In the research programme Microbial Sciences we perform state-of-the-art research in the field of biotechnology and microbial sciences.

Streptomyces are bacteria abundant in soil that participate in diverse and complex interactions. These bacteria are the main producers of the antibiotics we currently use in the clinic.

The ERC project 'Food citizens?' is a comparative analysis of a growing phenomenon in Europe: collective food procurement, namely networks of people who organize direct food production, distribution, and consumption.

This research paper seeks to examine the nature of the nexus between right-wing extremism and the military by surveying five potential consequences (i.e., problem areas) arising from the presence of right-wing extremists within the armed forces of twelve Western countries.

Leiden University offers a world-class academic environment with access to unique resources and expert faculty.

This study examines recovery planning committees across Japan's Tohoku region.

'Food Citizens? An anthropological project on collective food procurement in European cities

The Learning@LeidenUniversity vision on teaching and learning is about what we want our future graduates to be and what that means for our curricula and our learning environment. It offers a long-term framework for the further development of our education and marks the start of a process of innovati…

On Wednesday 3 September 2025 Yu Ai successfully defended a doctoral thesis and graduated.

This Leiden Law School page provides various information on Diversity & Inclusion at the faculty. It explains why D&I are key objectives, lists our current D&I projects, and outlines the faculty’s plans for improvements in these areas.

We as Young Academy Leiden are continuously educating ourselves and are listening to the voices coming from our own university, especially the young academics.

The Focal Area Engagement & Inclusion at CWTS aims to create a more diverse, inclusive and engaging science ecosystem.

‘She is an example to young researchers who are beginning to find their career path’, wrote the jury of the NWO Athena Award about Professor of Ecotoxicology Martina Vijver. It was the main reason for presenting her with one of the two awards for outstanding female scientists. Both Vijver and Nijmegen…

Bordering Up: Regulating Mobility Through Passes, Walls and Guards

The History programme has been working for several years to make the curriculum more diverse and inclusive. With a Comenius grant, university lecturer Kim Beerden wants to take the next step.

Many international students start their master programme at the Humanities Faculty in Leiden every semester. Among them also Ronghu Zu (29, China), Yucheng Lu (28, China), Mariana Diaz (25, Mexico) en Julia Seidel (27, Germany). For many students the university, city and country were completely new…

An anatomical model of a heart, a mechanical digger or photos of mother and grandmother. Research interests and personal motivations have been given a place in the thirteen new portraits of women now on display in the Senate Chamber. ‘That cat isn't just a cute lap cat.'

Role models are key to inspiring the next generation. Fifteen female professors therefore celebrated International Women's Day with girls aged between 12 and 16. Because although the number of women at the (academic) top is increasing, we're not there yet.

Fourteen women professors are to be given a place in the classic portrait gallery in Leiden University’s Senate Chamber. The portraits will be unveiled on 8 March – International Women’s Day – by former Minister of Education, Culture and Science Jet Bussemaker and Rector Magnificus Carel Stolker.

Thanks to the Preparatory Year Leiden, refugee students get the opportunity to start a new study or continue their current one. This joint programme of Leiden University and University of Applied Sciences Leiden enters its third year. In this video, participants talk about their experiences.

A record number of 83 teams collected a record sum of 10,566.37 euros on 29 September during the Leiden Science Run. The full sum goes to the Foundation for Refugee Students UAF.

Moving to a different city as a student can be a daunting prospect, let alone to a different country. Each year, many students come to Leiden, and many find a home away from home thanks to the Humanities Master’s Buddy Programme. Kathleen Burke and Victor Jarzargaray experienced it first-hand. “It’s…

On this page you will find more information about the selected projects of the Justice, Equity, Diversity and Inclusion (JEDI) Fund for 2022.

Research into our history of colonialism and slavery, heart-to-heart conversations at a Keti Koti table, exhibitions, lectures and podcasts that establish the link between present and past. Staff and students participated in the national Slavery Memorial Year in many different ways. What have we learned…

What is the significance of the history of slavery for our present-day society? A special exhibition in the inner courtyard of the Academy Building features eleven insightful portraits of students and staff, and their answer to this question. The aim of the exhibition’s initiators is to make the subject…

Electives offer students the opportunity to further specialise and deepen in specific aspects of leadership.

On this page you will find more information about the selected projects of the Justice, Equity, Diversity and Inclusion (JEDI) Fund for 2023.

D&I Event

Does a communal garden provide cool air and warm neighbourly relations? Does an additional row of trees increase biodiversity? These kinds of questions are key in the COMBINED project, on which Leiden scientists and residents of The Hague, among others, can work for six years with 4 million euros from…

As Lila Abu Lughod pointed out in 1989, North Africa has been one of the geographical ‘zones of prestige’ for the development of canonical approaches and crucial theoretical debates regarding the comparative study of Islam.

The VVI seeks to develop and disseminate socio-legal knowledge and theory regarding the interaction between law, governance and society. More specifically, the Institute studies the emergence, functioning, and evolution of legal institutions.

This research examines the social, political, and cultural forces that structure people’s responses towards accented speech, and further uses the accent as a focal point to theorize the interrelation between language and body.

Would you like to go to work feeling healthy and energetic, and end your working day with a positive feeling, but things don’t always work out that way? Healthy University Leiden works with you to create a healthy and pleasant working environment in which you can realise your full potential.

The programme consists of four fields of study which are outlined below.

The project ‘Diversifying Ancient History’, sponsored by the JEDI Fund from the Faculty of Humanities, aims to thoroughly revise the first-year curriculum of Ancient History. Through these innovations, the course will cater the needs of the present generation.

Soil is a home for an unbelievable diversity and abundance of microbial life that is essential for supporting life on our planet.

Over several decades, a variety of computational methods for drug discovery have been proposed and applied in practice. With the accumulation of data and the development of machine learning methods, computational drug design methods have gradually shifted to a new paradigm, i.e. deep learning methods…

The project will support Responsible, Research and Innovation (RRI) policy experiments in the healthcare sector in three European territories: in Murcia (ES), Örebro (SE) and the Republic of Cyprus (CY). CHERRIES will engage the territorial stakeholder ecosystems in participatory agenda setting, need…

Leiden University College The Hague (LUC) offers a 3-year Bachelor's programme with a focus on Global Challenges: Peace & Justice, Sustainability, Diversity and Prosperity. The programme offers room for flexibility; you get to specialize in a major of your choice and combine this with a minor or electives.…

Although plant domestication has significantly altered crop genetics and phenotypes, its effects on the taxonomic and functional diversity of plant-associated microbiomes are not well understood.

How do chemical contaminants traverse and affect terrestrial biodiversity and ecosystems?

Leiden University provides ambitious students with the most recent and innovative areas of knowledge, and offers them the freedom to develop their own area of expertise.

Are you curious about how societies are governed - and what makes a society just? At Leiden University, you’ll explore democracy, law, safety and public policy in both national and international contexts. From human rights to climate legislation, from elections to ethical dilemmas: you’ll learn to analyse…

Are you curious about how health, behaviour and our living environment are connected? At Leiden University, you’ll explore how people grow up, age and live together in a changing world. From mental health to sustainable cities, from lifestyle to healthcare policy: you’ll learn to understand societal…

Are you curious about how health, behaviour and our living environment are connected? At Leiden University, you’ll explore how people grow up, age and live together in a changing world. From mental health to sustainable cities, from lifestyle to healthcare policy: you’ll learn to understand societal…

Are you curious about how societies are governed - and what makes a society just? At Leiden University, you’ll explore democracy, law, safety and public policy in both national and international contexts. From human rights to climate legislation, from elections to ethical dilemmas: you’ll learn to analyse…