Universiteit van Amsterdam

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The University of Amsterdam (UvA) (Dutch: Universiteit van Amsterdam) is a comprehensive research university located in the heart of the city of Amsterdam, the Netherlands. With a budget of €487 million, over 23,000 students and roughly 5,000 employees in 2004, the UvA is one of the major universities in Europe. There are seven faculties, Humanities, Social and Behavioral sciences, Economy, Law, Science, Medicine and Dentistry. It has a strong internationalization programme and offers over 85 English Master programmes taught in English, as well as a number of Dutch and English language courses. The University of Amsterdam should not be confused with the Vrije Universiteit, also in Amsterdam.

History

The predecessor of the Universiteit van Amsterdam, the Athenaeum Illustre was founded in Amsterdam in 1632 to educate students in History and Philosophy. Professors lectured publicly and tutored privately. In the course of the seventeenth century, Law, Medicine and Theology were introduced in the curriculum.

In January 1632 two internationally acclaimed scientists, Caspar Barlaeus and Gerardus Vossius, held their inaugural speech in the Athenaeum Illustre - the illustrious school - which had its seat in the 14th-century Agnietenkapel. This school is commonly regarded as the predecessor of the University of Amsterdam. The abbreviation UvA distinguishes it from Amsterdam's second university, the Vrije Universiteit (VU).

The Athenaeum remained a small institution until the nineteenth century, with no more than 250 students and eight teachers. This situation changed only slowly. In 1815 the Athenaeum Illustre was legally acknowledged as an institute of higher education. In 1877, it became the Gemeentelijke Universiteit van Amsterdam (GU or 'Municipal University') and was permitted to confer the highest degrees. The professors were appointed by the city council and the mayor presided over the university administration. Because the Amsterdam city council was noted for its progressive politics this scheme guaranteed a large degree of intellectual freedom for the university. Very little changed until 1961. In that year, the national government took control of financial responsibility. The university ceased to be the Gemeentelijke Universiteit and finally became the Universiteit van Amsterdam.

In 1969 the university became nationwide news when the university's administrative center at the Maagdenhuis was occupied by students who wanted more democratic influence. During the seventies and eighties the university was often the target of nationwide student actions.

Notable alumni

Els Borst, minister of Health
Menno ter Braak, writer
Wubbo de Boer, president of OHIM
Willem Frederik Hermans, writer
Anton Pannekoek, Dutch communist and astrophysicist
J. Slauerhoff, writer
Karin Spaink, journalist
Simon Vestdijk, writer
Frits Zernike, Nobel prize winning physicist

External links

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