Events

June 2026

Wed 17 June 2026

Een festival dat onderwijs, innovatie en ondernemerschap verbindt in het hart van Leiden.

Wed 17 June 2026

KITLV seminar | Temporalities of memory: Religion, history, and the unstable past in Java

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Wayan Jarrah Sastrawan (Australian National University, Canberra) explores how the Javanese have historically engaged with their own past

Thu 18 June 2026 - Fri 19 June 2026

ASCL conference | Trade, tariffs, and development in Africa

Top scholars, policymakers, practitioners, diplomats, journalists, investors, students, and representatives of regional and global organizations analyze the political economy of tariffs and free trade from different angles.

Thu 18 June 2026

ASCL hybrid seminar | The Drewes collection of Amharic books in the African Library

Jos Damen and Harry Stroomer discuss the contents of Abraham Johannes Drewes' (1927–2007) collection of books and booklets in Amharic, currently in Leiden University's African library.

Thu 18 June 2026 - Sat 20 June 2026

Exhibition | Watching machines: Life under algorithmic eyes

This three-day exhibition and public programme on algorithmic vision shows how facial recognition, biometric remote identification and behavioural-analysis systems  are increasingly woven into the infrastructure of public space. In The Hague.

Thu 18 June 2026

RMO lezing | Tijd in Romeins Egypte

De Leidse Papyrologie-lezing wordt dit jaar gehouden door Sofie Remijsen (Universiteit van Amsterdam). Ze vertelt over innovatieve tijdsinstrumenten uit de Grieks-Romeinse tijd in Egypte. 

Fri 19 June 2026 - Sun 21 June 2026

RMO Nationale Archeologiedagen

Archeologie staat op deze dagen in het hele land in de schijnwerpers, met talloze activiteiten in o.a. musea, archeologische centra, depots en universiteiten.

Fri 19 June 2026

Study trip | Explore the Roman past of the Netherlands

Discober the Roman life near the limes in the modern province of Utrecht. Highlights of the trip include a visit to the Roman fort and Museum Hoge Woerd and a canal tour in a replica of a Roman ship.

Fri 19 June 2026

Lecture | Europe

Koen Lenaerts (President of the Court of Justice of the European Union) discusses the recent developments in the case law of the Court of Justice.

Fri 19 June 2026

ASCL meeting | Reimagining Africa

This meeting brings together librarians, archivists, and information professionals to exchange practical approaches to improving the visibility, accessibility, and active use of African Studies collections. 

Sat 20 June 2026

Workshop | Sashiko op papier

Leer de Japanse borduurkunst Sashiko kennen bij Japanmuseum Sieboldhuis.

Sun 21 June 2026

Wereldwandeling | Sporen van de Slavernij in Leiden

Aan de hand van deze wandeling door de straten van de historische binnenstad van Leiden, leer je meer over de geschiedenis van de Nederlandse slavenhandel en slavernij, lopend langs gebouwen waar handelaren, tot slaafgemaakten, en voorvechters voor de afschaffing van slavernij woonden.

Sun 21 June 2026

Evenement | Midzomernacht

Vier de langste dag van het jaar in de Hortus botanicus Leiden met een rijk programma vol muziek, theater en kunst. 

Mon 22 June 2026

IIAS hybrid lecture | Ancient star-shaped towers of the Himalayas

Frederique Darragon (Unicorn Heritage Institute at Sichuan University) discusses the impressive but little-known star-shaped towers in the impossible terrain of the Sino-Tibetan Marches. 

Tue 23 June 2026

Lezing | Misdaad en straf in de Gevangenpoort 1600-1800

Het onderzoeksproject over misdaad en straf in de Gevangenpoort tussen 1600-1800 wordt gepresenteerd. In Den Haag. 

Tue 23 June 2026

Hybrid knowledge session | Trump, Xi, and the future of US–China relations

Rem Korteweg offers a Washington perspective on the future of US–China relations and the broader international order. In The Hague.

Tue 23 June 2026

WML international symposium | Pacific Arts Association

Ttiled 'Oceanic Blazing Forms: Memory, Place-making and Imagination', this symposium rethinks global art histories through the growing intellectual space of the Wereldmuseum. It challenges the structures and assumptions of both art history and anthropology through new approaches to material culture. 

Tue 23 June 2026 - Fri 26 June 2026

Symposium | Oceanic blazing forms: Memory, place-making and imagination

Visitors are invited to explore the richness, intricacy and making traditions of the art and material culture of western New Guinea, a former Dutch colony. 

Tue 23 June 2026

IIAS lecture | China in Cuban underground culture

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Unpacking the signifier ‘China’ in poetry publications and performances, aspects of the Cuban revolutionary past and present are revealed. 

Wed 24 June 2026

Lecture | Europe under Trump

Cas Mudde (University of Georgia)  discusses European democracy under the Trump regime. In The Hague.

Wed 24 June 2026

Presentation | Chinese investment in EU-seaports

Key scholars present their analysis of the impact of Chinese direct investment in EU seaports on port competitiveness and national security interests. 

Wed 24 June 2026

ASCL seminar | Climate change, ecosystem degradation, and health in Africa

Dr. Hubert Amu (University of Health and Allied Sciences, Ghana) reviews climatic and ecological exposures to health outcomes and engages with community-based knowledge.

Thu 25 June 2026

KITLV seminar | Animals, people, and the politics of coexistence in Kanyemba

Neil B. Maheve discusses what coexistence looks like when neither people nor animals can leave.

Thu 25 June 2026 - Fri 26 June 2026

Congres | veiligheid en privacy

Leer over actuele security- en privacyonderwerpen in onderwijs en onderzoek. In Den Haag.

Thu 25 June 2026

ASCL seminar | Mining, land, and distributional conflict in rural South Africa

Sonwabile Mnwana (Rhodes University) explores distributional conflict in rural South Africa and focuses on the impacts of the quick expansion of metal extraction.  

Thu 25 June 2026

RMO evening programme | An evening with… Penelope

Claire Stocks (University of Amsterdam) and Aurora Raimondi Cominesi (Fondazione Brescia Musei, Italy) bring together the story of the Odyssee's Penelope. They weave together old and modern art, poetry, and film and theatre fragments.

Thu 25 June 2026

Event | Venturing with the Humanities

What do modern humanities entrepreneurs look like? Four entrepreneurs show how a humanities background can open unexpected doors.

Fri 26 June 2026

Lezing | Heksenvervolging en de waarheid

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Steije Hofhuis (Wissenschafszentrum Berlin) vertelt over historische waarheidsvinding aan de hand van de Europese heksenvervolgingen.

Fri 26 June 2026

Book Talk | Caste: A global history

Leading scholar Suraj Milind Yengde shines combines history, ethnography and archival research to reflect on caste and race from ancient times to today.

Fri 26 June 2026

KITLV hybrid festival | Celebration 175 years KITLV !

The Institute's researchers creatively show their work, and the works produced by Atelier KITLV will be exhibited and explained. There will also be dance and spoken word. At the UBL, manuscripts, photographs, maps, and other objects from the KITLV Collection are highlighted.

Fri 26 June 2026

Conference | Flexible EU membership amid geopolitical needs and legal constraints

During the 65th Leiden-London conference, speakers focus on recent developments in the EU’s enlargement policy and the growing need for flexibility in defining EU membership and in shaping the EU’s relationship with neighbouring countries.

Sat 27 June 2026

Festival | Leiden Gezond

Het Stadhuis verandert in een plek waar je van alles kunt ontdekken én doen rondom jouw gezondheid. Laat je verrassen, probeer zelf activiteiten uit en krijg handige tips waar je meteen iets aan hebt.

Sat 27 June 2026 - Sun 5 July 2026

Event | Dutch bio science week

Enjoy a diverse program for all ages, providing a unique opportunity to explore groundbreaking developments shaping the future of health.​

Mon 29 June 2026

RMO lecture | Troy – 3.000 years of history

dr. Rüstem Aslan (Çanakkale Onsekiz Mart University) talks about the special archaeological and historical significance of Troy, one of the most iconic cities of the ancient world. 

Tue 30 June 2026

WML evenement | Herdenking slavernijverleden

Verschillende toespraken en voordrachten herdenken het Nederlandse slavernijverleden. 

Tue 30 June 2026

Conference | The Hague threat intelligence exchange

Speakers explore the landscape of cyber threats and encourage collaboration between private sector threat intelligence, government, and academia. In The Hague.

July 2026

Wed 1 July 2026 - Fri 3 July 2026

Conference | The prayer book as object and practice, 1300–1800

Different researchers explore the broader network of prayer books across late medieval and early modern Europe. They focus on the material book, its texts and images, devotions inspired by these texts and images, producers of the books, and the communities to which they belong. 

Thu 2 July 2026

RMO event | Kledingruil & Lezing

Ism VNTG Atelier organiseert Rijksmuseum van Oudheden een kledingruil en lezing. Lever je kleding in en ontvang muntjes die je kunt inzetten om een ander item te scoren. In de bijbehorende lezing vertelt Emma Verweij over de herwaardering van Egyptisch vlechtwerk.

Thu 2 July 2026

KITLV symposium | Caribbean Studies: Past, present, and future of the field

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Rosemarijn Hoefte retires from her roles as senior researcher and member of the management team at KITLV. She reflects on the past, present, and future of the field of Caribbean studies.

Fri 3 July 2026

Lezing | Javaanse landkaarten uit 1825

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Onderzoeker Ben Arps (Universiteit Leiden) gaat in op de vraag wat het verhaal achter deze kaarten zou kunnen zijn. Wie heeft ze gemaakt? Waarom? Wat vertellen ze over de Javaanse cartografie?

Sun 5 July 2026 - Tue 7 July 2026

Conference | Crimmigration in an Age of Authoritarian Drift

Criminal law and immigration are increasingly linked, known as "crimmigration." This trend has grown with the rise of authoritarian and far-right politics. The conference examines how migration has become central to nationalist agendas.

Fri 10 July 2026

Lezing | De knuppelzwaaiende bruut

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Luc Amkreutz (Rijksmuseum van Oudheden) vertelt over wie en hoe onze vroegste voorouders niet zijn.

Fri 10 July 2026

Symposium | History of sign language: Emergence, transmission, and change

Researchers, students, and international professionals promote the exchange of research and experiences. They also reflect on sign languages from a broad historical perspective, discussing their early records, sociolinguistic development, and current uses. 

Fri 10 July 2026

Symposium | History of sign language emergence, transmission, and change

Researchers, students, and international professionals promote the exchange of research and experiences, as well as reflecting on sign languages from a broad historical perspective.

Tue 14 July 2026

KITLV hybrid seminar | Architectural practices and politics in postcolonial Bandung

Rina Priyani (University of Virginia) analyses how political alignments, intermarriages, and gendered labour shaped racial relations and urban space in the postcolonial setting of the 1955 Bandung Conference.

August 2026

Mon 24 August 2026 - Wed 26 August 2026

Conference | 55th Colloquium on African languages and linguistics

Diverse scholars present their research on different aspects of African languages and linguistics.

Thu 27 August 2026 - Sat 29 August 2026

Symposium | Historicidagen: Toekomst van geschiedenis

Wissel ervaringen uit en deel toekomstperspectieven over de onzekere toekomst van geschiedenis. Hoe ziet de geschiedenis er in de toekomst uit? 

September 2026

Tue 1 September 2026

Lezing | Op zoek naar ‘middlebrow’ boekbezit in de achttiende eeuw

Alicia Montoya (Radboud Universiteit Nijmegen) onderzoekt de aanwezigheid van 'middlebrow' literatuur (commercieel succesvolle boeken, met een moraliserende intentie, gericht op een vrouwelijk publiek) in de 18e eeuw in Nederland en andere Europese landen. 

Thu 17 September 2026

Conference | Making waves on the Nile: Change and continuity in Hellenistic Egypt

Early career scholars from diverse fields with a shared interest in Hellenistic Egypt share their research on change and continuity in Hellenistic Egyptian life.

Sat 26 September 2026

Festival | Day of languages and cultures

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discover the fascinating world of languages and cultures through lectures and workshops on history, philosophy, religion, film, literature and art history.

Mon 28 September 2026

Afscheidscollege | Historische migratiestudies in tijden van polarisatie

Leo Lucassen (Hoogleraar Mondiale arbeids- en migratiegeschiedenis) reflecteert op migratiestudies in tijden van toenemende polarisatie.