Chairperson Max van Duijn
Max van Duijn’s research links the humanities, the hard sciences and the social sciences. He finds it both enjoyable and important to talk to students and a wider audience about science. That is also what he does as a member of The Young Academy. For example, he was involved in the ‘Future-makers’ children's festival and launched a project exploring how PhD programmes can optimise engagement with society.
Research
Max van Duijn investigates people’s ability to empathise with others and see the world from another person’s perspective, also referred to as Theory of Mind. He does this at Leiden University. Traditionally, researchers have used psychological tasks and experiments to study this ability, but Van Duijn’s research places it within the natural context of human communication and interaction. Combining techniques from linguistics, narratology, data science and artificial intelligence, he analyses how children and adults absorb and elaborate on other people's perspectives in conversations, stories and other forms of language use.
Board member Vasiliki Kosta
As a member of The Young Academy, Vasiliki Kosta is focusing on the subject of academic and artistic freedom and dedicating herself to promoting internationalisation in science and scholarship. She is also a member of the Royal Academy’s Committee for the Freedom of Scientific Pursuit.
Research
Vasiliki Kosta is interested in EU fundamental rights and more generally in ‘horizontal’ institutional and constitutional issues that cut across the various policy domains of EU law. In her work at Leiden University, she focuses on the substantive protection of EU fundamental rights in various EU policy domains, in particular the tension between those fundamental rights and the internal market, ex ante fundamental rights protection mechanisms in the EU, the principle of proportionality, and the relationship between the EU and the ECHR.
Board member Olya Kudina
As a member of The Young Academy, Olya Kudina is working on The AI Challenge project, which aims to promote responsible use of AI within the academic community.
Research
At Delft University of Technology, Olya Kudina examines how the moral concepts and decisions that guide us in our behaviour are influenced by technologies and the natural environment. She focuses on the dynamic relationship between technologies and human values, specifically how artificial intelligence influences and can strengthen democracy.
Kudina’s research spans philosophy, design and computer science, and combines theoretical and empirical work. She will devote her time with The Young Academy to promoting inclusion and diversity, not only in Dutch academia (for example with regard to the integral role of international researchers and students) but also for the benefit of society (resilient digital societies).
Changing of the guard
Current chairperson Eddie Brummelman and board members Sanli Faez and Else Starkenburg will step down in April. Vice-chairperson Daphina Misiedjan and board member Jim Portegies will retain their seats on the board until 2027.