'Meet and greet' with the directors of Leiden University’s Institutes Abroad (18 September)

The Ben Pauw thesis prize for the best Master’s thesis in the area of Public Affairs was won by student Esther Mangelsdorf of the Institute of Public Administration.

The Open Day of Leiden University, on the 8th of this month, was a success again: 483 prospective students came to find out what Leiden has to offer. The Institute of Biology Leiden was also present.

We have all been deeply affected by the events that took place in Rotterdam on Thursday evening. Our colleagues at Erasmus Medical Center and Erasmus University have lost a valued colleague and have been involved in a very serious incident, which will undoubtedly leave deep scars. The witnesses to this…

What is the role of academia in solving societal problems such as the corona crisis? Rector Magnificus Carel Stolker spoke about this at the opening of the academic year on 31 August.

MSc Cultural Anthropology and Development Sociology alumna Annelin Verkade is one of the four 'runners-up' for the IIAS Master Thesis prize 2017. Supervisor: Dr. Erik de Maaker. Award ceremony on 22 February 2018.

Power and money are not enough for big tech entrepreneurs who are investing billions in digital nations. Reijer Passchier, Professor of Digitalisation and the Democratic Rule of Law (OU) and Assistant Professor of Constitutional Law, and Wim Voermans, Professor of Constitutional Law, share their concerns…

Last Tuesday, the Herta Mohr building was filled with secondary school pupils. During the profile choice afternoon, they were introduced to various aspects of language studies. 'It’s really exciting to be here.'

Leiden University has the highest percentage of female professors of all the Dutch Universities. At 24 per cent, Leiden is well ahead of the other universities in the Netherlands.

On 16 May the first International Day of Light was celebrated all around the globe. Initiated by UNESCO, organisations in 87 different countries set up a total of more than 600 events to embrace the vital role of light and related technologies in science. In the Old Observatory in Leiden visitors could…

A delegation from the Economic Community of West African States (Ecowas) arrived in Bissau, Guinea-Bissau, on 23 February for five days. 'We need to discuss the immediate situation with all parties, but above all we need to address the root causes of the crisis,' explained Abdel-Fatau Musah, Ecowas…

Dutch election signals a return to the political centre, with voters seeking practical solutions both at home and across Europe. Bernard Steunenberg, Professor of Public Administration, cautions that losses for the PVV, the party of Geert Wilders, do not mean the far right has been defeated.

The Dutch universities, university medical centres and Research Council have reached an agreement with Elsevier Publishing on a national open science partnership. The partnership includes open access publishing and reading services for Elsevier journals and open science services for disseminating and…

Prof. Suzan Stoter will be the Dean of Leiden Law School at Leiden University as of 1 January 2024. The Leiden University Executive Board has appointed her for a period of four years. Stoter succeeds Joanne van der Leun, who, together with the other members of the Faculty Board, brought great verve…

In its ruling this week, The Hague Court of Appeal made short work of how the Dutch Border Police allow the colour of a person’s skin to be taken into account when selecting people to check. According to Maartje van der Woude, this ruling reaches far beyond the border police. ‘This is a problem for…

On Thursday and Friday, 1 and 2 March 2018, ICCL students and staff enjoyed a study trip to Brussels, including visits to the Permanent Mission of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, the European Commission and top law firm De Brauw Blackstone Westbroek.

A warm welcome to the students of the Master’s Programme in European Law 2018-2019. This year, we expect around 60 students who will start this LL.M. programme, organised by the Europa Institute. Our faculty staff is excited to meet you and to teach you all aspects of European Law.

From 1 August 2020, smoking on the premises of Leiden University will be prohibited. Dutch law obliges institutions of higher education to enforce a full smoking ban on their premises as of that date.

On 27 November the official opening of LeidenGlobal will be celebrated in the Rijksmuseum Volkenkunde/National Museum of Ethnology. LeidenGlobal is a platform for global expertise that responds to the call from Minister of Education and Culture Jet Bussemakers that academic and cultural institutions…

From 20 to 23 June 2024, the prestigious Hugo Sinzheimer Moot Court Competition took place in Vienna. Students from Leiden Law School also participated.

How to get a PhD position is clouded in mystery. In one morning, Peter van der Putten and Maarten Lamers talk about how (they think) the game is played.

Leiden University would like to express its concern about the proposed Hungarian higher education draft law, which, if adopted, would make the functioning of Central European University (CEU) in Budapest nearly impossible. These changes would endanger the academic freedom vital for CEU’s continued operation…

On 28 June, a group of 35 students (13 from Leiden) visited the law faculty as part of the Space Summer School, a 5-day course organised by the LDE Centre 'Space for Science and Society' and NL Space Campus.

Last year we organized a sustainability conference with much success together with the co-participation bodies of Leiden University.

Last February, Leiden University Libraries (UBL) acquired a rare Chinese manuscript dating back to the Ming Dynasty. Three Chinese Studies students got the opportunity to decipher the edict (dated 1582) during their internships. In this UBLpodcast they share their findings.

The Lorentz Center has started a crowdfunding campaign to raise money to renovate the common room, the place where researchers can exchange new ideas. The common room will be renovated in the autumn of 2016, at a cost of € 15,000.

Playing a game, picking a cutting for your room or just having a cup of coffee: it is all possible in the new Humanities Living Room in the Matthias de Vrieshof. From Wednesday 17 May, staff and students will be able to meet informally and socialise here.

For almost 25 years, ‘de Handboeken Veiligheid’ have been a phenomenon. Who does not have a copy on their bookshelf? In 2024, the series will be celebrating its 25th anniversary and next Monday, the Public Prosecution Handbook will be presented: the latest volume in the series. Erwin Muller talks about…

The humanities consist of various academic fields. But what is the common ground of all these different academics and students? And why does their work matter so much in today’s world? Watch the trailer of Humans of Humanties, the new documentary film about the Leiden Faculty of Humanities. Will you…

Who wouldn’t want their own episode of Het Klokhuis? Researchers Milica Nikolic and Chris Riddell are in the running for the Klokhuis Wetenschapsprijs, which aims to introduce a broad and young audience to scientific research in the Netherlands.

Mario van der Stelt (Head of the department of Molecular Physiology at the Leiden Institute of Chemistry) has received the Young Investigator Award from the International Cannabinoid Research Society during the annual meeting of the society in Montreal, Canada. The Young Investigator Award was given…

Ten years after its introduction, the controversial idea of Erik Verlinde on gravity is still a hotly debated topic, and is still surrounded by a cloud of scepticism. Scepticism in which the media have played a major role, theoretical physicst Koenraad Schalm says in an article by NWO. ‘The media simply…

Marokko zegt het contact met de Duitse regering op. Volgens Marokkaanse media is ministeries en andere overheidsinstanties per brief gevraagd direct de samenwerking op te schorten met de Duitse ambassade in Marokko.

Coming spring, Professor Tom Lubensky from the University of Pennsylvania will be the 64th Lorentz Professor at the department of Theoretical Physics. He is a pioneer in the field of theoretical soft matter physics and winner of the prestigious Buckley Condensed Matter Prize. During his stay in Leiden…

The new CML minor Sustainable Development started on Monday 7 September 2009 with an official opening by the Vice-Rector Prof. Rietje van Dam.

At this moment, we are experiencing issues with the book lending system. Our administrators are actively investigating the problem.

The Yearbook for Dutch Book History publishes Dutch and English-language articles on the book history of the Low Countries in all time periods. For the 31st edition of the Yearbook, to be published in 2024, we welcome in particular contributions concerning the theme ‘Controversy’. Deadline: 1 March…

From 25 December till 3 January, all University buildings will be closed. The University Library and a number of faculty libraries will have limited opening hours.

What's it like studying abroad? Noor Ismail and Charlot Oltmans share their experiences in videos made in Hhangzhou and Oslo.

The latest podcast by Aukje Nauta, Professor by Special Appointment Enhancing Individuals in a Dynamic Work Context, for PeoplePowerFM.

In April, Al-Babtain visiting professor Maribel Fierro will teach four masterclasses at Leiden University on "Culture and society in the medieval Islamic west: The process of Islamization". These masterclasses will take place online and are open to all students. Registration deadline: 28 March 2021.

Bijna vijf jaar na de laatste ontmoeting hopen we opnieuw samen te komen met alle medioneerlandici. Ditmaal wordt de Dag van de Medioneerlandistiek georganiseerd in Nijmegen door de Radboud Universiteit, op vrijdag 24 maart. Het thema luidt: ‘De medioneerlandistiek en de wereld van nu’.

The Yearbook for Dutch Book History publishes Open Access articles in the Dutch and English language on all aspects of the book history of the Low Countries. For the 32nd edition of 2025, they particularly welcome contributions within the theme of “Books across borders.”

Last week Anne Helder successfully defended her PhD-thesis. We were all joyous to celebrate this day and achievement with young Dr. Helder.

Last Friday, the LUCL runners have run the Leiden Singelloop – this time joining forces with the rest of the Humanities team celebrating the 444th birthday of our University. Thanks to all colleagues who participated and supported us. We’ll run again next year, and everyone’s invited to join!

The Index of Middle English Prose, of which twenty-three volumes have been published since 1984, now has an online presence at imep.lib.cam.ac.uk. Thanks to the kind co-operation of Cambridge University Library and of the publishers, Boydell & Brewer, the indexes to all the volumes are now available…

The Sustainable Development minor now has its own Facebook page. Do you want to stay up to date on all activities pertaining to the minor? If so, sign up as a fan by clicking the

Due to the Covid-19 pandemic situation, the Archaeology/Egyptology programme for this year comes in a new form. It is all-digital; consisting of virtual museum tours, Arabic classes, and Egyptology lectures!

Viabundus welcomes 10 minute-presentations about all kinds of research that could be performed with the aid of the Viabundus data, from experienced as much as early career researchers and students. Deadline: 9 September 2022.