The Ailion Foundation was founded by Leiden University. Mabel Ailion bequeathed her estate to the University in 1983 on the condition that it would establish a foundation in memory of her father Isaac Alfred Ailion.

In the Alumni Room at the Faculty Club on Rapenburg, a new named fund was established on 7 September 2022: the Bouwens Astrophysics Fund. This fund was established by Dr Rychard Bouwens, an associate professor at the Leiden Observatory, who wants to give young researchers the chance to develop their skills.

The University conducts a lot of research into foster care. How can we improve the support for foster children? Which interventions really are effective? It is important that this knowledge is shared not only in academic papers but also with those who work in the practice.

The aim of the Leiden Empowerment Fund (LEF) is to enable all students and academics at Leiden University to realise their ambitions by creating an academic environment with equal opportunities for all.

During the Second World War, on 26 November 1940, several Leiden professors gave protest speeches following the dismissal of two Jewish colleagues, professors Meijers and David.

On 26 November 2014, three wall plaques and a lectern were unveiled to commemorate three professors, Cleveringa, Van Holk and Barge, each of whom gave a protest speech against the measures of the German occupier on 26 November 1940.

In a packed Grotius Hall, family and friends came together to pay tribute to young talent at Leiden University. The celebration was part of the annual Dies Natalis Festival for Alumni and gave dozens of visitors the chance to get to know a new generation of academics.

To cover up their deportation plans which targeted Polish Jews in the Warsaw Ghetto, the Nazis re-opened schools. In her inaugural lecture, historian Sarah Cramsey demonstrates with examples how care was used ‘as a weapon’ during the Holocaust. She also stresses that care is a unifying cement in society and calls for more historical research.

Youth crime has plummeted in the Netherlands. Good news, you might think. Yet we need to look critically at existing sanctions, says Professor by Special Appointment André van der Laan in his inaugural lecture. ‘We should evaluate whether our response is just.’