In the Criminal Justice research programme, (criminal) law researchers and social scientists – many of whom are criminologists – collaborate on various projects. The research programme focuses on the content and form of decisions that could be, should be and are taken in by actors in the criminal justice…

The Hague Diplomacy Blog is the new monthly blog of The Hague Journal of Diplomacy (HJD), the ISGA-based research journal for the study of diplomacy.

How do humanitarian organisations adapt cyber incidents to their specific priorities and needs, and how can they adapt strategies of other organisations?

Digitalisation to achieve sustainable (administrative) justice.

Security is key to survival for any living organism: life is full of perils and threats, both physically, environmentally, and societally. Security challenges such as terrorism, natural disasters, and cybercrime rank among the most pressing issues of our time, affecting the security and safety of millions…

National and international actors have attempted to provide accountability for the events at Srebrenica in July 1995. This research project aims to draw lessons learned from those multiple efforts in assessing whether securing a measure of ‘justice’ for the victims has been successful and how national…

The Secret Life of Art Works. Exploring the Boundaries between Art and Life is the first collection of essays to present case studies from the visual arts, architecture, sculpture and numismatics, and to engage critically with theoretical perspectives from art history, psychology, aesthetics and ant…

Do recent developments in the European security architecture signal the end of multilateral cooperation, or the beginning of a new era with emerging forms of international security collaboration?

Subproject of

Knowledge and culture subproject 3:

The position of child victims, globally and in Liberia and their right to physical and psychological recovery and social reintegration covered by art. 39 CRC.

Developments in globalization and industrialization continuously push governments, international organizations and NGOs to reexamine the opportunities available to people at all levels of society to attain basic socioeconomic necessities. Research into existing social justice initiatives has shown a…

September 2017 will see the start of the new English-language bachelor's programme in Security Studies in The Hague, developed by the Institute of Security and Global Affairs (ISGA) at Leiden University. The programme meets the growing need for academics with a broad training in the field of securit…

To make digital communication more secure, we need to tighten up the legal frameworks and identify the biggest cyber threats.

Crises arising from terrorism, cyber threats, and natural disasters dominate world news and make Crisis and Security Management a heavily politicized and hotly debated topic at the top of the national and global societal and governance agenda.

As our society becomes increasingly complex, it is critical that we better understand how we can deal with fundamental issues such as societal and personal security, and resilience against threats to our security.

Research is at the heart of a solid security policy. That’s why researchers from Leiden are analysing the motives of radicalised people and the biggest risks surrounding digital activity. Read more about their work in the research dossier ‘Security and Threat’.

In The Hague, the international city of peace, justice, and security, the Faculty of Governance and Global Affairs' bachelor's programmes offer you the opportunity to learn from experts in security and crisis response. Here, you will gain the knowledge and skills to keep people, organisations, and societies…

In The Hague, the international city of peace, justice, and security, the Faculty of Governance and Global Affairs' bachelor's programmes offer you the opportunity to learn from experts in security and crisis response. Here, you will gain the knowledge and skills to keep people, organisations, and societies…

“Transitional justice” is a field of practice, policy and study that focuses on the ways that societies respond to legacies of large-scale atrocities though tribunals, truth commissions, reparations, and other mechanisms.

As a student in Security Studies you are a socially engaged critical thinker eager to study real-life security cases in an academic setting. You focus not just on the broad context of these issues but also on the role of government, institutions and media. Want to know more? Sign up for one of our Open…

Knowledge that helps protect the Netherlands and Europe from military and cyber threats.

On 20 November, Special Professor of United Nations Studies in Peace and Justice, Alanna O'Malley, presented her research agenda for the next 3 years. An ambitious agenda full of projects to gain more insight into the origin and functioning of the UN.

This project compares and explains dynamics of cross-border cooperation among European actors in the field of counterterrorism (CT).

Taking the changing landscape of international cyber security and cyber conflict as a point of departure, The Hague Program on International Cyber Security focuses on the various modes of governance that states and other actors can bring into play to deal with and shape the strategic changes and challenges…

In September 2023 Social Justice Research, a journal from Springer Nature, published a ‘Special Issue on Veteran Reflections’. Eight ‘veterans’ analysed the current status of justice research and suggested new directions and refinements. Herman Steensma, guest member of the section Social, Economic…

When you walk into the Gorlaeus Building, you will notice it immediately; the artwork 'The Cloud' hangs prominently in the hall and cannot be missed. Artist Jos Agasi designed it especially for this location. ‘Intuition, imagination and creativity. Scientists and artists have more in common than they…

Bernini and Pallavicino, the artist and the Jesuit cardinal, are closely related figures at the papal courts of Urban VIII and Alexander VII, at which Bernini was the principal artist. The analysis of Pallavicino's writings offers a new perspective on Bernini's art and artistry and allow us to understand…

This research project explores themes related to the system of close protection and surveillance (Dutch: bewaken en beveiligen) in the Netherlands.

The first book ever on information-theoretically secure multiparty computation

This book describes the changing roles of traditional authorities in combatting contemporary security challenges.

On this page you will find all information about the Bachelor of Security Studies that you need as a first-year student.

Promotor: R. Cramer

On Tuesday 3 September 2024 Straton Papagianneas successfully defended a doctoral thesis and graduated.

Art of Captivity / Arte del Cautiverio tells a compelling story about Central America's drug war through a series of rich photographs. The book, which is entirely bilingual in English and Spanish, focuses on Guatemala, which has become the primary point of transit for cocaine produced in the Andes and…

The Leiden Lectures in Media | Art | Politics (MAP) is a series of talks organized by Pepita Hesselberth and Yasco Horsman. Speakers from various academic backgrounds and in different stages of their careers reflect on diverging ways in which technological and social changes challenge and transform…

On 23 February 2022, Cale Davis defended the thesis 'Prosecutorial Discretion in International Criminal Justice'. The doctoral research was supervised by Prof. C. Stahn en Dr. J.C. Powderly.

The fifth edition of the Owada Chair Symposium, that was held in Leiden on 14 and 15 October 2025, highlighted the law and politics of international criminal justice.

Social resilience and security has never been more important. Over the last 2 years, the COVID-19 pandemic has created a considerable disturbance to our personal and social lives. As a result, the general population reports more stress, loneliness and decreased quality of life. At the same time, there…

An analysis of people’s access to justice and the working of (legal) institutions in post-conflict, democratic Libya

In the track Intelligence and National Security you will be introduced to intelligence and security services in their political, societal, and bureaucratic contexts. The track will give you a thorough understanding of the modus operandi of these agencies, their interaction with the surrounding world,…

In this policy paper, Joachim Koops and Christian Patz are discussing Germany’s comprehensive assessment of Protection of Civilians readiness at the national level.

On the occasion of prof Paul van der Heijden’s stepping down as Rector Magnificus and President of the Executive Board of Leiden University in 2013 the Chair bearing his name on Social Justice was established. It was a “farewell present” of the Leiden University to it’s Rector.

Our research group Intelligence and Security, provides a diverse range of educational opportunities that combine theoretical foundations with practical applications in intelligence and security.