{"id":167287,"date":"2024-05-02T14:22:45","date_gmt":"2024-05-02T12:22:45","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.erasmusmagazine.nl\/en\/?p=167287"},"modified":"2025-12-19T11:27:19","modified_gmt":"2025-12-19T10:27:19","slug":"misconduct-leiden-professor-dismissed-after-33-years","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.erasmusmagazine.nl\/en\/2024\/05\/02\/misconduct-leiden-professor-dismissed-after-33-years\/","title":{"rendered":"Misconduct: Leiden professor dismissed after 33 years"},"content":{"rendered":"

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

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The university announced<\/a> this at the end of April. Meanwhile, newspaper NRC has revealed<\/a> 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\u2019s research material and \u2018monopolised\u2019 certain data.<\/p>\n

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.<\/p>\n

33 years<\/h2>

University magazine Mare<\/em> reported that the professor worked<\/a> at Leiden University for 33 years. In a statement, the university\u2019s executive board expresses \u2018deep shock\u2019 that the situation had persisted so long. \u201cThis has caused serious harm to many people\u201d, says Board President Annetje Ottow.<\/p>\n

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, \u201cTheir partner is also no longer welcome at the university.\u201d<\/p>\n

Lessons<\/h2>

The person\u2019s 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 \u2018obviously not unique to this faculty or to us\u2019.<\/p>\n

Previously, there was a similar incident<\/a> at Leiden concerning two professors at the Faculty of Pedagogical Sciences.<\/p>\n\n\t

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