History
The VU was founded in 1880 by Abraham Kuyper as the first orthodox-Protestant (Calvinist) university in the Netherlands. Kuyper was a Dutch politician, journalist, and prime minister of the Netherlands from 1901 to 1905. He was a professor of theology at the VU as well as the first rector magnificus (President of the University).
Vrije Universiteit literally means 'Free University' (or 'Liberated University') to signify freedom from both government and church. The education itself, however, is not free of charge. To overcome this association, recently a decision was made to use the term VU University instead of Free University whenever the English translation is needed.
When the Vrije Universiteit started in 1880, it hired some rooms in the Scottish Missionary Church (today a theatre called De Kleine Komedie) and used them as lecture rooms. Here the founder Abraham Kuyper and his four co-professors gave their lectures. In 1883 the Scottish Missionary Church became too small for the quickly growing number of students and the university bought another building: Keizersgracht 162. In the following years the university bought more buildings throughout the city. Since 1968, the entire university has been located on a campus in the Buitenveldert district.
As with all accredited universities in the Netherlands, students pay a (government determined) tuition, which is currently (2009) around €1700/year for students from the European Union and ranges from €9000 to €12000/year for students from elsewhere. Most Dutch students receive a grant or loan from the government to cover tuition and living expenses.
Although current students and faculty members are adherents of many religions, as a consequence of its Protestant heritage, the VU has always placed a special emphasis on the social and cultural context in which it operates. Many faculties offer courses teaching students about the historical, social, and cultural issues related to their discipline, with course names like "Social Aspects of Science". Topics such as the consequences of science for society, ethics, and related issues are discussed.
Read more about this topic: Vrije Universiteit
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