The afternoon began with lab tours, offering Maria Leptin first-hand insight into the cutting-edge research facilities at the Donders Institute. She met researchers across different disciplines and learned how (future) advanced neuroimaging and brain stimulation are helping to answer fundamental questions about the human brain now and in the future.
The symposium was officially opened by Radboud University Rector José Sanders, followed by short presentations by Donders Institute ERC Laureates highlighting recent science. Areas ranged from brain interfaces, surprise and curiosity, language, and fear.
Maria Leptin
The afternoon continued with the AERG Science & Society Seminar, featuring ERC President Maria Leptin. In her keynote lecture, Science for Democracy, Maria Leptin reflected on the essential relationship between science and democratic societies. She argued that science matters to democracy because it gives us knowledge, medicine, technology, climate models, better understanding of societies and economies. But its deeper value is more basic because science is about making doubt and uncertainty productive. Doubt and uncertainty are inherent in the scientific process.
Leptin emphasised that Europe must continue to invest in excellent, curiosity-driven research through independent funding mechanisms such as the European Research Council. Fundamental discoveries, she noted, rarely emerge from attempts to solve predefined problems; instead, they arise when outstanding researchers are given the freedom to pursue important questions. She also warned against possible reducing research funding in response to short-term political priorities, arguing that long-term investment in frontier science is essential for Europe's competitiveness, resilience and democratic future. Throughout her lecture, Leptin referred to research presented during the afternoon, praising the breadth of neuroscience at the Donders Institute as an example of how curiosity-driven science ultimately benefits society.
Panel discussion
The programme also featured a panel discussion on European research and innovation, bringing together Maria Leptin (President of the ERC), Robert-Jan Smits (Chair of the Executive Board of Neth-ER and former Director-General for Research and Innovation at the European Commission), Marileen Dogterom (former President of the KNAW) and Arco Krijgsman (Head of Public Private Partnerships at ASML). The seminar concluded with an inspirational reflection by Heino Falcke and closing remarks by Karin Roelofs.
The second half of the symposium, including Maria Leptin's keynote lecture, was livestreamed and is now available on the YouTube channel of the Association of ERC Grantees (AERG).
