Dutch election signals a return to the political centre, with voters seeking practical solutions both at home and across Europe. Bernard Steunenberg, Professor of Public Administration, cautions that losses for the PVV, the party of Geert Wilders, do not mean the far right has been defeated.

On 1 January 2022, Joop van Holsteijn was appointed Scientific Director and, as Chair of the Institute's Board, will represent the Institute of Political Science at faculty and university level.

Political scientists study topics that affect society, but their work often remains out of the spotlight. Not always: the research of Leiden political scientist Simon Otjes does have a visible impact.

Ramsey Albers wins Political Science Master’s Thesis Prize 2022

Five questions for James Shires, assistant professor at ISGA, about his new book, The Politics of Cybersecurity in the Middle East. The book is available to order now.

MA International Relations: Culture and Politics student Annick van Rinsum created a play as a method to research her master’s thesis. “Through writing this play, I aim to contribute to our understanding of International Relations Theory. I’m specifically interested in the question how our theories…

Rizal Shidiq is a University Lecturer at the Leiden University Institute for Area Studies. He is an economist by training with primary fields in development economics and monetary theory, and secondary field public choice. His current research topics are on political connections in developing countries,…

Writing a master’s thesis in Political Science is a demanding yet rewarding journey. Every year, students deliver impressive research that showcases their analytical skills and academic rigor. This year, one thesis stood out for its exceptional quality. On 31 October 2025, during the master’s graduation…

Over 30.000 pages of new material have been added to the online collection of unofficial poetry publications from China in the Leiden Digital Collections. Produced outside the system, these journals and books are hugely influential yet very hard to find. To address this paradox, Leiden University Libraries…

Joris Larik, Assistant Professor at Leiden University College in The Hague, was interviewed live on Al Jazeera on 2 April 2021 about the current political upheaval in The Netherlands and the difficult process of forming a new government.

Eva Polman joined the Institute for the Interdisciplinary Study of the Law as a Uytenbogaert PhD candidate in September 2022.

Joris van de Riet is a researcher and lecturer at the Department of Jurisprudence, where he is preparing a doctoral thesis on the relevance of Immanuel Kant's political philosophy to international law and international relations.

Simon Willmetts is Associate Professor of Intelligence Studies at the Institute of Security and Global Affairs. He is a cultural historian interested in the history of secrecy, intelligence, surveillance and digital privacy. His research focusses upon the wider social and cultural impact of secret intelligence…

Lydie Cabane is senior Assistant Professor at the Institute for Security and Global Affairs. Her main interests include crises, governance, public policy, states, expertise, European Union and global politics.

Reijer Passchier (Haarlem, 28 August 1987) PhD LLM LLB (Leiden University) is an Assistant Professor in Constitutional and Administrative Law at Leiden University. He is also a Professor of Digitalisation and the Democratic Constitutional State at the Open University.

Nikki Mulder is a PhD candidate and teacher at the Institute of Cultural Anthropology and Development Sociology of Leiden University. Her dissertation 'Financing Afterlives' examines how racial inequality shapes the consumption and use of life insurance policies in New Orleans, USA. This project is…

Kai Hebel (DPhil, Oxford University) is Assistant Professor of International Relations. Dr. Hebel’s research interests include international security, diplomacy, international history, cultural studies and IR theory. He has published on a wide range of topics, including military intervention, the Cold…

I am a scholar whose research focuses on the modern and contemporary United States. Though a historian by training, my work engages with insights from other disciplines, particularly international relations and American politics. I am currently the principal investigator on the NWO Vidi-funded project…

Hongwei Bao is a guest researcher at the Institute for Area Studies.

Rogier Creemers is a lecturer in Modern Chinese Studies. While he looks for challenges in his lectures, in his free time he much prefers to go back to basics and work with his hands.

Yunnan Ye is a PhD candidate at the Institute for Area Studies.

Crystal Ennis is a University Lecturer at the Leiden University Institute for Area Studies. Crystal is a scholar of Global Political Economy whose research examines the political economy of dependency on hydrocarbon revenue and foreign labour in Gulf economies. With a regional focus on the Arabian…

Koen van der Lijn is an intern an education and research staff member at the Institute for Area Studies.

Joren Pronk is PhD candidate at the Leiden University Institute for Area Studies.

The war between Ukraine and Russia is playing out not just on the battlefield but also on the geopolitical playing field of gas. Conflicts at the start of this century about this energy source were, says PhD candidate Ilia Barboutev, a precursor to today’s war.

Successfully completing a master’s thesis in Political Science is no small feat. Not only is this for most students the most extensive and in-depth research report they have ever written, the work is also held to very high standards. Yet, every year students manage to impress their instructors and demonstrate…

The French political theorist Hélène Landemore has been appointed as the new Cleveringa Professor. She will deliver her inaugural lecture on 26 November.

Take a walk through any city, and you are likely to come across a brightly coloured mural. Although these paintings often seem to serve solely as a backdrop for Instagram snapshots, art history professor Minna Valjakka says there are rich traditions and intricate histories that uncover more critical…

Education, Organisation

Hans van den Berg, CEO of Tata Steel NL, is in the eye of the storm. He continues to believe in connection, debate and knowledge that will make green steel possible.

Since 2009-2010, the West viewed China as more assertive. Especially after Xi Jinping came to power in 2012, the country abandoned Deng Xiaoping’s ‘low profile’ foreign policy. Friso Stevens explains in his dissertation where this change has come from. The dissertation defence is on 28 March.

Turkish politics was shaken by the arrest of Istanbul mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu, along with dozens of others from the main opposition party.

Jennifer Dowling is a PhD candidate within the research group Terrorism and Political Violence. Jennifer’s PhD research project focuses on understanding why individuals do not cross the threshold to become involved in various forms of political violence. By adopting a qualitative approach, her project…

With its Green Deal The European Union has set itself much-needed ambitious climate goals. But the energy crisis and geopolitical tensions are making these difficult to achieve. Seven researchers from the Leiden-Delft-Erasmus Universities (LDE) alliance have written a white paper offering solutions.

Lecture, China Seminar

Siran Huang is an PhD candidate at the Institute for Area Studies.

Anchrit Wille has held the special chair of Transitions in the public sector established by the 'Stichting Leerstoelen CAOP' since November 2021. In her research she works at the interface of public administration and political science. Central themes include: political-administrative relations in national…