Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam has an ambitious strategy for the coming years: VU Strategy 2020-2025. It focuses on three priority areas: sustainable, enterprising and diverse. These give direction to our actions and to the content of our core tasks of education, research, knowledge transfer and operational management.
Within our core tasks, we have formulated nine aspirations that we are concentrating on throughout the duration of this strategy.
The strategy also outlines four substantive profile themes—Human Health and Life Sciences, Connected World, Governance for Society and Science for Sustainability. These themes reflect our substantive focus and connect us with the world around us.
For the implementation of the strategy, a project organization has been set up in which project leaders and numerous employees work together to achieve our strategic objectives. Curious about how this works out? On this page you will find more information on our working method and deliverables so far.
See the infographic for an explanation of the strategy and the relationship between priority areas, aspirations and profile themes.
Strategy 2020-2025
The project organization consists of various teams:
Core teams
A core team has been formed for each of the three priority areas and nine strategic aspirations. The core teams are responsible for translating the objectives of our strategy into concrete actions and projects, as well as for ensuring their implementation.
Working groups
Each core team will form one or more working groups which will work out the finer details regarding the actions and projects and their implementation.
Project leaders
The core teams are supported by a project leader. These VU employees have been given a substantial amount of time to manage the implementation process of their priority area or strategic aspiration and are the connecting link to the line organization. See the table below for an overview of project leaders:
| Priority area/aspiration | Project leader |
| Enterprising /Impact through E&R | Erik Boer |
| Sustainable | Ivar Maas |
| Diverse | Ruard Ganzevoort
Nathalie Janssen |
| Future-proof forms of education | Erna Klein Ikkink |
| Life Long Development | Brendy Boogaard |
| Profile themes and Focus & Positioning | Peter Beek |
| Academic reputation | Richard de Waard |
| Digitalization | Cécile Willems |
| Social campus | Stefan Titus |
| Recognize and Reward | Marjolein Vloothuis |
| Effective and agile | Bart van Leijen
Nynke Rodenhuis |
Strategyteam
A strategy team has been set up to provide overall coordination and support for the implementation of the strategy. This team consists of (on a part-time basis):
Programme director: Bart van Leijen
Policy: Nynke Rodenhuis
Organization & Financing: Tim Mensink
Policy: Ellen Koudijs – Siebel
Communication: Bart Leeuwenburgh
Communication: Omayra Mac Donald
Secretariat: Merijn Sligting
Take a look at the overview of roadmaps and websites related to the various priority areas and aspirations:
| Enterprising /Impact through E&R Website Roadmap (in Dutch) |
| Sustainable Website Roadmap |
| Diverse
Website Roadmap (in Dutch) |
| Future-proof forms of education Website Roadmap (In Dutch) |
| Lifelong Development
Website (under construction) Roadmap (in Dutch) |
| Profile themes and Focus & Position
Website Roadmap (in Dutch) |
| Academic reputation
Website Roadmap (in Dutch) |
| Digitalization
Website Roadmap (under construction) |
| Social campus
Roadmap (in Dutch) |
| Recognize and reward
Website Roadmap (in Dutch) |
| Effective and agile Website |
If you would like to know more about VU Amsterdam's strategy, please send an email to [email protected]. Please also contact us if you have ideas for relevant initiatives or would like to put your own expertise and enthusiasm to use in contributing to the further implementation of the strategy. The office of the strategy team can be found on the VU campus on the ground floor of the W&N building, room G0-76.