Groningen University

University of Groningen
Rijksuniversiteit Groningen
Latin: 'Academia Groningana'
Motto	Verbum domini lucerna pedibus nostris
Motto in English	"The word of the Lord is a light for our feet"
Established	1614
Type	State University
President	Professor Sibrand Poppema
Rector	Professor Elmer Sterken
Academic staff	5,000 employees
Students	27.699
Location	Groningen, Netherlands
Website	www.rug.nl

The University of Groningen  located in the city of Groningen, was founded in 1614. It is one of the oldest universities in the Netherlands as well as one of its largest. Since its inception more than 100,000 students have graduated. It is a member of the distinguished Coimbra Group. In April 2012, according to the results of the International Student Barometer, the University of Groningen has been voted the best University of the Netherlands.

The University of Groningen has nine faculties, nine graduate schools, 27 research centres and institutes, and more than 175 degree programmes.

Mission and strategy

The University of Groningen provides high quality teaching and research, is internationally oriented, respects differences in ambition and  talent, works actively with business, the government and the public, and  ranks among the best universities in Europe.
On the pages "mission in person and in practice" you will find portraits of a variety of researchers, teachers, PhD students and students who personify the mission of the RUG.

The Institution

The University of Groningen  is organized in nine faculties that offer programmes and courses in the fields of Humanities, Social Sciences, Law, Economics and Business, Spatial Sciences, Life Sciences, and Natural Sciences and Technology. Each faculty (cf., College in the USA or School in Europe) is a formal grouping of academic degree programmes, schools and institutes, discipline areas, research centres, and/or any combination of these drawn together for educational purposes. Each faculty offers Bachelor's, Master's, PhD, and Exchange programmes, while some also offer short certificate courses.

Facts & Figures

Front of the main building ('Academiegebouw') of the University of Groningen

• 27,699 students
• 6,213 first-year students (10,3 % share of Dutch market)
• 4,897 fte employees (including University Medical Center Groningen: UMCG)
• 413 professors (including UMCG)
• 1,500 PhD students (including UMCG)
• 58 bachelor's and 114 master's degree programmes
• 82 master's degree programmes (of which 10 double degree programmes) are taught in English
• 9 bachelor's degree programmes are taught in English
• 16 research master's programmes
• 9 faculties, 9 graduate schools
• 550 mln euro annual turnover

The University of Groningen is in the top 3 of European research universities in the fields of: Ecology, Material Sciences, Chemistry and Astronomy. Other strong research groups are in: Nanoscience, Physics, Molecular Biology, Microbiology, Medical Sciences, Neurosciences, Sociology, Philosophy, Theology, Archaeology and Arts. Every year more than 5,000 research publications go to print and an average of 260 PhD students are awarded their PhD degree.

• The University of Groningen is a member of the so-called Excellence Group of the best universities in Europe. The Excellence Group has 56 members, which is 1.3 percent of the approximately 4,500 European institutions of higher education.
• The University of Groningen belongs to the top 100 large comprehensive research universities in the world.
• The University of Groningen is worldwide on position 120 of the QS World University Rankings.
• The University of Groningen is worldwide on shared position 101 of the Academic Ranking of World Universities (ARWU). ARWU is a global Top 500 published annually by the Shanghai Jiao Tong University.
• The University was ranked 59th in the world by Global University Ranking in 2009
• Groningen was internationally ranked by QS World University Rankings, and gained the position of 115th.
• The University of Groningen holds the 36th position in the European ranking of Webometrics.

The University's mathematics centre houses an IBM Blue Gene/L supercomputer for the LOFAR project.

History

The Senate room in the Academy Building

The founding of the University in 1614 – at that time still a college of higher education – was an initiative taken by the Regional Assembly of the city of Groningen and the Ommelanden, or surrounding region. There were four faculties – Theology, Law, Medicine and Philosophy. The first 75 years of its existence were very fruitful for the University with about 100 students enrolling every year. Almost half of the students and lecturers came from outside the Netherlands – the first Rector Magnificus, Ubbo Emmius, came from East Frisia in modern day Germany, for instance – but at the same time there was already a close relationship between the University and the city and the surrounding region.

The development of the University came to a standstill at the end of the seventeenth and during the eighteenth century because of theological differences of opinion, a difficult relationship with the Regional Assembly and political problems that included the siege of the city by ‘Bommen Berend’ in 1672. On average two to three hundred students were registered with the University at any one time during this period. Petrus Camper, though, was a shining academic example during the second half of the eighteenth century and was famous far beyond the city limits as an anatomist, a fighter against rinderpest and the founder of the first outpatient’s clinic for surgical medicine.Opportunities and threats followed on each other’s heels during the nineteenth century. In 1815, at the same time as Leiden and Utrecht, the University gained recognition as a national college of higher education, but this was followed by discussions about closure. The situation improved markedly when a new main university building, the Academiegebouw, was constructed in 1850, a building that was largely financed by the people of Groningen. This made the fire that completely destroyed this building in 1906 even more poignant.In the meantime, the Higher Education Act of 1876 had radically improved the position of the University, which was renamed the "Rijksuniversiteit Groningen" (RUG). Teaching now took place in Dutch as well as in Latin and the University was given a research as well as an educational duty. This laid the foundations for the present research university.

The University of Groningen developed apace during the first decades of the twentieth century. The number of faculties and courses grew steadily while the number of students showed an explosive growth. When the University celebrated its first 300 years in 1914 there were 611 registered students; this had already grown to 1000 by 1924. After a drop back during the Depression, and in particular during the Second World War, the number of students grew rapidly from 1945 to reach 20,000 in 1994. At the present time there are about 26,500 students registered at the University of Groningen with the number of foreign students again growing steadily, and following the tradition set by the first Rector Magnificus, the number of German students and researchers has grown strongly in recent years.

Faculties

Bernoulliborg

Economics and Business
Arts
Law
Theology and Religious Studies
Philosophy
Behavioural and Social Sciences
Medical Sciences
Mathematics and Natural Sciences
Spatial Sciences

Degree programmes

Bachelor's degree programmes

Zernikeborg

The Bachelor phase lasts three years and successful completion of a Bachelor's programme results in a BSc, LLB or BA degree. There are a total number of 60 Bachelor's degree programmes. The Bachelor's degree programmes with English as the language of instruction are:

• American Studies
• Business Studies – International Business & Management (specialization)
• Econometrics
• Economics and Business Economics
• International and European Law
• International Relations and International Organization
• Medicine, Global Health Profile(International Bachelor in Medicine Groningen)
• Psychology
• Technical Planning
• Other programmes

Master's degree programmes

Programmes last between one and three years. Successful completion of a Master’s programme is awarded with a Master’s degree (MA, MSc or LLM). 75 Master's programmes have English as the language of instruction:

Groningen University Campus at Zernike

Sciences and Technology

• Applied Mathematics
• Applied Physics
• Artificial Intelligence
• Astronomy
• Biomedical Engineering
• Chemical Engineering
• Chemistry
• Computing Science
• Energy and Environmental Sciences
• Human-Machine Communication
• Industrial Engineering and Management
• Mathematics
• Nanoscience
• Physics

Life Sciences

• Behavioural and Cognitive Neurosciences
• Biology
• Biomedical Engineering
• Biomedical Sciences
• Clinical and Psychosocial Epidemiology
• Ecology an Evolution
• Energy and Environmental Sciences
• Evolutionary Biology
• Marine Biology
• Medical and Pharmaceutical Drug Innovation
• Medical Pharmaceutical Sciences
• Molecular Biology and Biotechnology

Law

• Criminal Law and Criminology
• European Law
• International and Comparative Private Law
• International Economic and Business Law
• International Law and the Law of International Organizations

Economics and Business

• Business Administration
• Econometrics, Operations Research and Actuarial Studies
• Economics
• Economics and Business
• Human Resource Management
• International Business and Management
• International Economics and Business
• Technology Management

Humanities

• American Studies
• Applied Linguistics
• Art History and Archaeology
• Arts, Culture and Media
• Classical Medieval and Renaissance Studies
• Clinical Linguistics
• Dutch language and Culture
• English Language and Culture
• Euroculture
• Humanitarian Action
• International Relations and International Organization
• Journalism
• Language and Communication Technologies
• Linguistics
• Literary and Cultural Studies
• Modern History and International Relations
• Philosophy
• Philosophy: Knowledge and Knowledge Development
• Religion and Culture
• Religious Studies: Religion in the Modern World
• Theology: Biblical Studies and Hermeneutics

Behavioural and Social Sciences

• Educational Sciences
• Human Behaviour in Social Contexts
• Human-Machine Communication
• Pedagogic: Communication and Congenital Deafblindness
• Psychology

Spatial Sciences

• Environmental and Infrastructure Planning
• Population Studies
• Regional Studies

• Other programmes

PhD degree programmes

Most departments, affiliated (research) institutes and faculties offer doctorate programmes or positions, leading to a PhD degree. All PhD degrees offered are concentrated in one of the Graduate Schools. PhD programmes usually take four years. The results of the research are written down in a PhD thesis, often including papers published in scientific journals.

Courses

The University of Groningen provides a full range of academic degree courses within ten faculties. Each Faculty offers Master’s and PhD degrees. Furthermore, we offer short certificate courses, international programmes (Bachelor's, Master's and PhD programmes) and international joint programmes. Applications for these programmes are invited from qualified international students with a thorough command of English!

Bachelor's degree 

Economics, Business and Environment

Behavioural and Social Sciences

History and International Relations

Health and Life Sciences

Art, Culture and Archaeology

Natural Sciences and Technology

Law

Religion

Languages and Cultures

Language and Communication

Philosophy

Master's degree

• Aardrijkskunde (leraar eerste graad)
• Accountancy & controlling
• American Studies
• Applied Linguistics: Teaching English as a Foreign Language
• Applied Mathematics
• Applied Physics
• Art History and Archaeology (research master)
• Artificial Intelligence
• Astronomy
• Behavioural and Cognitive Neurosciences (research master)
• Behavioural and Social Sciences (research master)
• Biology
• Biomedical Engineering (EM)
• Biomedical Sciences
• Biomolecular Sciences
• Business Administration (4 specializations)
• Chemical Engineering (J)
• Chemistry
• Classical, Medieval and Renaissance Studies (research master)
• Clinical and Psychosocial Epidemiology (research master)
• Clinical Linguistics (EMCL) (EM)
• Computing Science
• Concealed Knowledge: Gnosticism, Esotericism & Mysticism
• Criminal Law and Criminology
• Culturele geografie
• Ecology and Evolution
• Econometrics, Operations Research and Actuarial Studies
• Economics
• Economics and Business (research master)
• Economics of Taxation (in Dutch)
• Economie en bedrijfswetenschappen (leraar eerste graad)
• Economische geografie
• Educational Sciences
• Education and communication (teacher training) (in Dutch)
• Energy and Environmental Sciences
• Engelse taal en cultuur (leraar eerste graad)
• English Literature and Culture
• Environmental and Infrastructure Planning (J)
• Euroculture (EM)
• European Law
• European Law School (voorheen Law in Europe)
• European Literatures and Cultures
• Evolutionary Biology (EM)
• Filosofie en educatie (teacher training) (in Dutch)
• Fiscaal recht (in Dutch)
• Franse taal en cultuur (leraar eerste graad)
• Friese taal en cultuur (leraar eerste graad)
• Functionaliteit van het recht (onderzoeksmaster)
• Geestelijke verzorging
• German literature and culture (teacher training) (in Dutch)
• Geschiedenis (leraar eerste graad)
• Geschiedenis Vandaag
• Griekse en Latijnse Taal en Cultuur
• Grieks en Latijn (leraar eerste graad)
• Human-Machine Communication
• Human Movement Sciences
• Human Resource Management
• Industrial Engineering and Management
• Information science (in Dutch)
• International and Comparative Private Law
• International and European law (in Dutch)
• International Business and Management
• International Economic and Business Law
• International Economics and Business (J)
• International Humanitarian Action (NOHA) (EM)
• International Law and the Law of International Organizations
• International Relations and International Organization
• Journalism
• Kunsten, Cultuur en Media
• Kunstgeschiedenis
• Language and Cognition
• Literary and cultural studies (research master)
• Marine Biology
• Mathematics
• Medical and Pharmaceutical Drug Innovation (research master)
• Medical Pharmaceutical Sciences
• Medicine (in Dutch)
• Midden-Oosten Studies (voorheen: TCMO)
• Modern History and International Relations (research master)
• Molecular Biology and Biotechnology
• MSc Technology and Operations Management
• Nanoscience (Top master)
• Nederlandse taal en cultuur (leraar eerste graad)
• Nederlands recht
• Notarial law (in Dutch)
• Onderwijskunde
• Origins of Abrahamic Religions: Text and Contexts
• Pedagogische wetenschappen
• Pharmacy (in Dutch)
• Philosophy
• Philosophy (research master)
• Physics
• Population Studies
• Psychology
• Recht en bestuur
• Recht en ICT
• Regional Studies (research master)
• Religion, Conflict and Globalisation
• Religion and Culture (research master)
• Religion and the Public Domain
• Sociale Planologie
• Social Studies (teacher training) (in Dutch)
• Sociology (in Dutch)
• Spaanse taal en cultuur (leraar eerste graad)
• Sport Sciences
• Tandheelkunde
• Vastgoedkunde
• Visual Impairment: Assessment and Support
• Wijsbegeerte van een bepaald wetenschapsgebied

Research

Research Centres and Institutes

Humanities and Social Sciences

• Center for Language and Cognition Groningen (CLCG)
• Globalisation Studies Groningen (GSG)
• Centre for Religious Studies (CRS)
• Groningen Institute of Archeology (GIA)
• Groningen Institute for Educational research (GION)
• Groningen Research Institute of Philosophy (GRIPH)
• Groningen Research Institute for the Study of Culture (ICOG)
• Heymans Institute
• Interuniversity Center for Social Science Theory and Methodology (ICS)
• Urban and Regional Studies Institute (URSI)

Law

• Centre for Law, Administration and Society (CRBS)

Economics & Business

• SOM

Life Sciences

• Behavioral and Cognitive Sciences (BCN) / UMCG
• Biomedical engineering, Materials science and Application (BMSA)
• Center for Behavior and Neurosciences (CBN)
• Centre for Ecological and Evolutionary Studies (CEES)
• Graduate School for Drug Exploration (GUIDE) / UMCG
• Groningen Biomolecular Sciences and Biotechnology (GBB)
• Groningen Research Institute of Pharmacy (GRIP)
• Northern Center for Healthcare Research (NCH)

Science & Technology

• Center for Energy and Environmental Studies (IVEM)
• Centre for Isotope Research (CIO)
• Centre for Theoretical Physics
• Institute of Mathematics and Computing Science (IWI)
• Kapteyn Astronomical Institute
• Nuclear-physics Accelerator Institute (KVI)
• Stratingh Institute for Chemistry
• Zernike Institute for Advanced Materials

Graduate Schools

The University of Groningen’s Graduate Schools are organized somewhat different from its international counterparts. The main difference is that the Graduate Schools do not contain all Master's programmes; Graduate Schools manage and facilitate the two-year Master's programmes: top Master's degree programmes and Research Master's degree programmes.

• Graduate School of Behavioural and Social Sciences
• Graduate School of Economics and Business
• Graduate School of Humanities
• Graduate School of Law
• Graduate School of Medical Sciences
• Graduate School of Philosophy
• Graduate School of Science
• Graduate School of Spatial Sciences
• Graduate School of Theology and Religious Studies

University networks

• Centre for European Security Studies  (CESS)
• The Groningen Energy and Sustainability Programme (GESP)
• Globalisation Studies Groningen (GSG)
• Groningen Bioinformatics Centre (GBIC)
• Genderstudies
• Genomics Co-ordination Centre (GCC)
• Instituut voor Integratie en Sociale Weerbaarheid (ISW)
• Artificial Intelligence  
• Center of Expertise for Language and Communication Disorders (ETC)

Quality assurance of research

One of the most prominent ambitions that the University of Groningen will try to realise in the next few years is to achieve European and global recognition. According to some recent comparisons*, the RUG is already one of the Top 25 universities in Europe. Our aim is to achieve a place in the Top 10.

Thus the core of the RUG quality assurance policy is based on significantly stronger incentives for maintaining excellence and improving the quality of our research than previously. Targeted financial support is designed to give excellent researchers and young, outstanding research talent more space to develop further.It is thus vitally important to be able to identify talent, including its various manifestations, in order to be able to indicate where the strong and less strong points are within research in Groningen. The quality assurance of research at the University of Groningen will thus play an essential role in our quality policy.

RUG responsible for assessing its own research

In 2003, the way that academic research in the Netherlands was assessed changed radically. Previously, research assessments were conducted once every five years nationally and per discipline, and were organized by the Association of Dutch Universities (VSNU). In the new system the responsibility for assessing research lies with the institutions themselves. In relation to our situation, this means that the Board of the University of Groningen is responsible for organizing adequate, thorough, independent assessments of all research conducted at Groningen.

Healthy ageing

Healthy and active ageing

How can we stay healthy, happy and socially active for longer? Which factors govern our physical, psychological and social wellbeing? The multidisciplinary programme Healthy Ageing concentrates on issues like these. Healthy ageing is one of the strategic focus areas of the University of Groningen and the University Medical Center Groningen (UMCG).

Society under pressure

There are more and more elderly and they are making increasing demands on society. At the same time there are fewer people available to provide care or to contribute to building up pensions. This combination of demographic ageing and dejuvenation is putting our economy and society under pressure – a growing social problem across the entire Western world.
Research into how people can live longer in a healthy, happy and active way will contribute to resolving this problem. New knowledge will lead to opportunities to improve the health, wellbeing and social participation of people.

Research lines within the University of Groningen and the UMCG

The scientific research programme around Healthy Ageing combines several different lines of approach. They include lines from the medical sciences, as well as from cell biology, chemistry, physics, demographics, geography and economics, sociology and other academic disciplines. After all, the physical, psychological and social wellbeing in a person’s life is determined by several factors in a complex interplay. Multidisciplinary research is needed to shed light on this.

People at centre stage

The University and the UMCG are conducting research designed to produce tangible results for citizens and society. Our research is often conducted in close consultation with involved parties. What is at issue are medical matters, how to prevent and to treat illnesses. It’s also about how people give their lives meaning, and how they can keep control of their lives even while their health is declining.
People are at centre stage in all of our research, so that new knowledge can lead to solutions that those people really can and want to implement.

Cross-border research

The University of Groningen is a research university in the top segment of European academic research. Innovative research is being conducted in a great many academic fields. Research and education are closely knit in this inspiring and quality-focused work environment. As future academics, students are involved in their lecturers’ research on a daily basis.
The University of Groningen stimulates its researchers to progress further and further. Answers found should lead to new questions. The RUG therefore rewards innovative research and proven quality, financially as well as in other ways. Researchers with excellent evaluations are stimulated by means of awards which they can invest in equipment or use to hire talented new researchers. Young, talented researchers are also given the financial means to develop further. On the other hand, research that lags behind for a long period may be phased out.

Interdisciplinary and international

New developments in the academic world often occur at the interface of different disciplines. Many research groups at the University of Groningen are therefore multidisciplinary.
The University of Groningen takes a prominent place in national and international research programmes. Many Groningen-based researchers co-operate with colleagues from all over the world on a daily basis.
The University of Groningen tests the quality of its research against the highest international standards. The principles of academic integrity are described in the Dutch Code of Conduct for Scientific Practice drawn up by the Association of Universities in the Netherlands (VSNU).

• N.B. In education this code of conduct is brought to attention. Also other documents may be discussed, such as the Declaration of Scientific Independence of the Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences (KNAW).

Knowledge for society

Researchers contribute to solving social issues through contract research commissioned by the business world or social organizations. Society thus benefits directly from the RUG’s innovative knowledge. At the same time, science also benefits from this interaction. Questions from the business world often inspire researchers to change their approach. This also gives the University’s own research a new impulse.

National networks

The University of Groningen is administrator of the following national networks:

• Interuniversity Center for Social Science Theory and Methodology (ICS)
• Netherlands Institute for Law and Governance  
• Netherlands Research School for Medieval Studies
• North Sea Energy Law Programme (international co-operation programme)
• Research School for Archaeology (Archon)

Other national networks in which the University of Groningen participates:

• Advanced School for Computing and Imaging (ASCI)
• Dutch-Flemish Postgraduate School Experimental Psychopathology (EPP)
• Dutch Graduate School in Logic
• Dutch Graduate School on Process Technology (OSPT) 
• Dutch Institute of Systems and Control (DISC)
• Dutch Polymer Institute (DPI)
• Dutch Research School for Astronomy (NOVA)
• Dutch Research School of Theoretical Physics (LOTN) 
• Institute for Programming Research and Algorithms (IPA)
• Institute for the Study of Education and Human Development (ISED)
• International Research School for Fundamental and Applied Nuclear and Atomic Physics (Fantom)
• Interuniversity Centre for Educational Research (ICO)
• Interuniversity Graduate School of Psychometrics and Sociometrics (IOPS)
• J.M. Burgerscentrum Researchschool for fluid mechanics (JMBC) 
• Kurt Lewin Institute (KLI) 
• Mathematical Research Institute (MRI)
• National Dutch Graduate School of Polymer Science & Technology (PTN)
• National Research School in Classical Studies (OIKOS)
• Netherlands Centre for Geo-ecological Research (ICG)
• Netherlands Graduate School of Linguistics (LOT)
• Netherlands Graduate School of Science, Technology and Modern Culture (WTMC)
• Netherlands Graduate School of Urban and Regional Research (Nethur)
• Netherlands Institute for Catalysis Research (NIOK)
• Netherlands Institute for Metals Research (NIMR)
• N.W. Posthumus Instituut, Research Institute and Research School for Economic and Social History
• Research Institute for Psychology and Health
• Socio-Economic and Natural Sciences of the Environment (SENSE)

Culture, sports and other facilities at the RUG

The RUG offers its students and staff a great deal of culture, sports and recreation facilities.

As a classical university, the RUG feels responsible for its historic academic heritage and therefore it aims to make students more aware of its traditions and its rich history through the University Museum.

More recent culture can be found at Studium Generale , in the University Theatre and via guest writers and critics. The USVA offers various workshops, enabling participants to produce art or culture themselves.

GSp is one of the facilities for university and HBO students. It focuses on the philosophy of life and society whereas other facilities focus on culture (Usva) and sports (ACLO).  

Sports fans are welcome at the Sports Centre, the ACLO and the SPR. These three organizations together offer a wide range of sports facilities .

Sports at the University of Groningen

The University of Groningen has joint sporting facilities with the Hanze University of Applied Sciences at the Sports Centre.

SPR

SPR is the sports organisation of the staff members of both institutions.

ACLO

The ACLO is the umbrella organisation for student sports of the University of Groningen and the Hanze University of Applied Sciences. The ACLO offers sports facilities for students of both institutes.

Fitness

De fitness facilliteiten zijn 7 dagen per week beschikbaar.  Een deel van de ruimte is ingericht voor het vrij trainen en een deel voor cursussen en fysiotherapie. Het gebruik van een handdoek is verplicht tijdens de trainingen.

ruim 65 krachttoestellen vatopmerken

diverse dumbells van 2 t/m 34 kg

Wanneer mag je fitnessen?

Om te kunnen trainen moet je een fitness-sticker kopen die op een ge-ACLO-tiveerde collegekaart of op een SPR sportkaart wordt geplakt .
Er zijn twee manieren waarop je het recht kunt krijgen om een fitness-sticker te kopen:
  1. door een fitness-cursus te volgen (zie rooster cursus uren ACLO of SPR).
  2. door een intake tijdens een gevorderd uur fitness waar je laat zien dat je voldoende ervaring hebt.
     (inschrijving via www.aclosport.nl).

ruim 40 cardio apparaten aanwezig

 

The University of Groningen Library

The University of Groningen has one University Library (UL) and seven faculty libraries. Many facilities are provided collectively by these libraries. There is, for example, one central catalogue and one lending system. In addition, a large number of databases can be accessed from all university departments through the network. The UL offers a basic collection for each discipline; the corresponding faculty library has a more specialized collection for research and educational purposes. Interdisciplinary works, bibliographical material and a number of special collections can also be found in the UL.

University Museum Groningen

Housed in a recently remodelled building in the city centre, the University Museum is the perfect place to discover the rich and varied past of the University and its students. We have an extensive collection of objects such as old models and documents, customs, caps, posters, photos and much more, ranging from anatomy to geology, ethnology and zoology.

Curious to know more about your University’s history? Visit the University Museum and check out what they have to offer. The entrance is free for students of the University of Groningen!

Details

University Museum Groningen
Oude Kijk in ’t Jatstraat 7a
T +31 (0)50 363 55 62/50 83
universiteitsmuseum@rug.nl
www.rug.nl/museum
Opening hours:
Tuesday to Sunday, 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. (Open on public holidays)

 

Notable alumni

• Johann Heinrich Alting, theologian
• Gerbrand Bakker, early 19th century physician
• Johan van Benthem, computer scientist
• Johann Bernoulli, mathematician
• Bart Bok, astronomer
• Clemens von Bönninghausen, lawyer, botanist, homeopathic physician
• James Burnett
• Job Cohen, former mayor of Amsterdam and leader of the Dutch labour party
• Wim Duisenberg, the first president of the European Central Bank in Frankfurt studied here and obtained his PhD on the economics of disarmament
• Ubbo Emmius, founder of the University
• Pim Fortuyn, lecturer, later politician (and assassinated)
• Willem Frederik Hermans, lecturer and writer
• Gerardus Heymans, philosopher and psychologist
• Pieter Hofstede Crull, jurist, attorney-general of Suriname and acting governor
• Johan Huizinga, historian
• Aletta Jacobs, first woman in the Netherlands to receive a MD
• Jaap Kunst, ethnomusicologist (studied law)
• George Malliaras, Professor of Materials Science, Cornell University
• Evangelos Manias, Professor of Materials Science and Engineering, Penn State University
• Wubbo Ockels, the first Dutch astronaut, received a PhD degree in physics and mathematics, 1973
• Heike Kamerlingh Onnes, received the Nobel Prize in Physics for his experiments on the properties of matter at low temperatures which made, among other things, the production of liquid helium possible
• Jan Oort, astronomer
• Maurits van Oranje Nassau
• Joost Platje, Professor of Economics, University of Oxford
• Johannes Jacobus Poortman, philosopher, psychologist
• Willem de Sitter, astronomer
• Henk G. Sol, Professor Business Engineering and ICT
• Dirk Stikker, secretary general of NATO
• Pieter Jelles Troelstra, lawyer, politician
• Henk te Velde, professor of Dutch history at Leiden University
• Hans van Abeelen, first Dutch behavior geneticist
• Wietse Venema, programmer and physicist
• Jacques Wallage, former mayor of Groningen
• Paramanga Ernest Yonli, Prime Minister of Burkina Faso (2000–2007), studied Economics
• Frits Zernike, professor of theoretical physics, received the Nobel Prize in Physics for his invention of the phase contrast optical microscope in 1953
• Peter Hofstee, professor of theoretical physics, joined IBM in 1996, currently the chief architect of the Synergistic Processor Element (SPE) of the Cell microprocessor.
• Epke Zonderland, gymnast and 2012 Olympic gold medalist in the high bar

 Photo of University