Diversity

Be yourself

We believe that in our academic community you should be able to be yourself. Inclusion and diversity are core values for our university. Everyone should have the same opportunities and feel that they are a valued and respected member of our academic community. Our Diversity Officer and Diversity and Inclusion Expertise Office help to promote and monitor this. Our LGBT+ Network and other networks also play an important role.

DIFFERENCES ARE A MAJOR ASSET Our university community is diverse in many ways. We differ from one another in our ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, health, religion, age, socio-economic background and more. This is a major asset. We want our university to be an open community in which everyone feels at home and has equal opportunities. This is not always a given, which is why the University pursues an active diversity policy.

DIVERSITY OFFICER Leiden University was the first Dutch university to appoint a Diversity Officer, in 2014. Our current Diversity Officer, Aya Ezawa, and the Diversity and Inclusion Expertise Office promote an open community with equal opportunities for all. Sharing their expertise with the faculties, offering training for staff and holding an annual Diversity Symposium for students and staff are some of the ways by which they achieve this. There are various active D&I networks for students and staff. They are also a sounding board for the Executive Board.

LGBT+ NETWORK The University’s LGBT+ Network helps everyone feel welcome and at home. It is a platform for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, intersex and queer students and staff at the University. The key aim of the LGBT+ Network is to promote the inclusion of its target group, but everyone – students, staff and alumni – is welcome at its events, such as lectures, film evenings, debates and so on.

WOMEN’S NETWORK The Sophia Women’s Network aims to create equal opportunities and a better working environment for female academic staff at Leiden University. The University is aiming for more women in senior positions. Thanks to an active policy the number of female professors at the University has risen to almost 30 percent.