Europe faces a range of threats, from military aggression and hybrid warfare to cyberattacks, sabotage, the undermining of democracy and the spread of disinformation. How can governments respond effectively and legitimately at national, supranational (such as in the EU) and international levels?

Leiden University is an expert across the security spectrum, including cybersecurity, military strategy, humanitarian interventions, counterterrorism, disinformation, democratic resilience, legal frameworks for police and intelligence services, and the protection of critical resources and infrastructure.

Our cybersecurity research, teaching and policy addresses legal, political, societal, technological and administrative dimensions of physical and digital safety, including safeguarding systems, networks and data. This knowledge is crucial to protecting public values and interests, and critical utilities such as the power grid, the internet and air traffic control.

We bring together governance experts, political scientists, legal scholars, economists, historians, criminologists, computer scientists and physicists. Through our interdisciplinary research and teaching, we generate new insights and practical solutions for building safer societies. We also train the next generation of experts, support policymakers and help society defend itself against current and future threats.