Pieter Jakob Cosijn (1840-1899) was Leiden University’s first Professor of Germanic and AngloSaxon Philology. A recognised expert in the field of Old English grammar and textual criticism, Cosijn corresponded with various prominent philologists and experts in his field, including Julius Zupitza, Arthur…

This collaborative research group (CRG) facilitates the synergies of researchers engaged with African languages and documentation of texts conducted in East Africa, paying particular attention to ‘endangered archives’ and ‘endangered languages’.

LUCAS offers education, guidance, and development opportunities to PhD candidates researching the relationships between the arts and society, in fields aligned with one of our three research clusters. We are strongly committed to high-quality, innovative research conducted with integrity. The Institute…

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.

Environmental humility is integral to addressing the climate crisis, but humility can also lead to political domination. How can humans relate to nature more humbly without risking domination?

Get to know us through our online and in-person events for prospective students!

The Faculty of Humanities is housed in various buildings situated in the historical centre of Leiden and in the modern Wijnhaven Building in The Hague.

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.

Get to know us through our online and in-person events for prospective students!

Now that you are aware of the admission requirements, it's time to check the application deadlines.

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.

Classics and Ancient Civilizations covers one year and can be studied in four programmes, one of them is the Hebrew and Aramaic Studies specialisation. When you choose to study this programme you will both be guided through the broadness relevant sub-disciplines, as well as gradually led to develop…

Get the most out of your studies at Leiden University by taking part in our extracurricular activities.

Get to know us through our online and in-person events for prospective students!

If you are interested in an academic programme, but do you not wish to complete the entire programme? Then, you can choose one of the many à la carte courses the Faculty of Humanities offers.

Symposium

This is an Erasmus+ International Credit Mobility project of the Faculty of Humanities with the Ivane Javakhishvili State University (TSU) in Tbilisi.

Music, being together and the impact of science were at the heart of the festive opening of the academic year and the start of the faculty’s 200-year anniversary. The faculty was 200 years old on 2 August 2015. The anniversary was celebrated in style, attended by 500 members of staff and students.

Watching and analysing hundreds of TEDx talks, that too can be research. That becomes clear from the work of PhD student Aletta Meinsma, who is studying potential problems in popular communication about quantum technologies. She explains how she approaches this and why it is so important.

Research on art is often compared to other forms of scientific research. Professor Henk Borgdorff believes that's unfortunate. 'Research on art is absolutely one of the front lines of science.' Inaugural lecture 10 February.

Spitting cobra venom composition has been influenced by defensive behaviour according to an international research team. This may have originated from the arrival of human ancestors. Students at the Institute of Biology Leiden made an important contribution to the study. Publication in Science on 22…

The fact that scientists are increasingly better able to access molecular cell and tissue data also brings with it a new challenge: how can scientists find the information they need for research among the vast amount of data available?

Although both government and the public would like scientists to share their work with the widest possible audience, this does not always seem an easy route for scientists.

The Leiden wall formulae, Einstein's sink or the signature wall of Ehrenfest. It are just a few of Leiden's hidden science treasures. Alumnus from the Leiden Observatory Alex Pietrow described a few of these places on travel website Atlas Obscura.

As of 1 November W&N has a wellbeing officer. Alexandra Blank will commit herself to the wellbeing of our students. Students, but also lecturers and mentors can approach her with ideas and initiatives to support students.

The Netherlands has a lot of world-class speed skaters and footballers. Clever statistical analyses could help them perform even better. Leiden University is working on this together with Delft and Amsterdam.

Watch and talk along with today’s science of the past during weekly Let’s Plays of popular games and vodcasts on the livestream platform Twitch.

PhD defence

Conference

What is the relation between brain development and social and cognitive development across childhood, adolescence and adulthood?

'Law and empirical research' is one of Leiden Law School's four research focus areas.

Leiden Law School has established the Empirical Legal Studies Lab to support legal research and education using empirical methods.

How do religious narratives persuade their readers to believe their message? And how can it be that some readers even come to treat fantasy and science fiction as authoritative religious texts? These are the core questions treated in Markus Davidsen’s new book Narrative and Belief: The Religious Affordance…

Tens of thousands of soldiers and civilians have died as a result of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in February 2022 and the continuing armed conflict. Many forms of critical infrastructure have been destroyed. Much of this devastation has been caused by weapons that utilise forms of artificial intelligence…

Leiden was European City of Science in 2022: for a year Leiden was the capital of European science. Leiden University was a proud partner of Leiden2022.

The car we buy is made out of thousands of components, which are produced using different types of materials. These materials need to be sourced from different places, sent to production facilities and assembled. Once the car is dismissed, the components need to be taken care of by either reusing, recycling…

All LIAS members and visitors are kindly requested to familiarize themselves with the information provided below, to the level of detail they feel is appropriate to their situation. This information overlaps in part with the University’s web pages on scientific integrity.

What is the relation between brain development and social and cognitive development across childhood, adolescence and adulthood?

The programmes offered by the Faculty of Governance and Global Affairs in The Hague are closely linked to the defining image of The Hague as a city of international justice, peace and security as well as the centre of Dutch public administration and international governance.

Research of the Methodology & Statstics unit of the Institute of Psychology at Leiden University.

Leiden Observatory provides full education programmes in Astronomy both at the bachelor’s and master’s level. We integrate world-class scientific research and excellent education. Read all about our study programmes!

What are the environmental impacts of widespread integration of bio-based products into the construction industry?

YAL connects academics to society.

The LUC Fund supports the Leiden University College The Hague (LUC) programme and community. LUC provides excellent research-led interdisciplinary teaching on global challenges, equipping students with the knowledge and skills necessary to become socially responsible and engaged global citizens. This…

How can we broaden youth participation in STEM Learning

Why are not all children equally responsive to variations in the social environment?

Thank you for your interest in doing PhD research at the Graduate School of Social and Behavioural Sciences of Leiden University. How to start your PhD at our Graduate School is explained on this webpage.

What can we learn from the diverse institutional logics of smart government in East Asia to inform cross-institutional AI governance?

Music profession requires strong reflective, collaborative, creative and improvisational skills, yet prevailing one-to-one tuition in conservatoire education focuses mainly on transmission of craft skills. Examining effects of students' collaborative and experiential learning, as in learning labs, creates…