Free University of Amsterdam

Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam

Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam
Seal: Maiden in the Garden
Latin: Universitas Libera (Reformata Amstelodamensis)
Motto	Auxilium nostrum in nomine Domini (Latin)
Motto in English	Our help is in the name of the Lord
Type	Private (publicly funded)
Established	1880
Endowment	€ 482,6 million
President	Prof. mr. dr. J.W. Winter
Rector	Prof. dr. V. Subramaniam
Academic staff	2,976 (2.263 fte)
Administrative staff	1,662 (1,410 fte)
Students	23,656
Location	Amsterdam, North Holland, Netherlands
Campus	Urban
Newspaper	Advalvas (Independent)
Colors	Black, light blue and white
Affiliations	Aurora EUA Santander AACSB
Website	VU.nl

Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam (abbreviated as VU, Dutch: Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam) is a university in Amsterdam, Netherlands, founded in 1880. VU is one of two large, publicly funded research universities in the city, the other being the University of Amsterdam (UvA).The literal translation of the Dutch name Vrije Universiteit is "Free University". "Free" refers to independence of the university from both the State and Church. Both within and outside the university, the institution is commonly referred to as "the VU" (pronounced somewhat like "vew" as in "new").

Although founded as a private institution, VU has received government funding on a parity basis with public universities since 1970. Over the past decades, VU has transformed from a small institution into a broad, research-intensive university attended by a wide variety of students of diverse backgrounds. While the Netherlands does not have an official ranking system, according to the "CWTS Leiden Ranking", the Vrije Universiteit was recognized as the second best university, nationally.

The university is located on a compact urban campus in the southern Buitenveldert neighbourhood of Amsterdam and adjacent to the modern Zuidas business district.

In 2014, VU had 23,656 registered students, most of whom were full-time students. That year, the university had 2,263 faculty members and researchers, and 1,410 administrative, clerical and technical employees, based on FTE units. The university's annual endowment for 2014 was circa €480 million. About three quarters of this endowment is government funding; the remainder is made up of tuition fees, research grants, and private funding.

The official university seal is entitled The Virgin in the Garden. Personally chosen by Abraham Kuyper, the Reformed-Protestant leader and founder of the university, it depicts a virgin living in freedom in a garden while pointing towards God, referring to the Protestant Reformation in the Netherlands in the 16th and 17th century. In 1990, the university adopted the mythical griffin as its common emblem. The position of its wings symbolizes the freedom in the university's name from both the State and Church. The bright and blue postmodern symbol has been the focal point of the university's Main Building ever since.