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.

The members of the various co-participation bodies are democratically elected. This happens during university elections.

Other facilities

Wijnhaven, Turfmarkt 99, 2511 DP, The Hague

Lipsius, Cleveringaplaats 1, 2311 BD, Leiden

FSW building, Wassenaarseweg 52, 2333 AK, Leiden

Oude UB, Rapenburg 70, 2311 EZ, Leiden

Gorlaeus Building, Einsteinweg 55, 2333 CC, Leiden

Kamerlingh Onnes Building, Steenschuur 25, 2311 ES, Leiden

As a student residence permit holder, you must make sufficient study progress each year.

Find out how honours students at Leiden University get support, join a community or offer suggestions for improvements.

The Writing Lab is for all Bachelor and (research) Master students of the Faculty of Humanities in Leiden and The Hague.

This page provides information on what to do if you think you have been improperly treated by a staff member or fellow student of Leiden University.

Financial support for delayed study progress via regulations on financial support for students (FOS)

Since the demonstration over a year ago on the Wijnhaven campus, Leiden University has developed plans and initiatives to create the safest possible work and study environment for our university community. The Executive Board would like to explain what has happened since and what else we can expect…

When we hear the word ‘bird house’, do we process it as a whole or does our brain see it as ‘bird’ and ‘house’? PhD student Jiaqi Wang explored this for speakers of Mandarin Chinese.

‘Islam and Muslims are not something that happened to Europe; they are part of Europe. In fact, Islam is one the biggest constants in European history,’ argues Professor Maurits Berger in the new eight-part History of Islam in Europe podcast series of the Leiden University Faculty of Humanities.

During the ‘Hour of Remembrance’ on 4 May, the University community remembers its students and staff who were killed in the Second World War. It also looks at freedom and oppression today. Three questions for Sara Polak, chair of the Hour of Remembrance committee.

How do you know if a drug will actually work? The Leiden-based spin-off Omivera is developing a new technology that could provide clearer answers. The young company received a seed investment from the investment fund UNIIQ to support its development.

Even when a border has officially disappeared, it is still people who decide whether others may cross freely. This was also true for the Polish-German border, where PhD candidate Maryla Klajn spend six months conducting fieldwork.

Studying is already a lot of work, so on this page you'll find the most sought-after information for students in their final year. Do you feel something important is missing? Let us know via the feedback button, and we'll improve it for the next student.

All students in the Netherlands are invited to take part in the National Student Survey (NSE) once a year. Via the NSE you can give your opinion on the positive aspects of your study programme, as well as what you think could or should be improved.

Every semester, the Writing Lab organises interactive, hands-on (and free!) workshops to help you improve your academic writing skills.

Student psychologists

With ongoing protests across Iran, many are asking whether the regime is on the brink of collapse. Three Leiden experts share their perspectives.

The plan was to research the years surrounding the creation of the signature H.P. Berlage building of the Kunstmuseum Den Haag, but due to the lockdown, University Lecturer Laurie Kalb Cosmo has hardly been able to visit museums. Yet she succeeds in continuing her research for the Museums, Collections…

How do you recount historic events if you are not allowed to talk about them? For his dissertation, Taufiq Hanafi tried to find out how a period of mass murder – despite heavy censorship – found a place in Indonesian literature. PhD defence 31 March.

For two years, Ineke Sluiter was president of the Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences (KNAW). Now, she is returning to the university full time. ‘I always carry themes like accessibility, diversity and inclusion with me.’

How do you know if your idea has succeeded? The Queen coming to call a year and a half later might just be a clue. This happened to the Leiden student foundation ‘Door Het Geluid’, which promotes student well-being.

What with coronavirus, the American elections and the Brexit botheration, we had almost forgotten that something miraculous happened in 2020: the repressed people of Belarus rallied against dictator Alexander Lukashenko, who has been in power for 26 years. Months later, what remains of the protest?…

We often feel at ease in a salon chair, and the conversation soon starts to flow. That feeling will be recreated in the coming weeks in the [s]TATTOO pop-up studio. Students and staff can share their thoughts, feelings or worries – and will leave with an artwork based on their story.

The Lucia de Berk case or the suicide of Slobodan Praljak at the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia: certain trials keep popping up in media. In her dissertation, Tessa de Zeeuw examines the cultural appeal of such cases and analyses artistic responses. ‘Artworks sometimes have…

On 10 May 1940, the Netherlands was taken completely by surprise by the attack of the German army. Wasn’t it? In his dissertation, Wouter Linmans debunks the idea that the Second World War took the Netherlands by surprise. ‘From 1935 onwards, all major political parties wanted to invest in the military.’…

Her part-time job as a city guide in Dordrecht opened Lotte Hamm's eyes: not business administration, but history was her dream study. This semester she starts her bachelor's degree.

Of the women studying at university, 52% have experienced some form of sexual harassment. For male students, the figure is 19%.

Social

As a bachelor’s student at Leiden University, you will be issued with binding study advice (BSA). This means you must obtain sufficient study credits in the first year of your bachelor’s programme to be permitted to continue studying. Some programmes also have additional requirements.

This page provides information on what to do if you have been subjected to unacceptable behaviour.

The Leiden University Student Platform (LUS) is a student-led ‘think-tank’. It consists of eight members: one representative from each of the seven faculties plus one chair.

The University Council meeting on 2 June was largely dominated by the demonstration, occupation and policing in The Hague last month.

This is a difficult time. Above all, for all those directly involved in this horrible case – unacceptable behaviour by a professor and his removal from the University – the case we went public about on 18 October and that has been reported in the media. This is painful and tough for the complainants…

Judith Pollmann, Professor of Early Modern Dutch History, has been awarded the Spinoza Prize. ‘An unbelievable honour.’

The Humanities Faculty Teaching Award has been won by Olja Karmanova. The Russian lecturer was presented with the award during the opening of the faculty year.

The touring exhibition 'Presenting with the city' has touched down in the Lipsius Building. In the presentation, students and researchers show how their research has contributed to the city.

It was the Night of Discoveries on Saturday 16 September: a summer encounter between art and science. Leiden researchers from various disciplines inspired the public with their quest to understand our world.