27 July 2026

Leiden University is reviewing its honours programmes and the organisation of the Honours Academy. This is in response to budget cuts. A consultation process on these changes was recently started with the University Council. The way this consultation is organised is now being adjusted.

Point of contact

The consultation process with the University Council was initially begun by the Honours Academy Board. It has since become clear that the Executive Board should be the University Council’s point of contact, as it is responsible for making decisions about the proposed changes.

Moving forward

This means that the procedure was not initiated correctly. We regret this and are now focused on moving forward. After the summer, the Executive Board and the University Council will discuss how best to proceed.  

Changes will go ahead

The adjustment to the process does not affect the changes that are already due to be implemented at the start of the 2026-2027 academic year. The University Council has indicated that it agrees with these proposed changes to the Bachelor’s Honours programme taking effect as planned. 

Background

On behalf of the Executive Board, the Honours Academy is reviewing the Honours programme and its organisation. In an earlier announcement, we explained which changes are planned for the 2026-2027 academic year and what these will mean for students and staff. 

The review of the Honours programmes is a direct result of the budget cuts in higher education. From the 2026-2027 academic year onwards, the funding for our Honours programmes will be reduced by half over four years. To ensure that we can continue to offer high-quality Honours programmes within this new funding framework, the organisation and the range of courses on offer are being adapted.