The field of artificial intelligence has developed rapidly in recent years. We spoke with Stephan Raaijmakers, professor by special appointment in Communicative AI, about the impact of artificial intelligence and why everyone should pay more attention to developments in this field.

It’s Circular Economy Week, from 1 to 6 February. But what is it that makes an economy circular? And just how circular is our university? René Kleijn, lecturer on the honours class Circular Economy: from challenge to opportunity, explains.

Campus The Hague gained a new facility. On Thursday 17 February, POPcorner was opened, helping students find their way during their studies and within the university buildings.

Professor Jenny Doetjes has received an NWO grant to research the cross-linguistic properties of quantity expressions and our brain's influence on language.

Racism and discrimination come in many different shapes and forms – in the Netherlands too. Verbal attacks, stereotypes and violence: some people are confronted with these on a daily basis. A group that is often not included in research and the debate on racism is people of Asian descent. The Diversity…

Many Leiden University staff members have already benefited from Una Europa, the alliance of eleven leading European universities: they have received funding to bring an idea to life or participated in an exchange with European colleagues. On 22 October there will be a meet-up for everyone at Leiden…

In September, university lecturers Olga van Marion and Astrid Van Weyenberg started working as education coaches. How did their first semester of activities go and what is next on the horizon?

Anyone who has taken a walk through the centre of Leiden before might have come across him, an attentive group of tourists gathered around. After studying history, Koen van Toen, or Koen Marijt, started his own business. He now organises historical walks, among other things.

Commercial MRI systems cost millions of euros to purchase and require highly trained technicians to operate. Prof. Andrew Webb works on accessible MRI techniques that offer new opportunities in both developed and developing countries. Webb is a professor at the Radiology Department of the LUMC and,…

As a student, Ratna Lachmansingh wrote her thesis on horror films. Now she is the director of Leiden International Film Festival.

As an academic, it’s not easy to communicate your research to society – and in a language people will understand. With its Outreach Grant Symposium, Young Academy Leiden (YAL) wants to support and inspire a new generation of ‘outreachers’.

The fight against insurgents, guerrillas and resistance movements is an ‘incredibly unpopular’ topic with experts and military personnel, says Professor by Special Appointment of Military History Thijs Brocades Zaalberg in his inaugural lecture. He warns that ignoring these forms of irregular warfare…

When you think of migration, you probably won’t immediately think of dating apps. Yet such apps are important to many migrants, such as those who identify as lesbian, gay, bi, trans, queer or questioning (LGBT+). Researcher Andrew DJ Shield studied the role that dating apps play in the migration process,…

From 1 November we will have a new mobility policy and will track our commuting with an app. The new regulation is more sustainable and will also save us time and effort, say the union reps from the Local Consultative Body.

An ORCID iD is a unique code that identifies you as a scientist in a reliable and consistent way, much like the social security number in a passport. DOI does the same but for a scientific publication instead of a person. DOI and ORCID iD are examples of persistent identifiers.

If you work at Leiden University, you automatically accrue pension with the Algemeen Burgerlijk Pensioenfonds (ABP). You can supplement your pension with ABP. In addition to a retirement pension, ABP also offers surviving dependents insurance and a work disability pension. From 1 January 2027, the…

For your commuting days, you can apply for a supplementary allowance in the Terms of Employment Individual Choices Model. You will not be reimbursed in full for your commuting expenses, but you will benefit from a tax benefit.

Do you want access to your mailbox via your webmail? Do you want to share a single e-mail address with a number of colleagues? Read about the different options for email.

Much of Leiden University’s income comes from the government and the tuition fee (first income stream). Each year the Executive Board distributes this income among the faculties and institutes. For the sake of transparency, the University applies the First Income Stream Allocation Model. Alongside being…

Leiden University offers students access to the platform Gezonde Boel. The e-modules of Gezonde Boel are an easy way for students to work on their mental health.

Education

If you’re experiencing too much work pressure, talk about it to your colleagues and your manager. This is the only way we can jointly work towards a solution. How do you raise the issue of work pressure? And what can you do to prevent work pressure from getting out of hand?

Alongside central government funds, the tuition fee is an important source of University income. The tuition fee also counts as the first stream of income.

Researchers in all SSH labs can count on comprehensive support in their research. Technical support is available on site during office hours. The lab manager will also be present as much as possible.

Our communication strategy emphasises the achievements of Leiden University researchers and students and supports our mission and core values.

Welcome to the Graduate School of the Faculty of Humanities. On this website you'll find a wide range of information you might need as a PhD candidate. If you have any further questions, please contact the Graduate School Office.

Ig Nobel

Who should you contact to set up, move or adjust your workplace?

Do you have to give a presentation for the first time, or do you need support creating a good presentation? We have listed a few tips below that will help you get your story across.

Locking your screen before leaving your desk: it’s so easy to do but we often forget. This quick action protects both you and the university. Do you always lock your screen when you leave to get a coffee, walk to the printer or chat with a colleague in the corridor?

Career development, Communication, Outreach

publicatietools

We will gradually fill this page with more information. In the 2025-2026 academic year, a pilot will be running in which non-registered students will be allowed to participate 45 minutes after the start time of the exam, provided there are exam seats available.

Workshop

Giving an effective lecture requires not only careful preparation of the content, but also clear structures, visual support and presentation techniques. Some guidelines and tips to keep your lectures engaging and well structured are presented here.

Leiden University transitioned to a new, future-proof software system: BAS InSite. This system replaces SAP Self Service and handle personnel, financial, and administrative matters currently managed through the Serviceplein.

Here you will find questions and answers about Vidatum.

Leiden University appreciates it if you explain your work to a wider audience every now and then. We encourage media contributions and have people and tools to help you with this.

Our vision on lifelong development

Explanation of improvements and additions to templates and blocks.

Depending on its purpose, assessment can support ongoing learning, provide final evaluations, or help students reflect on their own progress.

When you retire, your income is almost certain to be lower than what you are used to. You can take measures now to supplement your pension later.