Leiden University

University & City
Leiden City - a city to discover Leiden is a typical university city, hosting the oldest university of the Netherlands (1575). University buildings are scattered throughout the city and students that live and study in Leiden give the city its relaxed and vivid atmosphere. Leiden is especially attractive to visit, because the city and region offer an amazing range of temptations. read more Leiden University
Foundation
University Motto: Praesidium libertatis
Education and students
Guiding principles
Focusing on Talent
Collaboration with other research universities
Foundation Leiden University is the oldest university in the Netherlands. It was founded in February 1575, as a gift from William of Orange to the citizens of Leiden who had withstood a long siege by the Spaniards.
University motto: Praesidium LibertatisIt was the first university in the Netherlands where freedom of belief and religion was practised, as reflected by the university's motto, Praesidium Libertatis, Bastion of Liberty. It was in this atmosphere of freedom of speech that philosophers like Spinoza and Descartes were able to develop their ideas.
Several great scholars and scientists have brought fame to Leiden University. For example, the illustrious Dutch professor of medicine, botany and chemistry, Herman Boerhaave (1668-1738), who was the first in Europe to emphasise the importance of the natural sciences for the study of medicine. More recently, the Spinoza Award, the most prestigious Dutch academic award, granted by the Netherlands Organization for Scientific Research (NWO), has been presented to professors from Leiden University 9 out of 36 times.
Education and studentsIn Leiden there are approximately 17,000 students and 4,000 staff members. The University consists of 6 faculties, a School of Education (teacher training), and a Campus in The Hague. The University houses the faculties of Archaeology, Humanities, Law, Medicine/LUMC (Leiden University Medical Center), Mathematics and Natural Sciences and Social and Behavioural Sciences.The faculties offer a varied range of bachelor's, master's and PhD programmes. In addition, three other units offer post-academic training: the Institute for Environmental Sciences (CML), the School of Education (ICLON) and Campus The Hague. The latter specialises in post-academic training in the field of law and political science for those working in the public sector, the legal sector or the corporate world.
Guiding principlesThe three guiding principles of the University are:
1. an international orientation;
2. the research-intensive character of the University;
3. maintaining the quality of education and research.
Focusing on talentCentral to these principles is the issue of talent. In the coming years, the University intends to make major contributions to society in the areas of prosperity, well-being and culture. Talent is indispensable to the realisation of that ambition. To this end, the University is committed to both recruiting and developing talent. This will involve secondary school pupils, university students, and young researchers and academics.
More: see Focusing on Talent (pdf)
Collaboration with other research universitiesAccordingly, Leiden University is aiming for an internationally recognised position as a top-ranking research-intensive university within the European Higher Education and Research Areas. Leiden University already has a top position in a great many fields, including natural sciences, life sciences (the so-called Red Biotech), medicine, arts, social and behavioural sciences, international law, astronomy and non-Western languages. With this aim of promoting fundamental research, Leiden University entered into an alliance with eleven other leading universities in Europe to form the League of European Research Universities (LERU). These universities are: Cambridge, Edinburgh, Geneva, Heidelberg, Helsinki, Karolinska Institutet, Leuven, Milan, Munich, Oxford and Strasbourg. The League has acquired six new members as of 1st January 2006. These new members are: Amsterdam University, Lund University (Sweden), University College London, University Paris-Sud 11, Utrecht University and Zurich University (Switzerland). Leiden University is one of the founders of LERU.
In addition, Leiden University has reached agreements with numerous universities worldwide for the purpose of facilitating cooperation and the exchange of students and staff.
The University positions its degree programmes in an international context and guarantees their quality and level in accordance with internationally accepted norms. Graduates are fully equipped to embark on both master's and PhD degree programmes abroad. Read more about: www.study-netherlands.info