The celebration of the Dies Natalis will take place on Friday, February 8, at 14:30 hrs in the Pieterskerk, Pieterskerkhof 1A in Leiden, and will mark the transfer of the rectorship and the chairmanship of the Executive Board of Leiden University of Professor Paul F. van der Heijden to Professor Carel Stolker.

The programme will commence at 14:30 hrs precisely. You are requested to be seated before 14:20 hrs. 
There will be a live video broadcast of the ceremony, and a simultaneous translation will be provided in English.  

The dies lecture will be delivered by Professor Paul F. van der Heijden, Rector Magnificus and President of Leiden University and is entitled: Working for the University.

Subsequently, Honory Doctorates will be conferred on: 

• Rien Verhoef, literary translator and prize winner of the Martinus Nijhoff Prize(1982) and De Fonds voor de Letteren Translation Prize (2008). The Honorary Supervisor is Colin Ewen, Professor of English Linquistics at Leiden University Centre of Linguistics, Faculty of Humanities. The Dean of the Faculty is Professor Wim van den Doel.
• Professor Patricia Crone, Andrew W. Mellon Professor of Islamic History at the School of Historical Studies of the Institute for Advanced Study, Princeton, and Professor Michael Cook, Class of 1943 univerisity professor Near Eastern Studies at Princeton University. The Honorory Supervisor is Petra Sijpesteijn, Professor of Arabic Language and Culture at Leiden University Institute for Area Studies, Faculty of Humanities. The Dean of the Faculty is Professor Wim van den Doel.

During the reception following the official ceremony there will be the opportunity to personally take leave of Professor Van der Heijden as Rector Magnificus and President of Leiden University and to welcome Professor Stolker, as well as to congratulate the Honorary Doctors, the Honorary Supervisors the Dean of the faculty of the Honorary Doctor and the prize winner of the LSr Teaching Prize. The reception will start at approximately 16:30 hrs.