The Vrije Universiteit (literal translation from Dutch: "Free [as in liberty] University") is a university in Amsterdam, Netherlands. The Dutch name is often abbreviated as VU and in English the university uses the name "VU University". The university is located on a compact urban campus in the southern part of Amsterdam in the Buitenveldert district. Though a faith-based institution, the VU receives government funding on a parity basis with the public universities. The university should not be confused with the University of Amsterdam, which is a different university, located in the same city. That university was formerly owned and operated by the City of Amsterdam, but is now one of the public universities in the Netherlands. The VU has about 22,738 students, most of whom are full-time students. The number of faculty members and researchers is 2,764 (excluding personnel at VU University Medical Center). Teaching and research activities are supported by 1,905 administrative, clerical, technical, and other employees. The university's annual budget is around US$500 million, about two thirds of which comes from the Dutch government.
Chemists synthesize molecular pretzels
Chemists at the University of Amsterdam's Van 't Hoff Institute for Molecular Sciences have discovered a new class of molecules. This week they report in Nature Communications on their synthesis method leading to 'quasi[1]catenanes': ...
May 26, 2017
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Wind blows young migrant birds to all corners of Africa
Migrant birds that breed in the same area in Europe spread out across all of Africa during the northern winter. A new satellite-tracking study shows that the destination of individual birds is largely determined by the wind ...
Researchers invent novel catalyst to convert carbon dioxide
Researchers from the University of Amsterdam (UvA) have invented a new catalyst that can efficiently convert carbon dioxide (CO2) to carbon monoxide (CO). This soon-to-be patented invention enables the sustainable utilisation ...
The dynamic surface tension of water
The surface tension of a liquid is a measure of the cohesive forces that hold the molecules together. It is responsible for a water drop assuming a spherical shape and for the effects of surfactants to produce bubbles and ...
Amazon River no younger than 9 million years, new study shows
Researchers from the University of Amsterdam (UvA) and the University of Brasilia (Brazil) have determined the age of the formation of the Amazon River at 9.4 to 9 million years ago (Ma) with data that convincingly refutes ...
Better policy needed to protect privacy of smart TV viewers
Dutch and European policymakers should do more to protect media users' privacy instead of leaving the matter entirely to data protection law and data protection authorities. This is one of the recommendations of a research ...
No trace of dark matter in gamma-ray background
Researchers from the University of Amsterdam's (UvA) GRAPPA Center of Excellence have just published the most precise analysis of the fluctuations in the gamma-ray background to date. By making use of more than six years ...
X-ray spectroscopy reveals details of capacity fading in Li-ion batteries
The improvement of batteries is one of the key factors in increasing the performance of electric vehicles. To this end, Dr Moniek Tromp of the University of Amsterdam's research priority area Sustainable Chemistry is employing ...
Bright red fluorescent protein created
After years of trying, biologists have succeeded in creating an extremely bright red fluorescent protein in the lab. This is good news for researchers, including cancer and stem cell researchers, who use fluorescent proteins ...
Chemistry driven by the sun, for a sustainable future
A group of European chemists including Prof. Joost Reek of the University of Amsterdam's research priority area Sustainable Chemistry has recently published a whitepaper on Solar-Driven Chemistry. They show that it is possible, ...
