Leiden University opens its Academic Year in The Hague
The Hague will host Leiden University’s Opening of the Academic Year on Monday 31 August 2026. It is the first time in the university’s 451-year history that the ceremony takes place outside Leiden. The event also marks 25 years of partnership between the university and the city.
Holding the ceremony in The Hague underlines the city’s established role within Leiden University’s academic community and its wider presence across both cities.
AI and the Future of Education
Opening of the Academic Year ProgrammeThe afternoon's central theme is the impact of artificial intelligence on education. The programme opens with a keynote by Junior Minister for the Digital Economy and Sovereignty, Willemijn Aerdts, followed by a panel discussion chaired by Bas Haring with researchers, lecturers and students from various faculties. The panel explores the opportunities, dilemmas and complexities AI presents for education and research.
The Procession is back
Before the ceremony, a procession of students, professors, lecturers, aldermen, speakers, guests, and the mayors of Leiden and The Hague will make its way from the Turfmarkt to Amare.
The procession returns to the Opening of the Academic Year for the first time since 1972. The tradition ended when all parts of the university began to participate in university governance on an equal basis, and visible distinctions were removed from the ceremony. This year, the tradition returns in a renewed and more inclusive form. Professors will walk alongside guests of their choosing, reflecting Leiden University’s close-knit and diverse community.
Print: Procession at the Foundation of Leiden University, 1575 (anonymous, 1779 -1781). UBL collection
Leiden University in The Hague
In the last 25 years, it has shown that it's not a satellite campus. The university has deliberately chosen to become one university in two cities, with The Hague as its second home city alongside Leiden. Today, around 6,000 of the university's roughly 30,000 students follow their studies in The Hague, supported by more than 700 staff.
All seven faculties are now represented in the city, with education and research aligned to The Hague's identity as the national seat of government and an international centre of peace, justice and security.
The five themes shaping Leiden's Hague campus
The university's research and teaching in The Hague is organised around five themes, reflecting the city's distinct profile as a seat of national government and international organisations:
- International law, peace and security
- Globalisation and international relations
- Politics, public administration and public finance
- Urban issues
- Health and patient care
Founded in 1575, Leiden University is the oldest university in the Netherlands. Since 1998, the university has also had a presence in The Hague, where all faculties are now represented.
