Internationalisation at Leiden University

It is the clear intention of Leiden University to create a more international student body, to strengthen the international character of the University and to internationalise the learning experience for all students.  

The University has strong ambitions in terms of growth and quality. In meeting these objectives, we aim to attract larger numbers of talented international students. One of Leiden's key strengths is its ability to offer an international environment to all its students, domestic and international. This means that all facilities and services open to domestic students must also be available to international students; to this end, we are working towards providing all relevant information in our two official languages, Dutch and English.

A university with an international reputation has to offer its students an internationally oriented education. All  staff and students work hard to ensure that the University is firmly embedded in international academic networks. An internationally oriented teaching and research environment makes Leiden University attractive for domestic as well as international students.

The presence of talented international students contributes to the quality of education and research across the whole University. Leiden University therefore strives to create an environment that is attractive to students from different cultures. International orientation is one of the key characteristic of Leiden's master’s programmes, all of which are in principle taught in English.

We believe it is important for students to have an international outlook and to interact with different cultures. As well as being part of an international learning environment here in Leiden, all our students are therefore encouraged to spend some time abroad in the course of their studies. This is a standard part of all two-year research master’s programmes, and of the PhD phase.