From Mirror Neurons to Community Sense. The Social Brain, the Pedagogical Systems, and the Social Return

On Thursday, January 15, 2026, Paul Leseman delivered his farewell lecture as Professor of (Ortho)Pedagogy at the Faculty of Social Sciences of Utrecht University. The title of his valedictory address was “From Mirror Neurons to Community Sense. The Social Brain, the Pedagogical Systems, and the Social Return.”

In his farewell lecture, Leseman took us on a journey through fascinating research suggesting that the capacity for empathy, cooperation, normativity, and collective action provides an evolutionary advantage that distinguishes humans as a species from non-human primates. He demonstrated how this evolutionary advantage depends on the way we, as a species, organize the upbringing and socialization of our children, how we help one another as good neighbors, and how we engage in collective action together as communities.

Vice Dean Sander Thomaes and fellow professor Maria de Haan characterized his academic legacy as scientifically leading, socially urgent, critical, and solution-oriented. They praised, among other things, his social engagement, his mentorship, and the wise manner in which he embodied and conveyed both academic and human values—such as integrity, intellectual curiosity, social commitment, and dedication—which have touched and shaped many. After the ceremony, Paul received a Liber Amicorum from his colleagues.

Click on the photos to enlarge them. Photographer: Evert Doorn.