2022 has officially begun, and it has brought along a number of events to look forward to throughout the year - one of which is the year-long science festival that is being hosted in Leiden, which has been named the European City of Science 2022. 

Leiden: The European City of Science 2022

Here in the Netherlands, Leiden is known for quite a few things; the birthplace of Rembrandt, its world-class university, and its rich history. Now, though, Leiden will be able to add another honour to its name, as it has become Europe’s first City of Science and will host a year-long science festival throughout 2022. 

Back in 2017, the city launched its campaign to be awarded the title of European City of Science, arguing that over the past 500 years “a combination of talent and knowledge has brought Leiden development, change, and innovation.”

After winning the bid, November 2021 saw Leiden European City of Science 2022 officially launch. 

A 365-day science festival in the Netherlands 

As the European City of Science, Leiden will host a festival that explores science, knowledge, art and skills through various exhibitions, workshops, activities and events throughout the year. On top of all this excitement, every single day will see a different topic or issue explored, as the city’s residents are invited to “interact directly with science.”

Sunday, January 9, for example, is titled “Statisch” and covers the topic of static electricity - what it is, where it comes from, and where it goes. Other topics explored in January include Wikipedia, the Blue Monday phenomenon, and handwriting. 

The schedule is already chock-a-block, but in addition to the daily topics and regular events, Leiden will also host the 10th edition of the EuroScience Open Forum (ESOF) in July and the final of the EU Contest for Young Scientists (EUCYS) in September.