Events

May 2026

Thu 14 May 2026

RMO hybride lezing | Het voeden van de purpergekte

Sem van Atteveld (MA Ancient History in Leiden) legt uit hoe de Romeinen hun kostbare purper kleurstof maakten uit zeeslakken en wat u er nog van kunt zien in de museumcollectie.

Sun 17 May 2026

WML dubbellezing | Wereldfocus: queer gedrag in het dierenrijk en drag

Dr. Werner de Gier en Dr. Looi van Kessel bespreken queer-gedrag in het dierenrijk en   kritische dragartiesten die drag inzetten om de wetenschap een lachspiegel voor te houden. 

Sun 17 May 2026

Wereldwandeling | Sporen van de Slavernij in Leiden

Aan de hand van deze wandeling door de straten van de historische binnenstad van Leiden, leer je meer over de geschiedenis van de Nederlandse slavenhandel en slavernij, lopend langs gebouwen waar handelaren, tot slaafgemaakten, en voorvechters voor de afschaffing van slavernij woonden.

Mon 18 May 2026

IIAS hybrid talk | The Casas’ network: an innovative public diplomacy instrument

José Pintor Aguilar (Director General of Casa Asia) talks about public diplomacy and Asia from the perspectives of Spain.

Mon 18 May 2026

Talk | Reconfiguring human–animal relations in Bhutan and the Himalayan Buddhist world

Mari Miyamoto (Keio University) examines how the strict application of Buddhist doctrine and changes in slaughter and meat production practices are reshaping the relationship between humans and animals in the Himalayas. 

Tue 19 May 2026

Hybrid lecture | Kremlin's control and suppression strategies between 2000 – 2021

A sentiment analysis tool is used to trace Russia's evolution from overt repression to media manipulation under Putin, exploring how state-sponsored disinformation campaigns are used to influence public opinion, legitimise violence, and suppress dissent.  

Tue 19 May 2026

Lecture | Mind tools, language and the origins of AI

Stephen C. Levinson (Max Planck Institute for Psycholinguistics) explores how mind tools (devices that strengthen our cognition) work psychologically.

Wed 20 May 2026

Time Talks | Tijdsbeleving in verschillende vakgebieden

Onderzoekers van de Young Academy Leiden vertellen tijdens dit Engelstalige programma over de rol die tijd in astronomie, archeologie, kunstgeschiedenis en linguistiek speelt. In Den Haag 

Wed 20 May 2026

Workshop | Intentions in communication

Participants discuss their opinion on the significance of speaker intentions in communication, and in models of communication.

Wed 20 May 2026

ASCL seminar | South-South divergence before the Green Revolution

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According to historical income estimates, Southeast Asia and Sub-Saharan Africa were more or less on similar levels in the 1960s. In 2020, per capita incomes in Southeast Asia were roughly three times higher than in Tropical Africa. Ewout Frankema (Wageningen University) tries to make sense of this dramatic difference.

Thu 21 May 2026

Online conference | Joseph Bosworth & Old English studies: Then, now and the future

In the 150th anniversary of Joseph Bosworth's death, we commemorate the continuing impact of Joseph Bosworth and his dictionary on the field of Old English Studies.

Thu 21 May 2026

LeidenGlobal Dialogues | Indigo: Threads of Trade, Culture & Change

Indigo is more than a colour, it is a global story of craft, culture, trade and power connecting Africa, Asia and Latin America. Join the LeidenGlobal Dialogues for an open conversation between experts and the public, where indigo becomes a starting point to explore questions of knowledge, inequality and sustainability.

Thu 21 May 2026

Lecture | What language-specific ‘first aid kits’ can tell us about bilingualism

When we speak in another language, we often adapt sounds of that language and assimilate it to familiar sounds from our first language. In this talk, Tim Lamérises discuss phonological repair strategies in bilingualism.

Thu 21 May 2026

Hybrid talk | Korean youths hyperconnected but fragmented

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Yoonai Han explores how youths in South Korea is navigating the digitally connected world, while also facing growing isolation, uncertainty, and political disillusionment. In The Hague.

Thu 21 May 2026

RMO talk | human remains in museums

This session of the Museum Meets University series invites international scholars to discuss the topic of human remains in museums.

Thu 21 May 2026 - Fri 22 May 2026

Hybrid workshop | Clay in common

Specialists in Arabian ceramic studies reflect on the current state of regional cooperation in Bronze Age pottery research in southeast Arabia. 

Thu 21 May 2026 - Fri 22 May 2026

Conference | The EU as a guardian of digital fairness and sustainable consumption

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In a keynote speech, a roundtable and a panel, speakers discuss EU consumer protection, integration of environmental protection in EU legislation, and the protection of personal data.

Thu 21 May 2026

IIAS hybrid lecture | Vice and heritage at a former red-light district in Surabaya, Indonesia

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Hamzah Muzaini (National University of Singapore) reflects on how the former red-light district in Surabaya, Indonesia was changed through beautification and rebranding efforts  into a religious and culinary destination.

Thu 21 May 2026

Lezing | Leidse bespiegelingen - Filosofie en sport; spel, lichaam en politiek

Sportfilosofen Aldo Houterman en Sandra Meeuwsen reflecteren op hoe sport een onverwacht venster vormt op fundamentele vragen over mens en samenleving.

Fri 22 May 2026

RMO hybride lezing | Archeologie in Zeeland

Volg vier korte lezingen over verdronken nederzettingen, een offerkuil, ringwalburgen en honderdduizend scherven in Zeeland. 

Fri 22 May 2026

Alumni event | Celebrating 40 years of the Dutch Studies programme

Enjoy a review of 40 years of Dutch Studies by (former) staff members, a Dutch Studies quiz, an alumni panel, and drinks afterwards to celebrate 40 years since the BA Nederlandkunde/Dutch Studies was established in Leiden.

Fri 22 May 2026

WML conference | Spatial justice & the Palestinian table

Researchers explores how built environments, landscapes and geographies are used as weapons. This conference aligns with the opening of the installation 'The Palestinian Table', centering food as memory of displacement and destruction in Palestine.

Fri 22 May 2026

Lezing | Deshima - Het dagelijks leven op de Nederlandse handelspost in Japan

Anne Sey vertelt over haar boek, een cultuurhistorische verkenning van het dagelijks leven van de Hollanders op het kunstmatige eiland voor de kust van Nagasaki.

Fri 22 May 2026

Presentation | The Leiden art review

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The Volume 3 of Panoramic: The Leiden Art Review will be published soon, this presentation discusses its content.

Sun 24 May 2026

WML workshop | Japanse Kōdō geurbeleving

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Beleef de verfijnde wereld van Kōdō – de Japanse geurkunst waarin ambacht en zintuiglijke beleving samenkomen. 

Tue 26 May 2026

Hybride lezing | Experiences of migration, a pedagogy of fiction

prof.dr. Odile Heynders houdt een lezing over haar boek 'Experiences of Migration, A Pedagogy of Fiction'. Ze onderzoekt hoe fictieve verhalen over migratie bijdragen aan een specifieke vorm van kennis.

Tue 26 May 2026

Book talk | United States and Chinese foreign assistance and diplomacy

 Salvador Santino Regilme and Obert Hodzi discuss their new book "United States and Chinese Foreign Assistance and Diplomacy: Aid for Dominance." The book looks at foreign aid as a central arena of diplomacy, political influence, and geopolitical competition. In The Hague.

Tue 26 May 2026

Festival | Nacht van de digitale veiligheid

Experts uit verschillende disciplines vertellen over de nieuwste ontwikkelingen, bedreigingen en oplossingen op het gebied van cybersecurity. In Den Haag.

Tue 26 May 2026

Movie night | Just Peace x KUNO: Lost Land

Watch Lost Land (Harà Watan), a fictional film from a children's perspective exposing the trauma of displacement and decades of persecution faced by the Rohingya people in Myanmar. After, a discussion with experts is held. In The Hague.

Tue 26 May 2026

Seminar | Water worlds

Ifor Duncan (Utrecht University) challenges the traditional foundations and methods of thinking about human-water relations and discusses the deep histories of water.

Tue 26 May 2026

Symposium | Retired & kicking

Verschillende sprekers vertellen in lezingen over historisch immigratiebeleid, het archief van Jan Wolkers (1925–2007) in de Universiteitsbibliotheek en de uitdrukking "in case" als complex grammaticaal voorzetsel en onderschikkend voegwoord in het Engels.

Wed 27 May 2026

Lecture | Argument marking patterns in the Guaporé-Mamoré area

Bernat Bardagil Mas (Ghent University) discusses the  results of research into the properties of arguments in Guaporé-Mamoré languages to spread historical information about nations of this region.

Wed 27 May 2026

Interactieve lezing | Advising political leadership in an era of societal turbulence and geopolitical tensions

Nobelprijswinnaar Paul Krugman onderzoekt de uitdagingen van beleidsontwikkeling en overheidsadvies in tijden van politieke turbulentie en geopolitieke spanningen. In Den Haag.

Wed 27 May 2026 - Thu 28 May 2026

Conference | NEXT GEN: The Hague Security Conference

After the second world war, the post-war international order seemed to be moving towards greater co-operation, stronger rules-based international order, and deepening economic interdependence. In recent years, however, hope of a more stable world order faded. Experts and emerging thinkers and practitioners discuss sharp analyses and fresh perspectives.

Thu 28 May 2026

KITLV panel discussion | Social media and authoritarianism in Southeast Asia

Different experts explore how governments and political elites in Southeast Asia have learned to weaponize social media platforms to crush dissent.

Thu 28 May 2026

IIAS online talk | How to care for a river? Collaborative mapping in the Bogotá River (Colombia)

Laura Giraldo-Martínez (Universidad Nacional de Colombia) talks about maps and mapping as performative tools in the case of the Bogotá River. 

Thu 28 May 2026

NINO hybride lezing | F.W. von Bissing en zijn verzameling Egyptische oudheden

In deze lezing komt niet alleen  Egyptoloog-verzamelaar Friedrich Wilhelm von Bissings(1873-1956) biografie voorbij, maar kijken we ook naar de collectie en de rol die von Bissing speelde in het verwerven en distribueren van archeologische voorwerpen eind 19de en begin 20ste eeuw.

Fri 29 May 2026

Boekpresentatie | Sushi eet je met je handen

Anoma van der Veere en Katarzyna Cwiertka presenteren het boek 'Sushi eet je met je handen'. Ze delen persoonlijke verhalen en onverwachte inzichten, die laten zien hoe eten het karakter van Japan weerspiegelt.

Fri 29 May 2026

Lezing | Ierland in de 21e eeuw

Literatuurwetenschapper Amaranth Feuth bespreekt hoe Ierse schrijfster Sally Rooney het beroemdste echtpaar uit de Ierse literatuur, de Blooms uit James Joyces Ulysses, weergeeft in haar recente roman Intermezzo.

Sat 30 May 2026

RMO lezing | Soldaat in de Tachtigjarige oorlog

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Julian Kramer en Eric Norde (RAAP) vertellen over het leven van soldaten tijdens de Tachtigjarige Oorlog, aan de hand van bijzondere opgravingen bij Spijk.

Sun 31 May 2026

RMO lezing | Strijdhamers uit de Klokbekertijd

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 Karsten Wentink en Florian Helmecke (Universiteit Leiden) vertellen over strijdhamers uit de prehistorie en wat ze écht onthullen over Corded Ware-gemeenschappen.

June 2026

Mon 1 June 2026

RMO lezing | Kwik in botten

Lotte Nagelhout (Universiteit Leiden) vertelt over de geschiedenis van syfilis en de vaak ingrijpende behandelmethoden in het verleden.

Tue 2 June 2026

RMO lezing | Watertonnenwrak ’t Hart

Jeroen Oosterbaan (Universiteit Leiden) vertelt over het onderzoek naar een bijzonder scheepswrak uit de Waddenzee.

Tue 2 June 2026

Lecture | U.S.-China rivalry and firm import strategies

Harald Puhr (University of Amsterdam) develops a geopolitical resource dependence theory (GRDT) to explain how U.S. comapnies adjust cross-border import strategies as source countries shift their geopolitical alignment. In The Hague.

Wed 3 June 2026

RMO lezing | Onderwateropgraving Romeinse kade

Drie onderzoekers van Vestigia vertellen over een bijzondere onderwateropgraving in de Maas bij Cuijk.

Wed 3 June 2026 - Thu 4 June 2026

Seminar | Indonesia human rights update

The seminar explores theoretical debates and gaps stemming from Indonesia’s democratic decline and its implications for human rights.

Wed 3 June 2026 - Fri 5 June 2026

Conference | Staging the heroine

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Different speakers talk about the construction and performance of female heroism in literature, the visual arts and theatre between 1350 and 1800.

Thu 4 June 2026 - Sat 6 June 2026

Symposium | Material culture and the dynamics of innovation in the ancient world

Literary scholars and historians with material culture specialists explore the roles played by objects in relation to anchoring.

Thu 4 June 2026

Lecture | A preliminary reconstruction and reinterpretation of the concept of Tao in the Tao Te Ching

Hiu Ho Leung(Chinese University of Hong Kong) reinterprets Lao Tzu’s entire conceptual framework. She shows how the original meaning of Tao develops into an all-encompassing concept and a universally binding principle. 

Thu 4 June 2026

RMO lezing | Merovingisch grafveld van Lent

Joep Hendriks vertelt over een bijzondere opgraving bij Lent, ten noorden van Nijmegen, waar een vroegmiddeleeuws grafveld werd blootgelegd.

Fri 5 June 2026

RMO lezing | Prehistorisch DNA

Eveline Altena (LUMC) vertelt hoe DNA-onderzoek ons beeld van de vroegste bewoners van Nederland verandert.

Sat 6 June 2026

WML museumnacht | Oostenwind

Laat je onderdompelen in nieuwe kunst en cultuur uit Zuid-Korea, Samoa en West-Papoea met verschillende tentoonstellingen, optredens en kunst.

Mon 8 June 2026

Lecture | The Biblical covenant and its afterlife

Robert Kawashima (University of Florida) and Stephen C. Russell (City University of New York) explore the significance of the Mosaic covenant and the influence that the biblical idea of the covenant had on early-modern political theory.

Mon 8 June 2026

NINO hybrid lecture | The Achaemenid Persian empire and world history

Prof. Dr Miguel John Versluys gives the Bi-annual Sancisi-Weerdenburg Lecture and suggests the adoption of an Afro-Eurasian perspective on the idea of universalism around 500 BCE.

Mon 8 June 2026

Seminar | Understanding declining climate urgency: perspectives from Japan and the NL

Different speakers discuss changing climate action in Japan and the Netherlands and when knowledge does or does not translate into a sense of collective responsibility. In The Hague.

Tue 9 June 2026

Lecture | Kang Youwei, Buddhism, and the modern Chinese quest for social equality

Dr. Lei Ying (Amherts College) focuses on the Datong Shu, the Book of the Great Communitas, by Kang Youwei (1858–1927). In it, he uses Buddhist language to conceptualize a radically equal world free of boundaries and distinctions like race, class, nation, family, and gender.

Wed 10 June 2026

Hybride lezing | Geletterdheidsontwikkeling voor dove/slechthorende kinderen in de vroege jaren

Rachel Chomba (Universiteit van Zambia) onderzoekt de geletterdheidsontwikkeling van doof en slechthorende kinderen in de vroege jaren vanuit een taal-eerst en visueel gefundeerd perspectief. 

Wed 10 June 2026

Conference | Humanities and International Relations Graduate Conference 2026

This conference centers on the theme 'Reimagining international relations: Humanities and multidisciplinarity as key approaches'. In The Hague.

Thu 11 June 2026 - Fri 12 June 2026

Workshop | The social dynamics of communal affiliation in early Islam

In different talks and panels, scholars discuss understanding of Muslim groups in early Islam.

Fri 12 June 2026

Symposium | Humanities PhD Symposium 2026

PhD candidates from across the humanities share and discuss their ongoing research with peers and faculty members in an open, supportive setting.

Mon 15 June 2026

Lecture | How armed groups adapt: Illicit financing and counterterrorism sanctions

Brian Phillips (University of Essex) show that most armed groups have adaptable financial portfolios, and as a result, they are usually unaffected by sanctions. In The Hague.

Mon 15 June 2026

Oratie | Archeology of Middle America

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Alexander Geurds discusses how we can develop an archaeology of Middle America.

Thu 18 June 2026

RMO lezing | Tijd in Romeins Egypte

De Leidse Papyrologie-lezing wordt dit jaar gehouden door Sofie Remijsen (Universiteit van Amsterdam). Ze vertelt over innovatieve tijdsinstrumenten uit de Grieks-Romeinse tijd in Egypte. 

Fri 19 June 2026

Study trip | Explore the Roman past of the Netherlands

Discober the Roman life near the limes in the modern province of Utrecht. Highlights of the trip include a visit to the Roman fort and Museum Hoge Woerd and a canal tour in a replica of a Roman ship.

Fri 19 June 2026

ASCL meeting | Reimagining Africa

This meeting brings together librarians, archivists, and information professionals to exchange practical approaches to improving the visibility, accessibility, and active use of African Studies collections. 

Sun 21 June 2026

Wereldwandeling | Sporen van de Slavernij in Leiden

Aan de hand van deze wandeling door de straten van de historische binnenstad van Leiden, leer je meer over de geschiedenis van de Nederlandse slavenhandel en slavernij, lopend langs gebouwen waar handelaren, tot slaafgemaakten, en voorvechters voor de afschaffing van slavernij woonden.

Tue 23 June 2026

WML international symposium | Pacific Arts Association

Ttiled 'Oceanic Blazing Forms: Memory, Place-making and Imagination', this symposium rethinks global art histories through the growing intellectual space of the Wereldmuseum. It challenges the structures and assumptions of both art history and anthropology through new approaches to material culture. 

Thu 25 June 2026 - Fri 26 June 2026

Congres | veiligheid en privacy

Leer over actuele security- en privacyonderwerpen in onderwijs en onderzoek. In Den Haag.

Thu 25 June 2026

RMO evening programme | An evening with… Penelope

Claire Stocks (University of Amsterdam) and Aurora Raimondi Cominesi (Fondazione Brescia Musei, Italy) bring together the story of the Odyssee's Penelope. They weave together old and modern art, poetry, and film and theatre fragments.

Fri 26 June 2026

KITLV hybrid festival | Celebration 175 years KITLV !

The Institute's researchers creatively show their work, and the works produced by Atelier KITLV will be exhibited and explained. There will also be dance and spoken word. At the UBL, manuscripts, photographs, maps, and other objects from the KITLV Collection are highlighted.

Fri 26 June 2026

Conference | Flexible EU membership amid geopolitical needs and legal constraints

During the 65th Leiden-London conference, speakers focus on recent developments in the EU’s enlargement policy and the growing need for flexibility in defining EU membership and in shaping the EU’s relationship with neighbouring countries.

Tue 30 June 2026

Conference | The Hague threat intelligence exchange

Speakers explore the landscape of cyber threats and encourage collaboration between private sector threat intelligence, government, and academia. In The Hague.

July 2026

Wed 1 July 2026 - Fri 3 July 2026

Conference | The prayer book as object and practice, 1300–1800

Different researchers explore the broader network of prayer books across late medieval and early modern Europe. They focus on the material book, its texts and images, devotions inspired by these texts and images, producers of the books, and the communities to which they belong. 

Thu 2 July 2026

KITLV symposium | Caribbean Studies: Past, present, and future of the field

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Rosemarijn Hoefte retires from her roles as senior researcher and member of the management team at KITLV. She reflects on the past, present, and future of the field of Caribbean studies.

Sun 5 July 2026 - Tue 7 July 2026

Conference | Crimmigration in an age of authoritarian drift

The fusion of criminal law and immigration enforcement (crimmigration) has intensified globally. Different speakers explore how crimmigration works as a tool of governance and political performance in democratic, hybrid, and authoritarian settings.

Sun 5 July 2026 - Tue 7 July 2026

Conference | Crimmigration in an Age of Authoritarian Drift

Criminal law and immigration are increasingly linked, known as "crimmigration." This trend has grown with the rise of authoritarian and far-right politics. The conference examines how migration has become central to nationalist agendas.

Fri 10 July 2026

Symposium | History of sign language: Emergence, transmission, and change

Researchers, students, and international professionals promote the exchange of research and experiences. They also reflect on sign languages from a broad historical perspective, discussing their early records, sociolinguistic development, and current uses. 