Leiden University has a long standing tradition in the collaboration with Indonesia in research and education.

The portal for prospective Indonesian Students contains information about the possibilities to study at Leiden University in the Netherlands.

In 1933, Maria Ulfah Santoso was the first Indonesian women to earn a law degree. During her studies in Leiden University she became involved with Indonesia;s nationalist movement. She went on to be Indonesia's Social Minister, as the first female cabinet member. In this article, historian Wildan Sena…

This is an Erasmus+ International Credit Mobility project of Leiden University’s Faculty of Medicine with University of Indonesia, Faculty of Medicine, and Universitas Katolik Indonesia Atma Jaya in Indonesia.

This is an Erasmus+ International Credit Mobility project of Leiden University Medical Center and the Faculty of Science with two universities in Indonesia.

This is an Erasmus+ International Credit Mobility project of the Leiden University Medical Center with the University of Indonesia.

This is an Erasmus+ International Credit Mobility project of Leiden University’s Faculty of Law with Gadjah Mada University.

Leiden University has student exchange agreements with various Indonesian Universities.

To increase the visibility of the Leiden University’s offices abroad, the institute directors convened in Cairo, Egypt, early April 2026 at the Netherlands-Flemish Institute (NVIC).

How do poor and disadvantaged Indonesians address the injustices they face in daily life and how can their situation be improved?

Indonesian translation of the book Recollecting Resonances from authors Bart Barendregt and Els Bogaerts.

In this article, Samuels elaborates the concept of narrative navigation to analyze the subjective and intersubjective ways in which people struggle through experiences of illness by constructing multiple, ambiguous and non-linear narratives that may continuously change, as they reposition themselves…

Indonesia’s labour law regime has changed profoundly since 1998, reflecting the sweeping social and political developments that followed Soeharto’s fall from power.

How can legal education in Indonesia become more relevant for supporting the rule of law and providing legal services that common citizens need?

This project looks at the current practices of marriage law in Indonesia. It examines the often ambiguous views different groups hold of marriage, from local villagers in Bengkulu to women’s activists in Jakarta, and how these relate to the development of national law on the one hand and local practices…

On the 26th of May Sudarmoko successfully defended a doctoral thesis and graduated.

On 24 April, Feby Kartikasari defended the thesis 'Mining and environmental protection in Indonesia: regulatory pitfalls'. The doctoral research was supervised by Adriaan Bedner and Bernardo Ribeiro de Almeida.

How can Indonesia’s Ombudsman in the Regions be strengthened?

Press freedom in Indonesia is still under pressure, despite the demise of Soeharto’s regime in 1998

On Wednesday 21 May Adrian Perkasa successfully defended a doctoral thesis and graduated.

A political-legal study of rights invocation by pollution victims in China and Indonesia

What is the impact of Indonesia’s democratization process on everyday state-citizen relations?

How has democracy’s decline affected law making processes, enabling powerful stakeholders’ influence while minimalizing the protection of public interest and the environment?

Leiden University investigates biodiversity not only in the Netherlands, but also abroad, with the goal of improving global nature conservation. We do so in collaboration with local universities. Education is also high on our agenda.

This study offers a new approach to the history of sites, archaeology, and heritage formation in Asia, at both the local and the trans-regional levels.

On 9 January 2019, Willem van der Muur defended his thesis 'Land rights and the forces of adat in democratizing Indonesia'. The doctoral research was supervised by Prof. dr. A.W. Bedner and Prof. dr. J.M. Otto.

Journal of the Royal Anthropological Institute published Annemarie Samuels' article on the 2004 tsunami in the Indian Ocean. It's a detailed ethnographic account of the experiences of three Indonesian survivors.

Muhammad Adlin Sila examines the range of ways Bima Muslims constitute their Islamic identities and agencies through rituals and festivals. In response to their surroundings, what it means to be a Muslim is constantly being negotiated.

Global Environmental Extensions Multi-Regional Input-Output (EE-MRIO) analysis is often used to analyze how changes in global and national demand for products lead to socioeconomic and environmental impacts at the national level.

Latif Fauzi defended his thesis on 18 May 2021.

On 20 September 2023 Mark van de Water successfully defended a doctoral thesis and graduated.

Grace Leksana defended her thesis on 26 May 2020.

Labour is back as a significant social and political force in Indonesia, as was shown in the recent 1 May trade union demonstrations in Jakarta. Over the past years major changes have taken place in Indonesian labour law, leading to new forms of judicial and political resolution of labour disputes.

On 2 Juni 2021, Maarten Manse defended his thesis 'Promise, Pretence and Pragmatism: Governance and Taxation in Colonial Indonesia, 1870-1940'. The doctoral research was supervised by Prof. R. Arendsen.

On 21 January 2021, Fachrizal Afandi defended his thesis 'Maintaining Order: Public Prosecutors in Post-Authoritarian Countries, the case of Indonesia'. The doctoral research was supervised by Prof. A.W. Bedner and Prof. J.H. Crijns.

To what extent is it possible to utilise traditional and new media data to examine and understand the nature and scope of homicide in Indonesia?

Indonesia is experiencing various environmental challenges related to its fast economic growth. Therefore, it is necessary to have measurable and applicable indicators to obtain accurate data and information regarding the costs of adverse environmental impacts arising from economic activities to support…

This book presents the results of a research about the Islamic courts of Cianjur in West Java, and Bulukumba in South Sulawesi and the role they play in local divorce practices.

Wijayanto defended his thesis on 17 January 2019

On Thursday 20 May 2021, Tania Li delivered the annual Van Vollenhoven Lecture.

Article by Annemarie Samuels in History and Anthropology

On 28 June, Jakob Tobing defended the thesis 'The essence of the 1999-2002 constitutional reform in Indonesia: remaking the Negara Hukum. A socio-legal study'. The doctoral research was supervised by Jan Michiel Otto and Adriaan Bedner.

This study presents a full descriptive account of the grammar of Mualang, covering the major features of phonology and morphosyntax as well as issues related to pragmatics.

On the 23rd of September, George Saad successfully defended a doctoral thesis and graduated. The Leiden University Centre for Linguistics congratulates George on this achievement!

On the 13th of November, Hanna Fricke successfully defended her doctoral thesis and graduated. The Leiden University Centre for Linguistics congratulates Hanna on this achievement.

On 17 October 2019, Laure d'Hondt defended her thesis 'Addressing Industrial Pollution in Indonesia. The Nexus between Regulation and Redress seeking'. The doctoral research was supervised by prof. A.W. Bedner and dr. J.A.C. Vel.

Was the progressive colonial civil servant the precursor of the postcolonial development-aid worker?

Mathilde Mechling defended her thesis on 28 january 2020.

How can the Indonesian National Ombudsman make the transition from autonomous to responsive justice in view of the day-to-day challenges it is faced with?

In his thesis Tjandra analuses the development of labour law in Indonesia. He focusses on the developments after the fall of the Soeharto regime (1998), the so called reformasi period.