A partnership with a university or organisation outside of the Netherlands must be based on an agreement. In some cases, Leiden University will not have exchanged students or staff with this university before, and you will first need to create a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU).

All partnerships between Leiden and international partner universities are managed in a central database.

The ‘Committee for Assessing Ethical Aspects of Partnerships’ is being launched this month. This committee, created by Rector Magnificus Hester Bijl and consisting of former and present Leiden University researchers, has been tasked with assessing Leiden University’s institutional ties with organisations…

Jasper Knoester is the dean of the Faculty of Science. How is he doing, what exactly does he do and what does his day look like? In each newsletter, Jasper gives an insight into his life. On 7 May, he has a varied programme ahead of him.

The newly launched Public Leadership in Collaboration partnership has been designed to enhance leadership within and across public sector organisations through research. This kind of leadership has a direct impact on society. Professor Ben Kuipers from the Leiden Leadership Centre (LLC) shares three…

Leiden University is going to partner with the Asian Development Bank, a bank committed to regional development. President of the Executive Board Annetje Ottow signed a memorandum of understanding on this unique partnership in Manila on 27 April.

Research

Research

Simulation project EAGLE has won the 2022 Group Achievement Award of the Royal Astronomical Society. EAGLE is a large collection of simulations about the formation of galaxies. The largest simulation contains as many as 6.8 billion particles and took months to calculate on the world's fastest superc…

An education grant may be available for collaboration with institutions outside The Netherlands. There are different types of grants available, all with different application procedures. A dedicated Education Grant Team can help you find the right grant and give you advice about the relevant procedures.…

The International Relations Department offers advise and support on internationalisation in education in a wide variety of areas.

Workshop

At Leiden University, we know a long tradition of working with international partners. To encourage successful and strategic partnerships, the Leiden University Global Fund (LUGF) was established in 2024. This fund is intended to invest in worldwide partnerships, activities and initiatives. One of the…

Celebrate Leiden University’s 450th anniversary with the special International Staff Week Connecting New Opportunities, taking place from 3 to 5 September. Join academics and professionals to explore transformative developments and challenges of the 21st century in international higher education.

Starting a partnership and signing an exchange agreement is just the first step in facilitating student and staff mobility. Staff and student exchange at Leiden University is administered by international coordinators at faculty and central level.

Leiden University strengthens the impact of its research through strategic collaborations and innovative themes. Here you will find more information about our vision on internationalisation and partnerships, as well as answers to questions such as: How do I benefit from the Leiden-Delft-Erasmus alliance?…

Leiden University encourages international exchange and cooperation. Here you will find more information regarding procedures for staying abroad and establishing partnerships, as well as answers to questions such as: How do I prepare well for a trip? How do I start an international collaboration? And…

Universities, companies, organisations and societies are increasingly facing enormous quantities of data. It is a great challenge to transform these Big Data into knowledge, which is why Leiden University has launched a University-wide Data Science Research Programme.

Workshop

If you wish to increase your academic impact and your interaction with your field, the University can support your efforts in a number of ways: from help in organising events to advice on international collaboration. We have listed the possibilities below.

Here you can find more information about international cooperation.

When you work with partners from home or abroad, these collaborations must be safe and responsible.

Do you have questions about the Kiem grant? You can find answers to frequently asked questions on this page.

Leiden University supports lecturers in designing and delivering high-quality education. Here you can find more information about the vision on teaching and learning, didactic tools and regulations, as well as answers to questions such as: How can I make my lectures interactive? Where can I find the…

On this page you will read all about the Kiem funding tool.

Giving a presentation about the University? There are standard presentations available.

Leiden University encourages groundbreaking collaboration through specific funding instruments. Here you will find more information about funds for interdisciplinary and international projects, as well as answers to questions such as: Which grant fits my idea? And how do I finance collaboration with…

All the information about the Leiden University Global Fund (LUGF) funding instrument is given here, specifically the seed funding options for collaboration with regional partners. The LUGF awards seed funding to support regional collaborative initiatives.

An education grant may be available for collaboration with universities outside The Netherlands. This webpage contains information about the available grants, application procedures and where to look for help and advice.

If you wish to start a project site for a temporary Leiden University project, or if you need a new domain name, please apply to the Functional Web Management department.

Our Research Funding Community continuously gathers intelligence that helps with preparing proposals efficiently and to give them the necessary competitive edge. All grant advisors are happy to share this information, and to guide you throughout the process. For quick reference, this page summarises…

Our Research Funding Community continuously gathers intelligence that helps with preparing proposals efficiently and to give them the necessary competitive edge. All grant advisors are happy to share this information, and to guide you throughout the process. For quick reference, this page summarises…

DataKompas is our new tool for strategic and policy related information. It includes data from our educational and research activities, staff members, management, partnerships and the implementation of our strategic plan. These singular and numerical facts offer us a complete overview and a factual…

On 27 May 2025, the Executive Board decided to establish a Committee on Human Rights / Conflict Zones.

Education, Organisation, Research

You can apply various means to increase your societal impact: through interaction with professionals, the commercial sector or general audiences. The University can support you in this process in a number of ways.

Collaborations with funds and foundations enable a lot of research. As Fundraiser for Foundations and Major Donors, Madelon Rolleman seeks out these opportunities for Leiden University. ‘I’m always looking for ways to start my conversations with funds and foundations.’

Education, Finance

A delegation from Xi’an Jiaotong University visited Leiden University on 25–26 March, celebrating ten years of cooperation in education and research, and exploring new opportunities for future collaboration.

The city of Leiden has a unique combination of knowledge institutions. To ensure this knowledge flourishes and the city gains the maximum benefit from it, the Leiden City of Knowledge partnership was launched five years ago. A new partnership agreement will be signed on 11 November.

Leiden University is a member of the Una Europa European alliance. This partnership of 11 research-intensive universities is working to shape the university of the future.

Three international research projects involving Leiden University researchers will receive funding from the Una Europa university alliance.

Leiden University has set up two committees to consider issues that are the focus of much attention within our community and society at large. They are the Knowledge Security Committee and the Fossil Fuel Industry Collaboration Committee. Former dean Joanne van der Leun will chair both.