Metamorfose has recently completed the English translation of the University of Amsterdam’s 2016 Annual Report. In this sizeable 118-page document, the University renders account for the policy conducted and results achieved over the past financial year, and sets out its policy intentions for education, research and internationalisation in the period ahead. The annual report comprises an administration and policy-oriented section and the financial statements.
The UvA is an extremely complex organisation, if only because of its wide range of target groups – teaching and support staff, Dutch and international students, researchers, foreign partners etc. In addition, like all higher education institutions the UvA has a very complex financial structure due to the various flows of funds on which it depends to finance its activities.
Large academic institutions such as the UvA are experiencing a constant pressure to balance ever stricter regulations and changing requirements on student success rates, research performance, knowledge valorisation and teaching quality with limited budgetary means.
Besides administrative and financial data, the annual report offers a wealth of information on the University’s research activities and the composition of its student population, students’ academic performance and student grants and loans issues. The extensive demographic data on the student population provides insight into the degree of internationalisation of the University, which also outlines its plans in this regard for the years to come. Other major topics covered in the annual report include the UvA’s staff and sustainability policies.
