Juan Masullo J., Assistant Professor at Leiden University’s Institute of Political Science, has been named a 2025 Harry Frank Guggenheim Distinguished Scholar. His research with Nicholas Barnes on public security policy preferences in Rio de Janeiro's favelas has been recognized for its innovative approach…

Lecture

Sometimes fascination can lead to in-depth research. Such is the case with Wahyu Widodo, who came across the Islamic Walikutuban ritual in Java in 2019, on which he subsequently wrote his PhD dissertation. Widodo: ‘Besides community, it also breeds political loyalty’

Dutch election signals a return to the political centre, with voters seeking practical solutions both at home and across Europe. Bernard Steunenberg, Professor of Public Administration, cautions that losses for the PVV, the party of Geert Wilders, do not mean the far right has been defeated.

On 1 January 2022, Joop van Holsteijn was appointed Scientific Director and, as Chair of the Institute's Board, will represent the Institute of Political Science at faculty and university level.

Political scientists study topics that affect society, but their work often remains out of the spotlight. Not always: the research of Leiden political scientist Simon Otjes does have a visible impact.

Ramsey Albers wins Political Science Master’s Thesis Prize 2022

Rizal Shidiq is a University Lecturer at the Leiden University Institute for Area Studies. He is an economist by training with primary fields in development economics and monetary theory, and secondary field public choice. His current research topics are on political connections in developing countries,…

Niels van Leeuwen is enrolled in the Master Public Administration: Economics & Governance. During the first stage of his master, he did an internship in the United States, at the economic affairs department of the Royal Netherlands Consulate General in Chicago. ‘There are more ways that lead to Rome…

Five questions for James Shires, assistant professor at ISGA, about his new book, The Politics of Cybersecurity in the Middle East. The book is available to order now.

MA International Relations: Culture and Politics student Annick van Rinsum created a play as a method to research her master’s thesis. “Through writing this play, I aim to contribute to our understanding of International Relations Theory. I’m specifically interested in the question how our theories…

Writing a master’s thesis in Political Science is a demanding yet rewarding journey. Every year, students deliver impressive research that showcases their analytical skills and academic rigor. This year, one thesis stood out for its exceptional quality. On 31 October 2025, during the master’s graduation…

Joris Larik, Assistant Professor at Leiden University College in The Hague, was interviewed live on Al Jazeera on 2 April 2021 about the current political upheaval in The Netherlands and the difficult process of forming a new government.

Eva Polman joined the Institute for the Interdisciplinary Study of the Law as a Uytenbogaert PhD candidate in September 2022.

Joris van de Riet is a researcher and lecturer at the Department of Jurisprudence, where he is preparing a doctoral thesis on the relevance of Immanuel Kant's political philosophy to international law and international relations.

Simon Willmetts is Associate Professor of Intelligence Studies at the Institute of Security and Global Affairs. He is a cultural historian interested in the history of secrecy, intelligence, surveillance and digital privacy. His research focusses upon the wider social and cultural impact of secret intelligence…

Lydie Cabane is senior Assistant Professor at the Institute for Security and Global Affairs. Her main interests include crises, governance, public policy, states, expertise, European Union and global politics.

Reijer Passchier (Haarlem, 28 August 1987) PhD LLM LLB (Leiden University) is an Assistant Professor in Constitutional and Administrative Law at Leiden University. He is also a Professor of Digitalisation and the Democratic Constitutional State at the Open University.

Nikki Mulder is a PhD candidate and teacher at the Institute of Cultural Anthropology and Development Sociology of Leiden University. Her dissertation 'Financing Afterlives' examines how racial inequality shapes the consumption and use of life insurance policies in New Orleans, USA. This project is…

Kai Hebel (DPhil, Oxford University) is Assistant Professor of International Relations. Dr. Hebel’s research interests include international security, diplomacy, international history, cultural studies and IR theory. He has published on a wide range of topics, including military intervention, the Cold…

Frank Pieke is a Professor Emeritus of Modern China Studies at the Institute for Area Studies.

I am a scholar whose research focuses on the modern and contemporary United States. Though a historian by training, my work engages with insights from other disciplines, particularly international relations and American politics. I am currently the principal investigator on the NWO Vidi-funded project…

Crystal Ennis is a University Lecturer at the Leiden University Institute for Area Studies. Crystal is a scholar of Global Political Economy whose research examines the political economy of dependency on hydrocarbon revenue and foreign labour in Gulf economies. With a regional focus on the Arabian…

Holocaust scholars Barbara Engelking and Jan Grabowski will jointly hold the Cleveringa lecture on November 26. They were accused of defamation in Poland for a book they co-edited. How has this affected them? ‘This is an attempt to wear us down.’

Successfully completing a master’s thesis in Political Science is no small feat. Not only is this for most students the most extensive and in-depth research report they have ever written, the work is also held to very high standards. Yet, every year students manage to impress their instructors and demonstrate…

The French political theorist Hélène Landemore has been appointed as the new Cleveringa Professor. She will deliver her inaugural lecture on 26 November.

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…

Education, Organisation

Turkish politics was shaken by the arrest of Istanbul mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu, along with dozens of others from the main opposition party.

Jennifer Dowling is a PhD candidate within the research group Terrorism and Political Violence. Jennifer’s PhD research project focuses on understanding why individuals do not cross the threshold to become involved in various forms of political violence. By adopting a qualitative approach, her project…

Frank Chouraqui is a University Lecturer at the Institute for Philosophy.

Lecture, China Seminar

Anchrit Wille has held the special chair of Transitions in the public sector established by the 'Stichting Leerstoelen CAOP' since November 2021. In her research she works at the interface of public administration and political science. Central themes include: political-administrative relations in national…

Brendan Carroll is assistant professor at the Institute of Public Administration. Carroll examines how member states’ administrative structures adapt to and seek to influence evolving EU policies through their role in the implementation of regulatory policy. In his research on public organizations,…

Eelco van der Maat is a University Lecturer at the institute for History.

Florian Schneider's research interests include questions of governance and public administration in the PRC, Taiwan, and Hong Kong, political communication strategies and political content of popular Chinese entertainment, recent Chinese economic developments, as well as Chinese foreign policy. He…

Mandy de Wilde is a lecturer at the Institute of Cultural Anthropology and Development Sociology of Leiden University. The core question driving her work is how ecological sustainability plays out in local practices, and the situated harms as well as the opportunities that emerge from it.