Friday 13 March 2026
Mixed feelings about the war in Iran: ‘After the first attack, my cousin texted me heart emojis’
Iranian students and researchers in Leiden are deeply worried about family members who say they are actually pleased about the bombings. ‘If the regime doesn’t fall, my cousin will probably get the death penalty.’
Thursday 12 March 2026
Luc Sels doesn’t want to be chief, but first among equals: ‘Low trust in the Board is a major concern’
New Board president Luc Sels has made the switch from Leuven to Leiden. He stresses the value of the humanities and social sciences and calls for academic ‘pride’. ‘People here speak about the university with far too little pride.’
Wednesday 4 March 2026
At the knitting cinema, the clicking of needles pauses only during sex scenes
More and more students are taking up knitting, crocheting and embroidery, as became apparent during the first edition of the Leiden Knitting Cinema. ‘I practised for this film.’
Wednesday 4 March 2026
It is not women who need to change, but the system
Stop treating the symptoms: assertiveness training will not eliminate inequality between men and women in academia, argues Julia Wąsala.
Thursday 19 February 2026
Tobias hopped on the Flixbus to Kyiv and filmed students taking shelter, firing weapons and making bombs
Student Tobias de Saint Laurent made a documentary about how Ukrainian students his age divide their time between attending lectures and helping the army. ‘I don’t just want to observe – I want to make the world a better place.’
Wednesday 11 February 2026
Everything must change because of AI: ‘It’s very difficult to detect’
How do you test students’ knowledge now that they are increasingly using AI? Lecturers from the Faculty of Humanities discussed this topic during a symposium. ‘I’ve had students in my tutorials who don’t even know where the library is.’
Wednesday 11 February 2026
‘Time to start taxing the super-rich more’, says French economist Gabriel Zucman
The wealthiest people pay significantly less tax than the rest of the population, including in the Netherlands. That needs to change, according to French economist Gabriel Zucman, who recently gave a lecture in The Hague. ‘They are gaining more and more power to influence ideology.’
Thursday 5 February 2026
Science is fine without women
After a couple of days back at work I got the first Faculty of Science newsletter of the year in my mailbox. One announcement caught my eye: “These scientists will lead the Science strategic research themes”, themes that are meant to connect between different disciplines and to increase our faculty’s global visibility. I read it and then read it again. I was not the only one that noticed: These leaders are all men.
Thursday 5 February 2026
University lecturer: Childcare facility De Kattekop is not peripheral to the university’s mission
The university is more than just lecture halls and labs. Ensure childcare is provided and don't cut back on De Kattekop, argues anthropology lecturer and mother Elsa Charléty. "Good childcare is crucial for academic life."
Thursday 22 January 2026
China could set the region ablaze
Tensions between China and Japan continue to rise. The stakes: the fate of Taiwan. According to Sinologist and Japanologist Casper Wits, a conflict could cause a domino effect across democracies worldwide. ‘Relations have reached their nadir.’
Friday 28 November 2025
She witnessed the Uyghur genocide first-hand: ‘I will never forget the eyes of the prisoners’
Kalbinur Sidik was forced to teach Uyghur prisoners in Chinese concentration camps, until she fled to the Netherlands in 2019. ‘I lived in constant fear: when would it be my turn?’
Tuesday 18 November 2025
Time for security to stand down: Leiden’s ‘War on Terror’ is based on delusions
In the wake of blind panic over a single lost stranger, the university implemented a strict security regime that remains in place to this day. Now that this blunder has finally been acknowledged after two years, there is only one logical next step: to scale back the measures.