"The city of Leiden is full of history, splendid architecture, plenty of student nightlife, magnificent gardens and beauties of nature,… and everything is interconnected by a myriad of bikeways."

Vienna, Austria
2014-2015: MA LAW

Why I chose Leiden University

I am from Vienna, Austria and I studied law at the University of Vienna and the Universiteit Leiden (from 2004 until 2005) while on ERASMUS.

The main reason for me to decide for the Universiteit Leiden was that it is the most prestigious university for my field of study in the Netherlands as well as the true royal Dutch university which has taught kings and queens. Apart from this, the city of Leiden is full of history, splendid architecture, plenty of student nightlife, magnificent gardens and beauties of nature. And everything is interconnected by a myriad of bikeways.

My Leiden experiences

So while the city is obviously a gorgeous place to visit, which made my time there truly unforgettable, are the people. On the one hand of course the "Leidenaren", a very “gezellig” and open-minded bunch, who at every instance got excited and talkative whenever I tried to order/have a conversation in Dutch. And on the other hand, equally obviously, the young and bright people streaming into Leiden from all around the world, all determined to study, work and socialize with each other – widening their horizons and learning more about the world through each other.

My reasons for becoming a Leiden Ambassador

The main reason for me to become a Leiden Ambassador was that till this very day I think fondly of studying at Leiden and I would like to aid those who have studied there to stay in touch with the university and each other. At the same time, I think it's also important to promote the university to prospective students, potentially allowing them – just as I did – to benefit from studying at such a prestigious institution while also forming long-lasting friendships and a network of people all around the world, sharing the same great memory – Leiden University.