'Let's make this a twice-yearly tradition!'- a feeling shared by many after the vibrant Research Day. Engagement started early, with participants connecting informally over good coffee before the formal start of the event on 19 November.
Programme
After the welcoming remarks by Prof. Bart Barendregt, also speaking on behalf of Prof. Koen Caminada, the programme moved to a panel discussion on interdisciplinary research. The session, moderated by Rachel Plak, brought together experienced practitioners from both FGGA and FSW: Lenneke Alink, Arjen Boin, and Shivant Jhagroe. From their diverse perspectives, they found much common ground in exploring the opportunities and challenges of working across disciplines. All the panellists shared the conviction that an interdisciplinary approach had enriched their research and brought unexpected insights.
After a short break, the programme resumed with a series of concise and engaging 1.5-minute pitches by the FSW and FGGA sector-plan UDs. The many short presentations left the audience eager to explore the topics further, prompting lively discussions in the networking moments during breaks and lunch. And our sector-plan website (soon to be launched!) will further stimulate connections.
Research domains
Bart Barendregt picked up on the theme of interdisciplinary connections as he briefly outlined the five core research domains of Leiden University and the associated themes:
- Humans in the World
- Resilient and learning society
- Technology and Society
- Peace, justice, democracy and governance
- Health and life sciences
To showcase these themes and their potential relevance for the sector-plan UDs, two academic leads, Tom Louwerse and Wim Voermans, introduced their approach to the pressing theme of 'Trust in polarised times', which falls within the domain of 'Peace, justice, democracy and governance'. They concluded their presentation with an invitation to join their very first university-wide meeting in January.
Village of support
All participants came together again for lunch, which gave them further opportunities to connect. They could also visit the interactive information market, where they could learn more about the wide range of research support available - there's a whole village of support on hand, so nobody needs to go it alone!
In his closing remarks, Koen Caminada suggested making the joint FSW and FGGA Research Day a twice-yearly event, and this suggestion was welcomed as a fitting and motivating way forward. So keep an eye out for announcements about the upcoming event in The Hague!
Pitches by the FSW and FGGA sector-plan UD's: Martín Hernán Di Marco 
All the sector-plan UD's that delivered a lightning pitch 
Workshop Collaborations and Societal Impact 
Workshop The Learning Mindset door Caroline Archambault en David Ehrhardt (FGGA) 
Workshop Writing Quest 
Workshop Knowledge Security 
Information Market
