Research/PhD

As one of the largest institutes in Europe, Leiden’s Political Science Institute encompasses a wide range of research interests, spanning subjects such as political philosophy, political behaviour, comparative politics, national politics and international relations. The central theme of its research programme is ‘The Institutions of Politics: Design, Workings, and Implications’.
Graduate students can play a key role in the institute, engaging in collaborative projects with faculty members. Such activities have led to high numbers of publications authored by and co-authored with graduate students in recent years.

The quality of the institute’s research and teaching is continuously evaluated through both internal and external reports.
In recent national research quality assessments, the Leiden Faculty of Social and Behavioural Sciences was awarded top marks for the majority of its research programmes. A recent study, the ‘European Benchmarking Project’ conducted by the Centre for Science and Technology Studies, compared thirty leading European universities and concluded that in the field of social sciences, Leiden ranks among the very best in Europe.