TheUniversity of Amsterdam (abbreviated asUvA;Dutch:Universiteit van Amsterdam) is apublicresearch university located inAmsterdam, Netherlands. Established in 1632 by municipal authorities, it is the fourth-oldest academic institution in theNetherlands still in operation.[7]
In January 1632, theAthenaeum Illustre of Amsterdam (Latin: Illustrious School of Amsterdam) was founded by the municipal authorities in Amsterdam.[7] It was mainly devoted to medical teaching.[7] The first two professors wereGerardus Vossius andCaspar Barlaeus. TheAthenaeum Illustreprovided education comparable to other higher education institutions, although it could not confer doctoral degrees. After training at theAthenaeum, students could complete their education at a university in another town.
At the time, Amsterdam also housed several other institutions of higher education, including the Collegium Chirugicum, which trained surgeons, and other institutions that provided theological courses for the Remonstrant and the Mennonite communities. Amsterdam's large degree of religious freedom allowed for the establishment of these institutions. Students of the Colegium Chirugicum and the theological institutions regularly attended classes at theAthenaeum Illustre.
In 1815 it was given the statutory obligation “to disseminate taste, civilisation and learning" and “to replace, at least in part, the institutes of higher education and an academic education for those young men whose circumstances unable them to fully spend the time necessary for an academic career at an institute of higher education.” TheAthenaeum began offering classes for students attending non-academic professional training inpharmacy andsurgery in 1800. TheAthenaeum Illustre largely worked together with Amsterdam's theological institutions such as theEvangelisch-Luthers Seminarium (evangelical-Lutheran) and theKlinische School (medical school), the successor to theCollegium Chirurgicum.
TheAthenaeum remained a small institution until the 19th century, with no more than 250 students and eight professors. Alumni of theAthenaeum includeCornelis Petrus Tiele.[12][13]
In 1877, theAthenuem Illustre became the Municipal University of Amsterdam and received the right to confer doctoral degrees. This gave the university the same privileges as national universities while being funded by the city of Amsterdam. The professors and lecturers were appointed by themunicipal council. This resulted in a staff that was in many ways more colorful than the staffs of national universities. During its time as a municipal university, the university flourished, in particular in the science department, which counted manyNobel prize winners:Tobias Asser,Christiaan Eijkman,Jacobus Henricus van 't Hoff,Johannes Diderik van der Waals,Pieter Zeeman, andFrits Zernike.
The University of Amsterdam's municipal status brought about the relatively early addition of the faculties of Economics and Social Sciences. After theWorld War II the dramatic rise in the cost of university education put a constraint on the university's growth.[12][13]
Buildings of the University of Amsterdam. The front building houses the Academic Club of the university.
In 1961, the national government made the university a national university, giving it its current name, the University of Amsterdam. Funding was now given by the national government instead of the city and the appointment of professors was transferred to the board of governors. The city of Amsterdam retained a limited influence until 1971, when the appointment was handed over to the executive board.
During May 1969, the university became the focus of nationwide news when UvA's administrative centre at theMaagdenhuis was occupied by hundreds of students who wanted more democratic influence in educational and administrative matters. The protest lasted for days and was eventually broken up by the police.[14] During the 1970s and 1980s, the university was often the target of nationwide student actions.
The university saw considerable expansion since becoming a national university, from 7,500 students in 1960 to over 32,000 in 2010. In 2007, UvA undertook the construction of theScience Park Amsterdam, a 70-hectare (170-acre) campus to house the Faculty of Science along with the new University Sports Center. Much of the park has now been completed.[15] The University of Amsterdam began working in close collaboration with theHogeschool van Amsterdam. In 2008, the University of Amsterdam andVU University jointly founded theAmsterdam University College (AUC), an interuniversity institute that offers a three-year Bachelor (Honors) program in the Liberal Arts and Sciences.[12][13]
In February 2015, the university experiencedoccupations of two of their buildings in protest over proposed budget cuts. These budget cuts occurred in the wake of the university's attempt to deal with its speculative misjudgments and financial difficulties: in 2011, the university's total outstanding debt had increased to €136 million.[16]The Bungehuis occupation ended with the arrest of the 46 protesters on 24 February 2015. The following day a group of protesters forced the door of the Maagdenhuis, the main administrative building of the UvA, and began occupying it, once again raising their demands.[17] The occupation lasted 45 days; the occupiers were evicted on 11 April.[18][19]
The current logo of the University of Amsterdam consists of ablack square with threewhiteSaint Andrew's Crosses and a white "U." This an adaptation of thecoat of arms of Amsterdam which also uses a black background and three white or silver Saint Andrew's Crosses. The three Saint Andrew's Crosses have been said to represent the three plagues of Amsterdam: fire, floods, and theBlack Death. Another rumor is that they represent three fords in theRiver Amstel. These two explanations have no historical basis, however. It is believed by historians that the coat of arms of Amsterdam is derived from the coat of arms of Jan Persijn, the lord of Amsterdam between 1280 and 1282.[20] The "U" represents the word "university" while the colours and three crosses represent the city of Amsterdam.
As ametropolitan institution, the University of Amsterdam has always been housed in old and new buildings scattered throughout the capital. Because UvA is not a separate, secluded campus, students and city residents readily mix, allowing Amsterdam to maintain close cultural and academic ties to the school. The majority of UvA's buildings lie in the heart of Amsterdam, with only the faculties of Science, Medicine and Dentistry located outside theCity Centre. The university lies within the largestmegalopolis in the Netherlands, theRandstad, with a population 7.2 million inhabitants.[21]
The administration of the school and most of the faculties are located in the historicCity Centre of Amsterdam, within thecanal ring which is itself aUNESCO World Heritage Site. The facilities in this area date from as early as the 15th century to the 21st-century. Architectural styles represented include theDutch Renaissance,Dutch Baroque,Art Deco,Amsterdam School, andInternational style. TheAgnietenkapel,Maagdenhuis,Oost-Indisch Huis,Bushuis, andOudemanhuispoort are designated asRijksmonumenten (national monuments). The 15th centuryAgnietenkapel, where the university was founded was first constructed as a monastery chapel around 1470, but was later converted for use by theAthenaeum Illustre in 1631. The Agnes Gate in front of theAgnietenkapel is a major symbol of the university and dates back to 1571. It was renovated and moved to its current location in 1631.[22] Another area is a former hospital converted into university buildings, theBinnengasthuis, which is considered the heart of UvA. TheMaagdenhuis is the current headquarters of UvA andHvA administration. The building was built between 1783 and 1787 and was formerly an orphanage.[14] TheOost-Indisch Huis, the former headquarters of theDutch East India Company was built in 1606 and now used by UvA.[23] TheOudemanhuispoort was made a university building in 1880. It was constructed in 1602 as a retirement house and now houses some departments of the Humanities faculty.[24] One of the buildings of the University Library complex, theBushuis, was built as an armory in 1606.[25]
The Faculty of Science is located on theeast side of the city at the newly constructedScience Park Amsterdam. This 70-hectare (170-acre) campus contains UvA's science facilities, research institutes, student housing, the University Sports Centre, and businesses. In order to attract distinguished students and researchers, the campus was built by collaboration between the University of Amsterdam, theCity of Amsterdam, and theNetherlands Organization for Scientific Research. In 2012, theAmsterdam University College was housed at the Science Park UvA campus.
In the southeasternBijlmermeer neighbourhood, the Faculty of Medicine is housed in theAcademic Medical Center (AMC), the Faculty of Medicine's teaching and research hospital. It was formed in 1983 when the UvA Faculty of Medicine and two hospitals, Binnengasthuis and the Wilhelmina Gasthuis, combined. Shortly after in 1988, the Emma Children's Hospital also moved to the AMC. It is one of Amsterdam's level 1trauma centers and strongly cooperates with theVU University Medical Center (VUmc).
The Faculty of Dentistry is located in the Academic Centre for Dentistry Amsterdam (ACTA) in the southernZuidas district on the campus of theVU University Medical Center. It was formed when the University of Amsterdam and theVrije Universiteit combined their Dentistry schools in 1984.
The Roeterseiland Campus is an open city campus designed to offer future-proof teaching and research facilities. The Faculties of Economics and Business and Social and Behavioural Sciences are located at the Roeterseiland campus. The Faculty of Law has settled in August 2017 on the campus.
The Faculty of Science (Dutch: Faculteit der Natuurwetenschappen, Wiskunde en Informatica) (FNWI) covers a wide area of research and education. Research at the Faculty of Science covers the full width of the beta sciences. Spread across eight institutes, the main topics are astronomy, physics, mathematics, information sciences, life sciences, chemistry and biology.
The Faculty of Science offers 28 degree programmes for students, 7 of which are a joint degree with the Vrije Universiteit. There are 51 different nationalities studying at the Faculty of Science.
The Faculty of Science has around 6,800 students, as well as 1,700 members of staff working in education, research or support services. Around 50% of the staff are internationals. The main faculty buildings are located on the Science Park Amsterdam campus.
The Faculty of Humanities (Dutch:Faculteit der Geesteswetenschappen) (FGw) comprises six departments:Dutch studies,History,European Studies andReligion,Archaeology andClassics,Language andLiterature,Media studies,Philosophy, andArt andCultural studies. With over 6,000 students and about 1000 employees, it is the largest humanities faculty in the Netherlands. It was established in 1997 after a merger of the Faculty of Language and Culture, the Faculty of Theology and the Faculty of Philosophy. In 2011, the faculty was ranked number one in the Netherlands for Philosophy and Linguistics with international ranking in these areas of 37th and 22nd respectively.[26] In terms of research, the faculty produced 726 academic publications in 2009.[9]
The Centre for Latin American Research and Documentation (CEDLA) is also part of the Faculty of Humanities, with the centre holding one of Europe's largest collections on Latin American information and publishing the European Review of Latin American and Caribbean Studies (ERLACS)academic journal.[27]
The Faculty of Social and Behavioural Sciences (Dutch:Faculteit der Maatschappij- en Gedragswetenschappen) (FMG) is the largest educational and research institution in thesocial andbehavioural sciences in the Netherlands. The faculty has approximately 10,000 students and 1,200 staff members. The Faculty is home to six departments:Political Science,Sociology andAnthropology,Communication Science,Psychology,Social Geography,Planning and International Development Studies, andEducational sciences. The faculty was ranked the best in the Netherlands in 2011 for Sociology and Geography with international rankings in these areas of 33rd and 40th respectively.[26] In terms of research, the faculty produced 1,366 academic publications in 2009.[9]
The Faculty of Economics and Business (Dutch:Faculteit Economie en Bedrijfskunde) (FEB) was established in 1922. The FEB, which includes the Amsterdam School of Economics (ASE) and the Amsterdam Business School (ABS), currently has around 4,000 students and nearly 600 staff. It was ranked 44th in Economics & Econometrics and 45 in Accountancy & Finance among world universities.[26] In terms of research, the faculty produced 517 academic publications in 2009.[9]
The Faculty of Law (Dutch:Faculteit der Rechtsgeleerdheid) (FdR) is based in the newly redesigned Roetersiland campus. It was earlier housed in the Oudemanhuispoort, a historic building dating from 1602 situated in the center of Amsterdam. It has approximately 3,700 students and 330 academic staff members. 58% of academic staff is female. The Faculty offers nineLLM programs, of which two are taught in English. In addition the Faculty offers three advanced LLM programs, which are all taught in English. Research at the Faculty is undertaken by five research institutes which specialize in the following areas:International law,Private law,Environmental law,Labor law, andInformation law. In terms of research, the faculty produced 451 academic publications in 2018.[9] In the 2018 academic year, there were 41 PhD candidates, 67% of whom were female.
In 2015, a bequest from Trudie Vervoort-Jaarsma to the university established theJulia Henriëtte Jaarsma-Adolfs scholarship fund for assisting students pursuing an LLM in the law faculty. The bequest of €4 million was the largest single donation left to a Dutch university by a private citizen and was made to honor her mother's legal career. A second scholarship in the name of Vervoort-Jaarsma's daughter, Madeleine Vervoort, provides travel funds to students.[28]
The Faculty of Medicine (Dutch:Faculteit der Geneeskunde) (FdG), each year, approximately 350 first-year students begin their study of medicine atAmsterdam UMC. The first, three-year phase consists mainly of thematic teaching. The second, also three-year phase consists of training internships in and outside of Amsterdam UMC. In terms of research, the faculty produced 3,206 academic publications in 2009.[9]
The Academic Center for Dentistry in Amsterdam (Dutch:Faculteit der Tandheelkunde) (ACTA) was founded in 1984 through a merger of the two dentistry faculties of the Universiteit of Amsterdam and theVrije Universiteit Amsterdam. ACTA conducts scientific research, teaches, and provides patient care in the field of dentistry. ACTA is one of the largest dentistry education and training programmes in the world, with 500 staff members, an annual new-student enrolment of 128 and a total student body of 1000. It consists of three departments. In terms of research, the faculty produced 228 academic publications in 2009.[9]
TheMaagdenhuis houses the administration of the UvA and HvA.
The University of Amsterdam is headed by an executive board. The university is then divided into seven faculties, with each faculty headed by a dean. Teaching and research are carried out in various departments and institutes within the individual faculties. UvA has an annual budget of €600 million (approximately $850 million),.[9][29]
In 1992, the board of governors of the University of Amsterdam set up the UvA Holding BV in order to bring its commercial activities into a form that is compatible with private law.[30] The University of Amsterdam holds all the shares of the subsidiaries of the holding. The subsidiaries are clustered into four activity areas which are increasingly outsourced to commercial enterprises and other market participants.[31]
The intellectual and cultural atmosphere at UvA is internationally oriented. Amsterdam attracts students from the Netherlands and beyond: with over 2,500 international students and researchers from over 100 countries.
UvA has an extensive network of foreign partner universities, facilitating student and staff exchanges. Within Europe, UvA hasSocrates/Erasmus exchange agreements with over 200 institutions. Outside Europe, it has close ties with approximately 40 universities on all continents.[32]
The university is accredited by the DutchMinistry of Education, Culture and Science, which grants accreditation to institutions who meet a national system of regulations and quality assurance controls. The Ministry has given it WO, or research university status. Dutch students must complete a six-year preparatory program to gain admission to national research universities. Only fifteen percent of students pass this preparatory program.
In terms of tuition in 2015–2016,EU full-time students are charged €1,951 per year for both Bachelor's and Master's programs, part-time students are charged €1,696 and non-EU students are charged between €9,000-€25,000 per year for Bachelor's programs and €10,500-€25,000 for Master's and Doctoral programs.[33] Costs for non-EU students varies depending on the faculty of matriculation. In terms of scholarships, the university offers the UvA Amsterdam Excellence Scholarship (AES),[34] Amsterdam Merit Scholarships, scholarships through the Dutch Ministry of Education, Culture and Science, Dutch Study Grants, and various European scholarships.[35]
Collectively the faculties offer 59 Bachelor's programmes, 133 Master's programmes, and 10 postgraduate programs.[36] The university awarded 2,565 propaedeutic, 3,204 Bachelor's, 3,990 Master's, 438 Doctoral, 242 Post-Doctoral degrees in 2009–2010, and 10,438 total degrees in 2009–2010.[37] The school's academic year lasts from early September until mid-July and is divided into two 20-week semesters. The first of these ends in late January and the second begins in early February. There are no mid-term breaks, only a short holiday around Christmas and New Year as well as Dutch National holidays.
Overall, 20% of students inbachelor's programs complete their degree within three years, 48% in four years, and 69% in five years; 71% ofmaster's students completed their degree in two years.[9] Students on average successfully complete 44ECTS credits during the academic year.[9] In 2007, 88% ofmaster's anddoctoral graduates went on to paying jobs, with an additional 5% going on to continue their education within 1.5 years of graduating.[9]
According to the US News rankings of Best Global Universities the UvA is ranked among the top 10 best universities in Europe. Furthermore, the UvA is ranked 53d in the 2023-2024QS World University Rankings. The UvA is one of two Dutch universities in the top 100 universities in the world.[45]
In the 2023 ARWU Global Ranking of Academic Subjects, the UvA is ranked in first place globally in the field of Communication. Other UvA disciplines with high rankings include Psychology (8), Sociology (10), and Political Science (15).[45]
The 2011-12Times Higher Education World University Rankings ranked the University of Amsterdam 30th in Arts & Humanities[46] and 40th in Social Sciences, making it the highest ranking Dutch university in these fields and the highest ranking continental European university in the Social Sciences.[47]
The 2017 CWTS Leiden Global university ranking ranked the University of Amsterdam in the Global Top 8 in the field of social sciences and humanities.[1]
TheCHE Excellence Ranking rated the school excellent in all seven categories for research, making it the only Dutch institution to accomplish this distinction.[48]
The University Library (UB) is the largest library at the University of Amsterdam.ThePlantage Muidergracht Laboratory
The University of Amsterdam is one of Europe's largest research universities, with over 7,900 scientific publications in 2010.[8] The university spends about €100 million on research each year via direct funding. It receives an additional €23 million via indirect funding and about €49 million from commercial partners.[49] Faculty members often receive research prizes and grants, such as those from the Netherlands Organization for Scientific Research (NWO). Research is organized into fifteen research priority areas and 28 research institutes within the faculties oversee this research.[50]
The University of Amsterdam has an extensive centralUniversity Library (UB), with over four million volumes. In addition, a number of departments have their own libraries. The main university library is located in the city center. It contains over four million books, 70,000 manuscripts, 500,000 letters, and 125,000 maps, as well as special collections of the Department of Rare and Precious Works, the Manuscript and Writing Museum, theBibliotheca Rosenthaliana on Jewish history and culture, and the Department of Documentation on Social Movements. Three reading rooms are available for students to study in quiet.[51] In addition to the main University Library, there are approximately 70 departmental libraries spread throughout the center of Amsterdam. The university's printing arm, theAmsterdam University Press, has a publishing list of over 1,400 titles in bothDutch andEnglish.
In addition to its libraries, UvA has five museums. These include theAllard Pierson Museum, which houses antiquities fromAncient Egypt,Ancient Greece, the Near East, and centralItaly during the time between 4000 BCE and 500 CE; the University Museum, with collections showing the history of UvA from 1632 until present; the Museum Vrolik, which houses anatomical, zoological and teratological specimens; The J.A. Dortmond Museum of Script which has exhibits showing the history of writing in the West from 3000 BCE to today; the UvA Computer Museum which houses displays showing how computers of the past worked and how calculations were made before the presence of the electronic computer; theZoological Museum Amsterdam at theAmsterdamArtis Zoo contains collection of millions of shells, insects, mammals, birds, fishes and other animals used in scientific research.[52]
At UvA, students can choose from many student organizations, athletic activities, and student services. These include theASVA Student Union, CREA Cultural Center, the newly constructed University Sports Center, and the Agora student restaurant. In addition, the university provides religious services, career counseling, the International Student Network (ISN), counseling, disability services, and student health services.[53][54] The students are represented in the different faculty student councils and the central student council.
The University Sports Center (USC) offers over 50 sports activities at discount rates for UvA students and staff including Ice skating, tennis, rowing, aerobics, swimming, dancing, golf, and even skiing.
The CREA Cultural Center organizes courses, working groups and projects in drama, music, dance, photography, film, and visual arts. It also contains a bar and a theater.
The University Sports Center
The primary mode of transport for students is bybicycle.[55] The city of Amsterdam also has various public transportation options available to students. These include theMetro, trams, buses, and ferries.[56]
The university tries to offer student housing to most international first-year students throughnon-profithousing corporations not owned by UvA. The housing corporations offer apartment-style housing in the City Center,Zuid,Oost,West,Zuid-Oost, andNoordboroughs ofAmsterdam as well as in the suburb ofDiemen. Single rooms with private facilities (kitchen, bathroom), single rooms with shared facilities, shared rooms with shared facilities, and couples rooms are available. Students of the opposite sex are permitted to be roommates in all types of rooms. Rooms are anywhere from a few minutes to 45 minutes bike ride to the City Center. Detailed overviews of common student housing options, application timelines, and average costs can be found in external guides that focus on navigating the Amsterdam student rental market.[57][58][59]
The university urges students not to go to Amsterdam for their studies unless they have been able to secure proper housing, as the available housing opportunities are very limited.[60]
^Engelen, Ewald; Fernandez, Rodrigo; Hendrikse, Reijer (2014). "How Finance Penetrates its Other: A Cautionary Tale on the Financialization of a Dutch University".Antipode.46 (4): 1083.Bibcode:2014Antip..46.1072E.doi:10.1111/anti.12086.
^Lammes, Frits B. (2013). "[Van Heerden: the first female doctor in South Africa]".Nederlands Tijdschrift voor Geneeskunde.157 (41): A5421.ISSN1876-8784.PMID24103131.
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