LUC The Hague's first Dies Natalis
On the evening of 29 September 2011 Leiden University College The Hague celebrated its first ever annual Dies Natalis in the Peace Palace.
This memorable event was celebrated together with LUC students and their relatives, LUC faculty and teaching fellows, the Dean of Leiden University - Campus The Hague and the Executive Board of both LUC The Hague and Leiden University, who gathered on the steps of the Peace Palace for a group picture before the start of the programme.
Welcoming Address
The Dies Natalis started off with a warm welcome by Prof.dr. Chris Goto-Jones, Dean of LUC The Hague. He spoke about the past year and complimented the efforts and achievements of the LUC students and staff.
Prof.dr. Chris Goto-Jones
Initiation of the Fortuna Board
A special part of the programme was the initiation of the new board of our own student association Fortuna. The former Chair of the Fortuna Board, Flip Kylian Adams, held a speech about the vision, achievements and experiences of the previous board.
Prior to calling his successor to the stage the campaign by the new members of the Fortuna Board was shown in a video:
Following the video the new Chair, Jules Marc van der Sneppen, was welcomed to the stage and the initiation took place.
Flip Kylian Adams (l) and Marc van der Sneppen (r)
During a passionate speech, Jules shared his thoughts and future vision for LUC as well as encouraging every LUC student to be a pro-active member of Fortuna.
Before moving on to the next part of the programme, Prof.dr. Chris Goto-Jones asked the former Fortuna Board members on to the stage. Each board member was thanked for their efforts over the last year and received a watch with their names and the Fortuna motto: 'Fortes Fortuna iuvat' (Fortune favors the brave) engraved.
Prof.dr. Chris Goto-Jones hands out gifts to the former Fortuna Board
Cutting Democracy Down to Size
The evening then continued by introducing Prof.dr. John Dunn, a prominent speaker of Cambridge University, who held a lecture titled: ‘Cutting Democracy Down to Size ’. During this lecture Prof.dr. John Dunn spoke extensively about the power of modern day democracy and its involvement in our daily lives.
Prof.dr. John Dunn, Cambridge University
Award Ceremony
Following this fascinating lecture, the Award Ceremony took place and the following three awards were handed out:
The De Vries Prize,
for the student with the ‘Best Admission Essay’. This was handed out by Prof.dr. Jouke de Vries (Dean of the Faculty Campus The Hague) to Sophie Starrenburg.
Prof.dr. Jouke de Vries praised Sophie's essay and also gave her some feedback on her work before presenting her with the award. She received a certificate and and all her first year books free of costs.
Prof.dr. Jouke de Vries and Sophie Starrenburg
The Dean’s Prize, for the student with the Best Academic Achievement of the academic year 2010-2011. This was awarded to Barend de Rooij who received a certificate and book selected by Prof.dr. Chris Goto-Jones.
Prof.dr. Chris Goto-Jones and Barend de Rooij
The LUC Best Teacher Award was awarded to Dr. Cissie Fu for her commitment and dedication at LUC. She received a certificate along with flowers and a gift. After a standing ovation she gave a short speech in which she emphasized the excellence among the LUC students.
Dr. Cissie Fu receives the Best Teacher award
The LUC Year Song
To end the formal part of the programme, the LUC Choir performed the LUC Year Song, which summarized the thoughts and hopes of LUC students. The Year Song was performed under the supervision of Dr. Cissie Fu and the guiding tunes of LUC's string quartet.
The LUC Choir performed the Year Song
The programme was followed by an informal reception in the foyer of the Academy Hall where all visitors gathered and continued celebrating this festive event.
More pictures on Facebook
More pictures of the Dies Natalis can be seen in our Facebook album.
The admissions office is open to applications
Students who are interested in starting their studies at Leiden University College in February 2012 or September 2012 are able to start their application. More information on how to apply can be found at the following pages:
- Apply for LUC The Hague
- How to apply
If you have questions about your application, you can send an email to admissions@luc.leidenuniv.nl
Furthermore, LUC is looking forward to meet you during one of our Open Days or at your very own 'Student for a Day Experience'. Any questions regarding the Open Days or Evenings and the Student for a Day experience can be send to: info@luc.leidenuniv.nl