News and Events

Leiden university becomes first Dutch 'healthy university'
Leiden, October 17, 2018 - ‘I hope you have all come on foot or by bicycle,' Marleen van ’t Oever, head of communication for the LUMC, told the professors, deans and staff assembled in the Faculty Club. In any case, many of those present spent most of the meeting standing up, which is a good sign. Andrea Evers is a co-chair of this initiative, together with Hanno Pijl.
Andrea
Evers, Hanno Pijl, Carel Stolker, Pancras
Hogendoorn, Philip Spinhoven, Winnie Gebhardt and
Jet Bussemaker.
Best practices
Dean of the Faculty of Medicine Pancras Hogendoorn
kicks a space hopper aside as he explains how
during a visit to Edinburgh, he became inspired
when he saw how the university there benefited
from membership of Healthy Universities. In
this originally British network, the member
universities exchange best practices with one
another in the area of health, well-being and
sustainability. ‘As a hospital and
university, we have to make sure that we practise
what we preach.'
Worskhops on healthier living
Professor of Health Psychology Andrea Evers, also
an intiator, is in complete agreement.
‘We spend a lot of time teaching about
health and well-being. Why wouldn't we apply
this knowledge to our students and staff,
and then do more research?' Students
of the master's in Health and Medical
Psychology will be giving workshops on 18 and
19 October to students and staff about
sleeping better, healthy eating, being more active
and reducing stress. 'We are not a public
health institution, but we do have to offer good
support to help prevent stress overload,
depression and alcohol abuse,'
Professor of Clinical psychology Philip
Spinhoven pointed out. Spinhoven is chair of the
new Student Well-being Taskforce.
Jet
Bussemaker
Leiden Professor Jet Bussemaker is an
ambassor for Healthy Universities
‘This intiative fits well within my chair in
Science, Policy and Societal Impact in
Healthcare. As a minister, for five years I had a
car and chauffeur and almost every physical
activity was done for me. When I left, I told my
chauffeurs that they were probably the people I
was going to miss the most. But I was
wrong: I really enjoy being more active.
Taking the stairs instead of the lift can make
quite a difference - although it may take you some
time to actually find the stairs. Luckily, the
main stairs in our Wijnhaven Building in The Hague
are also a platform for events, and that's the
way it should be. I'm not sure yet exactly
what I will be doing as ambassador. Maybe I'll
be space-hopping up and down the
corridors!'
Alcohol-free beer
Rector Carel Stolker thanked all the initiators:
'I am so pleased that you approached me with
this idea just as we were discussing work pressure
in our Board meeting. A number of intiatives had
already been started, but this comprehensive
approach means that more attention will be paid to
the health and well-being of students and staff
throughout the whole University.’ What would
the Rector himself like to
change? ‘The drinks. A former
interim Dean at the School of Law once remarked
that people at universities drink more than
anywhere else - and he may well have been right.
We should definitely keep on having the drinks
parties because they are important
opportunities for networking, but we should also
make sure there are alcohol-free drinks available.
And in meetings, why not offer apples instead of
biscuits? I already do that in my
meetings.'
Source:
Leiden
University Website, photos
by Sahra Almahmood, text by Linda
van Putten.