Institute of Education and Child Studies, Faculty of Social and Behavioural Sciences 
Theme: Educational Sciences 

Liza van den Bosch is an Assistant Professor at the Institute of Education and Child Studies at Leiden University. Her research focuses on language and literacy development in monolingual and bilingual children, as well as on improving reading comprehension and differentiated instruction in primary and secondary education. She is driven by a strong commitment to bridging educational research and classroom practice. 

Within the Educational Sciences theme of the Social Sciences Sector Plan, Van den Bosch works on projects that connect scientific insights with innovation in educational practice. She contributes to the theme Pupils’ knowledge, skills, and motivation through studies on reading comprehension and language learning, often in close collaboration with schools and other organisations in the field of education.  Her work also supports teacher professionalisation, for instance through her role as Kennismakelaar (knowledge broker) for the NRO Kennisrotonde, where she helps translate scientific research into practical answers to questions posed by educational professionals. 

As part of her sector plan appointment, she also received a Grassroots grant to develop and implement a digital feedback tool designed to enhance dialogue between students and teachers in higher education — an initiative that has improved course structure and student engagement within the Child and Education Studies bachelor programme. 

Van den Bosch combines her research and teaching with a focus on collaboration, educational quality, and the continuous exchange between theory and practice — embodying the sector plan’s aim to strengthen evidence-informed education in the Netherlands. 

Leiden University College The Hague, Faculty of Governance and Global Affairs 
Theme: Educational Sciences 

Min J. Cho is an Assistant Professor at Leiden University College The Hague, where she integrates her background in global health and international development with educational innovation. Her work explores how transdisciplinary and technology-enhanced teaching can foster engagement with global challenges such as climate change, sustainability, and public health. 

Through the Educational Sciences theme of the Social Sciences Sector Plan, Cho has developed several initiatives that bridge research, teaching, and practice. She designed the “Teaching for Sustainable Tomorrows” module—an NWO Comenius-funded project that trains educators in climate change education and supports active, sustainability-oriented learning across disciplines. Building on this work, she initiated a small research project on transdisciplinary approaches to One Health, linking environmental and human health education. This collaboration has expanded internationally through a VIS grant that supports virtual co-teaching and curriculum development with academic partners in Myanmar. 

Cho’s broader research focuses on health systems, policy innovation, and sustainable education practices, including participatory and digital pedagogies. Her recent projects use creative methods such as simulation games, open data collection, and augmented reality to study issues like food waste, climate resilience, and urban sustainability. By combining education research with applied global health perspectives, Cho contributes to shaping future-ready learning environments that connect students, teachers, and communities in addressing real-world challenges. 

Leiden University College The Hague, Faculty of Governance and Global Affairs 
Theme: Educational Sciences 

Jacqueline Hylkema is Assistant Professor of Cultural History at Leiden University College The Hague and Senior Scaliger Fellow at Leiden University Libraries’ Scaliger Institute. Her research focuses on forgery in early modern print culture, particularly within the Dutch Republic and Britain, and explores how fabricated texts and images shaped knowledge, belief, and political imagination. Hylkema’s current project, Mapping the Fake Republic (1550–1800), which is financed by the Leiden University Fund, is the first structural study of forgery in the Dutch Republic and includes the creation of a new Special Collection of early modern Dutch fakes and forgeries at Leiden University Libraries.

Within the Educational Sciences theme of the Social Sciences Sector Plan, Hylkema has used her expertise to innovate teaching and curriculum design. The Sector Plan enabled her to develop and teach the course Faking the Past: Forgery, History, and Propaganda which has become one of LUC’s most popular and highly rated courses. Through this initiative, she is contributing to the development of Forgery Studies as an academic discipline, most notably in terms of creating a new methodological framework for the field and translating her research directly into new teaching practices. 

By combining historical research with educational innovation, she advances the Sector Plan’s goal of strengthening the link between research and teaching while fostering critical, interdisciplinary learning about truth, evidence, and interpretation. 

Leiden University College The Hague, Faculty of Governance and Global Affairs 
Theme: Educational Sciences 

Joy Yeonjoo Lee is an Assistant Professor of Instructional Technology and Data Science at Leiden University College The Hague. Her research explores how technology can enhance learning, focusing on the cognitive and affective processes involved in simulation-based, game-based, and digital learning environments. Using tools such as eye-tracking, data analytics, and artificial intelligence, Lee investigates how learners interact with complex educational technologies and how these interactions can inform more effective instructional design. 

As part of the Educational Sciences theme within the Social Sciences Sector Plan, Lee launched a student-centered Research Clinic on Technology-Enhanced Learning at Leiden University College. In this program, undergraduate students collaboratively design and conduct small-scale research projects on topics such as immersive virtual reality and digital learning platforms. This initiative strengthens the integration between research and education by fostering students’ academic curiosity and methodological skills. Several of the clinic’s projects have been presented at international conferences, and outcomes are shared through the lab’s website.

Before joining Leiden University, Lee earned her PhD (cum laude) from Maastricht University’s School of Health Professions Education, where she led research on simulation-based learning and instructional design. She previously directed the VR Simulation and Eye-Tracking Lab at Maastricht and co-founded the International Community of Research on Medical Simulation (IRESIM). 

Through her interdisciplinary work, Lee contributes to the sector plan’s ambition to strengthen educational innovation by connecting cognitive science, data analytics, and pedagogical theory to real-world learning practices. 

Leiden University College, The Hague, Faculty of Governance and Global Affairs 
Theme: Educational Sciences 

Davina Osei is an Assistant Professor at Leiden University College The Hague and an economist with expertise in inclusive economic and social policy. Her work connects education, development, and governance, emphasizing how knowledge co-creation and community-based learning can drive more equitable and sustainable futures. 

Within the Educational Sciences theme of the Social Sciences Sector Plan, Osei leads the Resilient Ecosystems and Flourishing Communities (REFloC) project, supported by an FGGA Starter Grant. This interdisciplinary initiative explores the mutual relationship between people and nature in rural and peri-urban Ghanaian communities, integrating economic, environmental, and cultural dimensions of well-being. A key component of the project is the development of educational toolkits for interdisciplinary and decolonial teaching, promoting local participation and critical reflection in higher education and policy training. 

Osei’s broader academic interests include microeconomics, institutional economics, and governance, as well as social and public policy innovation. Drawing on her collaborations with the UNDP, FAO, OPHI, and national governments, she brings practical and global perspectives into the classroom. Through her teaching and research, Osei advances inclusive education as a key driver of social transformation, equipping students and communities to engage with the complex challenges of development and sustainability. 

Education and Child Studies, Leiden University 
Theme: Educational Sciences 

Emilie Prast is an Assistant Professor in Education and Child Studies at Leiden University. Her research focuses on differentiation in education - how teachers can effectively respond to the diverse learning needs of their students. She investigates, for example, how mathematics lessons can be made engaging and challenging for students with diverse achievement levels.

Within the Sector Plan theme Educational Sciences, Prast studies how teachers can be supported in differentiating their instruction, and how these approaches contribute to students’ motivation and learning outcomes. Her findings have been published in both scientific and practice-oriented outlets, and she regularly presents her work to educational professionals including teachers, mathematics specialists, and school inspectors. 

Through her sector plan appointment, Prast strengthens the connection between research and teacher training by integrating scientific insights directly into classroom practice. Within the Educatieve Master Primair Onderwijs (Educational Master Primary Education), she designs and teaches courses in the practice-oriented component of the programme, helping future teachers build a strong academic foundation for evidence-informed teaching. 

Institute of Education and Child Studies, Faculty of Social and Behavioural Sciences 
Theme: Educational Sciences 

Alex Rushforth is an Assistant Professor at Leiden University whose research examines how systems of research evaluation and governance shape academic work, institutions, and knowledge production. Trained in sociology of science and science and technology studies (STS), his work critically explores how performance indicators, funding mechanisms, and assessment criteria influence the cultures and values of higher education and research. 

Within the Educational Sciences theme of the Social Sciences Sector Plan, Rushforth investigates the Dutch Recognition and Rewards initiative — a national effort to reform academic career structures and better value contributions to teaching, teamwork, and societal engagement. His sector plan appointment has enabled him to publish new research on this initiative and contribute to European discussions on academic assessment reform. He is also part of a team developing a Horizon Europe WIDERA proposal focused on research assessment practices across Europe. 

Beyond the sector plan, Rushforth co-leads the international AGORRA project at the Research on Research Institute (RoRI), which provides evidence and real-time feedback to policymakers and funders on the effects of research assessment systems worldwide. His work advances more reflexive, equitable, and socially responsive approaches to evaluating scientific and educational performance. 

At Leiden University, Rushforth coordinates the bachelor course Science, Technology and Society and serves on the Board of Examiners for the BSc programme Science for Sustainable Societies. He is also a member of the advisory board of the national Recognition & Rewards programme.

Through his research, teaching, and engagement in reform initiatives, he contributes to building more sustainable, inclusive, and learning-oriented academic environments — key goals of the Educational Sciences sector plan theme. 

Developmental and Educational Psychology, Institute of Psychology 
Theme: Educational Sciences 

Ivan Simpson-Kent is an Assistant Professor in the Developmental and Educational Psychology unit at Leiden University. Within the Educational Sciences theme of the Social Sciences Sector Plan, Ivan's main research focuses on understanding intelligence and the different factors (brain structure and function, the environment, etc.) that influence it and co-develop with it. 

To do so, Ivan uses statistical techniques such as structural equation modelling and network science to examine how these various levels (e.g., cognition, brain, environment) produce our intellectual abilities. Ivan is also interested in resilience to early (childhood and adolescent) adversity and how it relates to cognitive abilities, both as deficits as well as stress-adapted skills ('hidden talents'). Ultimately, Ivan hopes this research will offer insights into how education can better support all learners. 

At Leiden University, Simpson-Kent co-coordinates the bachelor’s specialization School Psychology course and supervises master’s theses, connecting research findings to the training of future educators and psychologists. 

Leiden University College The Hague, Faculty of Governance and Global Affairs 
Theme: Educational Sciences 

Jyothi Thrivikraman is an Assistant Professor of Global Public Health at Leiden University College The Hague. Her teaching and research explore how education can connect public health theory with lived experience—bridging local and global perspectives through participatory, challenge-based, and experiential learning. 

Within the Educational Sciences theme of the Social Sciences Sector Plan, Thrivikraman has developed innovative forms of active and collaborative learning that engage students in real-world problem-solving. In her course Wasted Cities: A Critical Look Into Our Waste and Our Resources, students work with local partners such as the Municipality of The Hague, Waste.nl, and the Royal Academy of Art (KABK) to examine urban waste as both an environmental and social issue. Through project-based learning, students translate academic insights into creative, community-oriented outputs—such as a Zine produced for the Wasteland Ecologies festival. 

Thrivikraman also integrates virtual international collaboration into her courses. With support from the Dutch Ministry of Education, she launched a partnership connecting LUC students with peers in Myanmar and Gaza to co-create narratives on global health inequalities. This model of digital storytelling promotes intercultural learning and deep reflection on the social determinants of health. 

Her broader research focuses on food waste, food insecurity, and participatory action research, with projects supported by the Global Transformations and Governance Challenges (GTGC) programme and the Resilient Ecosystems and Flourishing Communities (Refloc) initiative. Across her teaching and research, Thrivikraman’s work exemplifies how higher education can empower students to think critically, act locally, and engage globally in tackling complex societal challenges. 

Leiden University College, The Hague, Faculty of Governance and Global Affairs 
Theme: Educational Sciences 

Lenore Todd is an Assistant Professor and Student Life Officer at Leiden University College The Hague. Her research and teaching explore the intersections of literature, race, culture, and education, with a focus on how storytelling and representation shape social awareness and inclusion in learning environments. 

Originally from Brooklyn, New York, Todd earned her PhD in English Literature and Creative Writing from the University of St Andrews. Her monograph, The Figure of the Other in 9/11 Literature: If You See Something, Say Something (Palgrave, 2017), examines constructions of identity and difference in post-9/11 fiction, challenging binary narratives of “Americans” and “terrorists” and illuminating broader dynamics of race and belonging. 

Within the Educational Sciences theme of the Social Sciences Sector Plan, Todd contributes to inclusive education by integrating discussions of diversity, cultural identity, and global citizenship into her teaching practice. Her current project investigates representations of African American and Caribbean women in art history and advertising, expanding the dialogue between literature, media, and education. By connecting creative scholarship with classroom practice, Todd’s work supports the development of reflective, socially engaged learners who are equipped to navigate complex global realities. 

Institute of Education and Child Studies, Faculty of Social and Behavioural Sciences 
Theme: Educational Sciences 

Simone Vogelaar is an Assistant Professor at the Institute of Education and Child Studies at Leiden University. Her research focuses on understanding how children and adolescents experience and manage stress, and how psychoeducation can promote resilience and well-being in school settings. She investigates how teaching about stress — through lessons, training programmes, or innovative tools such as virtual reality — can enhance students’ knowledge, coping skills, and motivation. 

Within the Educational Sciences theme of the Social Sciences Sector Plan, Vogelaar contributes to the themes The school as a learning and professional organisation and Pupils’ knowledge, skills, and motivation. She works closely with teachers, psychologists, and students to co-create psychoeducational materials and classroom interventions that make scientific insights about stress accessible and actionable in everyday educational practice. 

Her recent work includes the development and evaluation of a stress education programme for primary schools, designed in collaboration with educators and children themselves. This initiative builds on her PhD research, which examined the effects of teaching adolescents about stress in secondary schools. 

Vogelaar’s research exemplifies the sector plan’s goal of strengthening the bridge between science and practice in education — empowering schools as learning communities that support both academic achievement and mental well-being.