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University of Amsterdam
Latin: originally: Athenaeum Illustre'
Established	1632
Type:	Public
Faculty:	2,107
Students:	27,322
Location	Amsterdam, The Netherlands
Website:	www.uva.nl

Buildings of the University of Amsterdam. The front building houses the Academic Club of the University

The University of Amsterdam (Universiteit van Amsterdam in Dutch) is a comprehensive research university located in the heart of the city of Amsterdam, the Netherlands. With a budget of €487 million, over 25,000 students and around 5,000 staff in 2006, 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 Universiteit van Amsterdam (UvA) should not be confused with Amsterdam's second university, the Vrije Universiteit (VU).

The commonly-held predecessor of the Universiteit van Amsterdam, the Athenaeum Illustre (Latin - the illustrious Athenaeum) was founded in the 14th-century Agnietenkapel in Amsterdam in 1632, to educate students in History and Philosophy. Professors lectured publicly and tutored privately. In January 1632 two internationally acclaimed scientists, Caspar Barlaeus and Gerardus Vossius, held their inaugural speechs here. In the course of the seventeenth century, Law, Medicine and Theology were introduced in the curriculum. Alumni (whilst it was still the Athenaeum) include Cornelis Petrus Tiele.

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 higher 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 then changed until 1961, when 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.

The International School for Humanities and Social Sciences is a center for international education that offers all courses in English.

• Wubbo de Boer, president of OHIM
• Els Borst, former minister of Health
• Ad Melkert, former minister of Social Affairs and Employment
• Jacqueline Cramer, minister of Housing and the Environment

• Anton Pannekoek, Dutch communist and astrophysicist
• Luitzen Egbertus Jan Brouwer, mathematician
• Frits Zernike, Nobel Prize in Physics 1953
• Christiaan Eijkman, Nobel Prize in Medicine 1929

• Menno ter Braak, writer
• Willem Frederik Hermans, writer
• Janneke Jonkman, writer
• J. Slauerhoff, writer
• Karin Spaink, journalist
• Simon Vestdijk, writer
• Dirk Wolthekker, journalist, writer

• Max Euwe, World Chess Champion 1935–1937

Wikimedia Commons has media related to:

Universiteit van Amsterdam

• Universiteit van Amsterdam (Dutch)
• Universiteit van Amsterdam (English)
• Universiteit van Amsterdam, slide show
• Universiteit van Amsterdam. Opinions by ERASMUS and other international students at iAgora.com