Overview

In the South and Southeast Asian Studies programme at Leinden University you gain a thorough understanding of the history, cultures, and politics of a region which is home to almost a third of the world’s population (including two-thirds of its Muslims) and to some of the world’s fastest-growing economies. 

Relevant contemporary issues such as ethnic and religious conflicts, inequality and development, the surge in cultural and political movements and the tensions between modernity and tradition are addressed in lectures and seminars. 

Why South and Southeast Asian Studies at Leiden University?

• The Leiden University programme is unique: the only bachelor’s in the Netherlands where you can study languages and cultures of the region at a multidisciplinary, academic level.

• You specialise in the areas and aspects that interest you most and learn a language like Hindi or Sanskrit as part of your studies.

• You have access to the world-renowned Asian collection at Leiden University Library, as well as to the Royal Netherlands Institute of Southeast Asian and Caribbean Studies (KITLV) and the International Institute of Asian Studies (IIAS).