Leiden University is an institution, specifically the oldest surviving university in the Netherlands. It was founded on February 8, 1575, by William, Prince of Orange, as a Protestant institution. The university's establishment is traditionally seen as a reward for the city of Leiden's resistance against the Spanish siege during the Eighty Years' War, and its motto is Libertatis Praesidium ('Bastion of Freedom'). The university operates with a main campus in Leiden and a second, growing campus in The Hague, which was established around 1998 or 1999. Campus The Hague is strategically focused on law, governance, and international relations, benefiting from its proximity to institutions like the International Court of Justice (ICJ). The university is the alma mater of 16 Nobel laureates and scholars like Albert Einstein and Hugo Grotius. A significant recent development connecting it to India is the decision by the Executive Board to return the Chola Plates (also known as the Anaimangalam Plates) to India. These copper plates, which record agreements from the time of King Rājendra Chola I (11th century) and had been in the university's possession since 1862, were formally presented on May 16, 2026, in The Hague. Following this restitution, a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) was signed for cooperation between Leiden University and the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI). The university is also undergoing internal changes, including the planned opening of the Spui Campus in The Hague in January 2026, and has faced recent budget cuts affecting various faculties.
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Chandrayaan-3 (2023) made India the first country to land near the Moon's south pole and the 4th to achieve a soft lunar landing.
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