Study information, Workshop

This year’s edition of the prestigious art festival Ruhrtriennale, carried in diverse locations around the cities of Essen, Bochum and Duisburg (Germany), has re-staged De Materie, ACPA professor Louis Andriessen’s exceptional opera which overcomes traditional patterns of the genre in terms of dramaturgy,…

This research cluster aims to analyse and interpret the formation and transmission of Graeco-Roman culture by exploring the relationships between cultural products (texts, objects, practices) and their societal and historical contexts.

How do you make lobbying and rhetoric both challenging and understandable for high school students? Professor Jaap de Jong found the answer in climate activist Greta Thunberg. Together with his colleague Arco Timmermans, he developed a digital guest lecture on how to present a convincing story.

What does it mean to be the ‘perfect student’? This is the focus of the Perspectify exhibition, which was opened on 16 November by President of the Executive Board Annetje Ottow.

Op de Dag van de Persvrijheid (3 mei) verscheen de 16e editie van de Persvrijheidsmonitor, die de staat van de persvrijheid in Nederland in kaart brengt. Ondanks de hoge positie van Nederland op de wereldranglijst – plaats drie – blijft de veiligheid van journalisten een punt van zorg.

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…

Authorities in Denmark and Sweden are examining whether it is possible to ban Quran burning following recent incidents. These have caused tension in many Islamic countries as well as in the countries where they occurred.

Professor of Constitutional Law, Wim Voermans, is surprised by the decision of PVV ministers to resign at the request of party leader Geert Wilders. Voermans says in Mr. Online that Wilders 'has no constitutional authority to do so.'

On 18 July 2018 former President of South Africa Nelson Mandela would have been 100 years old. In 1999 the anti-apartheid activist received an honorary doctorate from Leiden University. His response was modest: 'This is not a personal achievement. It is a tribute to all those who were involved in the…

Eight students who enrolled in the LUC Multimedia Journalism course worked an entire block on their online productions, which had to include at least three of five possible media forms: text, audio, video, photo and infographics.

The fall of the IS caliphate is coming closer. At the same time, the AIVD warned for an increase in the return of especially the hardened warriors. How should Europe handle this? The shrinking of freedoms will only feed terrorist organizations like IS.

Three students of the Master programme in European Law have published a blog post on the Leiden Law Blog.

Private businesses will probably soon refuse access to non-vaccinated persons in the near future. But this is more difficult when it comes to public amenities. Aart Hendriks, Professor of Health Law at Leiden Law School, contributed to an article in Dutch newspaper NRC saying that he anticipates that…

Nietzsche may well have criticised Spinoza, but even so, the two philosophers had more in common than we might think, according to young Romanian philosopher Razvan Ioan. PhD defence 1 November.

For most of the past ten years, Europe has been in a state of ‘crisis’. The bank crisis mutated seamlessly via the Euro crisis to the present migrant crisis. Whereas previously the general assumption was that even closer cooperation within the European Union was a foregone conclusion, the EU is now…

As a graduate of the MA Linguistics, with a specialisation in Linguistics, you will have developed a range of analytical and problem-solving skills that can be applied to many careers, in growing areas like speech technology, artificial intelligence, education, language documentation, language policy,…

Leiden University regularly confers honorary doctorates, and presents awards and prizes.

The aim of the Indonesian-Dutch Literature Collective (which is allied to the Society of Dutch Literature (MNL)) is to support research into the literature of and about the Dutch Indies, from the era of the Dutch East India Company to the present. Starting in 1986, the collective has published its own…

If a forged Vermeer or Rembrandt is discovered, it is world news. Yet tracing fakes has long been a low priority in art history. University lecturer Anna Tummers will receive an ERC grant of almost two million euros to change that.

In his dissertation Gabriel Paiuk explores the variable ways in which what is heard is formed. To address this, he postulates a novel concept of sound image in a post-anthropocentric context in which both mind and material artefacts are instances across which the image occurs, rather than hosts on which…

Climate action is often framed as urgent and necessary. But on the ground, it can also unsettle lives in unexpected ways. LUC researcher Bernardo Almeida explores what happens on land rights of vulnerable groups when climate responses meet fragile governance systems.

Many members of the Royal Family have studied at Leiden University and several have been awarded an honorary doctorate.

How was the racial landscape of citizenship and democracy in antebellum America characterized, and how did free Black populations in various states navigate such landscapes?

More than six years after the first Covid-19 infection, key political players are being questioned to draw lessons from the pandemic period. Wim Voermans, Professor of Constitutional and Administrative Law, commented on ‘EenVandaag’: ‘Many unanswered questions remain.’

Since the end of the nineteenth century Arabic book designers have influenced the social and cultural situation in the Middle East with their work. Huda Smitshuijzen Abi-Farès has written the first global overview of this neglected field of science. PhD defence 10 January.

Few people would associate the name Anton de Kom with Leiden. Yet the Surinamese freedom fighter is the subject of an exhibition at Museum De Lakenhal.

The celebration of Leiden's Dies Natalis on Monday 9 February in the Pieterskerk was extra special this year and was attended by many prominent guests. This was the kick-off of the special 88th Lustrum (five-year) celebrations in 2015.

Participation in research programmes

The speed at which science is changing our lives gives rise to tensions and concerns. In his talk at Leiden University, Minister Robbert Dijkgraaf (Education, Culture and Science) said we should talk more about science’s relationship with society and political decision-making.

The English Language and Culture programme focuses on four areas, namely: philology, literature, linguistics and language acquisition. It also offers several specialisation options, ranging from renaissance literature to the use of metaphors.

De ophef rond het geplande optreden van Kanye West in Arnhem groeit, maar juridisch gezien kan de burgemeester dat niet zomaar tegenhouden. Volgens Adriaan Wierenga, noodrechtspecialist bij de afdeling Staats- en bestuursrecht en tevens werkzaam aan de RUG, botsen zulke ingrepen al snel met fundamentele…

New Ph.D. programme implemented in collaboration between the Institute of Greek and Latin Studies of the Faculty of Arts of the Charles University and the Institute of Philosophy of the Czech Academy of Sciences. Application deadline is 30 April 2021, admission examinations take place on 14-16 June…

Dutch activist Frank van der Linde has initiated summary proceedings against the extension of the emergency order following the recent disturbances in Amsterdam. Wim Voermans, Professor of Constitutional Law, comments on the case in Dutch newspaper ‘de Volkskrant’.

It increasingly seems that Elon Musk has taken it upon himself to decide what can and cannot be said on Twitter. He bought the platform with the message that there would be room to say whatever you desired, but he himself is casting doubts on that principle.

Information about the situation in Ukraine

In recent decades, the Netherlands’ struggle with multiculturalism has caused an upsurge in public interest in the relationship between state and religion. In this, the Dutch address a subject relevant not just to them, but to all of Europe.

Last monday, the fourth edition of the HOPweek kicked-off. During this week, new students of Leiden University that will study in The Hague will get to know new people, their study, study associations and The Hague. HOPweek 2019 was officially opened during the opening ceremony in the Great Church (De…

Assistant Professor Mike Schmidli has won the 2025 Faculty Teaching Prize. The Education Committee praised his commitment not only to teaching students well, but also to helping them develop into well-rounded individuals.

A memorial stone honouring professor and resistance hero Ben Telders was unveiled on 12 September at the site of the former concentration camp Bergen-Belsen.

GIFs, memes and videos: anyone who opens a social media platform can be in no doubt that today we live in a visual culture. But the role of images in social communications isn’t new, says Associate Professor Marika Keblusek. She has been awarded a Dutch Research Council (NWO) Open Competition (Large)…

On 1 June 2022, Tom Herrenberg defended the thesis 'Prosecutorial Discretion in International Criminal Justice'. The doctoral research was supervised by Prof. P.B. Cliteur and Prof. B.R. Rijpkema.

The two-years master's programme ICT in Business and the Public Sector (last intake in February 2025) at Leiden University provides students with a deeper understanding on our thinking on physical, geographical and industry boundaries, on distance, speed and communication. The programme offers two specialisations:…

On 9 February 2026 Leiden University celebrated its 451st anniversary.

Leiden has much to celebrate: first, 450 years of the Relief of Leiden and then 450 years of Leiden University. And that is no coincidence.