News A selection of news from Leiden University. News More things in heaven and earth: the benefits of space exploration Impact 08 April 2026 The Netherlands celebrates Space Exploration Day on 12 April each year. Space exploration has brought us ground-breaking discoveries with applications... When criminal law works unfairly against people in vulnerable positions Inaugural lecture on social inequality 07 April 2026 Criminal law can reinforce social inequality. ‘People at the lower end of society are hit harder by criminal law in a range of different ways’, says P... Grant for research into fungus that could make vegan cheese cheaper and more sustainable 07 April 2026 Leiden researchers and partners have been awarded a 1.3-million-euro grant to produce milk protein for vegan cheese using fungi. While this process is... Turnips from Amsterdam? How rooftop gardens can strengthen the food supply chain Green roofs 02 April 2026 ‘Darling, fetch some broccoli from the roof, would you?’ This could be a reality in the future. Ecologist Pengxuan Xie investigated whether rooftop fa... Meet Angela Ignatius: a game that helps students discuss their use of AI 31 March 2026 There is something strange about that new student Angela Ignatius. She is brilliant, helpful and always available. She summarises teaching materials, ... Leiden University and Xi’an Jiaotong University mark a decade of trusted scientific collaboration International delegation 31 March 2026 A delegation from Xi’an Jiaotong University visited Leiden University on 25–26 March, celebrating ten years of cooperation in education and research, ... Staying a step ahead of infections that threaten safe transfusion and transplantation Inaugural lecture 30 March 2026 Preventing viral infections from being transmitted through blood transfusion and organ transplantation lies at the heart of the work of medical microb... Students connect generations in new podcast Media platform 27 March 2026 A group of Leiden students launched the Van Leiden tot Later (From Leiden to Later) media platform on 27 March. In podcasts and videos, they talk with... Spui University Campus officially opened: the puzzle is now complete Opening 27 March 2026 With the six pieces of the puzzle now assembled by the partners of the University Campus and the Mayor of The Hague, Jan van Zanen, the building at th... Max van Duijn, new chair of The Young Academy: ‘We need to be more resilient to ideological pressure’ The Young Academy 25 March 2026 Assistant professor Max van Duijn is the new chair of The Young Academy. He aims to support young academics, bring research closer to society and make... All news items