Representative bodies for PhD candidates exist at the institute, university, and national levels.

PhD Council

Each institute has a PhD Council that represents all PhD candidates and promotes their interests. The LIAS PhD Council regularly meets with the Academic Director and the director of doctoral studies to monitor the PhD programme. It also organizes academic and social events. Council membership is for a period of two years, but practice is flexible. New members are recruited through an open call for expressions of interest.

Advisory Council

Two of the seats on the LIAS Advisory Council are held by PhD candidates,

University-level and national bodies

At the University level, PhD candidates are represented by the Leids Promovendi Overleg (LEO). LEO maintains contacts with other PhD candidate organizations in the Netherlands. It also organizes social events.

At the national level, PhD candidates are represented by the Promovendi Netwerk Nederland (PNN).