Leiden University

Leiden University
Universiteit Leiden
Latin: Academia Lugduno-Batava[1][2][3]
Former names
Rijksuniversiteit Leiden
Motto
Libertatis Praesidium (Latin)
Motto in English
Bastion of Freedom
TypePublic research university
Established8 February 1575; 449 years ago (1575-02-08)[4]
FounderWilliam of Orange
Academic affiliation
TPC
Budget€777 million (2021)
PresidentAnnetje Ottow
RectorHester Bijl
Academic staff
1,862 (2021)[5]
Administrative staff
1,573
Students37,136 (2021–22)[6]
Undergraduates24,496 (2021–22)[6]
Postgraduates12,395 (2021–22)[6]
886 (2021)[5]
Location
Leiden and The Hague
,
South Holland
,
Netherlands

52°9′25″N 4°29′7″E / 52.15694°N 4.48528°E / 52.15694; 4.48528
CampusUrban and College town
LanguageDutch, English
(Additional languages for language programmes)
Colours  LEI Blue[7]
Websiteuniversiteitleiden.nl
Leiden University is located in Netherlands
Leiden University
Location in Netherlands
Leiden University is located in Europe
Leiden University
Leiden University (Europe)

Leiden University (abbreviated as LEI;[8][9] Dutch: Universiteit Leiden) is a public research university in Leiden, Netherlands. It was founded as a Protestant university in 1575[10] by William, Prince of Orange as the first university in the Netherlands.

During the Dutch Golden Age scholars from around Europe were attracted to the Dutch Republic for its climate of intellectual tolerance. Individuals such as René Descartes, Rembrandt, Christiaan Huygens, Hugo Grotius, Benedictus Spinoza, and later Baron d'Holbach were active in Leiden and environs.

The university has seven academic faculties and over fifty subject departments, housing more than forty national and international research institutes. Its historical primary campus consists of several buildings spread over Leiden, while a second campus located in The Hague houses a liberal arts college (Leiden University College The Hague) and several of its faculties. It is a member of the Coimbra Group, the Europaeum, and a founding member of the League of European Research Universities.

The university has produced twenty-six Spinoza Prize Laureates and sixteen Nobel Laureates. Members of the Dutch royal family such as Queen Juliana, Queen Beatrix, and King Willem-Alexander are alumni, and ten prime ministers of the Netherlands including Mark Rutte. US President John Quincy Adams also studied at the university.[11]

  1. ^ Record of the Jubilee Celebrations of the University of Sydney. Sydney, New South Wales: William Brooks and Co. 1903. ISBN 9781112213304.
  2. ^ Records of The Tercentenary Festival of Dublin University. Dublin, Ireland: Hodges, Figgis & Co. 1894. ISBN 9781355361602.
  3. ^ Actes du Jubilé de 1909 (in Swiss French). Geneva, Switzerland: Georg Keck & Cie. 1910. ISBN 9781360078335.
  4. ^ "De Tachtigjarige Oorlog en het ontstaan van universiteiten in de Noordelijke Nederlanden". Historiek (in Dutch). 16 May 2017. Retrieved 19 May 2017.
  5. ^ a b "Facts and figures". Leiden University. Archived from the original on 2023-03-30. Retrieved 2023-12-28.
  6. ^ a b c "Universiteit Leiden in cijfers en grafieken". AlleCijfers.nl. Archived from the original on 2023-03-29. Retrieved 2023-12-28.
  7. ^ "Leiden University basic elements: Colours". Leiden University. Retrieved 2021-01-07.
  8. ^ Schrijfrichtlijnen: Afkortingen – website of Leiden University
  9. ^ Acronyms related to the Dutch universities – website of Rathenau Institute
  10. ^ The Great Emporium: The Low Countries as a Cultural Crossroads in the Renaissance and the Eighteenth Century. Rodopi. 1992. ISBN 9789051833638.
  11. ^ "John Quincy Adams | Biography, Facts, & Presidency". Britannica. 2023-07-07. Retrieved 2023-07-07.