Leiden University was the first university to be established in the Netherlands. William of Orange gave Leiden Academia Lugduno Batava in 1575, it is said in recognition of the city’s courageous resistance against the seige by the Spanish invaders.
Bastion of freedom
Our motto is praesidium libertatis – bastion of freedom. One famous example of this commitment to freedom is the speech delivered by Professor Rudolph Cleveringa in 1940, in which he protested against the threatened dismissal of his Jewish colleagues. Leiden University celebrates this courageous act every year in the form of the Cleveringa lecture in Leiden and Cleveringa meetings held throughout the world. It is the freedom that unites us even today.
Vision
As a prestigious European research university, Leiden University plays a foremost role in academic research and teaching. High-quality academic research and teaching are crucial to a safe, healthy, sustainable, prosperous and just world. The University is committed to developing, disseminating and applying academic knowledge and is a trusted figure in societal and political debates in the national and international arena.
Mission
- Leiden University is an internationally operating research-driven university with a wide range of academic disciplines and degree programmes. It aims for excellence in all its research and teaching.
- The University focuses its efforts on achieving the maximum impact from its research and teaching – academic, cultural, societal and economic. It does this in close collaboration with local, regional, national and international partners.
- Based on a careful consideration of its disciplinary structure, Leiden University focuses on disciplinary and interdisciplinary research and teaching.
- Leiden University trains students and PhD candidates for academic posts in academia and beyond. Its graduates are able to conduct a critical assessment of academic and societal problems and make considered choices when seeking solutions to these problems.
- Leiden University aspires to create a close academic community of staff and students. Leiden alumni inform this community with their experience, expertise and involvement. Leiden University also works closely with its university partners: Delft University of Technology and Erasmus University Rotterdam, and at European level with its partners in the League of European Research Universities (LERU).
ARWU Ranking
The ARWU Ranking is concerned only with research results. More than 1,000 universities worldwide are compared and the best 500 appear in the rankings. The main criteria for inclusion are the number of Nobel Prizes and Fields Medals awarded to staff and alumni, and the number of researchers at the university who have high citation scores. Publications in journals such as Nature and Science also important criteria. Leiden University is in 80th place in the ARWU ranking (2020).
THE Reputation Ranking
As well as the World University Ranking, the Times Higher Education (THE) magazine also publishes a ranking based on the reputation survey that it distributed among scholars. Only the top 100 are indicated in the ranking. Leiden is in the 61-70 range (2019).
Leiden Ranking
The Leiden Ranking charts the academic performance of 500 major universities throughout the world. Using a group of refined bibliometric indicators, the ranking aims to make an accurate measurement of the degree to which we collaborate with other universities. In the CWTS Leiden Ranking 2020 Leiden University is ranked 100th worldwide, and 6th in the Netherlands.
Reuters Top 100: Europe's Most Innovative Universities
In the ranking of innovative European universities published by Reuters, Leiden is in 14th position (in 2019), first in the Netherlands. KU Leuven heads the list.
