Takahide Suzuki is a lecturer at the Institute for Area Studies.

Steven Truxal is Professor of Air and Space Law and Director of the International Institute of Air and Space Law.

The Leiden University Real Estate Directorate is responsible for regular building and renovation projects. In addition, the Directorate manages vacant University buildings.

Maja Vodopivec teaches several courses in Peace and Conflict Studies track of the World Politics major, and a course in Global History track of the Human Diversity major. Her research interest lies in postwar Japanese intellectual history and peace and conflict studies. Extension number: 8372

The design for the METIS instrument for the Extremely Large Telescope (ELT) is final. The European Southern Observatory (ESO) has given the green light for production of all parts of the instrument. It is the first ELT instrument, designed and to be built under Dutch leadership, to formally pass the…

A delegation from Leiden University visited various universities in Japan at the end of March. The strong ties between the Netherlands and Japan are still based on a long tradition of knowledge exchange.

I specialize in modern Japanese history, with particular expertise in Japanse imperialism and the social and cultural history of the 1920s-1940s.

Anthony Brown has a Master of Science degree in Astronomy from the University of Leiden and obtained his PhD there as well. He held positions as PostDoc at the Leiden Observatory, Instituto de Astronomía in Ensenada and at the European Southern Observatory. Currently he is working at the Leiden Observatory…

The Netherlands celebrates Space Exploration Day on 12 April each year. Space exploration has brought us ground-breaking discoveries with applications on Earth as well as in space. Leiden University is at the forefront of space innovation. Below are some examples.

Ewine van Dishoeck researches molecules in space. She has gained world fame with her pioneering work. Her current passion is the hunt for water and the water cycle in space. This will provide answers to questions such as: where does the water in our rivers come from? And: could there be life on other…

Anoma van der Veere is a researcher within the Leiden Asia Centre at Leiden University. He is based at the University of Osaka in Japan and writes about international collaboration and public policy in the fields of technology, education and sport. His research focuses on sport and education through…

Russia recently blew up a defect satellite. As a result, the amount of space debris in Earth orbit has increased.

Satellites belonging to American space company SpaceX recently came very close to a Chinese space station. Experts are calling for traffic management rules in space.

During a working visit to a company that cleans up space debris, the British Prince Charles suggested that a climate agreement specifically for space might be a good idea. Experts, including Leiden Law School’s Tanja Masson-Zwaan, say the idea is wishful thinking.

Daniela Vicherat Mattar (PhD European University Institute) convenes the Culture, History and Society major. Trained as a sociologist, her research focuses on cities, citizenship and, more recently, care. She’s interested in how dominant ideas about belonging translate in urban forms and infrastructures…

On Friday 12 November 2021, the Net Zero Space initiative was launched at the Paris Peace Forum. The International Institute of Air and Space Law (IIASL) of Leiden University is one of the first supporters to the initiative.

The European Commission has selected a consortium of major European launcher and satellite manufacturers, operators and service providers, as well as policy and legal research centres and institutes to study and provide guidelines and recommendations on Space Traffic Management (STM). The IIASL of Leiden…

Ivo Smits is a professor of Arts and Cultures of Japan at the Leiden University Institute for Area Studies (LIAS).

Bernhard Brandl's research focuses on two main areas: starbursts and instrumentation. He is interested in new instrument concepts, near- and mid-IR instruments, adaptive optics, properties of starbust galaxies and infrared spectroscopy. Currently, he is the principal investigator of the METIS instrument…

The first fine for space debris has been issued. An American company that had failed to clean up its space junk has been fined $150.000.

Space travel has long since progressed from being just about rockets, travelling to the moon, and Russia and America. The Netherlands has its own Space Agency and one of its important tasks is collecting and making available increasingly advanced satellite data.

Space is of enormous strategic value. Having rules in space therefore is to everyone’s advantage.

Various countries are planning new missions to the Moon. Not just for prestige and science, but also to extract raw materials.

A new report reveals five actions that leaders can take to contribute to economic development, advance global security and sustainability, and make space a safe and globally accessible domain.

Jelle Brands (1985) works as assistant professor at the Institute of Criminal Law and Criminology.

The Leiden University team representing the International Institute of Air and Space Law (IIASL) won the World Finals of the Manfred Lachs Space Law Moot Court Competition that took place in Paris on 20 September 2022.

The International Astronautical Congress (IAC) that took place last week in Paris was extremely successful for IIASL.

SRON, the Netherlands Institute for Space Research, is holding an open day on Sunday 25 September. It has had a branch at the Leiden Bio Science Park since 2021 and works closely with Leiden University.

From a billionaires’ space race to the launch of tens of thousands of minisatellites: space is becoming busier than ever. This means more than enough work for Tanja Masson-Swaan, an assistant professor at the Institute of Air and Space Law at Leiden University. Because who makes the rules and makes…

On 28 June, a group of 35 students (13 from Leiden) visited the law faculty as part of the Space Summer School, a 5-day course organised by the LDE Centre 'Space for Science and Society' and NL Space Campus.

Two talented academics from Leiden who recently obtained their PhD have been awarded a Rubicon grant by the Dutch Research Council (NWO). The grant enables them to gain experience at a knowledge institute abroad.

A symposium on space diplomacy for experts and the general public will take place in The Hague on Monday 12 June. Everyone has an interest in learning more about this topic, says Professor Jan Melissen. ‘The scope of international relations has expanded beyond our planet.’

From the effects of hormone fluctuations in women via the interior structure of giant planets to the prehistory of the languages: six Leiden researchers have been awarded a Consolidator Grant by the European Research Council.

The United Arab Emirates has announced that it is to open a so-called ‘Space Court’ which will operate as an arbitral tribunal for space-related disputes.

The Student Living Room at the KOG will soon officially open its doors. All Leiden Law School staff and students are welcome to come and see this new space during the official opening event on Tuesday 23 May at 12.00 hrs. A free lunch will be provided for all, we’ll raise a toast with a glass of bubbles,…

Katarzyna J. Cwiertka is professor of Modern Japan Studies at Leiden University.

What started as pioneering work, has evolved over decades to become a renowned institute in 2025 with an internationally acclaimed master's programme. 'Almost everyone involved in the aviation and space sector knows us in Leiden.'

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During the second episode of this Leiden Law podcast, hosts Juli Wentholt and Ishana Badhai will talk with Tanja Masson-Zwaan about the latest developments in Space Law.

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