Computer Science education at Dutch Universities officially started 30 years ago. This is jointly celebrated by the Computer Science departments of the University of Amsterdam and VU University Amsterdam on December 2, 2011. The joint meeting features talks by both past and present researchers of both universities, addressing the past, present and future of the field. Please find the complete program for the event, held at the Rode Hoed (Keizersgracht 102, Amsterdam).
By a Royal Decree of April 28, 1981, computer science officially became part of the University Statute. Long before that, both universities had well-known computer science professors, such as Aad van Wijngaarden at the UvA and Andy Tanenbaum at the VU.
VU University Amsterdam already established a computer science department back in 1973. When the Secretary of State for Education and Science allowed some universities to start enrolling computer science students, VU university was ready to start. 59 students started in September 1981.
The UvA followed shortly thereafter.Both departments collaborated from the very beginning. The first curriculum was a joint effort, and in the early years students followed courses at both universities. This lessened over the years, as both departments grew in size and could offer their curricula independently.
More recently, the cooperation has intensified again, and curricula start to be offered jointly once more.
