On 14 January 2019, Shermarke Hassan boarded a plane to Milan. This young PhD candidate was going to spend the next three months doing research at the ‘Angelo Bianchi Bonomi Hemophilia and Thrombosis Centre,’ one of the world’s biggest research and treatment centres for haemophilia, a rare condition that affects the blood’s ability to clot.

Retired Major General Rob Nypels (88) has donated a sizeable sum to the Nypels-Tans PTSD Fund that he himself established – one of the ‘named funds’ at the Leiden University Fund – to promote interdisciplinary research into psychotraumatology. The main aim is to research the effect of new treatments and thus improve the care for veterans and members of the armed forces.

Behind each named fund is a special story, but it is not often that, having already set up two very personal funds, a donor chooses to make a third contribution to Leiden’s research. In the Faculty Club Dining Room, donor and alumnus Hans van der Valk signed the agreement establishing the ‘Lingling Wiyadharma Fund for the Practice of the Natural Sciences’.

Expectations influence our experience of pain. According to psychologist Dr Kaya J. Peerdeman, this is a key factor in pain care. For example, the expectation that taking a medication will reduce pain can lead to genuine pain relief (placebo effect), while the expectation of severe side effects or worsening of symptoms can actually have negative effects on the pain experience. How can we better respond to this in our patient care?

Daniela and Oksana come from Ukraine and are studying in Leiden – Daniela is doing the Bachelor’s in International Relations and Organisations at Wijnhaven in The Hague and Oksana is in the first year of a Psychology degree in Leiden. Since 24 February – the night Putin began bombing Ukraine – their lives have changed completely. They told us about their experiences and the importance of the Emergency Fund for students.

Online and offline, in Dutch and in English, and in various locations around the world: 2021 promises to deliver another great event in honour of Professor Cleveringa’s protest speech. Special duo lectures on freedom will be held in Utrecht and Leiden during the Cleveringa Meetings. After all, what is freedom in a globalising world? And as our borders on earth are becoming increasingly problematic, how will that work in space?