Research takes place in three research schools: Asia, Middle East and Religious Studies. Within these schools, we focus on specific areas and themes, such as languages and cultures, heritage and the human digital world.

This allows us to combine knowledge from different fields and disciplines, which leads to new insights and broader perspectives.

Three research schools

Asian Studies

• Chinese Studies
• Japanese Studies 
• Korean Studies 
• South Asian & Tibetan Studies 
• Southeast Asian Studies  

Middle Eastern Studies

• Arabic Studies 
• Assyriology
• Egyptology
• Hebrew & Aramaic Studies
• Papyrology
• Iranian and Central Asian Studies
• Turkish Studies

Religious Studies

• Religious Studies

Research networks

Our research networks bring together scholars and students to collaborate on shared themes and research interests.

Ancient Worlds network
The Ancient Worlds Network brings together staff and graduate students in LIAS-LUCSoR working on the ancient Mediterranean and Near Eastern world.

Canonical Cultures network
Religion, Philosophy, and the Pre-modern World

Dialogic Network
Dialogue among cultures and disciplines: past, present and future

Language Learning Resource Centre
Leiden University has a strong tradition in language teaching, in various settings: for instance in the BA and MA language and culture programmes, area studies programmes, international studies, minors and electives. Currently, 20 different languages are taught throughout different institutes and programmes.

The Leiden Chinese Queer Collection
Building on its extensive holdings in Asian studies, including much material that can support the study of “unofficial” histories and cultures, Leiden University Libraries has established the Leiden Chinese Queer Collection (LCQC).

Leiden Political Economy (LPEG) network
The Leiden Political Economy Group (L-PEG) is a network of scholars of political economy, development, economic history, economics, and international political economy across various Leiden University programs and institutes and beyond.

Histories Connected
Histories Connected seeks to explore social, cultural, and political issues that connect people of Asia, the Middle East, Africa, the Americas, and Europe throughout different periods of time.

Comparative Religion Network
Within the Comparative Religion Network staff and graduate students from LIAS-LUCSoR (and beyond) discuss ongoing work and cooperate on key issues in the comparative and systematic study of religion.

Research Colloquium: SSEALS 
SSEALS (South and Southeast Asia Leiden Series) is a colloquium initiative stitching together three core concerns that animate scholars and researchers in the humanities and social science: space/detours, time/absence and people/encounters. 

Leiden Jewish Studies Network
To stimulate cooperation and mutual awareness among students, instructors and experts from inside and outside Leiden University, the "Leiden Jewish Studies Association" (LJSA) was created in 2023 with a subsidy from the Faculty of Humanities.