Vrije Universiteit
Encyclopedia
The Vrije Universiteit is a university
in Amsterdam
, Netherlands
. The Dutch name is often abbreviated as VU and in English the university uses the name "VU University". The university is located on a compact urban campus in the southern part of Amsterdam in the Buitenveldert
district. Though a faith-based institution, the VU receives government funding on a parity basis with the public universities.
The university should not be confused with the University of Amsterdam, which is a different university, located in the same city. That university was formerly owned and operated by the City of Amsterdam, but is now one of the public universities in the Netherlands.
The VU has about 22,738 students, most of whom are full-time students. The number of faculty members and researchers is 2,764 (excluding personnel at VU University Medical Center). Teaching and research activities are supported by 1,905 administrative, clerical, technical, and other employees. The university's annual budget is around US$500 million, about two thirds of which comes from the Dutch government. Tuition, research grants, and industrial contracts provide the rest.
The logo of the university is the griffin
, pictured on the right. The position of its wings symbolizes the freedom in the university's name: freedom from both state and church.
The VU was founded in 1880 by Abraham Kuyper
as the first orthodox-Protestant (Calvinist)
university in the Netherlands. Kuyper was a Dutch politician, journalist, and prime minister of the Netherlands from 1901 to 1905. He was a professor of theology at the VU as well as the first rector magnificus (President of the University).
Vrije Universiteit literally means 'Free University' (or 'Liberated University') to signify freedom from both government and church. The education itself, however, is not free of cost. To overcome this association, recently a decision was made to use the term VU University instead of Free University whenever the English translation is needed.
When the Vrije Universiteit started in 1880, it hired some rooms in the Scottish Missionary Church (today a theatre called De Kleine Komedie
) and used them as lecture rooms. Here the founder Abraham Kuyper and his four co-professors gave their lectures. In 1883 the Scottish Missionary Church became too small for the quickly growing number of students and the university bought another building: Keizersgracht 162. In the following years the university bought more buildings throughout the city. Since 1968 the university as a whole is located on a campus in the Buitenveldert district.
As with all accredited universities in the Netherlands, students pay a (government determined) tuition, which is currently (2009) around €1700/year for students from the European Union and ranges from €9000 to €12000/year for students from elsewhere. Most Dutch students receive a grant or loan from the government to cover tuition and living expenses.
Although current students and faculty members are adherents of many religions, as a consequence of its Protestant heritage, the VU has always placed a special emphasis on the social and cultural context in which it operates. Many faculties offer courses teaching students about the historical, social, and cultural issues related to their discipline, with course names like "Social Aspects of Science". Topics such as the consequences of science for society, ethics, and related issues are discussed.
(University of Applied Sciences) in Zwolle
as well as VU University Medical Center, which is the university's teaching hospital
. The university is run by an executive board ("College van Bestuur" in Dutch
) which makes decisions in consultation with the Board of Deans ("College van Decanen" in Dutch).
Recent rectores magnifici (University Presidents) have been:
Organisationally, the university is divided into 12 faculties, which offer a great variety of bachelor
's, master's
, and Ph.D.
programmes in many fields. These faculties are:
The language of instruction for most bachelor's courses is Dutch. However, many of the master's programmes are given entirely in English in order to attract students from outside the Netherlands. In fact, in some master's programmes, international students outnumber the Dutch students by a large margin.
The Ph.D. programme is different from that in the United Kingdom and the U.S.A. Rather than applying to the university for admission in the winter, prospective students must find a (full) professor who has a position for a Ph.D. student, called an AiO (Assistant in Opleiding—Assistant in Training), and contact him or her directly. Most professors and faculties advertise their open positions on their Websites. AiOs are paid a salary and are considered university employees. They do not have to pay tuition.
From its humble beginnings, the VU has become a modern research university. The research focus is given by the VU-star, which emphasizes seven broad areas in which the university excels:
Many of these research foci are interdisciplinary, with faculty members and students from multiple faculties working together to forge new breakthroughs. Some of the key faculty members are listed below.
placed Vrije Universiteit at 171st overall in the world. An overview of the THE-QS World University Rankings up to 2009 (in 2010 Times Higher Education World University Rankings
and QS World University Rankings
parted ways to produce separate rankings):
University
A university is an institution of higher education and research, which grants academic degrees in a variety of subjects. A university is an organisation that provides both undergraduate education and postgraduate education...
in Amsterdam
Amsterdam
Amsterdam is the largest city and the capital of the Netherlands. The current position of Amsterdam as capital city of the Kingdom of the Netherlands is governed by the constitution of August 24, 1815 and its successors. Amsterdam has a population of 783,364 within city limits, an urban population...
, Netherlands
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
. The Dutch name is often abbreviated as VU and in English the university uses the name "VU University". The university is located on a compact urban campus in the southern part of Amsterdam in the Buitenveldert
Buitenveldert
Buitenveldert is a neighborhood of Amsterdam, Netherlands....
district. Though a faith-based institution, the VU receives government funding on a parity basis with the public universities.
The university should not be confused with the University of Amsterdam, which is a different university, located in the same city. That university was formerly owned and operated by the City of Amsterdam, but is now one of the public universities in the Netherlands.
The VU has about 22,738 students, most of whom are full-time students. The number of faculty members and researchers is 2,764 (excluding personnel at VU University Medical Center). Teaching and research activities are supported by 1,905 administrative, clerical, technical, and other employees. The university's annual budget is around US$500 million, about two thirds of which comes from the Dutch government. Tuition, research grants, and industrial contracts provide the rest.
The logo of the university is the griffin
Griffin
The griffin, griffon, or gryphon is a legendary creature with the body of a lion and the head and wings of an eagle...
, pictured on the right. The position of its wings symbolizes the freedom in the university's name: freedom from both state and church.
History
Abraham Kuyper
Abraham Kuijper generally known as Abraham Kuyper, was a Dutch politician, journalist, statesman and theologian...
as the first orthodox-Protestant (Calvinist)
Protestantism
Protestantism is one of the three major groupings within Christianity. It is a movement that began in Germany in the early 16th century as a reaction against medieval Roman Catholic doctrines and practices, especially in regards to salvation, justification, and ecclesiology.The doctrines of the...
university in the Netherlands. Kuyper was a Dutch politician, journalist, and prime minister of the Netherlands from 1901 to 1905. He was a professor of theology at the VU as well as the first rector magnificus (President of the University).
Vrije Universiteit literally means 'Free University' (or 'Liberated University') to signify freedom from both government and church. The education itself, however, is not free of cost. To overcome this association, recently a decision was made to use the term VU University instead of Free University whenever the English translation is needed.
When the Vrije Universiteit started in 1880, it hired some rooms in the Scottish Missionary Church (today a theatre called De Kleine Komedie
De Kleine Komedie
De Kleine Komedie is today the oldest theatre in Amsterdam, dating from 1788. Situated on the Amstel near the Halvemaansteeg, the building offers a stage for both upcoming and established Dutch talents. The theatre has 503 seats.-History of the building:...
) and used them as lecture rooms. Here the founder Abraham Kuyper and his four co-professors gave their lectures. In 1883 the Scottish Missionary Church became too small for the quickly growing number of students and the university bought another building: Keizersgracht 162. In the following years the university bought more buildings throughout the city. Since 1968 the university as a whole is located on a campus in the Buitenveldert district.
As with all accredited universities in the Netherlands, students pay a (government determined) tuition, which is currently (2009) around €1700/year for students from the European Union and ranges from €9000 to €12000/year for students from elsewhere. Most Dutch students receive a grant or loan from the government to cover tuition and living expenses.
Although current students and faculty members are adherents of many religions, as a consequence of its Protestant heritage, the VU has always placed a special emphasis on the social and cultural context in which it operates. Many faculties offer courses teaching students about the historical, social, and cultural issues related to their discipline, with course names like "Social Aspects of Science". Topics such as the consequences of science for society, ethics, and related issues are discussed.
Management structure
The board of trustees of the university is the Vereniging VU-Windesheim, which also manages the Christelijke Hogeschool WindesheimChristelijke Hogeschool Windesheim
Windesheim University of Applied Sciences is a Dutch vocational university. It offers multiple studies at the bachelor's level. Windesheim is home to a total of ten different schools:*School of Built Environment & Transport*School of Business & Economics...
(University of Applied Sciences) in Zwolle
Zwolle
Zwolle is a municipality and the capital city of the province of Overijssel, Netherlands, 120 kilometers northeast of Amsterdam. Zwolle has about 120,000 citizens.-History:...
as well as VU University Medical Center, which is the university's teaching hospital
Teaching hospital
A teaching hospital is a hospital that provides clinical education and training to future and current doctors, nurses, and other health professionals, in addition to delivering medical care to patients...
. The university is run by an executive board ("College van Bestuur" in Dutch
Dutch language
Dutch is a West Germanic language and the native language of the majority of the population of the Netherlands, Belgium, and Suriname, the three member states of the Dutch Language Union. Most speakers live in the European Union, where it is a first language for about 23 million and a second...
) which makes decisions in consultation with the Board of Deans ("College van Decanen" in Dutch).
Recent rectores magnifici (University Presidents) have been:
- 1983-1987 Pieter Drenth
- 1987-1993 Cees Datema
- 1993-1997 Egbert Boeker
- 1997-2006 Taede Sminia
- 2006-today Lex Bouter
Education
Bachelor
A bachelor is a man above the age of majority who has never been married . Unlike his female counterpart, the spinster, a bachelor may have had children...
's, master's
Master's degree
A master's is an academic degree granted to individuals who have undergone study demonstrating a mastery or high-order overview of a specific field of study or area of professional practice...
, and Ph.D.
Ph.D.
A Ph.D. is a Doctor of Philosophy, an academic degree.Ph.D. may also refer to:* Ph.D. , a 1980s British group*Piled Higher and Deeper, a web comic strip*PhD: Phantasy Degree, a Korean comic series* PhD Docbook renderer, an XML renderer...
programmes in many fields. These faculties are:
- ArtsARtsaRts, which stands for analog Real time synthesizer, is an audio framework that is no longer under development. It is best known for previously being used in KDE to simulate an analog synthesizer....
http://www.let.vu.nl/english/ - DentistryDentistryDentistry is the branch of medicine that is involved in the study, diagnosis, prevention, and treatment of diseases, disorders and conditions of the oral cavity, maxillofacial area and the adjacent and associated structures and their impact on the human body. Dentistry is widely considered...
http://www.acta.nl/ - Earth scienceEarth scienceEarth science is an all-embracing term for the sciences related to the planet Earth. It is arguably a special case in planetary science, the Earth being the only known life-bearing planet. There are both reductionist and holistic approaches to Earth sciences...
and life science http://www.falw.vu.nl/english/ - EconomicsEconomicsEconomics is the social science that analyzes the production, distribution, and consumption of goods and services. The term economics comes from the Ancient Greek from + , hence "rules of the house"...
and businessBusinessA business is an organization engaged in the trade of goods, services, or both to consumers. Businesses are predominant in capitalist economies, where most of them are privately owned and administered to earn profit to increase the wealth of their owners. Businesses may also be not-for-profit...
http://www.feweb.vu.nl/ - Human movement http://www.fbw.vu.nl/indexE.htm
- LawLawLaw is a system of rules and guidelines which are enforced through social institutions to govern behavior, wherever possible. It shapes politics, economics and society in numerous ways and serves as a social mediator of relations between people. Contract law regulates everything from buying a bus...
http://www.rechten.vu.nl/ - MedicineMedicineMedicine is the science and art of healing. It encompasses a variety of health care practices evolved to maintain and restore health by the prevention and treatment of illness....
http://www.med.vu.nl/english/index.cfm - PhilosophyPhilosophyPhilosophy is the study of general and fundamental problems, such as those connected with existence, knowledge, values, reason, mind, and language. Philosophy is distinguished from other ways of addressing such problems by its critical, generally systematic approach and its reliance on rational...
http://www.wijsbegeerte.vu.nl/english/ - PsychologyPsychologyPsychology is the study of the mind and behavior. Its immediate goal is to understand individuals and groups by both establishing general principles and researching specific cases. For many, the ultimate goal of psychology is to benefit society...
and pedagogyPedagogyPedagogy is the study of being a teacher or the process of teaching. The term generally refers to strategies of instruction, or a style of instruction....
http://www.psy.vu.nl/fpp.php/research/ - Exact scienceExact scienceAn exact science is any field of science capable of accurate quantitative expression or precise predictions and rigorous methods of testing hypotheses, especially reproducible experiments involving quantifiable predictions and measurements...
http://www.few.vu.nl/en/index.php - Social science http://www.fsw.vu.nl/english/index.cfm
- TheologyTheologyTheology is the systematic and rational study of religion and its influences and of the nature of religious truths, or the learned profession acquired by completing specialized training in religious studies, usually at a university or school of divinity or seminary.-Definition:Augustine of Hippo...
http://www.godgeleerdheid.vu.nl/english/index.cfm
The language of instruction for most bachelor's courses is Dutch. However, many of the master's programmes are given entirely in English in order to attract students from outside the Netherlands. In fact, in some master's programmes, international students outnumber the Dutch students by a large margin.
The Ph.D. programme is different from that in the United Kingdom and the U.S.A. Rather than applying to the university for admission in the winter, prospective students must find a (full) professor who has a position for a Ph.D. student, called an AiO (Assistant in Opleiding—Assistant in Training), and contact him or her directly. Most professors and faculties advertise their open positions on their Websites. AiOs are paid a salary and are considered university employees. They do not have to pay tuition.
Research
- Communication, knowledge, and meaning
- Computerization and digitization
- Economics and society
- Health and disease
- Legal and administrative issues
- Life sciences
- System earth
Many of these research foci are interdisciplinary, with faculty members and students from multiple faculties working together to forge new breakthroughs. Some of the key faculty members are listed below.
Notable faculty
- Henri BalHenri BalHenri Elle Bal is a professor of Computer Science at the Vrije Universiteit, Amsterdam in the Netherlands. He is a well-known researcher in computer systems with a specialization in parallel computer systems, languages, and applications....
, professor of Computer ScienceComputer scienceComputer science or computing science is the study of the theoretical foundations of information and computation and of practical techniques for their implementation and application in computer systems...
and author of several books, who together with his student John Romein wrote a program that broke the ancient game of OwareOwareOware is an abstract strategy game of Akan origin. Part of the mancala family, it is played throughout West Africa and the Caribbean. Among its many names are Ayò , Awalé , Wari , Ouri, Ouril or Uril , Warri , Adji , and Awélé...
(Awari) and gives the best move in any situation, usually leading to a forced win. - Dorret BoomsmaDorret BoomsmaDorret I. Boomsma is a Dutch biological psychologist specializing in the study of twins.- Education :* High School: Willem de Zwijgerlyceum, Bussum* Bachelors: Vrije Universiteit in Psychology, cum laude, 1979...
, professor of biological psychology and winner of the SpinozapremieSpinozapremieThe Spinozapremie is an annual award by the Netherlands Organisation for Scientific Research of 2.5 million Euro, to be spent on new research. The award is the highest scientific award in the Netherlands... - Brad BushmanBrad BushmanBrad J. Bushman is the Margaret Hall and Robert Randal Rinehart Chair of Mass Communication Professor at The Ohio State University. He also has an appointment in psychology. He has published extensively on the causes and consequences of human aggression. His work has questioned the utility of...
, since 2005 a visiting professor from the University of MichiganUniversity of MichiganThe University of Michigan is a public research university located in Ann Arbor, Michigan in the United States. It is the state's oldest university and the flagship campus of the University of Michigan...
in United StatesUnited StatesThe United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
who is a foremost expert on the causes and consequences of human aggression. - Jet BussemakerJet BussemakerMariëtte Bussemaker is a former Dutch politician and is state secretary for Health, Welfare and Sport.Jet Bussemaker attended primary and secondary education in Oegstgeest...
, assistant professor of political sciencePolitical sciencePolitical Science is a social science discipline concerned with the study of the state, government and politics. Aristotle defined it as the study of the state. It deals extensively with the theory and practice of politics, and the analysis of political systems and political behavior...
1991-2001, undersecretaryUndersecretaryAn under secretary is an executive government official in many countries, frequently a career public servant, who typically acts as a senior administrator or second-in-command to a politically-appointed Cabinet Minister or other government official...
of the Ministry of Health, Welfare, and Sport (2007-2010) - Jaap DoekJaap DoekJaap Egbert Doek is a Dutch jurist, specialising in family and juvenile law. He is a professor of law at the Vrije Universiteit in Amsterdam, where he was the Dean of the Law Faculty from 1988 to 1992...
, professor of lawLawLaw is a system of rules and guidelines which are enforced through social institutions to govern behavior, wherever possible. It shapes politics, economics and society in numerous ways and serves as a social mediator of relations between people. Contract law regulates everything from buying a bus...
and chairman of the U.N. Committee of the Rights of the Child (2001–2007) - Peter KoslowskiPeter KoslowskiPeter Koslowski is Professor of Philosophy, especially Philosophy of Management and Organisation and History of Modern Philosophy, at the Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam .-Biography:...
the ethicist and philosopher, author of nearly 20 books - Peter NijkampPeter NijkampProfessor Dr. Peter Nijkamp is the professor of Regional Economics and Economic Geography at the Vrije Universiteit, Amsterdam, the Netherlands, a fellow of the Tinbergen Institute and President of the Governing Board of the Netherlands Research Council...
, professor of spatial economics, president of the governing board of the Netherlands Research Council (NWO), and winner of the SpinozapremieSpinozapremieThe Spinozapremie is an annual award by the Netherlands Organisation for Scientific Research of 2.5 million Euro, to be spent on new research. The award is the highest scientific award in the Netherlands... - Bob Pinedo, professor of medicine, director of the VUmc Cancer Center, and winner of the Spinazopremie
- Piet RietveldPiet RietveldPiet Rietveld is a professor in transport economics at the Vrije Universiteit, Amsterdam, and a fellow at the Tinbergen Institute. He studied econometrics at Erasmus University, Rotterdam and received his PhD in economics at Vrije Universiteit, Amsterdam...
, professor of economics, and leading researcher in transport economics - Jan Smit, professor of earth science, was one of the people who contributed to the theory that an impact of a meteorMETEORMETEOR is a metric for the evaluation of machine translation output. The metric is based on the harmonic mean of unigram precision and recall, with recall weighted higher than precision...
near MexicoMexicoThe United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
caused the ending of the Dinosaur age about 65 million years ago. - Andrew S. TanenbaumAndrew S. TanenbaumAndrew Stuart "Andy" Tanenbaum is a professor of computer science at the Vrije Universiteit, Amsterdam in the Netherlands. He is best known as the author of MINIX, a free Unix-like operating system for teaching purposes, and for his computer science textbooks, regarded as standard texts in the...
, professor of Computer ScienceComputer scienceComputer science or computing science is the study of the theoretical foundations of information and computation and of practical techniques for their implementation and application in computer systems...
who wrote the MINIXMinixMINIX is a Unix-like computer operating system based on a microkernel architecture created by Andrew S. Tanenbaum for educational purposes; MINIX also inspired the creation of the Linux kernel....
operating systemOperating systemAn operating system is a set of programs that manage computer hardware resources and provide common services for application software. The operating system is the most important type of system software in a computer system...
, the inspiration and precursor to LinuxLinuxLinux is a Unix-like computer operating system assembled under the model of free and open source software development and distribution. The defining component of any Linux system is the Linux kernel, an operating system kernel first released October 5, 1991 by Linus Torvalds...
. Tanenbaum is the author of five textbooks, which have been translated into over 20 languages and are used at universities all over the world. He is also the founder and webmaster of electoral-vote.comElectoral-vote.comElectoral-Vote.com is the website of computer scientist Andrew S. Tanenbaum. The site's primary content is poll analysis to project the outcome of U.S. elections. The site also includes commentary on related news stories. Well known for its color-coded electoral map of the United States, the...
. - Richard TolRichard TolRichard S. J. Tol is a Research Professor at the Economic and Social Research Institute, Dublin, Ireland, where he works in the research areas of energy economics and environmental economics...
, professor of economics, and leading researcher in the economics of climate changeEconomics of global warming-Definitions:In this article, the phrase “climate change” is used to describe a change in the climate, measured in terms of its statistical properties, e.g., the global mean surface temperature. In this context, “climate” is taken to mean the average weather. Climate can change over period of time...
. - Pier VellingaPier VellingaPier Vellinga is one of the Netherlands experts on the impacts of climate change.-Position in 2009:Vellinga is the chairman of the Knowledge for Climate research program and vice chairman of the Climate Changes Spatial Planning program...
, director of the Climate Centre - Frank den Butter, former chairman of the Royal Netherlands Economic Association and former director of the Tinbergen institute.
Notable past faculty
- Anthony TolAnthony TolDr. Anthony Tol served in the Documentation Center of the VU University in Amsterdam, the Netherlands, as an archivist for the collection of materials assembled there for 19th Century historical developments in that country. Tol did his undergraduate studies at Calvin College, Grand Rapids,...
, documentalist - Jan Peter BalkenendeJan Peter BalkenendeJan Pieter "Jan Peter" Balkenende is a Dutch politician of the party Christian Democratic Appeal .He was the Prime Minister of the Netherlands from 22 July 2002 until 14 October 2010, having led four coalition governments, cabinets Balkenende I, II, III and IV, none of which served a full...
, former Prime Minister of the NetherlandsPrime Minister of the NetherlandsThe Prime Minister of the Netherlands is the chairman of the Council of Ministers of the Netherlands. He is the de facto head of government of the Netherlands and coordinates the policy of the government...
, was a special professorProfessorA professor is a scholarly teacher; the precise meaning of the term varies by country. Literally, professor derives from Latin as a "person who professes" being usually an expert in arts or sciences; a teacher of high rank...
of "Christian Social Thought". - James KennedyJames Kennedy (historian)James Carleton Kennedy is an American historian. He is the son of E.W. and Nella Kennedy. The elder Dr. Kennedy was for years an eminent professor of religion at Northwestern College .- Biography :...
, professor of modern historyModern historyModern history, or the modern era, describes the historical timeline after the Middle Ages. Modern history can be further broken down into the early modern period and the late modern period after the French Revolution and the Industrial Revolution...
(20th century) (2003–2007) - Jacob KlapwijkJacob KlapwijkJacob Klapwijk studied under D. H. Th. Vollenhoven in philosophy at the VU University in Amsterdam. Klapwijk's dissertation was written on Ernst Troeltsch , the German theologian and philosopher of "radical historicality" who gave us the sociological distinction between Church, Sect and Mysticism...
, philosopher - Pieter KooijmansPieter KooijmansPieter Hendrik Kooijmans is a Dutch jurist, politician, and diplomat. He was a member of the Anti Revolutionary Party and is now a member of its successor party the Christian Democratic Appeal. He was State Secretary and later Minister of Foreign Affairs...
, currently a Judge on the International Court of JusticeInternational Court of JusticeThe International Court of Justice is the primary judicial organ of the United Nations. It is based in the Peace Palace in The Hague, Netherlands...
, Professor of International and European Law (1965–1973) - Ronald PlasterkRonald PlasterkRonald Hans Anton Plasterk is a Dutch politician of the Labour Party . He was Minister of Education, Culture and Science from February 22, 2007 until February 23, 2010 in the Cabinet Balkenende IV. He has been a Member of the House of Representatives since June 17, 2010. He focuses on matters of...
, professor of molecular biology, 1993–1997, winner of the SpinozapremieSpinozapremieThe Spinozapremie is an annual award by the Netherlands Organisation for Scientific Research of 2.5 million Euro, to be spent on new research. The award is the highest scientific award in the Netherlands...
, former Minister of Education (2007) - D. H. Th. VollenhovenD. H. Th. VollenhovenDirk Hendrik Theodoor Vollenhoven was with Herman Dooyeweerd the first generation of reformational philosophers, an intellectual movement with which Vollenhoven worked communally from his election in 1936 as President of the newly-organized group formed to advance the movement; the organization is...
, theologian - Reijer HooykaasReijer HooykaasReijer Hooykaas was a historian of science. He along with Eduard Jan Dijksterhuis were pioneers in professionalizing the history of science in the Netherlands. H...
, historian of science - Jan WoltjerJan WoltjerJan Woltjer was a professor of Classical languages and literature at the VU University in Amsterdam....
, linguist - Abraham KuyperAbraham KuyperAbraham Kuijper generally known as Abraham Kuyper, was a Dutch politician, journalist, statesman and theologian...
, theologian, Prime Minister of the NetherlandsPrime Minister of the NetherlandsThe Prime Minister of the Netherlands is the chairman of the Council of Ministers of the Netherlands. He is the de facto head of government of the Netherlands and coordinates the policy of the government...
, 1901–05 - Herman DooyeweerdHerman DooyeweerdHerman Dooyeweerd was a Dutch juridical scholar by training, who by vocation was a philosopher and the founder of the philosophy of the cosmonomic idea. He received early support for his work from his brother-in-law D. H. Th. Vollenhoven...
, philosopher of law - Pieter Sjoers Gerbrandy, professor of law, Prime Minister of the Dutch government-in-exile, 1940–45
- Herman BavinckHerman BavinckHerman Bavinck was a Dutch Reformed theologian and churchman.-Background:Bavinck was born in the town of Hoogeveen in the Netherlands to a German father. He first went to theological school at Kampen, but then moved on to Leiden for further training...
, theologian - Gerrit Cornelis BerkouwerGerrit Cornelis BerkouwerGerrit Cornelis Berkouwer was for years the leading theologian of the Gereformeerde Kerken in the Netherlands . He occupied the Chair in systematic theology of the Faculty of Theology, Free University in Amsterdam.Berkouwer was born in The Hague. He was raised in Zaandam...
, theologian - Arie van DeursenArie van DeursenArie Theodorus van Deursen was a Dutch historian whose focus was the early modern period. He was Professor Emeritus of History at the Vrije Universiteit in Amsterdam. He was a specialist in Dutch history of the 16th and 17th century.- Career:Arie van Deursen was born at Groningen. He was a...
, historian
Notable graduates and former students
- Christine Aaftink, multiple National Champion Sprint (skating) and winner of medals at the WC; studied at the faculty of Human Movement Sciences
- James OlthuisJames OlthuisJames H. Olthuis is an inter-disciplinary scholar in ethics, hermeneutics, philosophical theology, as well as a theorist and practitioner of psychotherapy of a kind he calls "Relational psychotherapy."-Life:Olthuis studied under H...
, philosopher, theologian, psychotherapist, and Senior Member Emeritus at the Institute for Christian StudiesInstitute for Christian StudiesThe Institute for Christian Studies Toronto, Ontario is one of several unrelated institutions bearing that name.ICS Toronto is an independent graduate school of inter-disciplinary philosophy. At ICS, Junior Members and Senior members take part in shared learning through participatory seminars,...
, Toronto. - Calvin SeerveldCalvin SeerveldCalvin Seerveld received a BA from Calvin College in 1952, an MA in English literature and classics from the University of Michigan in 1953. He then went on to study under D. H. Th. Vollenhoven at the Free University in Amsterdam, where his doctoral dissertation dealt with Croce's aesthetics. ...
, philosopher and Senior Member Emeritus in Philosophical Aesthetics at the Institute for Christian StudiesInstitute for Christian StudiesThe Institute for Christian Studies Toronto, Ontario is one of several unrelated institutions bearing that name.ICS Toronto is an independent graduate school of inter-disciplinary philosophy. At ICS, Junior Members and Senior members take part in shared learning through participatory seminars,...
, Toronto. - Hendrik HartHendrik HartHendrik Hart taught systematic philosophy at the Institute for Christian Studies, Toronto since its founding in 1967 until his retirement in 2001. Prior to that he was head of the philosophical Institute of the Free University in Amsterdam, where he studied under D. H. Th. Vollenhoven. His...
, philosopher and Senior Member Emeritus at the Institute for Christian StudiesInstitute for Christian StudiesThe Institute for Christian Studies Toronto, Ontario is one of several unrelated institutions bearing that name.ICS Toronto is an independent graduate school of inter-disciplinary philosophy. At ICS, Junior Members and Senior members take part in shared learning through participatory seminars,...
, Toronto. - Gerrit Cornelis BerkouwerGerrit Cornelis BerkouwerGerrit Cornelis Berkouwer was for years the leading theologian of the Gereformeerde Kerken in the Netherlands . He occupied the Chair in systematic theology of the Faculty of Theology, Free University in Amsterdam.Berkouwer was born in The Hague. He was raised in Zaandam...
, influential theologian and professor at the Vrije Universiteit - Jan Peter BalkenendeJan Peter BalkenendeJan Pieter "Jan Peter" Balkenende is a Dutch politician of the party Christian Democratic Appeal .He was the Prime Minister of the Netherlands from 22 July 2002 until 14 October 2010, having led four coalition governments, cabinets Balkenende I, II, III and IV, none of which served a full...
, former Prime Minister of the NetherlandsPrime Minister of the NetherlandsThe Prime Minister of the Netherlands is the chairman of the Council of Ministers of the Netherlands. He is the de facto head of government of the Netherlands and coordinates the policy of the government...
, studied historyHistoryHistory is the discovery, collection, organization, and presentation of information about past events. History can also mean the period of time after writing was invented. Scholars who write about history are called historians...
and lawLawLaw is a system of rules and guidelines which are enforced through social institutions to govern behavior, wherever possible. It shapes politics, economics and society in numerous ways and serves as a social mediator of relations between people. Contract law regulates everything from buying a bus...
at the VU - Wouter BosWouter BosWouter Jacob Bos is a Dutch management consultant and former politician of the Labour Party . He was Minister of Finance and Deputy Prime Minister in the Cabinet Balkenende IV from February 22, 2007 till February 23, 2010...
, party leader of the Dutch Labour PartyLabour Party (Netherlands)The Labour Party , is a social-democratic political party in the Netherlands. Since the 2003 Dutch General Election, the PvdA has been the second largest political party in the Netherlands. The PvdA was a coalition member in the fourth Balkenende cabinet following 22 February 2007...
and former Minister of Finance of the Netherlands, studied political sciencePolitical sciencePolitical Science is a social science discipline concerned with the study of the state, government and politics. Aristotle defined it as the study of the state. It deals extensively with the theory and practice of politics, and the analysis of political systems and political behavior...
and economicsEconomicsEconomics is the social science that analyzes the production, distribution, and consumption of goods and services. The term economics comes from the Ancient Greek from + , hence "rules of the house"...
at VU - Elco BrinkmanElco BrinkmanLeendert Cornelis "Elco" Brinkman is a Dutch politician of the Christian Democratic Appeal .-External links:...
, previous leader of the CDA party, studied political sciencePolitical sciencePolitical Science is a social science discipline concerned with the study of the state, government and politics. Aristotle defined it as the study of the state. It deals extensively with the theory and practice of politics, and the analysis of political systems and political behavior...
and lawLawLaw is a system of rules and guidelines which are enforced through social institutions to govern behavior, wherever possible. It shapes politics, economics and society in numerous ways and serves as a social mediator of relations between people. Contract law regulates everything from buying a bus...
at the VU - K.J. Martijn Cremers, associate professor of finance at Yale School of ManagementYale School of ManagementThe Yale School of Management is the graduate business school of Yale University and is located on Hillhouse Avenue in New Haven, Connecticut, United States. The School offers Master of Business Administration and Ph.D. degree programs. As of January 2011, 454 students were enrolled in its MBA...
- Wim DeetmanWim DeetmanWillem Joost "Wim" Deetman is a Dutch politician and statesman, former minister of education and mayor of The Hague...
, Mayor of The HagueThe HagueThe Hague is the capital city of the province of South Holland in the Netherlands. With a population of 500,000 inhabitants , it is the third largest city of the Netherlands, after Amsterdam and Rotterdam...
, studied political sciencePolitical sciencePolitical Science is a social science discipline concerned with the study of the state, government and politics. Aristotle defined it as the study of the state. It deals extensively with the theory and practice of politics, and the analysis of political systems and political behavior...
at the VU - Piet Hein DonnerPiet Hein DonnerJan Pieter Hendrik "Piet Hein" Donner is a Dutch politician of the Christian Democratic Appeal . He is the Minister of the Interior and Kingdom Relations in the Cabinet Rutte since October 14, 2010....
, Minister of Justice in several cabinets (Balkenende I, II, III) and Minister of Social Affairs (Balkenende IV), studied lawLawLaw is a system of rules and guidelines which are enforced through social institutions to govern behavior, wherever possible. It shapes politics, economics and society in numerous ways and serves as a social mediator of relations between people. Contract law regulates everything from buying a bus...
at the VU - Herman DooyeweerdHerman DooyeweerdHerman Dooyeweerd was a Dutch juridical scholar by training, who by vocation was a philosopher and the founder of the philosophy of the cosmonomic idea. He received early support for his work from his brother-in-law D. H. Th. Vollenhoven...
, founder of Reformational Philosophy, got his Ph.D. at the VU and became a full professor there - Mient-Jan Faber, well-known peace activist, studied mathematicsMathematicsMathematics is the study of quantity, space, structure, and change. Mathematicians seek out patterns and formulate new conjectures. Mathematicians resolve the truth or falsity of conjectures by mathematical proofs, which are arguments sufficient to convince other mathematicians of their validity...
and physicsPhysicsPhysics is a natural science that involves the study of matter and its motion through spacetime, along with related concepts such as energy and force. More broadly, it is the general analysis of nature, conducted in order to understand how the universe behaves.Physics is one of the oldest academic...
at the VU and is currently adjunct professor there - Bas de Gaay FortmanBas de Gaay FortmanBastiaan de Gaay Fortman is a Dutch politician and scholar. He has been a member of both the Dutch House of Representatives and the Senate for the PPR and GroenLinks parties...
, the world's only Chair in Political Economy of Human Rights - Benny GiayBenny GiayBenny Giay was born 12 January 1955 in the village Onago, Waketei district, on Lake Tigi in the Paniai Regency among the Me in what was then Netherlands New Guinea...
, PapuaNetherlands New GuineaNetherlands New Guinea refers to the West Papua region while it was an overseas territory of the Kingdom of the Netherlands from 1949 to 1962. Until 1949 it was a part of the Netherlands Indies. It was commonly known as Dutch New Guinea...
activist - Pim FortuynPim FortuynWilhelmus Simon Petrus Fortuijn, known as Pim Fortuyn was a Dutch politician, civil servant, sociologist, author and professor who formed his own party, Pim Fortuyn List ....
, the assassinated party leader of the LPF studied sociologySociologySociology is the study of society. It is a social science—a term with which it is sometimes synonymous—which uses various methods of empirical investigation and critical analysis to develop a body of knowledge about human social activity...
at the VU. - Hans van GoorHans van GoorHans van Goor is a retired Dutch long distance swimmer who won a silver medal at the 1993 European Championships. He also swam the English Channel on 4 September 1995 in a time of 8 h and 02 mins, which stood as a European record until 2003...
, long-distance swimmer - Laetitia GriffithLaetitia GriffithLaetitia Juliette Griffith was a Dutch Member of Parliament for the liberal People's Party for Freedom and Democracy ....
, former alderman in the Amsterdam city council, now member of the Dutch parliament, studied law at the VU - Nico HabermannNico HabermannArie Nicolaas Habermann , often known as Nico Habermann, was a noted Dutch computer scientist.Habermann was born in Groningen, Netherlands, and earned his B.S. in mathematics and physics and M.S. in mathematics from the Free University of Amsterdam in 1953 and 1958. After working as a mathematics...
, well-known computer scientist and professor at Carnegie Mellon UniversityCarnegie Mellon UniversityCarnegie Mellon University is a private research university in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States.... - Marijke Höweler, writer, studied psychologyPsychologyPsychology is the study of the mind and behavior. Its immediate goal is to understand individuals and groups by both establishing general principles and researching specific cases. For many, the ultimate goal of psychology is to benefit society...
at the VU. - Bert KoendersBert KoendersAlbert Gerard "Bert" Koenders is a former Dutch politician. He was Minister for Development Cooperation of the Netherlands from 2007 until 2010...
, Minister of Developmental Cooperation in the cabinetCabinet (government)A Cabinet is a body of high ranking government officials, typically representing the executive branch. It can also sometimes be referred to as the Council of Ministers, an Executive Council, or an Executive Committee.- Overview :...
Balkenende IV, studied social science at the VU - Pauline KrikkePauline KrikkePauline C. Krikke is a Dutch politician for the People's Party for Freedom and Democracy . Since 1 September 2001, she has been the mayor of the municipality of Arnhem. Before that, she was alderman in the municipality of Amsterdam.Krikke studied Human Rights at Vrije Universiteit in Amsterdam...
, former alderman in the Amsterdam city council, now mayor of ArnhemArnhemArnhem is a city and municipality, situated in the eastern part of the Netherlands. It is the capital of the province of Gelderland and located near the river Nederrijn as well as near the St. Jansbeek, which was the source of the city's development. Arnhem has 146,095 residents as one of the... - Dolf JansenDolf JansenDolf Jansen is a comedian, presenter of the Radio 2 program Spijkers met Koppen and an active Marathon runner.He performed together with Hans Sibbel as the comedy team 'Lebbis en Jansen'....
and Hans Sibbel, together form the comedy team "Lebbis en Jansen," both studied at the VU - Jona LenderingJona LenderingJona Lendering is a Dutch historian and the author of books on antiquity, Dutch history and modern management...
, Historian and author of seven books, mostly about antiquity - Linda de MolLinda de MolLinda Margaretha de Mol , known as Linda de Mol, is a Dutch actress and television presenter in the Netherlands and in Germany. She is the sister of Endemol founder John de Mol...
, Dutch and German celebrity, who gained her celebrity status from hosting tv shows and acting in movies - Atzo NicolaïAtzo NicolaïAtzo Nicolaï is a former Dutch politician of the People's Party for Freedom and Democracy . Since 1 June 2011 he is a member of the board of directors of the Dutch chemical multinational DSM....
, Minister of Government Reform and Kingdom Relations in the cabinetCabinet (government)A Cabinet is a body of high ranking government officials, typically representing the executive branch. It can also sometimes be referred to as the Council of Ministers, an Executive Council, or an Executive Committee.- Overview :...
Balkenende III, studied lawLawLaw is a system of rules and guidelines which are enforced through social institutions to govern behavior, wherever possible. It shapes politics, economics and society in numerous ways and serves as a social mediator of relations between people. Contract law regulates everything from buying a bus...
and political sciencePolitical sciencePolitical Science is a social science discipline concerned with the study of the state, government and politics. Aristotle defined it as the study of the state. It deals extensively with the theory and practice of politics, and the analysis of political systems and political behavior...
at the VU - Lewis B. SmedesLewis B. SmedesLewis Benedictus Smedes was a renowned Christian author, ethicist, and theologian in the Reformed tradition. He was a professor of theology and ethics for twenty-five years at Fuller Theological Seminary in Pasadena, California...
, American Reformed ethicist and author; also visiting professor at VU - Nico RienksNico RienksNicolaas Hessel Rienks is a former rower from the Netherlands and two-time Olympic gold medallist....
, double Olympic Champion rowing (1988, 1996); studied at the faculty of Human Movement Sciences - André RouvoetAndré RouvoetAndré Rouvoet is a former Dutch politician of the ChristianUnion . First as a member of the RPF until the party merged with the Reformed Political League to form the ChristianUnion. He served as a Member of the House of Representatives from May 17, 1994 until February 22, 2007...
, Minister of Youth and Family Affairs and Vice-Prime Minister in the cabinetCabinet (government)A Cabinet is a body of high ranking government officials, typically representing the executive branch. It can also sometimes be referred to as the Council of Ministers, an Executive Council, or an Executive Committee.- Overview :...
Balkenende IV, studied lawLawLaw is a system of rules and guidelines which are enforced through social institutions to govern behavior, wherever possible. It shapes politics, economics and society in numerous ways and serves as a social mediator of relations between people. Contract law regulates everything from buying a bus...
at the VU - Robert Charles Sproul, a popular American Reformed theologian and apologist
- Karel Marinus Van VlietCarolyne M. van VlietCarolyne Marina Van Vliet is a Dutch-born American physicist notable for the theory of generation-recombination noise and for the theory of quantum transport in nonequilibrium statistical mechanics, as well as for her many contributions to the foundations of Linear Response Theory...
, physicistPhysicistA physicist is a scientist who studies or practices physics. Physicists study a wide range of physical phenomena in many branches of physics spanning all length scales: from sub-atomic particles of which all ordinary matter is made to the behavior of the material Universe as a whole... - Geert M.N. VerschuurenGerard VerschuurenGerard M. Verschuuren is a writer, speaker, and consultant, working at the interface of science, philosophy, and religion. He is a human geneticist who also earned a doctorate in the philosophy of science, and studied and worked at universities in Europe and the United States...
, Philosophy of Science, in particular Philosophy of Biology - Werner VogelsWerner VogelsDr. Werner Vogels is the Chief Technology Officer and Vice President of Amazon.com in Seattle, Washington. In charge of driving technology innovation within the company, Vogels has broad internal and external responsibilities. He is the only executive apart from Amazon’s CEO Jeff Bezos to speak...
, Chief Technology Officer and Vice President of Amazon.comAmazon.comAmazon.com, Inc. is a multinational electronic commerce company headquartered in Seattle, Washington, United States. It is the world's largest online retailer. Amazon has separate websites for the following countries: United States, Canada, United Kingdom, Germany, France, Italy, Spain, Japan, and...
, got his Ph.D. in Computer ScienceComputer scienceComputer science or computing science is the study of the theoretical foundations of information and computation and of practical techniques for their implementation and application in computer systems...
at the VU - Gerrit ZalmGerrit ZalmGerrit Zalm is a retired Dutch politician of the People's Party for Freedom and Democracy . He served as Minister of Finance and Deputy Prime Minister from May 27, 2003 until February 22, 2007 in the Cabinets Balkenende II and III. He served earlier as Minister of Finance in the Cabinets Kok I and...
, Minister of Finance in the cabinets Kok I, Kok II, Balkenende II and Balkenende III, studied and taught economicsEconomicsEconomics is the social science that analyzes the production, distribution, and consumption of goods and services. The term economics comes from the Ancient Greek from + , hence "rules of the house"...
at VU. - Yair Pinto Psychologist working on consciousness and dynamic attention
International acclaim
In the 2010 QS World University RankingsQS World University Rankings
The QS World University Rankings is a ranking of the world’s top 500 universities by Quacquarelli Symonds using a method that has published annually since 2004....
placed Vrije Universiteit at 171st overall in the world. An overview of the THE-QS World University Rankings up to 2009 (in 2010 Times Higher Education World University Rankings
Times Higher Education World University Rankings
The Times Higher Education World University Rankings is an international ranking of universities published by the British magazine Times Higher Education in partnership with Thomson Reuters, which provided citation database information...
and QS World University Rankings
QS World University Rankings
The QS World University Rankings is a ranking of the world’s top 500 universities by Quacquarelli Symonds using a method that has published annually since 2004....
parted ways to produce separate rankings):
| Year | Rank (Change) |
|---|---|
| 2005 | 186 |
| 2006 | 183 ( 3) |
| 2007 | 304 ( 121) |
| 2008 | 155 ( 149) |
| 2009 | 165 ( 10) |
| 2010 | 171 ( 6) |