University of Leiden

Leiden University

Universiteit Leiden
Latin: Academia Lugduno-Batava
Former names	Rijksuniversiteit Leiden
Motto	Libertatis Praesidium (Latin)
Motto in English	Bastion of Freedom
Type	Public research university
Established	1575
Budget	€558 million (2014)
Rector	Prof. Carel Stolker
Academic staff	1,352
Administrative staff	1,142
Students	24,270 (2014)
Location	Leiden and The Hague, South Holland, Netherlands
Campus	Urban
Nobel Laureates	Jacobus van 't Hoff, Hendrik Lorentz, Pieter Zeeman, Johannes Diderik van der Waals, Tobias Asser, Heike Kamerlingh Onnes, Albert Einstein, Willem Einthoven, Albert Szent-Györgyi, Enrico Fermi, Gerrit Jan van Heuven Goedhart, Igor Tamm, Jan Tinbergen, Nikolaas Tinbergen, Tjalling Koopmans, Nicolaas Bloembergen
Colours	Dark Blue
Website	www.leiden.edu

     Dark Blue

Leiden University (abbreviated as LEI; Dutch: Universiteit Leiden), located in the city of Leiden, is the oldest university in the Netherlands. The university was founded in 1575 by William, Prince of Orange, leader of the Dutch Revolt in the Eighty Years' War. The Dutch Royal Family and Leiden University still have a close relationship; Queens Juliana and Beatrix and King Willem-Alexander are all former students.

Leiden University has seven faculties, over 50 departments and enjoys an outstanding international reputation. In 2013 Leiden was the highest ranked university in the Netherlands in the Times Higher Education World University Rankings, where it was rated as the 28th best university worldwide and 61st for international reputation. Shanghai Jiao Tong University's 2011 Academic Ranking of World Universities ranked Leiden University as the 29th best university worldwide. The Times Higher Education World University Rankings consistently rank Leiden University as the best university in Continental Europe for Arts and Humanities. The University is associated with ten leaders and Prime Ministers of the Netherlands including the current Prime Minister Mark Rutte, nine foreign leaders, among them the 6th President of the United States John Quincy Adams, a Secretary General of NATO, a President of the International Court of Justice and sixteen recipients of the Nobel Prize (including renowned physicists Albert Einstein and Enrico Fermi). The university came into particular prominence during the Dutch Golden Age, when scholars from around Europe were attracted to the Dutch Republic due to its climate of intellectual tolerance and Leiden's international reputation. During this time Leiden was home to such figures as René Descartes, Rembrandt, Christiaan Huygens, Hugo Grotius, Baruch Spinoza and Baron d'Holbach. The university is a member of the Coimbra Group, the Europaeum and the League of European Research Universities. Leiden University houses more than 40 national and international research institutes.