With our research and teaching, we help make the world a better place. We join in the academic and public debate, and seek answers to economic and social issues – not just at the local and regional level but at the global one too.

Scientific impact

Our research drives scientific progress. With over 400 PhDs and over 6,000 academic publications per year, our research output is high. Our research is helping achieve the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals. Leiden University is high in various rankings.

Economic impact

Every euro spent on our research delivers about a fourfold return. These were the findings of research by BiGGAR Economics in 2015. It is thanks in part to Leiden University and the LUMC that the city of Leiden has the best business climate of all the economic regions in the Netherlands. Our research leads to patents, start-ups and innovation. We like to work together with businesses, as we do at the Leiden Bio Science Park. We also have two funds that stimulate entrepreneurship, such as new start-ups.

Collaboration

We like to work with many different partners: other educational institutions, the public and private sector, NGOs, museums and charities. Close to home, in our cities of Leiden and The Hague, in Leiden City of Science and PLNT, the Leiden Centre for Innovation and Entrepreneurship, and with various partners in the field of peace, justice and security in The Hague. And further away, in our institutes abroad, for instance.

Read more about our collaboration.

Advice and debate

Our researchers make an important contribution to social issues and debates. This is often in the form of advice: legal experts advise on legislation and the administration of justice, psychologists and doctors advise on health care, public administration experts and political scientists on policy and humanities experts on international affairs.

Their unique expertise makes Leiden researchers popular guests in the media. They apply their knowledge to the debate in columns and opinion pieces as well as on Twitter. 

Read all about our researchers’ media presence.

Lifelong learning

We offer a wide range of academic opportunities: from bachelor’s and master’s programmes to advanced master’s programmes for professionals, continuing education, summer schools and other courses. Did you know that we offer over 20 free online courses on topics ranging from international law, terrorism and cultural heritage to kidney transplantation?

Find out more about our academic opportunities.

Alumni: professionals at work

Every year, around 7,000 students graduate from Leiden University and enter the job market. In their chosen profession, they make use of the knowledge and skills that they acquired at our university. Our alumni work in various areas such as the media, politics, policy, health, education and law.

Impact of over 30,000 students

Our students are active members of not only the University community but the wider one too. Leiden and The Hague benefit from their presence. They work on issues that face these cities in Learning with the City, while at Lugus, young student entrepreneurs with special plans and ideas join forces with business. Many students do valuable work for employers as an intern or for a study assignment. Students from the Master’s programme in Journalism and New Media do a project in the city of Leiden each year, together with the Leidsch Dagblad newspaper, for instance.

Voluntary work

Our students also do voluntary work. This can vary from helping out at the traditional 3 October celebrations in Leiden or cooking dinner for the homeless at a student association to working with the municipality. Students from Leiden University College The Hague work with the municipality of The Hague, for instance, in the Hague Community Against Loneliness (information in Dutch).

Students also do a lot of voluntary work through Present Foundation (information in Dutch), an organisation that matches students with voluntary work in Leiden.