How do religious narratives persuade their readers to believe their message? And how can it be that some readers even come to treat fantasy and science fiction as authoritative religious texts? These are the core questions treated in Markus Davidsen’s new book Narrative and Belief: The Religious Affordance…

It is estimated that approximately 30% of all proteins require a metal to function. Investigating the relationship between metal-binding and peptide/protein folding allows us to uncover fundamental rules for creating metallo-peptides and proteins, which in turn leads to the creation of new structures,…

The purpose of the initiative is to establish Central Asian Studies at Leiden University. Central Asia is a region with fluid borders stretching into present-day Afghanistan, Russia, China, Mongolia, Iran and the Caucasus; a premodern highway of global interaction and today increasingly important as…

We have recently discovered that there are biological proteins that phase separate out of solution much the way oil will de-mix from water (see movie). These form dense, liquid-like phases called protein condensates.

The Human Origins group at Leiden University studies the archaeology of hunter-gatherers, from the earliest stone tools in East Africa, more than three million years old, to the origin of sedentary societies towards the end of the last ice age.

This programme examines cultural space, national identity and the politics of tangible and intangible heritage in Islamic Central Asia.

Workshop

Empathic or anxious mistakes? A neurocognitive investigation of the development of social performance monitoring in youth growing up in stressful versus non-stressful environments

How did free agents in the Dutch Republic react to the creation of colonial monopolies (VOC and WIC) by the States-General? This project answers this question by looking at the role individuals played in the construction of an informal global empire parallel to the institutional empire devised by the…

What is the role of technology and cyberculture in Korean social structures and in the potential formation of a new collective subjectivity? How do we reorient disoriented souls?

Our researchers form a unique and interdisciplinary team who are active in various fields.

How to get involved in sustainability? Read more about four projects that Leiden University helped realise in the past few years.

Since 2013, the National Natural History Museum of the Netherlands, Naturalis Biodiversity Center, is unearthing the largest bonebed of the horned dinosaur Triceratops discovered so far. In order to answer questions about sedimentology, taphonomy and palaeobiology, palaeontologists and geologists collaborated…

Desinging Your Life helps students at Leiden University to design their life path and face the future with confidence. On this website, you find all you need to know about your Designing Your Life opportunities in Leiden.

In this section you will find detailed information about the eligibility criteria, necessary conditions, and guidelines for participating.

The application of compliance archaeology techniques such as mechanical large scale excavations where large quantities of data are gathered in relatively little time (and relatively inexpensively) and a firm post-excavation research phase yielded a whole new body of archaeological evidence.

Digitally Preserving Heritage at Risk

How did learned natural historical inquiries into the underwater world develop in eighteenth-century Europe?

Are you looking for a research project?

This book sheds new light on domestic forced migration by examining the experiences of American-born slave migrants from a comparative perspective.

What are the biological effects of Chinese herbal medicine in regulation of cancer cell metastasis?

In the Aarts lab we combine or structure materials, mostly in thin film form, in such a way that the hybrid has different and novel properties or functionalities.

Leiden Observatory provides full education programmes in Astronomy both at the bachelor’s and master’s level. We integrate world-class scientific research and excellent education. Read all about our study programmes!

The project GRADIENTS investigates what it meant to be European in colonial Africa where identification as European often did not depend on skin colour and was understood on a spectrum with many gradients.

The VVI seeks to advance knowledge of the formation and functioning of legal systems in their social contexts, the impact of these systems on society and vice versa, their effectiveness in governance, and their contribution to development.

What made the early Islamic empire so successful and have we missed the story by neglecting crucial evidence? The 7th-century Arab conquests changed the socio-political configurations in the Mediterranean and Eurasia forever. Yet we do not really know how the Arabs managed to gain dominance of this…

This research project of the Catholic University of Leuven was created in 1976 by Professor Dr Pierre Vermeersch, who assumed its direction until 2003. The present director is Professor Dr Philip Van Peer.

The Graduate School of Archeology offers no longer the opportunity to obtain a full BKO certificate for PhD candidates. PhD candidates can opt for the partial BKO, especially designed for them, in which only the objective 3 and 4 are assessed: preparing and giving lectures and supervising students.

Leiden University offers ambitious students a world-class environment in which to reach their full potential.

Leiden University offers ambitious students the world-class environment needed to reach their potential.

How can we monitor and protect biological and cultural diversity in Suriname best? What can we learn from local knowledge and customs associated with biodiversity? How can we understand current species, acoustical, behavioural, and ecological diversity from an evolutionary perspective? Can we predict…

The MA Southeast Asian Studies at Leiden University explores Southeast Asia in-depth and from the perspective of its history, literature, media, culture, religions, philosophy or philology.

Leiden University offers ambitious students a world-class environment in which to develop their area of expertise.

Plant Sciences' contribution to the Biodiversity & Evolution research theme is to understand what are the key drivers of plant biodiversity during evolution with a focus on plant life history and resilience traits and develop tools to restore and maintain plant biodiversity.

The MA South Asian Studies at Leiden University is designed for students with an interest in studying South Asia from a range of perspectives including its history, literature, art, media, culture, religions, philosophy and philology.

Leiden University offers ambitious students the latest knowledge and the freedom to develop their own area of expertise.

Leiden University offers ambitious students a world-class academic environment in which to develop their area of expertise.

Exploring cultural production in Europe, Latin America and Africa, the institute’s research programme focuses on the continuous interconnectedness of the Arts and Society in both the textual culture of literature, learning and public debate and the visual culture of art, architecture, film, photography…

As part of your assignment you are required to contribute to teaching in the Bachelor and the Master programs in Bio-Pharmaceutical Sciences of Leiden University. You will supervise Bachelor and Master students during the research projects of the students in the laboratory.

In the South African context, certain iconic images have been a dominant source for public understandings of historical events. The emphasis given these images tends to overshadow the historical value of other more personal photographic sources – like studio or amateur photography. This project looks…

Guidelines, rules and other important information for PhD candidates are described in detail in various documents. In addition, FGGA has developed faculty-specific guidelines and best practices, which are collected on this page as well.

Leiden University offers ambitious students a world-class environment in which to reach their full potential.

Leiden University offers ambitious students the latest knowledge and the freedom to develop their own area of expertise.

When you apply for admission, you’ll be asked to submit several documents.

Leiden University offers ambitious students a world-class academic environment in which to develop their area of expertise.

The master's programme Comparative Criminal Justice at Leiden University focuses on criminology, criminal law and their mutual relationship. The programme offers an international comparative perspective, analysing criminal justice systems, legislation and policies in common law and civil law countri…