Honorary doctorates and prizes
Leiden University regularly confers honorary doctorates, and presents awards and prizes.
Honorary doctorates
During the celebration of the Dies Natalis, the university confers an honorary doctorate on individualas in recognition of their special services to science, education and society. The university can also decide to confer an honorary doctorate on individuals who, through their conduct, have paid particular service to the Univesity's motto: bastion of freedom.
| 2022 | Rosemary Joyce (anthropology) |
| 2021 | Graça Machel (human rights) |
| 2020 | Lungisile Ntsebeza (sociology) |
| 2019 |
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2018 |
Adrienne Héritier (political science) |
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2017 |
Frank Dikötter (China studies) |
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2016 |
Jennifer Tour Chayes (maths/computers) |
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2015 |
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2014 |
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2013 |
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2012 |
Walter Van Gerven (European law) |
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2011 |
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2010 |
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2009 |
Susan Fiske (psychology) |
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2008 |
Florian Holsboer (chemistry/medicine) |
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2006 |
Anthony Grafton (historian) |
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2005 |
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2004 |
Per Martin-Löf (philosophy) |
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2003 |
Piet Borst (medicine) |
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2002 |
Haïm Brezis (maths) |
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2001 |
Arend Lijphart (political science) |
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2000 |
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1999 |
Nelson Mandela (Praesidium Libertatis) |
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1998 |
Jan van Soest (law) |
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1995 |
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1990 |
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1988 |
Javier Pérez de Cuéllar (law) |
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1986 |
Joghem van Loghem (immunology) |
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1985 |
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1984 |
Rob Nieuwenhuys (literature) |
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1982 |
Robert E. Scully (medicine) |
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1980 |
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1979 |
Ludwig Waldmann (physics) |
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1977 |
Arnaldo Momigliano (history) |
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1975 |
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1973 |
Jean Pictet (rechten) |
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1972 |
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1970 |
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1969 |
Jan B. Jansen (anatomy) |
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1968 |
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1965 |
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1962 |
Ralph W. Gerard (neurology) |
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1960 |
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1959 |
Jacob Evert de Vos van Steenwijk (law) |
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1956 |
Albert Welcker (art history) |
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1954 |
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1949 |
Hubert Struycken (medicine) |
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1948 |
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1946 |
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1930 |
Prinses Juliana (literature) |
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1928 |
Friedrich Küstner (astronomy) |
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1925 |
Wilhelmina (Praesidium Libertatis) |
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1924 |
Félix d'Herelle (microbiology) |
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1923 |
Robert T. A. Innes (astronomy) |
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1922 |
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1921 |
Gerret Rouffaer (Indian culture) |
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1920 |
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1919 |
Jacques Oppenheim (law) |
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1913 |
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1910 |
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1909 |
J. Rendel Harris (theology) |
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1904 |
Egbert Broer Kielstra (literature) |
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1903 |
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1902 |
Louis Bolk (medicine) |
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1900 |
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1898 |
Frans Schreinemakers (chemistry) |
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1897 |
Oscar II van Zweden (philosophy) |
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1895 |
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1894 |
Hubertus Josephus Eymael (history of literature) |
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1893 |
Manuel Straub (opthalmics) |
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1892 |
Albert Cornelis Vreede (Indology) |
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1890 |
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1887 |
Alfred von Kremer (Oriental studies) |
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1886 |
Charles Mathieu Schols (geodesy) |
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1884 |
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1881 |
Benjamin Frederik Matthes (linguistics) |
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1875 |
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1873 |
Cornelis Petrus Tiele (theology) |
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1835 |
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| 1831 | Johan Rudolph Thorbecke (law) |
Awards and prizes
Leiden University awards a number of medals and prizes in recognition of the efforts of people who have contributed to promoting science, education and freedom.
Leiden University has awarded the William of Orange medal since 1990 to people who have been dedicated to promoting freedon at societal, national or international level.
Awarded to
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2014 |
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2013 |
Ban Ki-moon, Secretary-General of the UN |
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2009 |
Michelle Bachelet, President of Chile |
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2008 |
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2006 |
Edward O. Wilson, professor at Harvard University |
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2003 |
Carlo A. Ciampi, President of Italy |
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1995 |
Dr. R. Herzog, Federal President of Germany |
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1994 |
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Leiden University has been awarding the Scaliger medal since 2017 to individuals or organisations who strive in a unique way to promote the values upheld by universities worldwide in the area of research and education.
Presented to
| 2021 | The Europaeum |
| 2020 | Henri Lenferink, Mayor of Leiden |
| 2017 | Kurt de Ketelaere, President of LERU |
Since 1958 the Executive Board has awarded the University medal to people who have made a special contribution to the university. These can be individuals from outside the university, as in 2010, when the award was given to the former Head of Cabinet Matters of the municipality of Leiden, or in 2014, when the chair of Minerva student association received the medal in celebration of the 200-year anniversary of the association.
The biennial Mr. K.J. Cath award is named after lawyer K.J. Cath, who was president of the Executive Board until 1988. The university community nominates students and/or staff who, with their research or teaching - or their support of research and teaching - have promoted the standing of Leiden University. The award consists of a certificate and an amount of 2,500 euros.
Presented to
| 2022 | Nieuwschekers, a fact-checking project within the Journalism and New Media programme that is coordinated by news experts Peter Burger and Alexander Pleijter. |
| 2020 | No presentation |
| 2018 | Astronomer and science communicator Pedro Russo for his outreach efforts that bring science to the general public |
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2016 |
Edisen Foundation for providing lectures for clients of healthcare institutions. |
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2014 |
Student-entrepreneur Wouter Bruins (InOvo) for developing an inexpensive device for tracing malaria, and an animal-friendly method of determining the sex of unborn chicks. |
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2012 |
Curator for Photography Maartje van den Heuvel for exhibiting special Leiden photo collections |
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2010 |
Leiden Students In Free Enterprise Foundation (SIFE) for development work via knowledge transfer |
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2008 |
‘Math girls’ Jeanine Daems en Ionica Smeets for promoting maths |
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2006 |
Rino Foundation for their travelling physics show |
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2004 |
Telders Organising Office for organising the annual international moot court contest |
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2002 |
Hans Huibregtse for his exam training courses |
The Teaching Prize has been awarded since 2000 to university lecturers who distinguish themselves with their innovative teaching and their interaction with students. Following a round of nominations by students, and attending several lectures, the Leiden University Student Platform selects three finalists. The winner receives a research grant of 20,000 euros and becomes a member of the Leiden Teachers’ Academy.
Nominees and winners
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| 2023 |
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| 2022 |
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| 2021 |
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| 2020 |
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| 2019 |
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| 2018 |
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| 2017 |
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| 2016 |
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| 2015 |
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| 2014 |
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| 2013 |
Martin Baasten (winner) |
| 2012 |
Isabelle Van de Calseyde (winner) |
| 2011 |
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| 2010 | Manon Grosselink |
| 2009 | Luuk Willems |
| 2008 | David Fontijn |
| 2007 | Larissa Anissimova |
| 2005 | Rico Sneller |
| 2004 | Enrico Marani |
| 2000 | George Maat |
The Gratama Science Prize is an encouragement award for promising young researchers from the universities of Leiden and Groningen who have distinguished themselves in innovative, socially relevant and high-profile research. It is an annual prize that is awarded in odd years to a researcher from Leiden and in even years to a researcher from Groningen. The Prize, which is awarded by the Gratama Foundation upon the recommendation of the Leiden University Fund and, respectively, the Groningen University Fund, comprises a research subsidy of 25,000 euros, intended for the further academic development of the winner.
Presented to
| 2021 | Sabine van der Asdonk |
| 2019 | Mariëtte Boon |
| 2017 | Ahmad Al-Jallad |
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2015 |
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2013 |
Sophie van Rijn |
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2012 |
Anton Akhmerov |
Once every five years, on anniversaries celebrated by the University, the Executive Board can decide to issue a bronze medal to persons whose special merits qualify them for this award. In addition, the lustrum medal can also be offered for sale in a limited edition.