Data science and statistics are closely linked, says Spinoza laureate and Stochastics professor Aad van der Vaart. We talk with him about the big data hype, genome research and collaboration with other disciplines. ‘Statistics helps wherever data is not perfect.’

To what extent is the image of the Taino settlements on Hispaniola representative for the whole island, or is it only related to a few large settlements of known caciques?

This programme aims to identify the intellectual contexts that were of importance for the architectural theory of the period, and especially to clarify the relation of architectural theory to primitivism.

Leiden Law School has a strong tradition of research in the field of fact-finding and evidence in criminal cases.

The research conducted at the Health, Medical and Neuropsychology unit investigates the psychological factors of health and disease, which allows for the development of innovative treatments.

The development of space resource activities is happening now. In the absence of a clear framework to govern these activities, there is a need to examine the concepts that are being discussed in order to ensure that they meet existing treaty obligations regarding on-orbit operations and space resource…

You may find the answer to your question on this page.

What is Leiden University doing to make its buildings future-proof and independent of fossil energy?

The Institute of Criminal Law and Criminology conducts extensive research on imprisonment. Sending a person to prison is the most severe form of punishment that can be applied in the criminal justice systems of European countries. In most countries, the number of prisoners has risen in recent decades.…

The receptor nomenclature committee of IUPHAR, the International Union of Pharmacology, has several subgroups. Among these are a few that our division is involved in, those for adenosine, nicotinic acid, and GnRH receptors.

You can find an overview of events organized by the Platform for Post-Colonial Readings below.

Connect art and academia at ACPA

The one-year Master's specialisation in Ancient History: Empires, Societies and Cultures offers an attractive mix of theoretical knowledge and practical experience.

The programme focuses on the medieval dynamics of intellectual life in the Rhineland and the Low countries, nowadays divided over five countries (Switzerland, France, Germany, Belgium and the Netherlands) but one cultural region in the later Middle Ages.

In September 2017 the Institute of Political Science (Leiden University) will launch a new bachelor’s programme: International Relations and Organisations (IRO). It will taught in English and be based in the city of The Hague. The three-year IRO programme is aimed at international, as well as internationally-oriented…

In the heart of The Hague stands the Peace Palace, home to one of the most important courts in the world: the International Court of Justice. PhD candidate Joris van de Riet spoke to 'Het Klokhuis' about the role of the Court.

Suspending family reunification of refugee status holders is illegal. That was the ruling of a Dutch court in a case brought by a Syrian woman with asylum status. The (temporary) restriction on entry for family members was one of the pillars of the cabinet’s asylum deal in August.

The AtheroNeth consortium received €6 million from the Dutch Heart Foundation to gain a better understanding of the differences in disease progression among patients with atherosclerosis. The ultimate goal is to enable personalised treatment.

Erik van der Zanden and Donna de Weijer, both MA African Studies students, traveled all the way to Uganda’s capital Kampala in order to start their internship. They share their adventures at The Leidener, a blog that is run by international students of Leiden University.

In the early morning of Wednesday 7 October, a 21-year-old man from Valkenburg (South Holland) was arrested on suspicion of issuing threats against Leiden University.

Are you curious to know more about the research interests of your colleagues? Are you looking for new collaboration? Would you like to share your latest publication or your (ideas for a) new project? Send in your abstract for the FGGA Reseach Symposium before 15 January 2017!

Leiden University Libraries (UBL) has been able to acquire four remarkable medical manuscripts partly thanks to support from the Friends of Leiden University Libraries, the Pieter van Foreest Stichting and the Van de Sande Fonds. All four are largely written in Dutch and can be dated between 1595 and…

The chance that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will actually be brought to trial seems slim. And yet the arrest warrant issued against Netanyahu will have a significant impact and comes as a hard blow for Israel. Larissa van den Herik, Professor of Public International Law, discusses the…

On Thursday 11 November, Women in International Security Netherlands (WIIS-NL) held its inaugural webinar event on 11 November with four speakers in conjunction with the International Centre for Terrorism (ICCT) and the Chair UN Studies in Peace and Justice at Leiden University.

The Dutch universities are shocked by the Russian invasion of Ukraine and empathise with all those affected by this act of aggression. Leiden University also calls for solidarity with and support for all those affected by the war.

On 11 April, we marked an important milestone for our LLB students who celebrated at their graduation ceremony.

On Thursday 30 November 2023, the research group Institutions for Conflict Resolution held an event for stakeholders in Utrecht focusing on ‘The government as (ineffective) conflict resolver: legitimacy under pressure?’ The aim of this annual event, each time addressing a new topic within the overarching…

A message from our director

The Europa Instituut is pleased to announce that this week a new handbook “EU State Aids” (31 Chapters, 1500 pages) was published.

As most of you are well aware of, Climate Change has been an ongoing and pressing topic, and therefore deserves our close attention. What and how exactly happens during Climate Change? What are the effects of it? AND possibly most importantly, what can WE as students do about it?

Joost Kok, Professor of Computer Science at the Faculty of Science, has been appointed Dean of the Faculty of Electrical Engineering, Mathematics and Computer Science (EEMCS) at the University of Twente. He will succeed Prof. Peter Apers, and start at 1 February 2018.

The new student centre in The Hague, the Beehive, will be opening its doors in stages starting from 1 October. The name Beehive was chosen because it stands for connection, an individual identity, activity and belonging. This meeting place for students is dedicated to improving the living environment…

What are the implications for life on Earth of the declining numbers of insects? How does the ever increasing stream of of energy and material flowing through our cities impact the global environmental ? Find out the answers to these and more questions on sustainability in the new monthly lecture series…

Are you a new or returning International Business Law student to the 2016-17 academic year at Leiden Law School?

It is the fourth year in a row that the Faculty of Archaeology is placed in the top ten of archaeological institutes worldwide. The QS World University Ranking by Subject looks at criteria like academic reputation and citation ratios.

In Dutch daily Trouw, assistent professor Cyber Security Governance, Els de Busser writes about the importance of good digital safety at companies. Dutch telephone and internet provider KPN is lacking in this respect. ' In Trouw schrijft Els de Busser, universitair docent Cyber Security Governance…

The Rijksmuseum welcomes international, independent research proposals which open new perspectives on the museum’s collection, its history and activities. The programme enables highly talented candidates to base part of their research at the Rijksmuseum, and offers access to the museum’s expertise,…

Four of Leiden University’s master’s programmes score above average across the board according to the Keuzegids Masters 2026 guide.

On 27 September 2019, Bart Schuurman, Assistant Professor at the Institute of Security and Global Affairs spoke to Dutch regional newspaper 'de Gelderlander' about the decline in attention for jihadism.

At the beginning of March 2017 the ICCL students visited Brussels for a two-day visit.

On 10 October 2014, the Advocate-General at the Supreme Court of the Netherlands delivered his opinion on the compensation case, instituted by the expropriated shareholders of SNS. On February 1, 2013 the Dutch Minister of Finance and the Dutch Central Bank decided to expropriate all stock of SNS Bank…

A new website has been set up that provides information about the government funded Law Sector Plan in the Netherlands, including the plans of the participating universities and developments within the agreed themes.

Last Friday, we celebrated ten years of the master’s specialisation in Labour Law at Leiden Law School!

Are you intending to become a student shortly? And are you unsure about what you're going to study? If so, come to the Open Day on 15 October.

René Pannekoek received the 2013 Philipsprize for PhD students in Mathematics at the Dutch Congress for Mathematics 2013 in Nijmegen. It was the 8th time that this prize, 1000 Euro and a trophy, was awarded.

As part of the NWO-funded research project ‘The Multilingual Dynamics of the Literary Culture of Medieval Flanders, c. 1200- c. 1500’, we invite proposals for 20 minute papers addressing any aspect of medieval literature and literary culture. We welcome proposals from scholars at all career stages—and…

Since the beginning of September, it is a fact: our faculty has a new strategic plan. The plan outlines what we will collectively commit to in the coming years. Is that important? For sure, say our directors Suzanne van der Pluijm (Operations) and Bart de Smit (Education). ‘The purpose of a strategic…

The brain is a complex organ, and researching medicine to treat brain disorders is equally if not more complex. Elizabeth (Liesbeth) de Lange, Professor of Predictive Pharmacology, calls for a structured approach. ‘In effect, it's like playing Mastermind.’ Inaugural lecture on 22 March.

Brandon Zicha (Leiden University College The Hague) had always been critical of the teaching system at universities. But it was only when he passed the Senior Teaching Qualification at the end of last year that he was able to explain exactly what was wrong with it.

Leiden Professor of Museums, Collections and Society, Pieter ter Keurs, conducts research into the provenance of museum collections. This is important for the return of heritage. But Ter Keurs is interested in why people collect at all.