A new book, Learning to Play: Learning Reinforcement and Games by Aske Plaat is now available.

‘Vrijwel elke kritische reflectie op AI en de richting waarin AI zich op dit moment ontwikkelt, ontbreekt’, zegt Reijer Passchier, hoogleraar digitalisering en de democratische rechtsstaat aan de OU en universitair docent staatsrecht in Leiden, in een opiniestuk in de Volkskrant.

Volgens Wim Voermans, hoogleraar staatsrecht, zullen losse erkenningen van landen niet zoveel betekenen. Erkenning is volgens de hoogleraar pas betekenisvol als ook grote spelers als de VS meedoen, zegt hij in NU.nl.

Top scientists of three Dutch universities are working on software and systems for quantum computers. Researchers of the Leiden Institute of Advanced Computer Science (LIACS) and the Leiden Institute of Physics (LION) are developing new algorithms to make those super computers work. The coming years,…

Today, everybody and everything produces data. People produce large amounts of data in social networks and in commercial transactions. Medical, corporate, and government databases continue to grow. Sensors continue to get cheaper and are increasingly connected, creating an Internet of Things, and generating…

Phospholipase A/acyltransferase 3 (PLAAT3) and PLAAT4 are enzymes involved in the synthesis of bioactive lipids. Despite sequential and structural similarities, the two enzymes differ in activity and specificity.

In this dissertation, we study partition-based models that can be used both for interpretable predictive modeling and for understanding data via interpretable patterns.

Quantum annealing belongs to a family of quantum optimization algorithms designed to solve combinatorial optimization problems using programmable quantum hardware. In this thesis, various methods are developed and tested to understand how to formulate combinatorial optimization problems for quantum…

At Leiden University, researchers from all disciplines work together to find answers and design innovations in the field of artificial intelligence.

This thesis deals with the use of sound in interactions in the context of participatory systems and data sonification. We investigate an interactive environment where participants perceive information of the data through sound elements.

In this work we describe three methods to improve the performance of Quantum Field Theory calculations.

This thesis mainly focuses on multimodal understanding and Visual Question Answering (VQA) via deep learning methods. For technical contributions, this thesis first focuses on improving multimodal fusion schemes via multi-stage vision-language interactions.

Fighting for the faith, caring for the sick, and praying for the soul of their benefactors were the main tasks of the military orders, who since the time of the crusades were well represented in the Netherlands in the Middle Ages, including the Frisian lands. Especially the Hospitallers and the Teutonic…

We are living in an information era where the amount of image and video data increases exponentially.

This thesis mainly focuses on cross-modal retrieval and single-modal image retrieval via deep learning methods, i.e. by using deep convolutional neural networks.

Reinforcement learning is a framework that enables agents to learn in a manner similar to humans, i.e. through trial and error. Ideally, we would like to train a generalist agent capable of performing multiple tasks and achieving various goals.

The LOFAR radio telescope produces petabytes of data every year. Radio Astronomers use complex multi-step pipelines to process this data and produce scientific images.

More on the Dutch webpage.

Promotores: T.H.W. Bäck, A. Plaat, Co-promotor: F.J. Verbeek

The invention of neural networks marks a critical milestone in the pursuit of true artificial intelligence. Despite their impressive performance on various tasks, these networks face limitations in learning efficiently as they are often trained from scratch.

Natural history collections provide invaluable sources for researchers with different disciplinary backgrounds, aspiring to study the geographical distribution of flora and fauna across the globe as well as other evolutionary processes.

Een nieuw boek in de reeks Elementaire deeltjes

This thesis manuscript explores the use of video games as tools for conceptual exploration and academic research.

We highly advise you to register with a GP in Leiden or The Hague before arrival or soon after you get here.

On 10 June 2020, Gitta Veldt defended her thesis 'Europese productnormen en privaatrechtelijke normstelling'. The doctoral research was supervised by Prof. H.J. Snijders.

A P300-based Brain Computer Interface character speller, also known as P300 speller, has been an important communication pathway, under extensive research, for people who lose motor ability, such as patients with Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis or spinal-cord injury because a P300 speller allows human-beings…

In this thesis an activity-based probe was discovered that could visualize the activity of PLAATs. With an optimized gel-based ABPP assay in hand, screening of a compound library led to the discovery of alpha-ketoamides as a hit for PLAAT3.

The change from a closed institution to an open living environment for patients with late stages of dementia will give the patients more freedom in their day-to-day life. The effect of this change on the patients’ mobility, activity and interaction with others will be assessed with sensor technology…

How to come to valid risk stratification of alcohol use disorder?

Jasper de Bruin, Guus Besuijen, Hans Siemons & Jeroen van Zoolingen (2012). De romeinse nederzetting bij het tegenwoordige Goedereede heeft waarschijnlijk een belangrijke functie gehad in de overslag en distributie van diverse goederen, waaronder keramiek en voedingsgewassen. De opgraving van deze nederzetting…

In deep reinforcement learning, searching and learning techniques are two important components. They can be used independently and in combination to deal with different problems in AI, and have achieved impressive results in game playing and robotics. These results have inspired research into artificial…

On this page, you will find the recordings of the Tuesday Talks since April 2025. Recordings of the precursor to the Tuesday Talks, This Week’s Discoveries, are also available here.

The thesis is part of a bigger project, the HEPGAME (High Energy Physics Game). The main objective for HEPGAME is the utilization of AI solutions, particularly by using MCTS for simplification of HEP calculations.

Computers are capable of making incredibly accurate predictions on the basis of machine learning. In other words, these computers can learn without intervention once they have been pre-programmed by humans. At LIACS, we explore and push the borders of what a revolutionary new generation of algorithms…

Data science is of vital importance in preventing future outbreaks of viruses, Professor of Data Science Aske Plaat argues. Inaugural lecture entitled ‘Data Science and Ebola’ on 13 April.

Some examples of AI-research done at Leiden.

De inschrijvingen voor de Mmmonk school zijn geopend. Mmmonk School biedt een interdisciplinair praktijkgericht programma over middeleeuwse Vlaamse manuscripten. Experts geven een inleiding bij de belangrijkste concepten, methodes en vaardigheden uit hun discipline. De lessen zijn online, gratis, en…

Mmmonk en het Henri Pirenne Instituut voor Middeleeuwse Studies (UGent) organiseren eind 2024 de tweede editie van Mmmonk School: Lessen voor gevorderde beginners rond het middeleeuwse boek. Mmmonk School biedt een interdisciplinair praktijkgericht programma over middeleeuwse Vlaamse manuscripten. Experts…

Foute taal? Bestaat niet!

De voorjaarsvergadering van de Stichting Oudchristelijke Studiën vindt plaats op 7 maart 2020. De ochtendlezing wordt verzorgd door Prof. Gie Vleugels, terwijl Dr. Klazina Staat instaat voor de middaglezing.

Op 30 september 2021 gaat professor Marc Boone (Universiteit Gent) op emeritaat. Op woensdag 8 september vindt er een huldiging plaats en wordt een bundeling van zijn beste stukken, verzameld door zijn leerlingen, voorgesteld.