How can computers help design optimal buildings? PhD student Koen van der Blom makes algorithms that take into account all kinds of different architectural requirements, in order to reach the best compromise. And that is quite difficult: 'Algorithms do not automatically understand that a building that…

Chat with a current MSc Democracy and Representation student at Leiden University for real-life insights on the programme, student life in Leiden & The Hague, and application tips.

Chat with a current MSc Dutch Politics student at Leiden University for real-life insights into the programme, student life, studying in The Netherlands, and the application process.

Chat with a current MSc International Organisation student at Leiden University and get first-hand insights into the programme, student life, study abroad and application experience.

Chat with a current MSc Political Theory: Legitimacy and Justice student at Leiden University to get firsthand insights on the programme, student life, and study experience.

The Reinforcement Learning lab conducts research into Reinforcement Learning and Intelligent Combinatorial Algorithms.

Once you have decided to apply for the program, see below for the next steps.

Do you have a question about student life in Leiden and The Hague, studying at Leiden University or do you want more information about the Political Science master’s programme? You can get in contact with a student from this programme directly!

Chat with a current MSc International Politics student at Leiden University to get firsthand insights into the programme, student life, study abroad and application process.

Chat with a current MSc student in Nationalism, Ethnic Conflict and Development at Leiden University to gain firsthand insights into the programme, student life, studying in The Hague, and the application process.

Providing each cancer patient with the right treatment remains a challenge. Oncode Accelerator aims to change this by innovating the way we develop cancer treatments, thus ensuring the patient is at the heart of the process.

PhD defence

PhD defence

De zangstemmen van Nederlandse artiesten zijn te herkennen in muziek die door kunstmatige intelligentie (AI) is gemaakt. Hoogelaar intellectueel eigendomsrecht Dirk Visser sprak met NOS over het auteursrecht: ‘Je stem is een persoonsgegeven. Die mag je niet zomaar gebruiken.’

What is the impact of digitalisation and Artificial Intelligence (AI) on the functioning of our constitution? Reijer Passchier, Assistant Professor of Constitutional and Administrative Law, warns in an article in Leidraad that digitalisation is giving the executive branch more and more power, and that…

As of April 2022, Mark de Rooij has been appointed SAILS Professor AI and Data Theory at the Institute of Psychology. This position will enable him to contribute to the goal of the interdisciplinary programme: to build on and expand the current expertise on AI within Leiden University, working from…

On 20 November 2025, eLaw hosted the second capacity-building session of the BIAS project, coinciding with the city’s first snowfall of the year. The training brought together HR practitioners, scholars, consultants, and policymakers to discuss the opportunities and challenges of using AI systems in…

On this page you will find a collection of presentations and videos of the Florence Nightingale Colloquia, seminars at the faculty and other event recordings hosted by the Data Science Research Programme.

SAILS is a Leiden university wide initiative aiming to facilitate interdisciplinary collaboration on the use of Artificial Intelligence (AI).

IT lawyer Eduard Fosch Villaronga wants to promote diversity and inclusiveness in AI research. And that's really important, because he has observed how artificial intelligence - from Twitter to walking robots - is prejudice in terms of race, gender and sexual orientation.

Joost Batenburg is a mathematician and computer scientist who works to build bridges to other disciplines. He hopes to bring intelligent software to fields where it can make a difference. Conversely, he also seeks connections to the disciplines that are needed to make AI a success.

Researchers and policymakers are welcome to attend the AI & Society Conference in The Hague on Friday 23 June. The SAILS interdisciplinary research programme will be taking a nuanced look at the state of the art of AI technology. And offering fresh perspectives.

Dr Eduard Fosch-Villaronga, Assistant Professor at eLaw - Center for Law and Digital Technologies, and 8 partners have been awarded the project 'BIAS: Mitigating Diversity Biases in the Labour Market', a large €4.7M Horizon Europe grant.

As long as we humans have existed, we have told each other stories. But how does a story change each time it is told? Which elements stick and which ones are forgotten? This is what Max van Duijn and Tessa Verhoef will research in their Lowlands Whispers experiment at Lowlands Festival.

When you want to analyse big quantities of archaeological data, you run into the issue that searching through excavation reports is extremely time-consuming. If only there existed a search engine specifically focused on querying these reports… But wait, work on an archaeological search engine focused…

In healthcare, gender and sex considerations are crucial because they affect individuals' health and disease differences. Yet, most algorithms deployed in the healthcare context lack close consideration of these aspects and do not account for bias detection. In their latest paper, Eduard Fosch-Villaronga,…

Collecting data in sports increased in importance the last few years.

The Cognitive Psychology Unit contributes to the three-year BSc program and organizes two MSc specialisations.

Lecture

Find out how to apply for Crisis and Security Management at Leiden University by following our step-by step guide.

Leiden is a lively university city, brimming with history and boasting a student life that’s tangible just about everywhere.

Students must take a limited number of "accent courses" to complete their curriculum. These are selected courses offered by the Creative Intelligence & Technology MSc program itself.

He is always positive towards his students, helps them see the bigger picture of the programme, and tries to remind them that ‘a degree is an enormous opportunity to grow in directions that genuinely interest you.’ Thomas Moerland, assistant professor at LIACS, has been nominated for Lecturer of the…

The English-language interdisciplinary minor ‘AI and Society’ explores the role of artificial intelligence in our society. The interdisciplinary nature of the minor is proving beneficiary for students and lecturers alike. We sit in during a class.

The EU proposal for a regulatory framework on artificial intelligence will not prevent the dangers of cybercrime or the spreading of fake news using ChatGPT. Cyber criminals can use the new technology to write harmful software, phishing mails and fake news.

To be eligible for Foundations of Computing at Leiden University, you must meet the following admission requirements.

The project will investigate the use of Artificial Intelligence in the labour market, and how biases in hiring and promoting processes based on personal characteristics are potentially reproduced with AI-based systems.

To be eligible for Computer Science and Science Communication and Society at Leiden University, you must meet the following admission requirements.

Project Announcement: ‘EU human-centered digital transformation’ (2023 – 2027) funded by Leiden University Starting Grant In Spring 2023, Simona Demková and Daniel Mândrescu from the Europa Institute secured the new Leiden University Starting Grant, valued at 240,000 EUR, for a collaborative project:…

To be eligible for Data Science: Computer Science at Leiden University, you must meet the following admission requirements.

To be eligible for Bioinformatics at Leiden University, you must meet the following admission requirements.

To be eligible for Advanced Computing and Systems at Leiden University, you must meet the following admission requirements.

To be eligible for Computer Science at Leiden University, you must meet the following admission requirements.