Leiden University College The Hague
About LUC
Leiden University College The Hague (LUC) was founded in 2010 as the international Honours College of Leiden University. It offers a unique, innovative Liberal Arts & Sciences undergraduate programme that provides students with great opportunities to create their own learning pathways.
The programme begins by introducing the four Global Challenges: Peace and Justice, Sustainability, Prosperity, and Diversity. These themes are covered in an inter-disciplinary way, presenting students with a wide variety of perspectives on current-day issues. From there, they choose one of six Majors to concentrate on in their 2nd Year. Their degree is completed by a capstone project in their final year.
However, LUC is much more than simply an innovative Bachelor programme. The College aspires to several additional ideals that set it apart as a site of learning. Firstly, its Student-Centred Approach involves mentoring and advising students as they make their way through the programme and consider their options beyond graduation. Secondly, we believe in Societal Engagement as a crucial element of Global Citizenship, enabling students to interact with and critically engage with their local environment through field trips and research projects. Thirdly, it embraces the theory and practice of Sustainability, with students encountering its many meanings and overall significance across a range of disciplines. Lastly, a belief in Social Justice, which is reflected in the pursuit of ethical responses to all Global Challenges and, ultimately, Building Knowledge for a Better World.
The Hague, International City of Peace and Justice
LUC is located in the heart of The Hague, the home to more than 150 international organisations and multinational companies, and over 100 foreign embassies. In addition, the Dutch judicial capital hosts no less than five international courts of law: the International Court of Justice, the International Criminal Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia, the International Criminal Court, the Permanent Court of Arbitration and the Special Tribunal for Lebanon. Known as the International City of Peace and Justice, The Hague represents a globally-significant site for the pursuit of a stable, just world order.
The city of The Hague is fundamentally a source and an inspiration for our academic programme. The growing Campus The Hague of Leiden University, with its various English-language programmes, offers an active, stimulating, internationally-orientated academic environment. The numerous NGO’s, international organisations, governmental ministries and research institutes provide expertise, host field trips, and offer internship possibilities. Based on the ideal of Societal Engagement, projects focusing on the city, ranging from urban waste and recycling to the effects of evolving cultural diversity, are a fundamental part of the College’s academic outlook. Service-based learning – contributing to the local community through services provided, as a central element of a Global Citizenship course or through volunteer projects – is a key aspect of this. Additionally, varied landscapes across The Hague’s large urban parks and adjacent coastal dunes provide multiple opportunities for LUC field trips and student research.