The Free University of Amsterdam (also known by its Dutch initials, “VU,” pronounced “voo”) was founded by Abraham Kuyper in 1880 as the first private college in the Netherlands. This theologian, journalist, reformer, and Dutch Prime Minister instilled a deep commitment to interdisciplinary thinking that lives on to this day.
Today, the school teaches 25,000 students with the help of 2,150 academic staff. The Free University wishes to live out its Christian values through its three stated goals of diversity, academic community, and vision.
The Free University takes its research very seriously. Each institute must produce a self-assessment every three years. Furthermore, research is evaluated every six years by another, independent assessment group.
This rigorous self-regulation assures that every aspect of the research initiative efficiently produces new peer-reviewed publications, patents, and joint projects integrated with other universities and businesses, as appropriate.
The university’s endowment is just under €500 million.
