For the third time in a row, Leiden University has received a positive assessment in the Institutional Audit for the way it provides good teaching and a vibrant quality culture. Rector Magnificus Hester Bijl was presented with the official certificate.
The Institutional Audit is conducted every six years by an independent panel from the Accreditation Organisation of the Netherlands and Flanders (NVAO). The panel visited the university in January and March, and spoke to teaching staff, students, administrators and other stakeholders about the university's quality assurance and vision and policy on teaching and learning. The result was positive: the panel announced at the start of April that Leiden University's quality assurance system meets all standards. Following the publication of the definitive report, NVAO Chair Arnold Jonk presented Rector Magnificus Hester Bijl with the Institutional Audit certificate on 16 December.
Really valuable
The Executive Board is proud of the assessment, Bijl said at the ceremony. 'It was really valuable once again to take the audit - and we're glad with the result. I'm pleased that receiving this certificate will be one of my last accomplishments as Rector.'
Alongside compliments, the panel also made some recommendations in its report on continuing to improve the quality of our teaching. These correspond with points for improvement that the university had already noted in its self-evaluation. 'We've set to work on the report's recommendations,' said Bijl. 'We'll develop them into a full action plan in 2026.' The recommendations include risk-based quality management tools and clear policies on AI in our teaching.
