Webster Leiden Campus is Celebrating a Big Milestone
Join Us! REGISTER NOW!

Help Us Commemorate Four Decades!

The exciting weekend kicks off with commencement ceremonies on Saturday, followed by the academic conference on Monday, culminating with drinks and dinner that evening.
It's a lot happening in one weekend, and you don't want to miss a second of it!
Prof. Dr. Jean Paul Van Marissing
Campus Director
Academic Conference - Central Theme:
Monday, May 22, 2023
Time: 14.00–17.00
Location: Stadsgehoorzaal, Breestraat 60, 2311 CS Leiden , The Netherlands
Overview:
13.30-14.00 Registration and coffee
14.00-14.10 Welcome by Prof. Dr. Jean Paul van Marissing, Director, Webster Leiden Campus
14.10 -14.20 Welcome by the Mayor of the City of Leiden, Drs. Henri Lenferink (TBC)
14.20-14.45 Opening Remarks and Address by Dr. Beth Stroble, Chancellor of Webster University
14.45–15.00 Break
15.00–16.45 Speeches from Panel Guests: various experts on topics
Panel discussion/Audience Q&A
16.45–17.00 Closing Remarks by Dr. Sheetal Shah, Academic Director, Webster Leiden Campus
Event: Celebrating 40 years: reception and dinner with Webster Community
Time 17.30–20.00
Location: Webster Leiden Campus
Sub-Theme One
Doing Business in a Changing, Globalized World
- End of 1980s, beginning of 1990: Globalization becomes a buzz word, eventually leading to new business models on a global scale. Focus on free-trade agreements and liberalizing national markets.
- Beginning of 2000: Anti-globalization movement becomes stronger. Nationalism (traditional values, cultural identity) versus globalization.
- 2020-2022: Impact of COVID-19 pandemic. Dependency and vulnerability of global supply chain becomes visible. Is the pendulum shifting toward nearness/proximity (i.e., production facilities and subcontracting)? Is this the beginning of the end of globalization? How deeply rooted is the concept of global citizenship and global education?

Sub-Theme Two
Dealing with Adversity in a Digitalized World
- During the 1980s, counseling was neglected and studying counseling discouraged (fastest way to unemployment). Today, worldwide, clinical psychology is one of the most popular studies. Why?
- The last four decades (1983-2023) saw major changes in society. Compared to the 80s, nowadays there is less collectivism and sense of community. Much more focus on individualism. What is the right balance?
- Digitalization, smart phones and social media networks have changed our daily lives. Living in an interconnected world requires new and different communication skills. Digitalization and interconnectivity, a blessing for most people. But for others - a curse, leading to feelings of exclusion and mental health problems. How to recover and be resilient?
- Nonviolent communication and its implications in a digitized world.

Speaker: Julie Sharon-Wagschal

Alumna and Psychologist
Sub-Theme Three
Entering a New Era or the Beginning of a New Cold War?
- During the 1980s, global politics was dominated by the Cold War with only two sides: the free world versus communism. In 1989, the Berlin Wall came down. As a U.S. student from Webster Leiden campus expresses, “It was spectacular to be in the EU at that time.” This was followed by disintegration of the former Soviet Union, with the USA remaining as the only world power.
- After 2005, China becomes a world player and the second largest economy in the world. Today, more countries (Australia, India, Japan and Nigeria) are on the world stage. Exponential growth of the world population since the 1980s also leads to shifts of power. Nowadays, the world is much more fragmented, more complex and less predictable compared to the 1980s.
- Moreover, the invasion of Ukraine by Russia has not only impacted the relationship between NATO countries and Russia, but many others as well, e.g., USA-China, China-Russia, Russia-India and Russia-Africa relations. Is this the beginning of a new Cold War?

Speaker: H.E. David Solomania

Ambassador of Georgia to the Netherlands
Find Out More About David Solomania
Date, Place of Birth: |
23 November 1973, Tbilisi |
Marital Status: |
Married |
Education: |
|
1990-1995 |
Georgian Technical University (Tbilisi, Georgia) Department of Economics and Management in Mining - Bachelor's Degree |
1998 |
Clingendael Institute of International Relations, the Hague, the Netherlands |
Professional Experience: |
|
1995-1996 |
Attache, Regional and Multilateral Economic Relations Division, International Relations Department, Ministry of Foreign Affairs |
1996-1997 |
Second Secretary, Regional and Multilateral Economic Relations Division, International Relations Department, Ministry of Foreign Affairs |
1997-1998 |
First Secretary, Embassy of Georgia in Rome, Italy |
1998-1999 |
Head, Bilateral Economic Relations Division (EU, USA, Canada), International Relations Department, Ministry of Foreign Affairs |
1999 - 2003 |
First Secretary, Embassy of Georgia in Athens, Greece |
2003 |
Deputy Director, EU Department, Ministry of Foreign Affairs |
2003-2005 |
Head, Private office of the Minister, Ministry of Foreign Affairs |
2006 |
Director, EU Integration Department, Ministry of Foreign Affairs |
2006-2010 |
Deputy Chief of Mission, Embassy of Georgia in Brussels, Belgium |
2010 |
Head, Analytical Division, Consular Department, Ministry of Foreign Affairs |
2010-2013 |
Deputy Chief of Mission, Embassy of Georgia in Brussels, Belgium |
2014-2017 |
Director, EU Integration Department, Ministry of Foreign Affairs |
2017-2021 |
Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Georgia to the Federative Republic of Brazil |
2021-present |
Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Georgia to the Kingdom of the Netherlands |
Diplomatic Rank: |
Ambassador Extraordinary Plenipotentiary |
Languages: |
English, French, Russian, Portuguese |
Sub-Theme Four
Human Rights for All or a Prerogative of a Few?
- Human Rights in the 1980s versus human rights in the 21st century
- Are international criminal courts/tribunals the way forward?
- Human rights education - what is the right age to start learning about human rights?
- Human rights violation in the context of Human Trafficking and Modern Day slavery?

Speaker: H.E. Shefali Razdan Duggal

Ambassador of the United States of America to the Netherlands

Frequently Asked Questions
The commencement ceremony will take place at
Pieterskerk, Kloksteeg 16, 2311 SL Leiden, The Netherlands
The academic conference - The World Now (2023) and the World Then (1983) will take place at
Stadsgehoorzaal, Breestraat 60, 2311 CS Leiden, The Netherlands
The Anniversary dinner will take place at
Webster Leiden Campus - Boommarkt 1, 2311 EA Leiden, The Netherlands
Directions to the conference (opens in new tab)
Directions to our Leiden Campus (opens in new tab)
Directions to the commencement ceremony (opens in new tab)
The venues are within walking distance of each other.
These are some examples.
TULIP INN LEIDEN***
SCHIPHOLWEG 3, 2316 XB LEIDEN
IBIS CENTRE***
STATIONSPLEIN 240, 2312 AR LEIDEN
BABYLON HOTEL****
BEZUIDENHOUTSEWEG 53, 2594 AC THE HAGUE
GOLDEN TULIP LEIDEN****
SCHIPHOLWEG 3, 2316 XB LEIDEN
Webster Leiden Alumni Affairs
The aim of the Alumni Affairs office is to continue to assist our alumni community
by offering benefits and opportunities to help them grow and develop. We also want
to foster a relationship with our alumni so that we can give visibility to accomplishments
and achievements within the Webster community. In addition to this, we hope that alumni
can articulate the mission and the needs of the University to others. The local Alumni
Chapter is a great way to stay in contact with your classmates or alumni from around
the world.
Leiden alumni have access to Webster’s worldwide network of alumni through the Alumni Online Community. Alumni can reconnect with former classmates, find fellow alumni in a particular field,
and post their own personal and professional accomplishments.
Discover More Reasons to Join the Chapter
- Connect to a network of nearly 200,000 Webster alumni worldwide
- Make use of the Webster University’s Career Planning and Development services
- Gain access to Webster.Careers: a career development resource website for alumni
- Obtain The Economist magazine subscription discounts
- Alumni Audit for Enrichment Program
Conditions for the audit program:
• Audit students include alumni taking a course for self-learning. No academic credit is awarded. Continuing students cannot audit courses.
• Alumni may audit one on-campus course per academic year.
• Alumni may audit courses within the field of their previous study.
• Requests must be sent to the Alumni Office at alumni@webster.nl.
• The Alumni audit course fee is €100, books excluded, non-refundable.
• Books are not required. However, if desired, they can be ordered through our librarian.
• The Business office sends an invoice and when paid, the student is registered. Payment is due before the start of the term/semester.
• No assessment, grading or certificate. An auditor is considered a passive learner. He or she may participate in class discussions, but may not do any exams or written assignments.
• Audited courses will appear as "AU" on a transcript.
• Confirmation of auditing a course takes place after the end of the registration period. Registration lasts for four weeks.
• An auditor may register for a course until two weeks before the classes start.
• An auditor may register for a course provided that space is available.
Useful Links:
Course descriptions Undergraduate courses
Course descriptions Graduate courses
The Leiden Alumni Chapter
Webster Leiden Alumni Affairs office supports the Webster Leiden Alumni Chapter, which was established in 1986. The chapter is organized by a group of highly involved alumni. Along with the Webster Leiden Alumni Affairs office, they seek to help alumni worldwide to stay in touch with each other, to provide alumni with professional and social networking opportunities, to bring alumni together with current students and faculty, and to coordinate initiatives for personal and professional development.
Board members:
- Sebastiaan Ruijgrok, MBA 2016
- Niels Zonneveld, MBA 2016
- Frans van den Bliek, MBA 2017
If you are interested in joining us for any activities or supporting us at an event, please contact our Alumni Affairs office:
Anniversary Scholarship
More information coming soon.