Misconduct: Leiden professor dismissed after 33 years

Leiden University is dismissing a professor who, with their partner, has been found guilty of abuses of power, manipulation and violation of academic integrity.

The university announced this at the end of April. Meanwhile, newspaper NRC has revealed the name of the professor. There was allegedly a culture of fear among employees who depended on the pair. Among other things, the professor is said to have appropriated other people’s research material and ‘monopolised’ certain data.

According to the university, the first reports were made in the autumn of 2023. An investigation committee spoke to nineteen informants in total, including PhD researchers, postdocs and students. They also spoke with administrators, colleagues and experts.

33 years

University magazine Mare reported that the professor worked at Leiden University for 33 years. In a statement, the university’s executive board expresses ‘deep shock’ that the situation had persisted so long. “This has caused serious harm to many people”, says Board President Annetje Ottow.

If the subdistrict court approves the dismissal, the professor will be stripped of their title. They have been suspended since the investigation commenced. The statement adds that, “Their partner is also no longer welcome at the university.”

Lessons

The person’s name and faculty have not been disclosed. Next month, the executive board will publish an investigation report (in anonymised form). Ottow hopes to draw lessons from it, though notes that problems with power, dependency and competitiveness are ‘obviously not unique to this faculty or to us’.

Previously, there was a similar incident at Leiden concerning two professors at the Faculty of Pedagogical Sciences.