Five researchers from Leiden University have been awarded an Open Competition Domain Science ENW XS grant by the Dutch Research Council for their research projects.

Lecture, LUCL Colloquium | Comparative Indo-European Linguistics (CIEL) Seminars

Gert Oostindie, Emeritus Professor of Colonial and Postcolonial History, is this year’s Cleveringa Professor at Leiden University. He was appointed by the University on 4 October. In his inaugural lecture on 24 November, entitled Courage and Disregard, he will talk about (academic) freedom in relation…

Ten years ago, a new reward system was introduced in Dutch prisons: the only way prisoners could earn extra ‘freedoms’ was through good behaviour. Jan Maarten Elbers concludes that this system does little to encourage behavioural change and can even be counterproductive.

Symposium

Herta Mohr, Witte Singel 27A, 2311 BG, Leiden

A shepherd, but also a comparativist and historian with very broad interests. That is how Professor Philippe Buc describes himself. As of 1 August 2021, he will hold the chair of professor of Medieval History at the university. In an introductory interview, Buc introduces himself, his research and his…

Markus Davidsen, assistant professor of Religious Studies, is the winner of the 2021 Impact Prize. He is receiving the prize of 1,000 euros for the material he has developed for religious education in secondary schools.

How is academic freedom restricted by the academic community itself? This was the central question at a debate at Leiden University on 14 November.

To express its appreciation, Leiden University awards certificates to board members for their efforts.

Wijnhaven, Turfmarkt 99, 2511 DP, The Hague

Lipsius, Cleveringaplaats 1, 2311 BD, Leiden

P.J. Veth, Nonnensteeg 1-3, 2311 VJ, Leiden

Arsenaal, Arsenaalstraat 1, 2311 CT, Leiden

Van Steenis, Einsteinweg 2, 2333 CC, Leiden

Johan Huizinga, Doelensteeg 16, 2311 VL, Leiden

Schouwburgstraat, Schouwburgstraat 2, 2511 VA, The Hague

Lecture, Histories Connected: Work-in-Progress

Students for Palestine – a group of students from Leiden and The Hague – are holding a panel discussion in the Leiden University in The Hague Wijnhaven building on Tuesday 24 May entitled ‘Silencing Palestine’.

The Dutch universities are shocked by the Russian invasion of Ukraine and empathise with all those affected by this act of aggression. Leiden University also calls for solidarity with and support for all those affected by the war.

Recently, the oldest parts of the Leiden University Archives have been preserved and digitised thanks to a grant from Metamorfoze. This makes an important source on the history of Leiden University – and academic life in the Northern Netherlands in a broader sense – widely available.

Snellius, Niels Bohrweg 1, 2333 CA, Leiden

Gorlaeus Building, Einsteinweg 55, 2333 CC, Leiden

The freedom to be who you are – woman, man, homosexual, heterosexual, transgender, religious, atheist, and so on – is perhaps the Netherlands’ greatest attribute. The principle of equality and the right not to be discriminated against are in the very first article of our constitution. Yet there is a…

What can opera tell us about societies in the past and present? Leiden honours students went looking for an answer, together with students from the Dutch National Opera Academy. A final concert was, of course, part of the repertoire.

Arts and leisure, Arts and leisure

Rafal Matuszewski has been unanimously elected to the Board of the Young Academy of Europe.

If you suspect that malpractice is taking place within your study programme, you are entitled to report it.

Kamerlingh Onnes Building, Steenschuur 25, 2311 ES, Leiden

Lecture | Leiden Lectures on Arabic Language & Culture

Lecture

The demonstration at and occupation of our Wijnhaven building on 6 May had a deep impact on our community, including the Executive Board. The university is therefore holding two meetings to reflect on what happened and discuss how we can address this.

For decades, unmarried girls and women in the Netherlands were forced to give up their newborn children. The impact was profound and persists to this day for the mothers, fathers, relinquished children, and the adoptive families in which they were raised.

Lecture, LUCL Colloquium

Study support

We, the Executive Board and deans, have recently heard from different sources that the conflict between Israel and Hamas continues to evoke strong feelings of tension, anxiety and insecurity within our university community. We take this very seriously and so are once again addressing you all.

On the eve of World War II, Leiden was home to the largest Indonesian student community in the Netherlands. Many of these students joined the resistance against the German occupation, and later some fought for Indonesia’s independence.

With the holidays just around the corner in this dark month of December, when we light candles as a symbol of warmth and hope, we would like to take a moment to reflect on this past year. We have accomplished a great deal together but the year has been difficult at times.

Leiden University is celebrating its 450th anniversary in 2025 with a feast for the eyes, ears and spirit. The anniversary year opens with an extra special Dies Natalis on 7 February. Highlights includes an alumni festival, three exhibitions and a canal concert.

Conference

Are you studying whilst pregnant or combining your studies with taking care of children? You may sometimes need a little extra help and advice. Find out about the support available and who you can turn to.

Arts and leisure, Arts and leisure

Alumni and researchers met at two well-attended alumni dinners in Yogyakarta and Jakarta. The alumni reminisced about their time in Leiden and got to see their lecturers once again.

When Jeanette Wagenaar read Simone van der Vlugt's De amulet (The Amulet) at the age of eleven, she decided that she too wanted to write a historical novel one day. Thirty years later, Gooilust, about Louise Blaauw-Six, has now been published.