The first results of the National Student Survey (NSE) show that Leiden students are still satisfied with their degree programmes. On average they are slightly more satisfied than in 2021. Satisfaction with their lecturers and study guidance has also increased compared with 2021.

In the ‘Imaginary’ exhibition, its curators show how society is made up of mathematics. From algorithms that save lives to ones that generate art. The exhibition is from 2 June to 25 July at Oude UB in Leiden.

For a few years now, Leiden’s Hortus botanicus has been mounting a campaign to cherish wild plants in the city – for the biodiversity and beauty of this spontaneous vegetation. Botanical artists reveal this beauty in an exhibition at Oude UB in Leiden.

Giving an incorrect answer as a student in a packed lecture hall can be nerve-wracking. But with Pharmacology teacher Rob van Wijk, you don’t need to worry about that. ‘He creates a comfortable and safe atmosphere,’ his students say. They have nominated him for the Leiden Science Teacher Award.

Research

Social

Physicists from Leiden University wrote the script and ensured that every experiment in the performance was scientifically accurate. The kickoff of the major educational project of the Amsterdam Light Festival was a huge success — and there’s much more to come.

Ijeoma Uchegbu is Professor of Pharmacy at University College London (UCL). As a female scientist of colour, she was initially reluctant to play an active role in the university’s diversity policy. Until, that is, she had a radical change of heart: ‘I knew it; I had to become an evangelist.'

The Netherlands is embroiled in a complex nitrogen crisis. Berent Baris wants to use his NitroGenius game to demonstrate the complexity of this crisis.

The Faculty of Science launched the new Academic Year on 21 September with a special We Are Science talk show. Dean Paul Wouters starred in his role as talk show host and received a wide variety of guests.

How to take ownership of your career? To find out, students from ‘Design Your Career as a Climate Change Maker’ visited a farmer who has done just that. They learned from him that it’s never too late to start working on something you believe in.

Using biomethane to produce ammonia, a crucial chemical in agriculture, could drastically reduce the climate impact of the process. In a study published in One Earth, researcher Robert Istrate shows it’s even possible to make ammonia production net-zero or carbon negative.

The James Webb Space Telescope continues to surprise us with stunning pictures, but of what exactly? Astronomer Nienke van der Marel shows with three images how massive stars lead short but explosive lives.

Not all sustainable business models have the impact they claim, Leiden researcher Levon Amatuni revealed. Car sharing and phone reuse, for example, have a smaller positive effect than previously thought. Amatuni advises people to ‘pay attention to actual changes in their consumption behaviour rather…

Leiden University contributed to colonialism and slavery through its research and teaching. And governors and residents of Leiden had an active role in colonial networks. These are the findings of two explorative studies presented on 3 April.

Should we be growing rice and building materials instead of grass for cows? From invasive crayfish to cultural heritage and groundwater levels: ten graduating students explored the future of the Groene Hart, the rural region just outside the cities of Delft, Rotterdam and Leiden where they study.

Researchers at LIACS have found a vulnerability in open-source code that’s been used around the world for over 15 years. They’ve also developed an AI-based tool to fix the problem automatically. ‘You really can’t afford to lean back.’

PhD candidate Sibel Bahtiri is one of the new Faces of Science. In videos and blogs, she will show what life is like as a young researcher.

A festive opening with plenty of orange, a well-attended lecture by Ionica Smeets and an unforgettable party for staff and students. We celebrated the opening of the new building together. Join us as we look back on this exciting week of celebrations.

Organisation

The Compulsory Identification Act (WID) stipulates that employers must establish the identity of employees when they enter their employment. This also applies for employment agency staff and interns. When you start work at the University, you therefore have to show a valid identity document. A copy…

From a vegan community kitchen to a green framework for drug development: sustainability became more visible in everyday campus life at Leiden University in 2025.

Demonstrations can be used to show and explain a skill or procedure in a setting from practice, like a lab or (fictitious) courtroom.

With a healthy dose of logic and creativity, mathematics student Lance Bakker shows how computers can prove complex mathematics. His method proves intricate formulas without calculating every intermediate step. It earned him a nomination for the Leiden Science Young Talent Award 2025.

Kamerlingh Onnes Building, Steenschuur 25, 2311 ES, Leiden

Recognising our colleagues’ teaching efforts – and as a manager, taking steps to do so. Broadening our understanding of quality. Marieke Adriaanse, Professor of Behavioural Interventions in Population Health Management and Recognition & Rewards ambassador, can see that Academia is in Motion, but she…

In this step, you will find examples and an explanation of each video format, but remember: video making is a creative process, so don’t let formats limit your imagination. Build on them to find and create your own style that fits your message.

A web lecture in most cases shows a recorded lecture, often in combination with interactive slides or a blackboard. The lecture recording can be made available afterwards or streamed live for students who cannot attend the live lecture.

When you use a screencast, you record the changes on your computer screen, and enhance this with a voice over. You can use different supporting software & hardware, like PowerPoint or a drawing tablet. In some cases this is used in combination with a webcam recording or an animation.

Maileon statistics give you insight into the success of your email campaigns. How often was an email opened, which links did recipients click on and how many unsubscribes were there? With that data, you can optimise your campaigns.

An evolutionary 'trap' that has haunted crested and marbled newts for 25 million years: Leiden researchers have uncovered a mysterious DNA error that should not be able to arise – yet persists all the same. How is that possible? PhD candidate James France found new clues.

Are you a senior lecturer and do you play an active role in the university’s educational development and innovation? If so, you are eligible for the Senior Teaching Qualification (SKO). This qualification shows that you possess strong didactic and educational skills and that you contribute to the development…

The Comenius innovation programme for higher education and universities of applied science gives teachers the resources to implement their vision for education. Every year, the programme creates the conditions for a wide range of teaching innovations to flourish. The government’s aim with this programme…

The proportion of female professors at Dutch universities is increasing, but at a modest rate. At 34.2%, Leiden University is in the top three. These are the results of the Women Professors Monitor for 2025.

From lectures by Robbert Dijkgraaf to a telescope on the ocean floor: during his double bachelor’s in Physics and Astronomy, Jelle Oonk discovered that the path to big cosmic answers sometimes runs through the smallest, hardest-to-catch particles—neutrinos.

Speculation about alien life, a new nitrogen map, AI as a thesis supervisor, groundbreaking telescopes and multi-million-euro investments to combat antimicrobial resistance – the diversity of these topics shows that our readers are just as broadly interested as our researchers. Discover the most-read…

How do you assess whether a collaboration with the fossil fuel industry is permitted and desirable? These tools and tips will help you to make that assessment.

The objective of the Timetabling project is to simplify the timetabling process make it more logical, and to improve the timetable information for students and staff.

Graduation is an important occasion both for the student and for the University. This is the point in time when a student becomes an alumnus. The University is eager to maintain lifelong contact with its alumni.

Personal development

The ECTS grading table provides an insight into the value of a student’s grades and facilitates international grade comparison.

The digital accessibility expert group focuses on improving the accessibility of the university website, digital learning tools and digital examinations. As a result of the corona crisis many educational activities are now online. The group is therefore working closely with the Centre for Innovation…

Communication, Personal development, Diversity

Climate change affects our wellbeing in many ways. In The Conversation, Inge Schrijver, Paul Behrens and Rutger Hoekstra of the CML describe how this is hardly taken into account in the climate models on which global policy is based.

If you handle personal data, there are a number of legal grounds on which this can be done. One example involves obtaining consent from the person in question, also known as 'informed consent'. This informed consent must adhere to several requirements.

Integration of research and teaching is one of the ambitions of our vision on teaching and learning (Learning@LeidenUniversity).