Leiden University, TU Delft and Erasmus University Rotterdam have been cooperating inter- and transdisciplinary research and teaching within the Leiden-Delft-Erasmus Universities strategic alliance since 2012.
New strategy
In 2019, the three universities intensified their cooperation with a new strategic plan for the period 2019-2024. A new strategy was drawn up in 2025, for a five-year period. The draft version can be viewed via this link. Due to changes in the composition of the LDE Board, the strategy will be finalised at a later date.
What activities are included in the Leiden-Delft-Erasmus alliance? Download the poster here >
Quality, complementarity, proximity
The strategy puts the joint contribution to solving societal issues first. The high scientific quality, the enormous breadth of largely complementary portfolios and the location in each other's vicinity allow the three universities to cooperate inter- and multidisciplinary on regional, national and global challenges.
Societal themes
The 2025-2030 strategy focuses on the following themes:
- Sustainable Futures
- Urban Transformations
- Technology, Science and Society
- Healthy Society
- Global Engagement
These themes bring together complementary expertise from the three universities around current and pressing societal issues and guide all LDE education and research.
Inter- and transdisciplinary research and teaching
Leiden-Delft-Erasmus Universities brings together different scientists with different methodologies. They work together in the LDE centres and programmes. From this, new research can arise via, among other things, seed money projects, new education (bachelor and master programmes, minors, honours and thesis labs) and networks for internal and external knowledge exchange. Transdisciplinary collaborations also arise from the centres, with partners outside the universities, such as governments, companies and NGOs.
Barrier-free education for all students
Students also benefit from cooperation between the universities. The accessibility of each other's education has been improved in recent years with the online catalogue EduXchange. This portal shows all minor education, including the joint minors of Leiden University, TU Delft and Erasmus University Rotterdam. The new strategy is working on further ICT and process improvements and joint education portfolio policy, for the benefit of students' development opportunities.
Also through the joint honours programmes, thesis labs and dissertation workshops, students will be able to make use of the vast range of knowledge of the three universities together, learning to work in inter- and transdisciplinary teams, with clients, on real-life cases.
Organisational cooperation and a bundling of strengths
Besides cooperation in research and education, the universities also find each other in other areas, such as a joint traineeship for young professionals and collaborations in the field of business management. Leveraging each other's position and expertise, looking for synergy benefits and combining organisational strengths will also be part of the 2025-2030 strategy.