The Free University

The Vrije Universiteit, located on de Boelelaan, had its origins in the ambition of Abraham Kuyper, a prominent Dutch politician, former minister presdident and theologian. Kuyper sought to establish an educational institution where his Orthodox Reformed community could study. Today, the university's name mainly reflects an environment where everyone can be themselves. With a student population of around 30,000, including as many as 5,000 international students, it is one of the larger universities in the Netherlands.

Abraham Kuyper was not only a leading theologian, but also an active politician. He founded the Netherlands' first political party in 1879, called the Antirevolutionary Party (ARP). This party was based on conservative and Christian principles and played an important role in Dutch politics during the late 19th and early 20th centuries.

The founding of the Vrije Universiteit took place on 20 October 1880, when the university was still housed on Keizersgracht. As the university grew, it moved in several stages to its current location on de Boelelaan, starting in 1966. The university also includes an academic hospital and a remarkable Botanical Garden, which is definitely worth a visit.

In the year 2020, VU had as many as 45 bachelor's programmes and 100 master's programmes. The current rector magnificus is Jeroen Geurts.