LOT was officially established in June 1994 by the Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences. The LOT school series soon acquired an international reputation as a result of inviting well-known linguists to teach at the schools.

The research by the LOT institutes covers all major areas of linguistics, and exploits a wide range of methodological tools and theoretical frameworks.

The LOT Summer School 2025 will take place from 23 June to 4 July 2025, and is co-organised by Antwerp University.