NIAS is delighted to invite you for the Opening of the Academic Year 2021/22 online or in-person.
50 Years of Academic Freedom
During this special anniversary edition, we celebrate that for the past fifty years, scholars, journalists and artists at NIAS have been able to pursue curiosity-driven research. We also celebrate the importance of places like ours which safeguard academic freedom and the individuals behind institutions who make this possible.
Speaking at the Opening of the Academic Year 2021/22
Jan Willem Duyvendak will give his opening speech on NIAS celebrating fifty years of academic freedom and on maintaining that freedom to nourish innovation in science.
Guest speakers, Nadia Al-Bagdadi, Director of the Institute for Advanced Study at Central European University and Robbert Dijkgraaf, Director of the Institute for Advanced Study will reflect on safeguarding academic freedom from global perspectives.
There will be spoken word by alumna Hagar Peters, Writer-in-Residence 2019/20, and presentations by current fellows, Rahul Rao, Stella Nyanzi, Lukas Verburgt, Sarah de Lange and Ghazwan Yaghi.
Preliminary Programme
| 15:00 – 15:05 | Welcoming words by Fenneke Wekker, Head of Academic Affairs |
| 15:05 – 15:15 | 50 Years of Academic Freedom, opening speech by Jan Willem Duyvendak, NIAS Director |
| 15:15 – 15:20 | Video message by Ineke Sluiter, President of the Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences (KNAW) |
| 15:20 – 15:30 | "Scholars at Risk: the Institute for Advanced Study and Academic Freedom" by Robbert Dijkgraaf, Director and Leon Levy Professor at the Institute for Advanced Study in Princeton, USA. |
| 15:30 – 15:40 | “Who’s Afraid of Academic Freedom?” by Nadia Al-Bagdadi, Director of the Institute for Advanced Study at Central European University in Hungary, and former President (2018-2021) of the Network of European Institutes for Advanced Study |
| 15:40 – 15:45 | Q&A with Robbert Dijkgraaf & Nadia Al-Bagdadi |
| 15:45 – 15:55 | Spoken word by Hagar Peeters, writer, poet and NIAS alumna |
| 15:55 – 16.15 | Presentations by fellows Rahul Rao, Stella Nyanzi, Lukas Verburgt, Sarah de Lange and Ghazwan Yaghi |
| 16:15 – 16:20 | Wilma de Koning, Director General of the Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences (KNAW) |
| 16:20 – 16:30 | Closing words by Fenneke Wekker, Head of Academic Affairs |
| 16.30- 17.30 | Networking drinks |
Registration
In-person registrations are now closed, but you can register to receive the viewing link.
For the in-person opening please bring your passport or ID and proof that you are fully vaccinated, have recovered from corona less than 6 months ago or have a negative test result less than 24 hours ago. We accept the CoronaCheck app or paper proof. Please let us know via events@nias.knaw.nl if you cannot make it.