About Jong UvA
Get to know us
Our goal
Jong UvA aims to connect young employees so as to increase their mutual engagement and their sense of belonging and involvement with UvA. Therefore, our focus points are promoting knowledge exchange, professional development of our members and to meet your colleagues in an informal setting. Jong UvA achieves these goals by organizing a number of activities structured around 3 theme groups: Knowledge and Development, Gezelligheid and Sport.
Who can join Jong UvA?
All young employees under 36 can join Jong UvA and participate in the network. One can do this by simply participating in the (free) activities. Everyone is encouraged to contribute to the preparation of activities and to put forward new ideas to further develop Jong UvA.
Jong UvA board 2026
Jong UvA's board guarantees the continuity of the network in a facilitating role. Currently the board consists of 8 members:
'Hi there! I'm Shivam, a PhD candidate at the Computational Science Lab. I am a big believer in stepping away from the screen, so in my free time, I enjoy guitar, sketching, cooking, and yoga. I am thrilled to join the board as your Social Media Lead, and I look forward to sharing all the memorable experiences we will be organizing for you!'
'Hi everyone! I am Leontiy, a PhD student at the Van 't Hoff Institute for Molecular Sciences at the Faculty of Science. I believe Jong UvA provides wonderful opportunities to meet new people and have memorable experiences together. I am happy to be a part of it!'
'Hi! I’m Merel Heusen, Community Manager of the UvA Research Priority Area Shaping Interfaces Between Science and the Public and Management Assistant at the UvA Institute for Advanced Study. I enjoy spontaneous adventures, unexpected encounters, learning new things, cooking, and sharing meals with family, friends, or strangers - preferably after a day outdoors. I’m excited to organise fun, inspiring, and memorable moments for the Jong UvA community!'
'Hi everyone! I’m Ying Cui, a PhD student at the Institute of Physics. I enjoy trying new things and meeting new people, so i’d be very happy to help organize fun and interesting events for the Jong UvA! Hope we’ll have a great and fun journey here together!'
'Hi there! I’m Layal, a PhD student at the Computational Sciences Lab in the Informatics Institute. I like spending time in nature and exploring the intersection of art and science. I also love reading and listening tomusic. I’m excited to be part of the Jong UvA board as it is an opportunity to organize fun and cultural events whilst connecting with a dynamic community of people and researchers.'
'Hi!! I’m Joy, a PhD student at the Theoretical Astrophysics Department. I love exploring hidden gems within the city and meeting new people from different backgrounds. I have really enjoyed attending the Jong UvAevents in the past. Since I have benefited from these experiences myself, I would now love to contribute to the board and help spread that same energy and sense of community to others.'
Contact us
You can contact us by sending us an email or by following us on Instagram (@jong.uva).
Please note there is an old Jong UvA Instagram account (@jonguva) which we do not update and do not have access to.