Leiden University, founded in February 1575, is the oldest university in the Netherlands. It was the first university in the Netherlands where freedom of belief and religion was practised, as reflected by the university’s motto, Praesidium Libertatis, Bastion of Liberty. It was in this atmosphere of freedom of speech that philosophers like Spinoza and Descartes were able to develop their ideas.
 
Remaining faithful to its historical mission, Leiden offers outstanding international students an intellectually exciting learning environment with high academic standards. Rather than concentrating on knowledge transfer, the focus is on debate and critical thinking whereby students' abilities to think independently is greatly stimulated.
 
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