Grotius Leadership Institute (GLI)
Our project for men — monthly LITE evenings, Get-Togethers across the year, and the annual iPLC.
Visit GLI → A Dutch foundation in the humanist tradition
Our vision & mission, and how we work.
Stichting Grotius is a Dutch ANBI-registered foundation, founded in 2023 in Maastricht. We exist to form leaders of character — through virtue, service, friendship, and the long company of mentors.
Our mission
We create programmes that form young leaders.
We create programmes, activities, and supportive environments that empower young men and women to develop and practise virtue in all areas of life — personal, academic, and professional. Through hands-on leadership experiences, mentoring, and community engagement, we guide them toward a life of purpose, integrity, and positive impact.
Our vision
A society led by principled individuals.
We envision a society led by principled individuals who embrace virtue not only as a personal standard but as a driving force for collective progress. By fostering moral integrity, thoughtful decision-making, and a spirit of service, we believe communities can flourish and future leaders can inspire real, lasting change.
photo · GLC opening · Maastricht · 1600×900
Our objective
Advancing virtue, civic formation, and principled leadership.
| Legal name | Stichting Grotius |
| Founded | 2023, Maastricht |
| Registry | KvK · 94263264 |
| Status | ANBI — Algemeen Nut Beogende Instelling |
| Seat | Prins Bisschopsingel 11 · Maastricht |
| IBAN | NL92 INGB 0110 3064 73 |
Our four pillars
Core pillars of leadership.
01
Continuing formation & educationVoortdurende vorming
We offer programmes like the Grotius Leadership Course and the International Principled Leadership Conference to promote lifelong learning and personal growth.
02
Spirit of serviceGeest van dienstbaarheid
Through initiatives like Youth ReachOut, we encourage leaders to engage in community service and uplift those around them.
03
Encounter & friendshipOntmoeting en vriendschap
We organise social events and gatherings to build a supportive network and foster meaningful relationships among participants.
04
Accompaniment & directionBegeleiding en richting
We provide one-to-one and small-group mentorship. This guidance helps individuals refine their strengths and navigate challenges more effectively.
Why named for Grotius
A Dutch jurist for a Dutch foundation.
portrait · Hugo Grotius · 3×4 
The foundation is named for Hugo Grotius (1583–1645), the Dutch jurist, humanist, and diplomat whose writings on natural law and self-governance laid foundations the modern world still rests on. He was a man of his time and ours: civic, courageous, escaped Loevestein in a book chest, lived in Paris, wrote across borders.
We do not claim to teach his thought as a curriculum. We take from him a stance — that virtue can be reasoned about, that public life is an honourable arena, and that formation is a continental project, not a national one.
A man cannot govern a nation if he cannot govern a city; he cannot govern a city if he cannot govern a family; he cannot govern a family unless he can govern himself; and he cannot govern himself unless his passions are subject to reason.— Hugo Grotius
We read the last clause as the root of the rest. Passions ordered by reason are held there by the virtues, and what grows from that root reaches further than the person: into a family, a community, a nation.
Empowering tomorrow's leaders
Meet the team → What we run.
Discover how Stichting Grotius helps people grow in leadership through self-knowledge, self-integration, and a spirit of service grounded in virtue. The foundation runs two projects — GLI and vRLI — alongside the Grotius Education Program.
Van Reigersberch (vRLI)
Our sister project for women — a book club, mentoring, and volunteering activities, with more in preparation.
Visit vRLI →Grotius Leadership Course (GLC)
Our flagship course in three modules — Self-Knowledge, Self-Integration, Self-Giving. Open to all.
About the GLC → Join us in shaping the future
Empowering tomorrow's leaders.
Become part of a growing network of leaders committed to virtue-based development and meaningful impact. Contribute to events, mentor future leaders, or help shape our next initiative. Your involvement can make a lasting difference.