News & Agenda

News (Archive)

Graduate School of Child Development and Education

Blackboard has been updated

As of 26 July, you will be working with a new version of Blackboard: Blackboard Learn. All information inputted before 06.00 on Monday, 19 July has been migrated to this new version.

Optional course about the UN

Draft a UN resolution, represent a member state and work on international cooperation. This optional course organised by UNISCA (United Nations International Student Conference of Amsterdam) is worth10 ECTS credits. Please register before 1 October.

Move it or Lose it Campaign for bicycles

In order to maximise availability of bike rack parking, it is important that bike racks are not used for extended storage of bicycles. Therefore, bikes which are stored at bike racks for extended periods of time will be subject to removal by Facilities personnel.

Turn your ICT idea into a Grassroots idea

Grassroots is a small-scale, user-friendly ICT project where the results can be incorporated directly into teaching. In recent years, over 150 UvA teachers have already implemented a Grassroots idea.

Decision tuition fee rates second study

On 24 June, the Executive Board of the University of Amsterdam (UvA) came to a decision about tuition fee rates for the 2011-2012 academic year for students who have already attained a Bachelor's or Master's degree.

Room rental and letting service for exchange students

HousingAnywhere.com is a website where exchange students coming to Amsterdam can rent a room from students leaving Amsterdam on exchange programmes.

University Library open in weekend during the summer

From 12 July until 27 August, libraries and study centres will have shorter opening hours. In the evenings the University Library is open until 20 hours, but all other locations are closed. During the weekend, only the University Library will be open

Warning: Beware of phishing emails sent to staff and students!

There have recently been phishing emails sent to staff and students reporting that the recipient's email quota has been exceeded. The recipient is then informed that this problem can be solved by clicking on a web link. Upon visiting this website the recipient is then asked for his or her login details and password.

Sustainable University: debate on 'The green future of Amsterdam'

On Monday, 14 June 14 local councillor Maarten van Poelgeest will attend a UvA debate on the future possibility of a carbon-neutral Amsterdam. Key question: 'What role can the UvA play in the field of climate control in this city? "

65 years ASVA: art and ASVA’s greatest member election

The ASVA student union has been in existence for 65 years. In honour of this milestone the ASVA wants to celebrate its close ties to the city and the university.

CREA summer courses - 5 July-13 August

Spend a week doing what you love the most: theatre, photography, music, film, dance, digital media, literature or visual arts. Sign up for the CREA summer courses.

UvA Career Week for International Master Students

The UvA Student Career Centre would like to invite you to the UvA Career Week for international master students. The Career Week is organized for international graduates who are weighing up the career opportunities in The Netherlands.

International Student Survey: take part and win a prize

The UvA would like your feedback to help optimize services for international students. Your response will help improve the student experience for current and future international students.

HvA and UvA on the road to the 2028 Olympic Games

On Wednesday, 6 October 2010, the University of Amsterdam (UvA) and Hogeschool van Amsterdam, University of Applied Sciences (HvA) will be hosting their first-ever sports symposium.

Your vote counts! Student Council elections 2010

The Student Council elections from 3 - 7 May are an opportunity to show what you find important. What do a good university, good education and excellent research mean to you? Make your vote count.

Nuffic 'Study in Holland' video contest for international students

Make a video about what it is like to study and live in Holland as an international student and win an Apple MacBook Pro.

Opening times libraries and study centres in April and May

Different opening times will apply for all libraries and study centres in connection with the public holidays during April and May.

Frightened fathers, frightened children?

Professor of Special Education in the Family and at School Susan Bögels believes that fathers play a crucial role in the development of fear in children. She received a Vici grant of € 1.5 million for her research entitled Do fathers know best?

Niels Stensen Foundation: grants for young researchers

The Niels Stensen Foundation awards grants annually to young catholic academics who have recently obtained or will shortly obtain their doctoral degree. The grants are intended to be used to gain (research) experience abroad. Professors can nominate candidates.

Roetersrun 2010 – five kilometre race

The fifth Roetersrun will take place this year. This is a running event for students and staff of research universities and universities of applied sciences. The start will be on Thursday, 15 April at 20.00 in front of the E-building (Economics) at the Roeterseiland complex.

Dutch Inhouse Tours

For the second time, the faculty unions Sefa (UvA), Aureus (VU) and EBF (RUG) are organizing the Dutch Inhouse Tours. This is a series of in-house days at leading companies and governmental institutions from 16 April up to and including 21 May.

New Ideas Competition 2010

Have you got a good idea? Is it innovative, original, feasible and with commercial and/or scientific value? Then take part in the Science Park New Ideas Competition 2010.

Your thesis is valuable

Did you receive an 8.5 or higher for your thesis? Have you completed or will you complete a Master or doctoral study between 6 May 2009 and 3 May 2010? Then you can enter your thesis into the UvA Thesis Competition (UvA-scriptieprijs) up to and including 3 May.

Work in progress - Student Information System

The UvA is switching to a new Student Information System (SIS). In connection with these activities, any changes that you make to Studielink between 1 and 16 April will only be incorporated after 16 April.

Want to continue working wireless? Update your software before 29 March

If you make use of the UvA’s wireless network then you need to install new software before 29 March, otherwise your connection will no longer work. This software – SecureW2 – can be downloaded via the link below.

MijnUvA in English and Dutch

English is the main language for many students at the UvA. Unfortunately, a language switch option (Dutch-English, English-Dutch) is not yet technically possible in MijnUvA . For the time being, therefore, MijnUvA has been made partially bilingual.

How do children learn to read – and where do problems start?

Dr. Eva Marinus (Pedagogics and Didactics) received a Rubicon grant of €56,000 for her research into dyslexia.

Amsterdam Career Days 2010

The 15th anniversary of the Amsterdam Career Days will take place from 1 to 4 March 2010. Come and meet up to 60 prominent companies, such as Shell, Unilever, Heineken and L'Oréal.

DigiD required for Studielink login

With effect from 8 February, Studielink will use DigiD for logging in. All students eligible for a DigiD must use DigiD to log in from that date. Log in to Studielink as soon as possible after 8 February to update your account.

New opening hours study centres and library computer rooms

As of 1 January 2010, the opening hours of the study centres and University Library (UB) computer rooms have changed.

IB-Groep to be called DUO – IB-Groep henceforth

As of 1 January 2010 Informatie Beheer Groep (IB-Groep) and Centrale Financiën (CFI) have merged to form the Dienst Uitvoering Onderwijs (DUO).

Cannabis use and dependency in a cultural context

Researcher Dr Anja Huizink (Department of Pedagogical and Educational Sciences) wants to develop a reliable measuring instrument that takes various factors into consideration, for example cultural context and gender with respect to young cannabis users.

UvA presents 15 research priority areas

Last year the University of Amsterdam drew up 15 research priority areas: research areas that represent the very best that the UvA has to offer - and take an international leading role. In this way the UvA hopes to stimulate and safeguard first-class research. The booklet Research Priority Areas covers these topics.

The BRIGHT Conference

The BRIGHT Conference is the annual convention of students from member universities of the League of European Research Universities (LERU). This conference, which is now in its seventh year, aims to provide students of excellence with a milieu wherein they can focus on themes crucial to their education and cultural growth, as the field specialists and stakeholders of the Europe of tomorrow.

ZonMw subsidy for research into adolescent sleep problems

Psychologist Anne Marie Meijer from the department of Pedagogical and Educational Sciences has been awarded a €384,175 subsidy from the Netherlands Organisation for Health Research and Development (ZonMw) for research into the effects of online cognitive behavioural therapy among adolescents with sleep problems.

Bonne Zijlstra receives dissertation award

Last month Dr Bonne Zijlstra, methodologist and senior lecturer in the Department of Pedagogical and Educational Studies, was presented with the Psychometric Society’s dissertation award. Zijlstra received the award for his dissertation entitled 'Random effects models for directed graphs with covariates’, which was published last year.

The UvA climbs World Rankings

The University of Amsterdam is the highest ranking Dutch University according to THE QS World University Rankings 2009.

The role of education in a changing society

Society is changing at a rapid pace, and our schools and education systems must adapt accordingly. Which steps are they taking to adjust, and what is the role of policymakers, parents, businesses, teachers and students in this regard? The GOETE international research project was established to provide answers to these questions. The SCO-Kohnstamm Institute is one of the seven organisations taking part in the project.

Quality of childcare centres drops again

According to a national study conducted by the Netherlands Consortium for Childcare Research (Nederlands Consortium Kinderopvang Onderzoek, NCKO), the educational quality of the care provided by Dutch childcare centres has once again declined.

Does selection for secondary education produce inequality?

Does selection for secondary education affect non-cognitive factors such as active citizenship and deviant behaviour? This is the key question in a review of education literature to be conducted by sociologist Herman van de Werfhorst and education sociologist Sjoerd Karsten. The study will be funded largely by PROO, the Programming Council for Education Research of the Netherlands Organisation for Academic Research (NWO).

Computer programme improves reading skills

Can a computer programme help to improve young children’s reading ability? This is the question addressed to in a new study conducted by researchers in the Department of Pedagogical and Educational Sciences at the University of Amsterdam. The study has been awarded a € 970,000 grant from the Ministry of Education, Culture and Science (OCW) in the OnderwijsBewijs (‘Education Evidence’) competition for research proposals focusing on evidence-based intervention research in the field of education. Of the 112 submissions received, just 18 were selected to receive a total sum of about € 11 million.

Municipalities can benefit more from partnerships

Many Dutch municipalities have partnerships with municipalities in immigrants' countries of origin. Researcher Edith van Ewijk concludes that if the partners were to increase efforts in these partnerships, they would benefit much more than is currently the case.

Research into the effects of guided reading aloud

In collaboration with the Maatwerk Primair lectorate of the Almere teacher-training college for primary education, the SCO-Kohnstamm Institute of the University of Amsterdam (UvA) is to embark on a two-year study of the effects of guided reading aloud on the reading ability of pupils with low literacy. The study is being funded by the Ministry of Education, Culture and Science (OCW), which issued the competition titled ‘OnderwijsBewijs’ (Education-Proof) for research proposals in the field of education.

How do we deal with risks?

Dutch insurance company Achmea has awarded a € 280,000 subsidy for a PhD study on risk perception. The study will focus on the psychology behind how we deal with ascertained risks.

FMG to appoint 12 Academy Assistants

The Dutch Ministry of Education, Culture and Science (OCW) has presented the Faculty of Social and Behavioural Sciences with a subsidy towards the appointment of 12 Academy Assistants (Akademie-assistenten). The assistants will be recruited and selected from among the FMG’s top Master’s and Research Master’s students, and will take an active role in a new or existing research programme.

Educational scientist Jan Ax wins teacher-training award

University of Amsterdam education scientist Dr Jan Ax was awarded the Dutch Association for Teacher Educators’ (VELON) Gerard M. Willems Prize in February. Ax received the award in recognition of his article ‘Actieonderzoek in de initiële lerarenopleiding: een verkenning’ (‘Action research in the initial phase of teacher training: an investigation’), which he published in the Dutch professional journal Tijdschrift voor de Lerarenopleiders in 2008.

Educators define framework for organised childcare

Dutch childcare centres have long been operating without a national pedagogical framework or scientific foundation of any kind. The new book Pedagogisch kader kindercentra 0-4 (‘Pedagogical framework for childcare centres 0-4’), published this week, is set to change all that. According to Elly Singer, a researcher in the Educational Sciences Department at the University of Amsterdam (UvA) and co- author, the Netherlands has focused primarily on quantitative aspects of childcare in recent years, and less on considerations of quality.

Too many unqualified teachers in the classroom

Twenty-five percent of teachers in the lower grades of secondary education teach on an unauthorised basis at least part of the time. Both qualified and unqualified teachers are unhappy with this situation, according to a study conducted by the SCO-Kohnstamm Institute (University of Amsterdam) in collaboration with ITS, an independent institute of Radboud University in Nijmegen.

Primary schools fully capable of pursuing their own policies

Primary schools are perfectly capable of pursuing their own policies, according to a study conducted by the SCO-Kohnstamm Instituut (University of Amsterdam). In doing so, however, schools often encounter obstacles in their own boards of governors and local and national government policy.

Recent - Graduate School of Pedagogical and Educational Sciences

Kohnstamm lecture

Video registration of the lecture: 'How socialisation has lost its way' - Frank Furedi

The Kohnstamm Fund for Educational Research

The Fund has the overall aim of contributing to the accessibility of the proceeds of educational research.