The archaeology of transregional exchange (1st millennia BCE-CE)

Computers are capable of making incredibly accurate predictions on the basis of machine learning. In other words, these computers can learn without intervention once they have been pre-programmed by humans. At LIACS, we explore and push the borders of what a revolutionary new generation of algorithms…

Leiden Asia Departments

This project aims to answer the following questions: how did the landscape and geography of the local surroundings of Chalcis impact medieval to early modern productivity, habitation, mobility and interaction in a wider sense? And where are such changes and continuations still visible in the landsca…

In December 2014, Leiden University’s Institute of Security and Global Affairs with the Australian National University’s Asia-Pacific College of Diplomacy and the International Centre for Counter-Terrorism, commenced a research project to assess how (temporary) military interventions can best prepare…

How did interests outside the scope of the Dutch chartered trading companies influence the career-paths of Dutch colonial governors?

After the advent of Islam in the 7th century C.E., the strategic geographical position of Tarsus (its proximity to the sea and to the mountain pass leading to inland Anatolia) made this town the de facto capital of the thughur, a historical and geographical term created by Muslim geographers qualifying…

This is an Erasmus+ International Credit Mobility project of Leiden University’s Faculty of Science with National University of Kyiv, National University of Lviv, Odessa National Maritime University, Odessa National University, V. N. Karazin Kharkiv National University, The Main Astronomical Observatory,…

This three-year programme offers you a unique chance to gain a specialised qualification in a rich, valuable area of knowledge, plus the freedom to tailor the programme to your own ambitions. And what better place to study than in Leiden, the international centre of Dutch studies?

Professor Wim Willems of the Centre for Modern Urban Studies (MUS), together with Anne van Mourik, is researching the life of Ru Paré, the woman who saved 52 Jewish children during World War II.

Professor Wim van den Doel, dean of the Faculty of Humanities at Leiden University, has been appointed member of the Executive Board of the Netherlands Organisation for Scientific Research (NWO) with effect from 1 January 2017.

Leiden heritage expert Sjoerd van der Linde is carrying out research on the heritage of the Caribbean region. This research forms part of the international Nexus 1492 project on the consequences of colonisation for the Americas. ‘We first have to find out what the local population wants.'

At the recent UN summit in Geneva, representatives from more than 180 countries failed to reach a global plastics agreement. Esther Kentin, a lecturer at Leiden Law School, spoke to media outlets on the issue: ‘Human health is at stake.’

‘Fernweh: Crossing borders and connecting people in archaeological heritage management ’

An online course to teach our international students their first words in Dutch, American presidents in Leiden and how Neanderthals made the very first glue: view a selection of our most read English news in the past year.

The Netherlands is facing criticism after a tanker carrying sanctioned Venezuelan oil docked in Curaçao. Hilde Woker, assistant professor and an expert on the law of the sea, calls the incident 'contentious' in NRC newspaper and disputes the US interpretation of international law.

Iran wil tol heffen op scheepvaart door de Straat van Hormuz. Hilde Woker, zeerecht- deskundige Grotius Centre, uit in de Volkskrant haar twijfels over de rechtmatigheid van dit plan. Volgens haar botst het plan met het ‘VN-Zeerechtverdrag, dat vrije doorgang door cruciale zeestraten moet garanderen…

Dutch-Caribbean research will get a boost. Gert Oostindie, working at the Institute of History and KITLV, has received a grant from NWO, consisting of 750,000 euros, for his research project 'Confronting Caribbean challenges: hybrid identities and governance in small-scale island jurisdictions'.

Virtual Reality komt steeds dichter binnen handbereik van docenten en studenten. Hoe zou Virtual Reality kunnen bijdragen aan de leerervaringen van uw studenten? Vrijdag 19 februari, kwam een groep van ruim twintig docenten en experts af op een bijeenkomst over deze vraag in Studiecentrum Plexus. Met…

On Wednesday 4 December the vice-rector of the Sholokhov Moscow State University for the Humanities and the director of its Russian Institute of Advanced Studies visited Leiden University. The delegation signed a Memorandum of Understanding with dean Wim van den Doel to further collaboration in the…

Three Dutch research institutes - including the Leiden University’s KITLV - will conduct a follow-up study on the use of violence during the Dutch East Indies war of decolonisation (1945 – 1950). The government has designated 4.1 million Euros for this study.

On November 9th, the students of NVIC visited the Dutch Embassy. Marwan Khalil and Imane Makouri, two students, share their experience:

Floris Keehnen has been awarded the Volkskrant thesis prize 2012 for his MA thesis entitled:

Which law governs the Strait of Hormuz? Under international law, both Iran and the US are expected to comply with the ‘Constitution for the Oceans’. In practice, the situation is more complicated, explains maritime law expert Hilde Woker.

The region of Zuid-Holland is launching ‘AI Hub Zuid-Holland’. This network organisation will be a single point of contact for business and knowledge institutions in Zuid-Holland that want to work with Artificial Intelligence (AI).

About the event

At the recent UN summit in Geneva, representatives from more than 180 countries failed to reach a global plastics agreement. Esther Kentin, a lecturer at Leiden Law School, spoke to media outlets on the issue: ‘Human health is at stake.’

On 26 and 27 September 2024, Leiden University's Grotius Centre for International Legal Studies hosted the H2OLAW conference entitled 'Law-science interfaces within the law of the sea and fresh water law’. The conference marked the launch of a multi-year research project led by Dr Hilde Woker and Dr…

Germany wants to ‘modernise’ the law of the sea to tackle Russian ships that evade sanctions as part of the so-called ‘shadow fleet.’ The current legal framework is not adequate enough to confront the shadowfleet benefiting from states with open ship registries. Hilde Woker, expert in the law of the…

De inbeslagname van een olietanker nabij IJsland zet het internationaal zeerecht onder druk. Hilde Woker, specialist in het zeerecht en verbonden aan het Grotius Centre, zegt in een uitzending van BNR-nieuwsradio, dat de Amerikaanse aanpak van de Russische schaduwvloot moreel begrijpelijk, maar juridisch…

On 31 January 2025, Leiden University participated in the Dutch National Rounds of the 2025 Philip C. Jessup International Law Moot Court Competition, the world’s oldest and largest moot court competition, featuring more than 800 teams from over 100 countries and jurisdictions.

De groeiende militaire aanwezigheid rond Groenland moet veiligheid bieden, maar tegelijkertijd vergroot het de klimaatdruk op het kwetsbare eiland en zet het geopolitieke spanningen verder op scherp. Hilde Woker, universitair docent internationaal recht en expert in het zeerecht, ging in gesprek met…

The map application includes information from old and new buildings archaeological projects. This makes it possible to investigate whether water facilities (wells, cisterns) and waste facilities (cesspits, sewers) were the privilege of Leiden’s wealthy elite in the late 16th and 17th centuries or whether…

At the Faculty of Archaeology, we investigate the development of human societies worldwide, from the earliest beginnings to modern times. We also study the heritage of mankind, which evokes this deep history, and which connects with, and informs, contemporary society.

Strategic direction of the Europe Hub lies with a Steering Committee, composed of members from several Leiden University faculties.

Leading computer scientists from a variety of fields share their expertise and insights. Dive into the minds of these researchers and learn about real-world applications, the future of AI and related technologies and cutting-edge research. From chatbots to cybersecurity, from quantum to children's stories,…

On 9 June the deans of Leiden University met for the 500th time with the Rector Magnificus for the Board of Deans. An informal, inspiring and contemplative meeting without a strict ending time, say deans and former deans.

Historian Robert Stein is a lecturer in Medieval History. He was recently awarded the Senior Teaching Qualification. What did he learn from the STQ track and what lessons does he plan to apply in his hybrid lecture room?

Of the 87 Vidi research subsidies awarded by NWO, five have been awarded to Leiden researchers. This represents almost 6 per cent of the successful applications.

The Military Information and Security Service (MIVD) prevented a Russian hacker attack on the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) in The Hague. Scientists Paul Abels, Willemijn Aerts, Constant Hijzen and Sergei Boeke of the Institute of Security and Global Affairs responded to…

A bloody civil war has raged for years in the Central African Republic. PhD candidate Crépin Mouguia points out a tragic pattern: young people have been recruited as fighters or soldiers for generations and thus fuel the conflicts.

How do democracies develop? The Institute for History is devoting a three-day conference to this question.

The Institute for History announces vacancies for three PhD positions on Rethinking Disability: the Global Impact of the International Year of Disabled Persons (1981) in Historical Perspective and one PhD position to conduct research on the United Nations Transitional Authority in Cambodia (UNTAC).

Donald Trump was sworn into his second period as President of the United States on 20 January 2025. Since then, the Trump administration has raised alarms for people around the world who are concerned over what this will mean for the current geopolitical landscape. Join a panel of experts to discuss…

Global problems such as diseases of affluence or microplastics in the sea are too complex to be dealt with from a single scientific discipline or by just one country. Leiden University has the expertise to bring solutions to these enormous problems a step closer. Read more in the research dossier on…