Listening session Parenting in Academia
- Date
- Monday 11 May 2026
- Time
- Address
- Agora (FSW)
Wassenaarseweg 52
2333AK Leiden
How do you balance an academic career with raising (young) children? For many early-career researchers, this is a daily challenge: from sleep deprivation and unpredictable childcare to publication pressures and unspoken expectations within academia, particularly during the early years of parenthood. Issues surrounding gender inequality and career opportunities also play a role.
In this YAL listening session, Leiden “academic parents” share their experiences: what obstacles did they face, what really helped, and what is needed to better combine parenting with a sustainable academic career? Together, we’ll discuss what’s working well at the institutional and cultural levels and what can (or must) change.