Do you want to discover a language and culture that is completely different from the Netherlands? In the Bachelor's programme Middle Eastern Studies you will study the connections between the different cultures in the Middle-East in the past and present. You will be able to choose from the languages…

Leiden University’s master’s in Middle Eastern Studies programme is a one-year, full-time master’s programme that is taught completely in English. It deals with a wealth of fascinating, inspirational and highly relevant topics. Two starting dates are possible: in September and in February.

Designed for high-achieving students, Leiden University's master's in Middle Eastern Studies (Research) offers you unmatched resources and expertise.

This research investigates everyday lives and workplace experiences of Iranian workers employed at textile industry, which was the second biggest industry after oil following the latter’s discovery in 1908.

This project compares and contrasts how and why several Turkish and Iranian women were compelled to participate in leftist guerilla movements in the 1960s and 1970s.

This PhD research sets out to unravel and explain the socio-structural and cultural impacts of oil-industrialization on the local Bakhtiari community in general and the industrial laborers it provided in specific.

Hekmat Dirbas defended his thesis on 14 February 2017

This year’s “best master’s thesis in the area of national or international history” was written by Bareez Majid, who has completed a research master's in Middle Eastern Studies. She wins the prestigious 2015 Volkskrant–IISG thesis prize for her courageous, solid research on a former “torture prison”…

Iraqi-Kurdish student of Middle Eastern Studies Bareez Majid has been nominated for the ECHO Award. ‘She has a strong personality, though she may appear unassuming at first,’ was the comment from one of her lecturers.

Over a decade ago the then foreign minister Abdullah Gül awarded me the “Medal of High Distinction” of the Republic of Turkey. I received the award, consisting of a diploma and a gigantic gold medal, during a festive ceremony at the Turkish embassy in The Hague. The reason I was deemed worthy of the…

Leiden Lectures on Arabic Language and Culture (2019)

At Leiden University you can study Islam and Muslim societies within two Dutch-language BA and various MA programmes and specializations.

Find out how to apply for Middle Eastern Studies at Leiden University by following our step-by step guide.

Welcome to the website of Turkish Studies at Leiden University. On this website you will find information on the work and the activities of the people studying the Ottoman Empire and Turkey at Leiden University.

Find out how to apply for Middle Eastern Studies (research) at Leiden University by following our step-by step guide.

LIAS is comprised of three research schools with expertise in different areas:

Humanities, Institute for Area Studies

Humanities, Institute for Area Studies

From the mid-19th century until the 1970’s, the Middle East witnessed the presence of various European missionaries who played a fundamental role in the birth and the development of humanitarianism. Since these Christian missionaries were well integrated in the local Middle Eastern societies via their…

The two-year research master in Middle Eastern Studies equips you with advanced and in-depth knowledge in a region or discipline within the field of Middle Eastern Studies.

Leiden University offers ambitious students the latest knowledge and the freedom to develop their own area of expertise.

The Middle Eastern Studies programme can open doors to you in a wide variety of industries in which the Middle East plays a prominent role, or serve as a stepping-stone to help you reach the next level of your academic education.

If you have a question, there are various ways to get in touch with us.

The Central and Eastern European Studies Center is an interdisciplinary platform of Leiden University scholars aiming to bundle, strengthen, and disseminate existing research into the history, politics, and culture of Central and Eastern Europe.

To be eligible for Middle Eastern Studies at Leiden University, you must meet the following admission requirements.

Get the most out of your studies at Leiden University by taking part in our extracurricular activities.

If you have a question, there are various ways to get in touch with us.