THE University of Amsterdam

The UvA, the Universiteit van Amsterdam (in English: University of Amsterdam) is THE University of Amsterdam and should not be confused with the Vrije Universiteit (although also located in Amsterdam), which until recently has often presented itself as VU University Amsterdam. This is obviously an utterly preposterous name; expand the acronym and read: Vrije Universiteit University Amsterdam.

In the past (Spring 2012) there are have been far reaching intentions to merge to two science faculties of UvA and VU (or VUUA, if you wish so). This made me think of the newspaper article published by Bastiaan Bommeljé in NRC Handelsblad, 03-09-2011. Read the first and second parts, or the web version.

A little later (July 2013) the executive boards of the UvA and VUUA had decided to move on with the megalomanic merger. Solid arguments in favour of it were still not giving. The decision was based on dreams, wishful thinking; all kinds of very well substantiated criticism was simply ignored. The whole procedure was of a sick making poverty, not more than continuously repeating "big is better", which is qualified by Ewald Engelen as "bull shit" (Het Parool, 6 July 2013).

In December 2013 the Gezamenlijke Vergadering, a joint council of the Centrale Ondernemingsraad (COR) and the Centrale Studentenraad (CSR of the UvA had to decide on the merger plans. Thanks to the wisdom of the students(!) in this council the plans have been rejected, at last.