Author and political scientist Mounir Samuel has spent recent years delving into the many ways that language can exclude people and bring them together.

How to combine being a mom and a career-oriented researcher? As member of the RISE junior board, postdoc Monica Varela wants to set an example. ‘It’s not always easy, but I want to show young scientists that you can continue your career when having a child.'

Chaos in the Lipsius building! Master's students zigzag through the classroom, write on whiteboards and discuss tensely. In a simulation of the Leiden Leadership Programme, they experience what it is like to deal with a crisis as an office holder.

A passion for video games, visuals and science: it almost seems impossible to bring all of this together. Yet, scientific animator Vera Williams found that dream combination at NeCEN's microscopy lab. 'An image or animation can help clarify the content of complex research.'

She works four days a week as a project manager at LIACS and trains six days a week with the Dutch Para Climbing team. Christiane Luttikhuizen balances her role at the Faculty of Science with competing at a high level in climbing.

How can the Netherlands help secure a peaceful future for Israel and Palestine? At a recent meeting at the university, two remarkable speakers shared their perspectives: Somaya Bashir, a Palestinian woman living in Israel, and Palestinian journalist, Houssam Khadra, who fled Gaza over a decade ago.

Daniela Kraft's group has succeeded in creating a network of microparticles that is both strong and completely flexible. This may sound simple, yet they are the first in the world to succeed in doing so. A real breakthrough in soft matter physics.

How do politics and play relate to each other? Six Leiden academics hope to find an answer to that question over the coming years. They have received an NWO grant of 750,000 euros. Professor Sybille Lammes and University Lecturer Bram tell us how they plan to spend the money.

Organisation

When Floris Harm took up his role as director of the Leiden Asia Centre, he made a remarkable discovery on the university website. It turned out that a past family member was one of Leiden University’s first sinologists.

The university council and faculty councils are democratically elected co-participation bodies that represent both students and staff of the university and its faculties. Co-participation also takes place at departmental level through programme committees.

During your studies you'll acquire a good theoretical basis. But what about practical experience? By doing an internship you can gain a clearer picture of a particular position or sector. For some study programmes an internship is a compulsory part of the curriculum.

Leiden University, Delft University of Technology and the Erasmus University Rotterdam have worked together for many years on numerous aspects of teaching, research and valorisation. In 2012 this collaboration was formalised in the Leiden-Delft-Erasmus Universities strategic alliance.

Master

We are on hand to offer you help and advice in a range of different ways. On this page you can find out where and to who you can turn, depending on your situation.

Research

When deciding what to study you undoubtedly read a lot of information about your study programme. Leiden University employs various systems to provide information about programmes and courses and to facilitate communication between lecturers and students.

Study adviser or coordinator & Mentor or tutor

Leiden University is committed to ensuring that your education meets the highest standards. Quality is continuously monitored and improved by both external experts and the university itself. Feedback from students plays an essential role, for example in the form of the National Student Survey.

Summer and winter schools are a great way to acquire in-depth knowledge, explore new topics and broaden your horizons.

Some study programmes have a coordinator who is specialised in assisting students with internship and research matters.

Exchange students support and well-being

Are you a BA student writing your thesis in the first semester of 2025-2026? Does your course program not offer a thesis seminar? Come and participate in the Humanities Thesis Seminar, provided by the Writing Lab!

Exchange: What and why?

Exchange: What and why?

A study association is a good way to combine study-related activities with pleasure. Every faculty has one or more study association.

Curious about what the LLP looks like in practice and how students experience the programme? Read the news items below for a look behind the scenes.

As a student of Leiden University you may be eligible for financial support via a number of scholarships, funds and other rulings. Many companies and organisations also offer discounts to students.

On top of its regular study programmes and courses, Leiden University offers a variety of online courses.

Leiden University College The Hague (LUC) offers financial support to a limited number of excellent students who may otherwise not be able to attend. Both enrolled students and future students of LUC can request financial support.

This research project investigates diversifying and democratizing heritage through practices of “home-making”. Research may include studies of allotment gardens, displays of immigration histories, and forms of collaborative heritage, mostly in the Netherlands, with possible comparisons elsewhere in…

Across Latin America, stories of violence against women reveal how deeply gender, power en inequality are intertwined. Researcher Martín Hernán Di Marco tells how storytelling, activism and research together challenge the global cycle of violence against women and girls.

Legal protection in education is something of a neglected child: oddly split between administrative law and civil courts. Brechtje Paijmans is calling attention to this issue as Professor by Special Appointment of Conflict Resolution and Legal Protection in Education.

Is one study programme not challenging enough, or are you having trouble choosing between two programmes? If so, a double study programme might be the solution.

Study abroad: when?

When deciding what to study you undoubtedly read a lot of information about your study programme. Leiden University employs various systems to provide information about programmes and courses and to facilitate communication between lecturers and students.

The Learning@LeidenUniversity vision on teaching and learning is about what we want our future graduates to be and what that means for our curricula and our learning environment.

When deciding what to study you undoubtedly read a lot of information about your study programme. Leiden University employs various systems to provide information about programmes and courses and to facilitate communication between lecturers and students.

ASTRON en de Universiteit Leiden beginnen samen een nieuwe leerstoel over sterrenkunde en AI. Bijzonder hoogleraar Joeri van Leeuwen gaat deze positie vullen.

Saturday's Study Abroad fair in Leiden is the ideal place to gather information about going abroad during your studies, or being an international student at Leiden University. And enjoy it all with a free cup of coffee or tea, and maybe even a delicious slice of pizza.

Do you want to get involved in the university community whilst working on your personal development? Co-participation is the perfect way to do it.