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Utrecht university

Utrecht University has turned crossing boundaries into a tradition. Moving ahead in the 21st century, our university has become a truly international enterprise, in research, education and extension activities, and consequently in staff and student exchange as well. It developed into the innovative institution of higher education and scientific research it is today, with fourteen faculties and fifty-eight major study programmes in almost all academic disciplines.



Bishop Willibrord

The history of education in Utrecht can be traced back to a very distant past. It began with the school founded by Bishop Willibrord around 700. In the 11th century, Utrecht was the intellectual and cultural centre of the Northern Netherlands. It was the most important place for the practice of science and for the training of literate officials. The chapter school and the convent schools played an important role, due to their impressive libraries in which every branch of science was represented. 

The book collection was confiscated during the Reformation and gathered in the city library. In 1634, the old educational tradition and the richly stocked library inspired the leaders of the city of Utrecht to found an illustre school: a type of university, which did not have the right to grant the highest academic degree, the doctorate.

In 1636 the city got its Academy, its University. The auditorium was converted into a space large enough to accommodate two lecture halls. Further alterations followed in 1815, when the Academy was turned into a State University, causing a growing influx of students. The original wall between the two lecture halls was removed, which gave the university a historical representative hall. The auditorium has never lost its representative function since. Today, Utrecht University uses this splendid Gothic hall for such events as (inaugural) lectures, presentations of degree certificates and concerts.

Nowadays Utrecht University has developed into a true university, in the common, rich sense of the word: a dynamic, future-oriented, academic institution, offering the broadest range of programmes in The Netherlands. Virtually every type of faculty existing in The Netherlands is represented in Utrecht, with the exception of technical and agricultural sciences.
Utrecht University's coat of arms features the sun of justice. For more than three and a half centuries its motto has stood proud: Sol Iustitiae, illustra nos - May the Sun of Justice shine upon us.

 

Utrecht is the only university in The Netherlands to offer the full range of natural sciences, including all Bio- and Geo-sciences and Pharmacy. At the same time, its faculties in Philosophy, Theology, Law, Arts and Social Sciences rank among the largest and strongest in the country.

The greater part of the university is now concentrated in De Uithof, an extensive, modern complex of research laboratories, lecture halls and the Utrecht Medical Centre.

In 1999, Utrecht University accounted for one-sixth of all scientific research of the thirteen universities in The Netherlands. It has concentrated its research in faculty research concentration areas and university priority areas from which it developed a series of advanced, often multidisciplinary research (training) programmes.

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Last update: 26-Oct-2003    webmaster@bio.uu.nl