Institute for History and Social Aspects of Science

The Institute for History and Social Aspects of Science is part of the Faculty of Sciences. It teaches all bachelor students of the exact, earth and life sciences of VU University Amsterdam in the history and social aspects of their discipline. Beside, each year optional master courses are given.  

Research and education in the history of science has a long history at VU University Amsterdam. In 1945, the  University was the first in the Netherlands with a chair for the history of science, at which Reijer Hooykaas was appointed. Nowadays staff members, beside teaching, are involved in several research areas, including the history of statistics, Newtonianism in the Netherlands, 19th-century Humboldtian sciences ,and the history of science and religion.