Short lecture by Aya Ezawa
The awarding of the Pieter de la Court medals are usually accompanied by a lecture to explore one or more of the Pieter de la Court themes. This year Aya Ezawa, Diversity Officer at Leiden University, talked about how the university works on diversity and inclusivity. “One of my tasks as Diversity Officer is to translate our ambitions to create a diverse and inclusive learning and working environment into action. It’s one thing to have this shared ideal, but quite another to actually make it happen. … So, what can we do? Inclusion is first and foremost a matter of approach: avoid taking yourself and your own experience for granted, and exercise openness and empathy in approaching others. Recognize that you are not the best judge of what another person experiences or feels – there is much we can learn from each other.”