The Dies Natalis for alumni on 11 February was an online event. Almost 1,000 alumni tuned in to Bastiaan Rijpkema’s interview with Annetje Ottow, who had then been President of Leiden University’s Executive Board for all of three days. Alumni are part of her portfolio on the Executive Board.

In 2022, many of our staff and students won fantastic prizes and were awarded important research grants.

‘Make more room for nature on farmland and you'll be surprised at the result.' This was the advice from Geert de Snoo in his Dies lecture.

Selamat datang di Universitas Leiden. Kami sangat bergembira atas minat Anda untuk mengambil PhD di universitas kami.

Situasi dunia sedang mengkhawatirkan. Di tengah terpaan berita-berita kurang baik, Anda menerima sebuah email yang selama ini dinantikan. Di pembuka email itu tertulis: "Selamat, Anda diterima di Universitas Leiden!"

Alumni event

Maarten Feteris, the former president of the Court of Appeal and an alumnus of Leiden University, composed the piece ‘Intermezzo’ to mark the transfer of the rectorate during the Dies Natalis on 8 February 2021.

The Dies Natalis for alumni was held on Saturday 10 February, organised by the Leiden University Fund (LUF) together with the University. Almost 500 alumni came together in the Kamerlingh Onnes building to celebrate the 443rd anniversary of the foundation of their alma mater.

Lugduno Batava Praesidium Libertatis adalah slogan Universitas Leiden dalam bahasa Latin yang kurang lebih bermakna "Leiden adalah bastion kebebasan". Universitas yang didirikan pada tahun 1575 ini adalah "tropi" yang diberikan oleh Willem van Oranye karena jasa masyarakat Leiden membebaskan kota tersebut…

ACPA alumnus Kevin Toksöz Fairbairn has just published a new book at Punctum Books - dis/cord: Thinking Sound through Agential Realism.

The student weekly diary of Archaeology/Egyptology students, 2022.

As part of his PhD trajectory, Johannes Boer (PhD candidate at the ACPA), created a music theatre production La Tragedia di Claudio M. .

‘Praesidium Libertatis is a daily responsibility.’ These were the words of Rector Magnificus Carel Stolker on 8 February during the 443rd Dies Natalis of Leiden University. The University needs to pay continuous attention to open debate if it wants to remain a bastion of freedom.

Public Administration researcher Adrienne Héritier will receive an honorary degree from Leiden University. The award is for her groundbreaking work in the field of multilevel governance, decisionmaking and institutional theory at the European level. She will be awarded the degree on the dies natalis…

On July 8 and 9, 2022, Leiden University hosted the second conference of the research group on Institutions for Conflict Resolution, in collaboration with Radboud University Nijmegen and Utrecht University.

Leiden University celebrated its 444th anniversary with a historical procession on 8 February. It celebrated this year’s Dies Natalis in time-honoured fashion with a ceremony in the Pieterskerk, but broke with tradition by sending professors out to primary schools.

Her specialist field is molecular astrophysics, and she is the most quoted scholar in her field. In this, the year of astronomy, she is the ideal person to give the Dies lecture at the university with the world's oldest astronomy institute; it goes without saying that the lecture will be on the newest…

A school lesson by a professor, for instance about the history of Africa, the climate or research and healthcare. A hundred Leiden professors told primary school children about their work in the Meet the Professor project.

Watch the recordings of the policy roundtables here

An overview of awards and prizes granted to our staff and students in 2022, as well as special appointments at Leiden University and other institutions.

The deans (chairs of the faculty boards) form the Board of Deans, which is chaired by the Rector Magnificus.

In November we went to a real, biodynamic farm (Kwekerij Eko Logisch) and listened to David, a farmer who believes you can limit harm to the environment while still growing heaps of vegetables, fruits, and herbs. On the two-hour visit, we were shown around the farm and even encountered some animals.

On the university’s birthday, professors teach a class of 10 and 11-year-olds during Meet the Professor. The professors were bombarded with questions.

For the duration of 2022, Leiden is the European City of Science. That means a year in which Leiden will be the European knowledge platform, with a 365-day program full of science, art and culture. Of course, the faculty of humanities will also be a part of this year.

No matter how hard Chinese communists tried to control the economy, they could not stop the free market from flourishing. This was the message given by historian Frank Dikötter on 7 February during a lecture on the Cultural Revolution. He will be awarded an Honorary Doctorate on 8 February.

On this page you will find more information about the selected projects of the Justice, Equity, Diversity and Inclusion (JEDI) Fund for 2022.

De opening of the Academic Year 2022-2023 took place on Monday 5 September 2022 in Pieterskerk church.

De opening of the Academic Year 2021-2022 took place on Monday 6 September 2021 in Pieterskerk church.

LUGO's Autumn Event 'Requiem for Nature' took place late November and was a great success!

In the Surveillance and Security Threat Monitor 2022-2023, the research project thematically examined threat developments.

For the fifth year in succession, on the foundation day of the university, Leiden professors taught a lesson at primary schools as part of the ‘Meet the Professor’ programme.

The month of May saw LUGO host its Spring Event, which consisted of a poetry reading and clotheswap! The event took place on May 10th at Rapenburg 100, in Leiden, from 17.30 to 20.30, and included free vegan snacks provided for by the Green Kitchen.

Mozambican politician and child rights activist Graça Machel will receive an honorary doctorate from Leiden University for her commitment to the rights of women and children in Africa and elsewhere. She will be awarded the honorary doctorate on the Dies Natalis, the University’s foundation day, on 8…

How can we deal with today’s global challenges in sustainable, peaceful, fair, democratic, and effective ways? How can global events such as geopolitical shifts, ecological changes, technological innovations, and pandemics be better governed? Addressing these complex questions requires innovative, multidisciplinary…

The ‘Vereniging van Echtgenoten en Partners van Hoogleraren aan de Universiteit Leiden’ (Society of University Professor’s wifes), also known as Vrolec, was established in 1913 by the women of professors of Leiden University.

On the day of the Dies Natalis, Rector Magnificus Carel Stolker starts his second term of office. How does he look back on the first four years, and what are his plans? These are the questions asked of him by Mayor Lenferink, student of public administation Mikal Tseggai, Professor Eveline Crone and…

Promotor: A. Doelman, Co-promotor: V. Rottschäfer

In 2019 Leiden University was 444 years old. This special birthday called for a special celebration. We celebrated this milestone with the residents of Leiden and The Hague. In, with and for these two cities.

View all our Alumni newsletters below.

This article describes that although the use of the concept of energy justice is new, normative interpretations have long been part of energy policy.

Arts and leisure, Arts and leisure

Over the recent period there have been a number of protests and demonstrations at universities by people who oppose the universities’ collaboration with the fossil fuel industry. Students and staff in Leiden are also expressing their concerns about this issue. We are now publishing a list giving an…

A teacher perspective

The Leiden University Academy of Creative and Performing Arts will be proudly awarding an Honorary Doctorate within the upcoming 440th Dies Natalis.

An international team led by Leiden astronomers has discovered why the two stars of binary star DI Herculis rotate so strangely around one another, which once even proved problematic for Einstein's theory of relativity. Their findings were published in Nature.

Leiden was ‘European City of Science’ in 2022. Leiden University looks back on a fantastic year with activities, lectures and workshops full of science and curiosity.