Events

March 2025

Wed 26 March 2025

Water is onmisbaar, maar ons watersysteem nadert zijn grenzen. Tijdens dit symposium interviewt Anika van de Wijngaard de CEO van Dunea, Wim Drossaert, over het actieplan om een drinkwatertekort in 2030 te voorkomen. Prof.dr. Petra van Dam deelt haar onderzoek naar de geschiedenis van drinkwaterbeheer.

Wed 26 March 2025 - Fri 28 March 2025

Workshop | Contemporary Migrations in the Americas

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This workshop, funded by LDE Global, addresses the urgent and multifaceted issues surrounding migration in the Americas. With interdisciplinary and cross-border dialogue, the aim is to deepen our understanding of migration governance, human rights, and the lived experiences of both migrants and local communities.

Wed 26 March 2025

Book Talk | A Modern History of China’s Art Market

China’s art market has transformed a lot, from its first auction in the 1990s to becoming the world’s largest. In this booktalk, Kejia Wu explores its growth, the role of government policies, the evolution of contemporary artists, and the market’s broader impact on the international art world.

Wed 26 March 2025 - Sat 29 March 2025

Conference | European Social Science History Conference 2025

The 15th European Social Science History Conference 2025 takes place in Leiden, the Netherlands. Its aim is bringing together scholars interested in explaining historical phenomena using the methods of the social sciences. The conference is characterized by a lively exchange in many small groups,  organized in 27 thematic networks.

Wed 26 March 2025

Panel Discussion | The Future of Conventional defence strategy in Europe

With rising security challenges, Europe must rethink its defence strategy. This panel discussion explores military gaps, investment needs, and policy changes to strengthen defence, share burdens, and improve strategic autonomy for a more secure future.

Thu 27 March 2025

Lezing | Retorische dilemma’s van toen en nu

Gelijk hebben of gelijk krijgen? Retorica zou vooral overtuigen, argumentatieleer juist goede redenering nastreven. In deze lezing onderzoekt Charlotte van der Voort dit via het minder bekende dilemmatische argument uit klassieke retoricaboeken. Dit is een hybride lezing.

Thu 27 March 2025

KITLV Lecture | How beer became a global commodity

Nearly every country has an iconic national beer brand. But with the exception of Ireland’s Guinness, every label represents the same style: light, crisp, clear, Pilsner lager. Jeffrey M. Pilcher examines the standardization of local brewing traditions and the craft beer movement's challenge to beer's commodification. This is a hybrid event.

Thu 27 March 2025

IIAS lecture | Kālañjara Fort and the Fierce Goddess in Medieval India

Kālī (a fierce Hindu goddess) was worshipped at Kālañjara, a ford in India that is a key religious and political site. In this lecture, Sandra Sattler explores her imagery, its connection to the Chandella kingdom, and the fort’s sacred significance. This is a hybrid event.

Thu 27 March 2025

Lecture | Sensing Otherwise; in the absence of land(scape)

Ilaria Biotti, Alexander Cromer, Donald Weber, and Alice Lagaay's exploration of landscapes reveals them as ever-changing, dynamic portals connecting "here" to infinite "elsewheres." Join this In the Making session as they investigate three landscapes: the ideal, the sonic, and the bureaucratic, uncovering their unique processes and knowledge.

Thu 27 March 2025

Lecture | Everyday Postsocialism in Eastern Europe

In this lecture, Jill Massimo talks about her new book "Everyday Postsocialism in Eastern Europe. History Doesn't Travel in One Direction." With a focus on a diverse group of people, the book explores the multifaceted changes people experienced with the collapse of state socialism in Eastern Europe. 

Fri 28 March 2025

Lecture | When History Repeats Itself

We face multiple crises: wars, climate change, pandemics, and political instability, even though our technological advances would seem like easy fixes. Dr Zuleika Bibi Sheik, using decolonial and abolitionist perspectives, explores academia's role in crisis response, research methods, and our responsibility to future generations.

Fri 28 March 2025

Lezing | Thorbecke, Trump en de digitale toekomst van het goederenrecht

De opkomst van crypto was stormachtig, maar met Trumps verkiezing krijgt alles een nieuwe dynamiek. Tijdens deze Thorbecke lezing gaat Matthias Haentjens verder in op de juridische en economische kant. Wat als je beurs failliet gaat? En wat zou Thorbecke hiervan vinden? (in Gent, België)

Sat 29 March 2025

Performance | Majalla's Mantel

Geïnspireerd door verhalen van verzet tegen slavernij, werd een vrijheidsmantel gecreëerd voor het tot slaaf gemaakte jongetje Majalla en zijn lotgenoten. Majalla was een tot slaaf gemaakt jongetje, genoemd in brieven over een slavenhandelaar - ontdekt en onderzocht door Leids historicus Sjoerd Ramackers. De performance is onderdeel van proejct 'Majalla’s Mantel' in museum De Lakenhal.

April 2025

Tue 1 April 2025

Debate | Democratic decline in the US and its European roots

In this event, Mr.dr. Hans-Martien ten Napel discusses the democratic decline in the US and its European roots. He does this with two distinguished international guests: Dr. Marietta van der Tol (University of Cambridge) and Prof. Dr. Kim Wehle (University of Baltimore School of Law).

Tue 1 April 2025

IIAS lecture | Documenting Social History in Asia

Curator Asian Collection Eef Vermeij talks about his experiences collecting various items from mainly Southeast Asia for the International Institute of Social History (Amsterdam). He also pays attention to the changing landscape of collecting, new technologies, and future challenges. This event is hybrid.

Wed 2 April 2025 - Thu 3 April 2025

Festival | Experimental Days

From April 2nd to April 3rd, you can learn about the field of Experimental Archaeology from experts and advanced students, taste different historical dishes and get involved in a variety of workshops yourself. From flint knapping to experiencing how a real deer is processed the prehistoric way and dyeing your own tote bag. 

Wed 2 April 2025

Workshop | Rethinking Wereldmuseum Leiden

What does it mean to be Indigenous in today’s world? Wereldmuseum Leiden is rethinking its permanent exhibition to address this question. In this workshop, students work with curator Wonu Veys to research for this exhibition and develop and present an exhibition proposal for a display with the selected objects and/or contemporary artworks.

Wed 2 April 2025

Seminar | Health rights of LGBTQIA+ child asylum-seekers

LGBTQI+ child asylum-seekers face extreme vulnerability, limited healthcare, and ongoing rights challenges worldwide. Elias Tissandier considers the specific health needs of LGBTQI+ refugee children in order to establish a complete picture of the risks they face before, during and after migrating.

Thu 3 April 2025

Lecture | Soldiers of Fortune at Home

Cretan mercenaries are often mentioned in ancient texts, but their impact on Crete’s wealth is less studied. Ass. Prof. Katerina Panagopoulou explores coin evidence and their economic influence. She also explores why little foreign wealth appears in Crete’s archaeological record, offering possible explanations.

Thu 3 April 2025

Lecture | Evidence generation across the QUALitative-QUANTitative spectrum

Evidence is central to science, spanning disciplines and methodologies. Prof. dr. Federica Russo critiques formal and pluralist approaches to evidence, proposing a different perspective. She explores how this view bridges the QUAL-QUAN divide, mixing qualitative and quantitative methods as interconnected and interpretative practices.

Thu 3 April 2025

ASCL seminar | Neoliberal Authoritarianism in Rwanda

Rwanda has a high number of women in its Parliament (61% in 2018). This while critics also argue that Rwanda has an authoritarian regime under President Paul Kagame. Dr Xianan Jin explores this paradox: how Rwanda can promote gender equality in politics while maintaining oppressive state control.

Thu 3 April 2025

Lecture | Can AI Save the Amazon?

AI is increasingly used for environmental efforts, but its role in environmental justice remains uncertain. Sebastián Lehuedé examines AI projects in Colombia and identifies top-down and engaged models. With this he highlights power imbalances in AI-driven environmentalism through political ecology.

Sun 6 April 2025

Event | Afrikaanse filosofie: Ubuntu

Afrika kent een rijke filosofische traditie. In vier bijeenkomsten lichten studenten van het Leidse Instituut voor Wijsbegeerte, met ondersteuning van hun docent filosofie Pius Mosima, enkele centrale uitgangspunten en ideeën uit de Afrikaanse filosofie toe. Deze derde bijeenkomst gaat over Ubuntu, een humanistische filosofie uit het zuiden van Afrika. 

Sun 6 April 2025

RMO lezing | Restauratie Athena-groep

In deze online lezing, vertelt Renske Dooijes, restaurator keramiek, glas en steen, over de restauratie van de Athena-groep, een groot aantal kolossale gipsafgietsels van het oostfries van het Griekse Pergamon-altaar. Verder gaat ze ook in op de veranderende waardering voor gipsafgietselcollecties door de tijd heen. 

Sun 6 April 2025

WML event | Opening Draden van ons Nederlandse slavernijverleden

Vanaf 6 april zijn Museum De Lakenhal en het Wereldmuseum Leiden maaklocatie voor het project Draden van ons Nederlandse slavernijverleden. Het project wordt afgetrapt met een artist talk met Marcos Kueh en een workshop waarbij je de kans krijgt om de eerste steken van het wandkleed te zetten.

Mon 7 April 2025

Lecture | A Just War versus a Dignified Peace?

In this Peace Histories seminar, Dr. Elisabeth Forster (University of Southampton) talks about the peace negotiations between the Chinese Communist Party and the Nationalist Party in 1949. She does this with a focus on the discourses about war and peace surrounded the negotiations. 

Mon 7 April 2025

Lecture | Politeness in Commercial Settings in Abidjan, Côte d'Ivoire

In this talk, Linnéa Gunnarsdotter Koré presents her doctoral dissertation that explores politeness of verbal interactions in French. She studied interactions that took place in small and medium-sized shops situated in Abidjan, the largest urban area in Côte d’Ivoire (West Africa), with a focus on requests. 

Mon 7 April 2025

Lecture | The Uncertain Virtue of Simplicity in Islamic Java

In Java, graves reflect differences between traditionalist and modernist Muslims. Traditionalists prefer lavish graves, while modernists prefer simplicity. Verena Meyer explores how traditionalist ethics balance devotion, asceticism, and the relationship between the living, the dead, and divine truth.

Tue 8 April 2025

RMO lezing | Tin in het RMO

Afgelopen januari opende 'Tin' in het RMO: een tentoonstelling die is samengesteld uit de omvangrijke tinverzameling van Henk van Wijk. Pleun van Lieshout, gastconservator van de tentoonstelling, geeft een exclusief kijkje achter de schermen van Tin. Ontdek hoe een privéverzameling uitgroeide tot een waardevolle museale collectie.

Tue 8 April 2025

Lecture | Everyday Inequality in the Roman Empire

Miko Flohr revisits the Roman Empire's social impact. Using globalization theory, he explores how empire formation created localized inequalities embedded in daily interactions. Through this, he offers a more nuanced understanding of Roman social dynamics. This event is in Amsterdam.

Wed 9 April 2025

Lecture | Following Fate or Falling in Love

The stove god, a key deity in traditional China, originates from a legend about Zhang and his wife Dingxiang. In this lecture, prof.dr. Wilt Idema talks about the evolving story of Dingxiang. He shows that the changes reflect shifting marriage ideals, from arranged unions to romantic love, especially in post-1950s adaptations.

Thu 10 April 2025

RMO lezing | Aan tafel in Romeins Egypte

Cisca Hoogendijk vertelt over veranderingen in de Egyptische eetcultuur, in de periode nadat de Grieken het land hadden veroverd. Wat is er in papyri te vinden over het eten van vlees, vis, fruit en groente, of over feestmaaltijden van rijke mensen? Ook het enig overgebleven kookboek op papyrus komt aan bod.

Thu 10 April 2025

Event | Whose creativity? Explorations of interspecies being and making

The climate crisis highlights our relationships with non-human animals, sparking artistic exploration. This event examines interspecies creativity through golden eagles in Kyrgyzstan and humpback whales in the Pacific. It explores how non-human artistic practices shape understanding, transformation, and responses to climate change.

Fri 11 April 2025

NINO Lecture | Ipuy's tomb and the impact of Nina and Norman de Garis Davies

In the early 1900s, Nina and Norman de Garis Davies studied Ipuy’s (an ancient Egyptian sculptor) tomb at Deir el-Medina, an ancient Egyptian village that is known for its vivid craft scenes. In this talk, Prof. Dr. Kathrin Gabler highlights past research and women’s contributions to Egyptology.

Sat 12 April 2025

RMO evenement | Nationale vondstendag

Het Rijksmuseum van Oudheden organiseert in samenwerking met verschillende partners voor de tweede keer de Nationale Vondstendag. Meer dan 10 deskundigen zitten klaar om in Nederland gedane bodem- en strandvondsten te determineren. Neem uw vondsten mee naar de Nationale vondstendag in het RMO.

Sun 13 April 2025

Leidse Wereldwandeling | Sporen van de Slavernij

Eeuwenlang was Nederland betrokken bij slavenhandel en slavernij, een geschiedenis van uitbuiting en racisme. Aan de hand van deze wandeling door de straten van de historische binnenstad van Leiden, leer je meer over deze geschiedenis. De wandeling is samengesteld door Mapping Slavery in Leiden i.s.m. het KITLV, de Universiteit Leiden en LeidenGlobal.

Mon 14 April 2025

Lecture | Austria’s Present Past

Dr. Hans Petschar, Director of the Bildarchiv und Grafiksammlung at the Austrian National Library in Vienna, presents a talk entitled "Austria’s Present Past: A visual journey through Austrian history 1925 – 2025". It draws from a recent exhibition that he curated entitled "Ein Jahrhundert in Bildern: Österreich 1925-2025."

Sun 20 April 2025

RMO lezing | Romeinse glazen ribkom

In deze online lezing vertelt Jasper de Bruin, conservator Collectie Nederland in de Romeinse tijd, over een van de mooiste glasvondsten uit Romeins Nederland: een ribkom van gemarmerd glas uit Nijmegen. Hij vertelt hoe dit soort glazen kommen werden gemaakt, de datering van de kom en de vondsomstandigheden bij Nijmegen. 

Mon 28 April 2025

Lecture | If You Encounter Strife, Return to Yemen

Many Yemeni refugees in Djibouti (East Africa) defy UNHCR (UN Refugee Agency) expectations by returning home despite risks. Nathalie Peutz explores their reasons, such as lack of future prospects, education, work, or family ties. She also highlights the failures of refugee integration and the complexities of displacement.

Mon 28 April 2025

Symposium | Spirit Travels in Western Religious Traditions

This symposium is called "There and Back Again: Spirit Travels in Western Religious Traditions". Dr. Bastiaan van Rijn and Dr. Sarah Perez talk about spiritual animal magnetism (an alternative healing method) and reality shifting (a popular spiritual practice centered around the wish to shift one’s consciousness to other realities).

Wed 30 April 2025

Lecture | Tradition and Transformation

Monika Hinkel explores the rich history and evolution of Japanese woodblock prints, tracing its journey from the vibrant prints of the Meiji period (1868-1912) to the innovative works of mokuhanga in the 20th century. She examines how woodblock printing adapted to modernization, Western influences, and changing cultural values in Meiji-era Japan.

May 2025

Sun 4 May 2025

Event | Afrikaanse filosofie: consensus en democratie

Afrika kent een rijke filosofische traditie. In vier bijeenkomsten lichten studenten van het Leidse Instituut voor Wijsbegeerte, met ondersteuning van hun docent filosofie Pius Mosima, enkele centrale uitgangspunten en ideeën uit de Afrikaanse filosofie toe. Deze laatste bijeenkomst gaat over consensus en democratie.

Wed 7 May 2025 - Fri 9 May 2025

Conference | Collaborative Authorship in Early Modern English Manuscripts

This three-day conference gathers researchers on early modern scribal culture and manuscript production. It focuses on literary texts, letters, and legal records and explores the agency and influence of scribes and manuscript users in shaping early modern manuscript production.

Mon 12 May 2025

Lecture | The Tree as Weapon

Trees symbolize connection and identity but are also tools for control in Israel’s Negev/Al Naqab. Erella Grassiani examines how tree planting supports nationalist agendas, blending security policies with state-extremist collaborations to reshape land ownership and power.

Sun 25 May 2025

Leidse Wereldwandeling | Sporen van de Slavernij

Eeuwenlang was Nederland betrokken bij slavenhandel en slavernij, een geschiedenis van uitbuiting en racisme. Aan de hand van deze wandeling door de straten van de historische binnenstad van Leiden, leer je meer over deze geschiedenis. De wandeling is samengesteld door Mapping Slavery in Leiden i.s.m. het KITLV, de Universiteit Leiden en LeidenGlobal.

June 2025

Mon 2 June 2025

Lecture | CADS Spotlight

In this double lecture, Shajeela Shawkat and James McGrail talk about their PhD research. Shajeela explores art workshops as a research tool that can reveal how art promotes self-expression and identity. James explores how Singapore’s Muslims challenge AI governance, imagining alternatives beyond state control.

Wed 11 June 2025 - Sat 14 June 2025

IIAS Conference | Africa-Asia, A New Axis of Knowledge

This conference aims to deepen discussions on the histories and connections between Africa and Asia. The conference is held in Dakar, Senegal, and highlights the city's cultural richness through a conference-festival that blends academia, society and the arts. 

Wed 11 June 2025

Symposium | Absence as artistic strategy in contemporary art

This symposium explores the theme of absence in contemporary art. From erasure and hidden narratives to negative space and invisibility, it examines how absence functions as a fundamental artistic strategy. Scholars and artists worldwide can share insights on this compelling subject.

Sat 14 June 2025

Symposium | Asian art and material culture

The Young Scholars’ Symposium in Asian Art 2025 takes place at the Rijksmuseum Amsterdam with the title "Asian art and material culture: new ways of seeing." People in the fields of art history, material culture history, archaeology, environmental art history, architecture, anthropology, contemporary art, and design are welcome. 

Sun 22 June 2025

Leidse Wereldwandeling | Sporen van de Slavernij

Eeuwenlang was Nederland betrokken bij slavenhandel en slavernij, een geschiedenis van uitbuiting en racisme. Aan de hand van deze wandeling door de straten van de historische binnenstad van Leiden, leer je meer over deze geschiedenis. De wandeling is samengesteld door Mapping Slavery in Leiden i.s.m. het KITLV, de Universiteit Leiden en LeidenGlobal.