The science disciplines at the University of Amsterdam (UvA) were adjudged to be excellent by the CHE ExcellenceRanking 2010 which was published on Wednesday, 27 October. The UvA belongs to the Excellence group in all assessed disciplines - Biology, Chemistry, Physics and Mathematics - with regard to its Master's and PhD programmes.

In comparison with other European institutions, the UvA is particularly strong in the fields of research and international orientation. In total, there are 130 European higher education institutions with one or more of their science disciplines in the Excellence Group.

The selection was made based on several criteria: the number of publications, the number of citations, the mobility of the students and lecturers, and the availability of Erasmus Mundus Master's or Marie Curie projects. Whether or not researchers from the department had been awarded ERC grants or Nobel prizes also played a role.

The ranking is based on both factual information and student evaluations.

The CHE ExcellenceRanking 2010 looked at the natural sciences (Biology, Chemistry and Physics) and Mathematics. Last year's CHE study focused on Economics, Psychology and Political Science. The UvA also belongs to the Excellence Group in these disciplines. The UvA is the only Dutch university which belongs to the Excellence group in all seven disciplines assessed.

About CHE
The Centre for Higher Education (CHE) is an independent organisation, based in Gütersloh in Germany, which is committed to reforms in higher education. CHE compiles the CHE-ranking for foreign higher education institutions each year for the benefit of prospective students. The CHE ExcellenceRanking enables prospective Master's or PhD students to compare the best university research places in Europe.

Source: University of Amsterdam