Inspiring and relaxed – these are qualities that describe the Netherlands perfectly. At the same time, there is much more to say about the country. For instance, according to the 2018 UN Human Development Index, the Netherlands is ranked tenth among the best countries to live in.

IIAS promotes critical, humanistic, and collaborative work on, with, in, and beyond Asia.

From 1 August 2018, Alanna O'Malley was appointed as Chair of United Nations Studies in Peace and Justice, focusing on the ‘lesser-known actors’ of the UN: women, the youth, the agents of informal diplomatic networks within the UN and actors from the Global South. This Special Chair has been created…

On Wednesday 11 June 2025 Steffie van Gompel successfully defended a doctoral thesis and graduated.

The ARTIVES project studies imaginaries of diversity portrayed by artists in Lisbon and Rotterdam in their films, performances and (oral) literature with the aim to explore their transgressive potential of opening up possibilities of thinking differently about migration-related diversity. Their stories…

To get a feeling of how we operate at LED3 when it comes to Early Drug Discovery, please browse through our case studies. When you select a case study you’ll find relevant contacts.

The Life in Custody (LIC) Study comprises a large-scale research project into prison climate and the quality of prison life in Dutch prisons.

Shiʿi Islam

This master’s programme explores the history of the written and printed word, publishing practices, and digital textual media.

This programme video is presented in Dutch

The research master's in Hebrew and Aramaic Studies, a specialisation of the Classics and Ancient Civilizations (Research) programme, at Leiden University explores Classical Hebrew and Aramaic Studies in the broadest sense.

In the master’s specialisation Computer Science and Business Studies, you combine high quality research in Computer Science with training in management and entrepreneurship. You will expand your knowledge of computer science and develop business and organisational skills that are essential to become…

The Institute of Education and Child Studies aims to create a challenging academic environment in which students can flourish.

How do you ensure that research is performed, evaluated and managed in a responsible way? This question is also of the utmost important to the University itself. The Centre for Science and Technology Studies (CWTS) studies scientific research and its relationship with technology, innovation and soci…

Leiden University Centre for the Study of Religion (LUCSoR) studies religion as human activity, in all its diversity.

South and Southeast Asia, a region that includes India, Indonesia, and seventeen other countries, is one of the world’s most dynamic and diverse areas. Are you interested in speaking one of the region's major languages and understanding its history, culture, and current affairs? Then this is the bachelor's…

As a student in Security Studies you are a socially engaged critical thinker eager to study real-life security cases in an academic setting. You focus not just on the broad context of these issues but also on the role of government, institutions and media. Want to know more? Sign up for one of our Open…

The Leiden Jewish Studies Association awarded the inaugural “Best Thesis in Jewish Studies” in December 2023.

Study information, Online Experience

The Leiden Slavery Studies Association cooperates with the following partners:

The Forensic Family and Youth Care Studies research group conducts innovative high-quality research aiming to gain knowledge about deviant developmental trajectories of vulnerable children, adolescents, and families, about how to prevent problematic development and how to intervene when necessary.

The Dutch Center for Travel Writing Studies s a scientific center that develops and coordinates initiatives to promote research into travel writing. It actively seeks contact with external (scientific and social) partners to collaborate on issues surrounding cultural / national identity, cultural contact…

The Central and Eastern European Studies Centre is an interdisciplinary platform of scholars of Leiden University. The Centre’s mission is to bundle together, strengthen and disseminate existing research into the history, politics, and culture of the region, spanning the new member states of the EU,…

Are you a Leiden University student (thinking of) studying in the UK? Find out more about the impact of Brexit for current and prospective EU students of Leiden University studying abroad in the UK.

In the last couple of decades an ‘animal turn’ has taken place in the social sciences. This has led to a call to study social issues by including non-human animal perspectives. This Collaborative Research Group thinks it's high time that African Studies joins the chorus of minds that try to contribute…

This article explores an emerging “cultural turn” in intelligence studies, which, if fully realized, could entail the expansion of the discipline to include new methodologies and theories, and a more integrative understanding of historical causality that locates intelligence agencies within the widersocio-cultural…

We are pleased you’ve chosen Leiden University for your study abroad or exchange programme and we look forward to receiving your application.

With Brill, LUCIS publishes a peer-reviewed book series, “Leiden Studies in Islam and Society” (LSIS), aimed at an international academic audience.

Neurobiological, cognitive and behavioural measurements of normal and abnormal child development.

D1.3 describes a set of five case studies relevant in the context of the EuDEco project. Case studies are considered relevant if they are initiatives focusing on the promotion of big data and data reuse or pilots facilitating data reuse in one form or the other. The case studies were expected to allow…

Are you thinking about studying English Literature and Culture? Learn more and watch the introduction video.

Are you thinking about studying German Literature and Culture? Learn more and watch the introduction video.

Are you thinking about studying French Literature and Culture? Learn more and watch the introduction video.

Are you thinking about studying Cultural Analysis: Literature and Theory? Learn more and watch the introduction video.

Are you thinking about studying Italian Literature and Culture? Learn more and watch the introduction video.

For Arabic and Islamic Studies and Middle East Studies

For Arabic and Islamic Studies and Middle East Studies

You’ve been accepted! Leiden University looks forward to welcoming you as a new student. Your next step is to prepare for your studies. Below you can find some tips to help you get a head start as you embark on your studies at Leiden University.

Congratulations, you have completed all the steps for admission and application, so you are a Leiden University student now! Below you can find a few tips to start at Leiden University well prepared.

Promotor: M. Danhof, Co-promotores: J. Freijer, A. Yassen

Discover how to prepare for the MSc International Organisation at Leiden University: orientation activities, academic resources, visa guidance, and student support services.

Prepare for the MSc International Politics at Leiden University: orientation sessions, academic resources, visa guidance and student support – everything you need before you start.

The Centre for Science and Technology Studies (CWTS) is a research institute at Leiden University working on improving how science is practiced and governed and how it serves society.

Biological and behavioural measurements of parent-child interactions.