Every year, an NWO PhD in the Humanities grant is awarded to a prospective PhD candidate at the Faculty of Archaeology. This year, the grant went to Maia Casna, enabling her to study respiratory disease in the past. ‘My hypothesis is that the rapid formation of cities in the medieval Netherlands, must…

Welcome to your go-to resource for everything you need to know as a student preparing to go abroad or currently studying abroad at Leiden University.

Student Support Groups offer a safe, confidential space for learning, sharing, and connecting with others. Join one of our groups and engage in guided conversations based on your experiences, alongside fellow students and a student-guide. Sessions take place once a week, for a period of six consecutive…

Starting this semester, Urban Studies students will be able to work on the urban development of the municipality of The Hague. A LUF incentive grant will enable them to put their knowledge into practice even more effectively. At the same time, a study will be started on the optimal use of urban spac…

Online, hybrid, on campus... It was an unpredictable year, also for the Faculty of Humanities. Luckily, there were also non-corona related stories. Let's review 2021 with this list of the most-read news articles per month.

Good mental health provides a strong foundation for study and work. It is important to seek help if you are not doing well. There are a range of ways in which you can work on your mental well-being. You can also turn to others for help and guidance. Take a look at the various options available.

Graduation is a time to look ahead at what’s coming, but also to look back and reflect on what you have achieved. This festive event is the perfect occasion for a present! The Graduation Gift is a fundraiser for an LUC-related goal close to the heart of the graduating class, making use of Leiden University’s…

Saturday's Study Abroad fair in Leiden is the ideal place to gather information about going abroad during your studies, or being an international student at Leiden University. And enjoy it all with a free cup of coffee or tea, and maybe even a delicious slice of pizza.

Thinking of studying abroad, or are you just starting your international journey here at Leiden University? We've got you covered! Join us for a week of pure inspiration, amazing chats with your peers, and all the info you need to make your dreams a reality here in the Netherlands or abroad. And enjoy…

Leiden University has a new professor. On 1 June Nadine Akkerman became Professor of Early Modern Literature and Culture, a position she feels is designed to help her help others.

Lecture

After two years of corona restrictions, it was ‘back to normal’ in 2022. Migration, elections, the history of slavery, Russia, and Ukraine were much-discussed topics. We compiled an overview of the most-read news items and other events of the past year.

Discover the unique options offered by your faculty, designed to enrich your academic journey and broaden your global perspective. Join our faculty-specific sessions to explore how studying abroad can enhance your education and open doors to exciting new experiences.

In the short term, no reorganisation is foreseen within the Faculty of Humanities, nor are any compulsory redundancies expected. Nonetheless, structural changes remain necessary. This is evident from the faculty’s draft budget for 2026 and the accompanying financial multi-year outlook.

By means of a presentation, a panel discussion, and activities in the fresh air, the event themed ‘Environmental Humanities’, organised by the Honours College Humanities, managed to unite both people and disciplines. ‘There is a gap between humanities and sciences, but they are more alike than you might…

Humans and bonobos show striking similarities as well as differences when they see pictures of conspecifics. Both are more interested in photos of conspecifics that show emotion. But while our human attention is more easily drawn to photos of family members and friends that express certain emotions,…

Did you know that during your studies you develop skills that are useful in working life too? On top of that, many of these transferable skills are listed as “future-oriented” skills and are in demand in the labour market.

How does digitalisation affect the humanities? The introductory course for the Honours College Humanities Lab challenges students to reflect on this through the production of their very own short film.

Economic law, environmental law and human rights are important fields of law for sustainable development. But they do not interact sufficiently, which makes it difficult to implement sustainable development.

Last week, Humanities Lab honours students presented their research through creative posters and pitches at the Capstone Conference in PLNT Leiden. It was a special edition, where alumni and teachers reminisced over the programme’s 10-year history.

In a world beset with war, climate problems and skyrocketing energy prices, it is good to have some 'slack time' now and then. That was Dean Mark Rutgers' message at the Faculty of Humanities' New Year reception.

Education, Research

Leiden University's humanities have one of the top places in the Times Higher Education Rankings. This year, we were placed 26th.

Research

How unique is the human capacity for learning and adapting to an environment? In field research – in the rainforest and Artis Zoo – primatologist Karline Janmaat is studying how humans and other primates adapt to their environment in their search for food. She will give her inaugural lecture as Professor…

Organisation

In recent months, a number of academics, a sounding board group and the relevant directors of education, in collaboration with Campus The Hague, have been working on the development of a new Master’s programme: Environmental Humanities. With this programme, we aimed to offer a new and necessary perspective…

An international team of researchers led by Leiden archaeology professor Marie Soressi and Leipzig senior geneticist Matthias Meyer has recovered the DNA of a woman belonging to an Ancient North Eurasian population from a 20,000-year-old pendant. This is the first time DNA analysis has been used to…

There was a lot of interest. In front of nearly a hundred researchers, supporting colleagues and Martijn Ridderbos, the Vice-Chairman of the Executive Board, Lotte van Dillen, Research Director of Psychology and Saskia Goedhard, Director of Humanities Operations jointly opened the new lab with a classic…

The volume, Heritage Destruction, Human Rights and International Law, co-edited by Grotius Centre, Associate Professor Joe Powderly, and Dr Amy Strecker (Associate Professor, UCD), has been published by Brill/Nijhoff.

Research