The bodies representing student and staff interests met at the start of the academic year for a day of training. New and familiar faces had come together to learn more about their role as council members and meet the Executive Board − and each other.

The International Criminal Court (ICC) is under intense scrutiny when it comes to prosecuting international crimes. This due to increasing conflicts worldwide. During her visit to Leiden, the President of the Court, Judge Tomoko Akane, said that the Criminal Court will not yield to threats.

The challenge: take three hundred students from vastly varying disciplines and teach them the basics of academic thinking in twelve lessons. Impossible? Professor Ben Arps and his team of tutors succeeded. It resulted in a large amount of positive student evaluations.

There’s a change of staff at ACPA. The institute is bidding farewell to Professor Janneke Wesseling and welcomes Anke Haarmann, who is not only a new professor, but will also take over Wesseling's responsibilities as Director of PhD Arts. In this interview we look back and ahead with them.

Professor Jos Schaeken has been appointed interim vice-dean from 1 March. As Mirjam de Baar's successor, he will focus on future-proofing the education portfolio, particularly the master's programmes.

For the past year, a steering group has been working hard on the new Faculty Strategic Plan (FSP) for 2022-2027 and the corresponding Implementation Agenda. A number of working groups have also carried out a stakeholder analysis, and several consultation rounds have been held with various bodies, including…

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…

From human rights in Sudan to a new cult of heroes in China. During the board members' visit, the Institute of Private Law and the Institute for Area Studies clarified their social relevance in no uncertain terms. What's happening here in education and research?

Niels Broekman did an internship at the Ministry of Agriculture, Nature and Food Quality, where he worked on, among other things, biodiversity advocacy. After his internship, he decided to go in a different direction: ‘An internship can be very enlightening in helping you figure out where your interests…

Legal philosopher Bart Jansen teaches at universities around the world. In an interview two years ago, he spoke about his professional fascination for dictators and wars. Since then, the world has undergone major changes. High time for a follow-up interview.

Seven Leiden professors have been elected as members of the Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences (KNAW). In total 23 new members will be inaugurated on Monday 13 September.

Education, Organisation

How can the university decide which partners to work with and why? This is a question many of us have, both within and outside our community. The advice presented by the Temporary Committee on Assessing Ethical Aspects of Collaborations should provide answers.

It is the final stretch for the students of FGGA. Summer is approaching and they are working hard to complete everything before the summer holidays. We asked some of them how they look back at the academic year. ‘Being a mentor during HOP week is something I can recommend to everyone’

Welcome to the 2024-2025 academic year! I hope this finds you feeling refreshed following an enjoyable and restful summer holiday season. As we start the autumn semester, I want to look back briefly by highlighting 10 significant milestones at LUCSoR from this past year (some of which I referenced in…

A breakthrough from the PhD research of medical chemist Elmer Maurits may help patients with autoimmune diseases and blood cancer in the future. But bringing a discovery from the lab to the clinic is not so easily done. Thanks to NWO's Venture Challenge, Maurits and his team will receive ten weeks of…

In mid-March 2020, the global coronavirus outbreak changed everything in the Netherlands. Staying at home as much as possible and the 1.5 metre rule became the standard. One year on, we reflect on the past year with four Leiden Law School ‘insiders’. What kind of year did they have? And what are their…

‘I'm setting Academia in Motion by promoting transparent and rigorous research practices and by advocating for more interaction between science and society.’ With these words, Ludo Waltman, Open Science Ambassador for Academia in Motion, highlights how he is contributing to the culture change towards…

Anna van ’t Veer is the face of Open Science Community Leiden (OSCL). She calls for an academic system that centres transparency. ‘Culture chance can only be achieved together.’

On this page you will find information about the university buildings, a workspace at the faculty and other facilities such as a LU-card and access to the university libraries as well as on who to inform in case of illness.

In this section you will find a listing of national teaching awards, fellowships and grants.

Giving an effective lecture requires not only careful preparation of the content, but also clear structures, visual support and presentation techniques. Some guidelines and tips to keep your lectures engaging and well structured are presented here.

This academic year, seven (teams of) teachers will receive a Grassroots or Grass shoots grant. Here you can read about their projects.

Leadership, Personal development, Management

Our confidential counsellors can provide confidential advice on a range of issues, including bullying, intimidation, sexual harassment, aggression and discrimination. You can also approach them with concerns about your manager or potential breaches of academic integrity.

An organisation the size of Leiden University requires careful internal communication.

As a teacher you are expected to provide and sign the results obtained by your students. Please follow the instructions below for smooth processing by the Science Student Administration:

Have you experienced or witnessed unacceptable or transgressive behaviour? This page gives information about what you can do yourself and which ‘helplines’ can assist you in this situation.

If you have a guest or visitor who needs access to the network drives or a ULCN account, you can have him or her registered in the guest management system (GMS) via your GMS contact person.

The ‘Engagement with Society’ ambition is closely linked to the ‘Employability Enhancement’ and ‘Skills’ ambitions. Introducing students to social issues often gives them immediate insight into the job market they will enter. And working on social issues gives them the opportunity to develop skills…

For administering exams, Leiden University uses the Ans program. Teachers can use Ans to: - Create exams - Grade exams - Create practice tests - Add a grading scheme to exams

Reaching the end of the academic year, we look back fondly on the symposia, conferences and events that our faculty hosted in the previous months. One such symposium marked the end of the 5-year long research project ‘Putting life into Late Neolithic houses: investigating domestic craft and subsistence…

How do people make choices, and what happens in our brains when we do? Anne Urai investigates how our brains process information and use it to make decisions. In applying the resulting insights to current issues in society, she hopes to gain a better understanding of what motivates people to adopt sustainable…

The Austria Centre Leiden was thrilled to receive an application from our colleague Dr. Jonathan Singerton (Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam) to support his participation in the first-ever Central European History Convention in Vienna in July 2025. We asked Dr. Singerton to reflect on the event and how…

Cultural Anthropology students in Leiden are encouraged to think creatively and explore different ways of sharing knowledge, such as by producing zines. CADS graduate Dorota Olsavska combined her anthropological skills with her love for discovering little-known stories and writing, and earlier this…

In his inaugural lecture, Alexander Vahrmeijer, Professor of Surgery specialising in Molecular-targeted Precision Surgery, explained how light, fluorescence and smart technology are making surgery safer and reducing complications.

International collaboration brings opportunities, but it also carries risks. The Knowledge Security Committee plays a crucial role in assessing such partnerships. Due diligence is essential, says Chair Joanne van der Leun. ‘If this were easy, you wouldn’t need our committee.’

Pita Limjaroenrat (45) was set to become Thailand’s next prime minister, but in 2024 the Thai Constitutional Court dissolved his progressive Move Forward Party and banned him from politics. He now reflects publicly on the policy values that brought the party to prominence.

The university bid farewell to its Rector Magnificus, Hester Bijl, on 13 January during the ‘Hester’s Highlights’ symposium.

Recognition and rewards. Open science. These topics are increasingly in the spotlight: globally, nationally and within our university. Who is working on these themes within the Faculty of Social and Behavioural Sciences (FSW)? Which steps are we already taking and what should we do next? These questions…

During International Student Week, from 14 to 18 November, we would like to put our international students into the spotlight. Ricardo Alexandre de Jesus Vaz (21) from Portugal is in his first year at FGGA and a student in the Master International Relations and Diplomacy (MIRD).

On November 16 a festschrift in honor of Dr Olivier Nieuwenhuyse was presented in a moving event at the Faculty of Archaeology. Professor Bleda Düring, a personal friend of Nieuwenhuyse, was one of the initiators. ‘If he had been here, he would have loved this book.’

Starting this academic year, the regular Performance and Development interview (ROG) has for academic staff been replaced by an annual interview. A survey will be held in early December to evaluate this pilot.

What factors play a role in determining inclusive leadership in public organisations? On Friday June 4, dr. Tanachia Ashikali answered this question as she shared the findings from her recent research on inclusive leadership with various academics and professionals.

What does GenAI mean for assessment and teaching formats? During the Education Kick-off 2026, course coordinators discussed new guidelines from the Psychology Board of Examiners and explored alternative forms of assessment and AI tools for education.

Health Day has won the LUF Relationship-Promoting Activities Prize (LUF RAP). This 5,000-euro prize is awarded to an initiative by Leiden University students that brings the academic community together.