Internationalisation

Leiden University aims to equip its students for the world of tomorrow. All our teaching programmes promote international knowledge, global awareness and intercultural skills.

Students are increasingly becoming world citizens. Thanks to the opportunities the University offers them, they can learn about other cultures so they can later go out into the world with an inquisitive, critical and open mindset, able to resolve societal problems. We encourage students to spend some of their study time abroad and we offer them an international learning environment, with fellow students and lecturers who choose to come to Leiden from all corners of the world.

International classrooms

Whether our graduates work in Leiden, The Hague or Brussels, New York or Jakarta, in their professional and personal lives they all come into contact with international colleagues, international organisations and different cultures. With an increasingly international student and lecturer population, the University is able to offer truly international classrooms. Our students experience language and cultural differences from close by and gain a deep global awareness. This increasing diversity within the University sharpens the mind and enhances the development of language skills, global knowledge and cultural insights.

English-taught programmes

A broad range of  English-taught programmes is fundamental for an international learning environment. More and more Leiden bachelor’s programmes are also being taught in English – or in some cases only in English. Currently, 85 per cent of our master’s programmes are taught in English, and many of our online programmes, such as MOOCs, are also taught in English. 

Studying abroad

Spending time studying abroad is the ideal opportunity for students to broaden their horizons. We encourage our students to do an internship, elective subjects or research at a university abroad. This has many benefits for their academic development and language skills, and it teaches them to find their way in a new environment and culture.  And this is not the only reason: the job market, including in the Netherlands, is becoming increasingly international. Experience abroad is an excellent preparation for the job market. With a worldwide network of over 600 universities and partners, we can help our students make studying abroad a valuable and memorable experience. 

International networks

Leiden University is part of a number of international networks of universities, of which the League of European Research Universities (LERU) is the most important.  We also cooperate with institutes and foreign governments to make sure that our teaching and research are at the forefront of new developments. We work particularly closely with Indonesia, China, Latin America and Africa. Leiden University itself also has institutes in Jakarta, Cairo and Rabat.