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The Vrije Universiteit should not be confused with the University of Amsterdam. The name is often abbrevated as VU. It is the university of the Vereniging voor Christelijk Wetenschappelijk Onderwijs (Association for Christian Scientific Education).

The association was founded in 1880, and headed by Abraham Kuyper, as the first protestant university. Vrije Universiteit literally means Free University to signify freedom from government and church. The education itself however, is not free of cost; like all accredited universities in The Netherlands students pay a (government determined) fee, while students receive a student loan from government as well.

About 17,000 students (2004) attend the university, with 2,200 scientific employees, and 1,600 non-scientific employees.

1 Graduates

• Jan Peter Balkenende, the current Prime Minister of the Netherlands, was a professor at the VU.
• Wouter Bos, party leader of the Dutch Social Democrats studied at the VU
• Andrew S. Tanenbaum, of Computer Networks (the book) fame, is a professor of computer science at the faculty of Exact Sciences.
• Gerrit Zalm, Chancellor of the Exchequer in the cabinet Kok II, Balkenende I and Balkenende II, also studied economics at the VU.
• Pim Fortuyn2002 Dutch national election campaign. Wilhelmus Simon Petrus Fortuijn known as Pim Fortuyn [pronounced: fore-TOWN, SAMPA fOr"t9yn] ( February 19, 1948 May 6, 2002), was a controversial politician in the Netherlands. He was assassinated during the 2002 Du, the murdered party leader of the LPF studied sociologySociology is the study of social rules and processes that bind and separate people not only as individuals, but as members of associations, groups, and institutions. A typical textbook definition of sociology calls it the study of the social lives of huma at the VU and was a professorA professor is a senior teacher and researcher, usually in a college or university. Overview Professors give lectures and seminars in their field of study, such as science or literature. They also do advanced research in their fields and are supposed to d there as well.

2 External links

• Vrije Universiteit Website