Graig Klein is assistant professor at the Institute of Security and Global Affairs. His research explores the instrumentality of political violence and how dissident-government interactions effect tactical and strategic evolution, conflict processes, and international & national security - primarily…

Anouk is a lecturer and a PhD candidate at the Institute of Political Science.

Constance Maly is a PhD candidate in European Studies at the Institute of Political Science.

Two researchers from the Institute of Political Science were recently awarded prizes. Claire Vergerio received the Francesco Guicciardini Prize for her book on the historical origins of the primacy of the state in international law ('best book in the historical international relations category'). In…

Aritri Dutta is an external PhD candidate of literature specializing in postcolonial fiction, with a focused interest in decolonizing epistemologies within literary criticism. Her research explores alternative frameworks for literary knowledge production, aiming to develop a

Tradition has it that at the end of each academic year, the best master’s thesis in Political Science is awarded a prize. For 2021-2022, the jury is considering six nominations. All of great quality, but on different topics. These range from political party bans to questions regarding commitment within…

The thesis is a major milestone for master students graduating in Political Science. It demonstrates their ability to conduct research independently and to provide a thorough, objective and sound analysis. That requires instruction, discussion, thinking and hard work. Lots of it. In some cases this…

As a Leiden University’s master’s student in Political Science you conduct independent research and report your findings to fellow academics and, who knows, to a larger audience. Your thesis is a showcase of your academic skills and personal interest, and perhaps even passion. Easier said than done,…

The nominees for the IRO Thesis Prize 2025 and the Prof. Dr. J.Th.J. van den Berg-prijs 2025. Who authored the best thesis in Leiden University’s bachelor’s programme in Political Science?

Every Political Science master’s student at Leiden University completes their degree with thesis. The thesis provides students with the opportunity to pursue a topic of their choosing in depth and conduct independent research. It is a demanding task that requires dedication, attention to detail, and…

Dario Fazzi is Professor of Transatlantic Environmental History at Leiden University and the Roosevelt Institute for American Studies in Middelburg, the Netherlands.

It is a full classroom: more than 30 pupils from 5 and 6 vwo are present to listen to political scientist Leila Demarest's lecture. She gives a brief introduction on the topic she is about to discuss: democracy in the global North and South. At first, the group seems a bit quiet, but when she asks questions…

Adina Akbik has been appointed as a new member of the Young Academy Leiden (YAL) as of 1 September 2024. Akbik is Senior Assistant Professor of European Politics at Leiden University. YAL serves as a platform for early career academics, and Akbik is keen to promote the needs and interests of young researchers…

Dimiter Toshkov, Associate Professor at Leiden University, told CGTN Europe that the Dutch election outcome reflects growing support for pragmatic and pro-European politics. He highlights D66’s focus on education, climate policy and European cooperation as key to its strong performance.

Tim Meijers Education Director and a University Lecturer at the Institute for Philosophy.

Adam Lichtenheld is an Assistant Professor of Peace Studies, Conflict Resolution, and International Relations at the Institute of Security and Global Affairs. He is an expert on forced displacement, armed conflict, political violence, peacebuilding, and post-conflict development, with a focus on Africa…

Diah Angendari is a PhD Candidate at the Institute of Cultural Anthropology and Development Sociology. Her research focuses on the intersection of digital policies and communication.

Edmund Frettingham is Assistant Professor in International Relations at Leiden University College. His primary research interests lie in security studies and religion in international politics, with particular focus on theories of security, approaches to the study of religion in international politics,…

Alexandre Afonso's research focusses on the comparative political economy of European countries, and the relationship between welfare states, labour market institutions and immigration.

Bastiaan Rijpkema is a legal philosopher and lawyer. He is professor of Jurisprudence at the Institute for the Interdisciplinary study of the law (Faculty of Law), where he holds the chair in Jurisprudence, with a specialisation in Theory and Methods of Law in an Interdisciplinary Context.

The Ecuadorian Pachakutik party is one of the oldest indigenous political movements in Latin America. Despite not being very successful at the polls and hardly having organisational resources at its disposal, Pachakutik is still part of Ecuador’s political landscape. In her dissertation, Political Scientist…

The latest book by political scientist Matthew Longo came out this spring: 'The Picnic: A Dream of Freedom and the Collapse of the Iron Curtain'. In addition to its many favourable reviews, the book received the prestigious Orwell Prize this summer, which highlights exceptional books on politics.

André Gerrits is Professor Emeritus of International Studies and Global Politics.

The war in Ukraine has lasted almost two weeks now. What does Putin expect to achieve with his invasion and how big is the chance that the West will get involved? We phoned André Gerrits, professor and expert on Russia.

Research & Politics (RAP) is a peer-reviewed open access journal which focusses on research in political science and related fields through open access publication of the very best cutting-edge research and policy analysis. The journal achieved a high score for the impact factor, which puts it in 49th…

Adina Akbik is Associate Professor of European Politics and Director of Educational Transition (Graduate Studies Portfolio) at the Institute of Political Science.

Suddenly there they were, the Russian soldiers near the border of Ukraine. Since then, reports of tensions between Russia on the one hand and the United States and Europe on the other have dominated the news. What is going on? An interview with Russia expert André Gerrits.

If you look at the postwar cartoonists of Dutch origin, Bernhard Willem Holtrop is certainly the most interesting, according to Frenk Driessen. He wrote his PhD thesis on Holtrop - who drew for HP/De Tijd and Charlie Hebdo, among others - and then also published it as a book.

A big performance by André Rieu, food trucks in The Hague and more contact with the Royal Family: grand plans were announced in April to make the State Opening of Parliament (Prinsjesdag) a real ‘crowd puller’. For this year, however, we will just have to make do with slight differences in emphasis.…

When we talk about the Kingdom of the Netherlands, it is not just about the Netherlands. On the contrary: our Kingdom consists of no less than four countries, three of which are Caribbean islands. This structure is complex, to say the least. Although all countries are officially equivalent, in practice…

Dr. Jelena Belic and Dr. Tom Theuns have each been awarded XS grants from the NWO to develop innovative lines of research. Dr. Belic’s project examines distinctive ways in which the deployment of digital technologies interferes with freedom, while Dr. Theuns explores the ideological tensions between…

A flood of news reports, push notifications and even extra news broadcasts: on Wednesday, the world was shocked by the storming of the Capitol in Washington. Americanist Sara Polak discusses the events.

Roeland Spruyt is affiliated to the departement of Jurisprudence since October 2022.

Gert Jan Geertjes is an Assistant Professor at the Department of Constitutional and Administrative Law of Leiden University.

Mark Dechesne's research is primarily focused on developing basic knowledge regarding human judgment, decision making, and beliefs, and the study of various societal questions in which these processes play an important role. The combination of basic principles of decision making and engaged social research,…

David Zetland researches the political-economy of water, the environment and the commons. As a university lecturer at Leiden University College, he teaches courses on economics, entrepreneurship, sustainability, and the commons.

Irene Moretti is a PhD candidate at the Institute of Cultural Anthropology and Development Sociology of Leiden University..

Christopher Green is a lecturer at the Institute for Area Studies.