Niels Stensen Fellowship Conference 2015 - Relationship Between the Academic World and Society

On Thursday, 27 August 2015, the First Niels Stensen Fellowship Conference for fellows and alumni took place in Soesterberg, the Netherlands, an event organised by the Porticus the Netherlands Team.

The theme of the conference, which was chaired by NSF Committee Chairman Professor Ernst Hirsch Ballin, was the relationship between the academic world and society. In an introductory speech, Steven Vanackere, the former Belgian Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance, looked at the meaning of leadership in the 21st century.

Professor Franciska de Jong of the Netherlands Organisation for Scientific Research talked about values and integrity in science. Professor Gabriël van den Brink shared his thoughts on morality in society at the dinner session. The views presented by the speakers were further explored in panel discussions and in various smaller sub-groups. The open and frank debate showed that there is more than one view on the role academics should fulfil in society and that integrity and responsibility cannot be taken for granted but need to be nurtured.