Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam (VU) was founded in 1880 as an independent university, free from church, state, and commercial interest. Today, VU has 9 Faculties (Business and Economics, Law, Science, Behavioural and Movement Sciences, Social Sciences, Humanities, Theology, Medical Sciences Dentistry). VU currently has 22.359 students (of which 3.363 international), and 4.463 academic and support staff. In 2016, 7.560 bachelor and master degrees were awarded and 431 PhD promotions took place (Annual Report 2016). With 84 different nationalities working and studying closely together, it offers an international and dynamic academic community.