procedure Marloes van Noorloos discussed inequality in criminal law and, in that context, sentencing. Bernard Jan Verkoren, Chief Legal Officer at game manufacturer Jumbo, and lawyer Babette Aalberts spoke about the legal side of turning the popular board game Hitster into a TV format.
The talks were remarkably topical and offered in-depth reflections. Professor of Intellectual Property Law Dirk Visser spoke about ‘Wauter de Auteursrechtkabouter’ (‘Wauter the Copyright Gnome’), a safe AI agent that can answer questions based on texts from the Copyright handbook. Professor of Intellectual Property Law Gerrit-Jan Zwenne and external PhD candidate Danny Mekić also touched on AI, speaking about its recent developments, Big Tech and the GDPR.
Jazz music
As is tradition, the day concluded with drinks. Alumni reminisced, caught up with familiar faces, or expanded their network with new contacts – all while enjoying live jazz music.
Want to join next time? Don't miss out – sign up for our alumni newsletter or follow us on LinkedIn.
-
Professor Intellectual Property Law Dirk Visser -
Professor Law and Digital technologies Gerrit-Jan Zwenne and Danny Mekić -
Professor Social Law Yvonne Erkens -
Professor Criminal Law and Criminal Marloes van Noorloos -
Chief legal officer at Jumbo Bernard Jan Verkoren and lawyer Babette Aalberts -
-
Live jazz music