City of Leiden
Vibrant student life
The city of Leiden is part of the 'Randstad', the urbanized area in the Western part of the country that also includes Amsterdam, The Hague, Rotterdam and Utrecht. The University of Applied Sciences Leiden is located at the heart of the Netherlands and Dutch society. Leiden has a rich history, plenty of cultural attractions and is within easy reach of the beautiful Dutch beaches, all of which makes it a perfect base for your stay in the country.
As a traditional university town, Leiden is well known for its vibrant student life. Its vicinity to The Hague, international city of peace and justice, adds to its position as a great place for an academic stay in the Netherlands. The city is home to the oldest student society in the Netherlands as well as a variety of social student clubs. Most of these social student clubs have special memberships for international students.
Erasmus Student Network Leiden
The Erasmus Student Network Leiden organises all sorts of activities for international students like evenings out, parties, movie nights and excursions.
SIB Leiden
The Dutch United Nations Student Association (DUNSA, also known as SIB Leiden) is an organisation with a main focus on international relations. Their activities include international dinner parties, movie nights, lectures and forums. Each year they organise trips abroad. Different theme groups within the organisation focus on matters such as development issues, international organisations or specific continents. Many of the activities are in English. International students are very welcome to join.
Two of Leiden's main attractions are our cultural history, represented by the city's many museums, and our knowledge base, of which the Bio Science Park is an icon. Knowledge has become an essential character of Leiden as a city. Forty-three per cent of Leiden's population are now educated at the higher professional or university level - something that was unthinkable in the past. This switch in Leiden's character has been irrefutably influenced by the presence of strong knowledge institutions like Leiden University and UAS Leiden.
Henri Lenferink, mayor from 2003-2023
Cultural life in Leiden
Leiden is known for its rich history and its old city centre with numerous canals, monumental buildings and courtyard gardens. Culture is an important component of Leiden. With 13 museums, from the National Museum of Antiquities and the National Museum of Ethnology to Naturalis Biodiversity Center and the city's famous botanical gardens, you can broaden your horizon without ever leaving the city. As most museums are within walking distance of UAS Leiden, you will be able to make the most of your free time.
In 2022 Leiden was the host of the European City of Science. Check here.
Leiden hosts dozens of cultural events, of which the Leiden Jazz Festival, Leiden Culinair and the Leiden Film festival are a few examples. The Leiden Theatre is the oldest playhouse in the Netherlands and definitely worth a visit. Check here for the cultural activities going on in Leiden.
Leiden Bio Science Park
Leiden primarily profiles itself as a centre of science and new technology. Thanks to the knowledge institutes and companies in the Leiden Bio Science Park - the Netherlands' largest Life Sciences knowledge faculty and where UAS Leiden is also based, Leiden has managed to acquire a key position regionally, nationally and internationally as a city of knowledge.