100 Notable alumni of Free University Amsterdam

Petrus Henricus Johannes "Peter" van der Voort is a Dutch physician, professor, and politician serving as a member of the Senate between 2020 and 2023. He is a member of the social-liberal party Democrats 66 (D66).

Gerrit Cornelis "G.C." Berkouwer was for years the leading theologian of the Reformed Churches in the Netherlands (GKN). He occupied the chair in systematic theology of the Faculty of Theology, Free University (VU) in Amsterdam.

Martijn N. Bolkestein is a Dutch politician who served as a member of the House of Representatives between July 2020 and March 2021. He is a member of the People's Party for Freedom and Democracy (VVD).

Dirk Hendrik Theodoor Vollenhoven was a Dutch philosopher.

Ineke Sluiter FBA is a Dutch classicist and professor of Greek language and literature at Leiden University since 1998. Her research focuses on language, literature, and public discourse in classical antiquity. She was a winner of the 2010 Spinoza Prize and was awarded the Arts and Sciences Medal of Honour in 2024. Sluiter served as president of the Royal Netherlands...

Carlijn Schoutens is a Dutch-American speed skater who qualified for the U.S. team at the 2018 Winter Olympics in the women's 3000 meter event, the women’s 5000 meter event and the Ladies Team Pursuit.

Alexander Schrijver (born 4 May 1948 in Amsterdam) is a Dutch mathematician and computer scientist, a professor of discrete mathematics and optimization at the University of Amsterdam and a fellow at the Centrum Wiskunde & Informatica in Amsterdam. Since 1993 he has been co-editor in chief of the journal Combinatorica.

Henri Elle Bal is a professor of computer science at the Vrije Universiteit, Amsterdam in the Netherlands. He is a well-known researcher in computer systems with a specialization in parallel computer systems, languages, and applications.

Antonie Hendrikus Colijn was a Dutch amateur mountaineer who in 1936 led the Carstensz Expedition, being the first to climb the Carstenszgebergte in New Guinea.

Songül Mutluer is a Dutch politician, serving as a member of the House of Representatives since 2022. She is a member of the Labour Party (PvdA) and has served as a Zaanstad municipal council member and alderwoman for fifteen years before. Having studied law, Mutluer has also worked as a legal professional and taught law at the Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam.

Johannes "Jan" van Aartsen was a Dutch jurist and politician of the Anti-Revolutionary Party (ARP).

C.M. Wortmann-Kool (born 27 June 1959 in Oud-Alblas) is a Dutch politician of the Christian Democratic Appeal (CDA) who served as a Member of the European Parliament from 2004 until 2014. She has a background in politics, public administration and business. During her time in parliament, she served as vice president on Economic and Financial Affairs of the European People's...

Jacobus Eije "Koos" Andriessen was a Dutch politician of the defunct Christian Historical Union (CHU) party and later the Christian Democratic Appeal (CDA) party and businessman.

Haya Victoria van Someren-Downer was a Dutch politician of the People's Party for Freedom and Democracy (VVD) and journalist.

Richard David Gill is a British-Dutch mathematician. He has held academic positions in the Netherlands. As a probability theorist and statistician, Gill has researched counting processes. He is also known for his consulting and advocacy on behalf of alleged victims of statistical misrepresentation, including the reversal of the murder conviction of a Dutch nurse who had been jailed for six...

Pieter Hendrik "Peter" Kooijmans was a Dutch politician, jurist, and diplomat. He was a member of the defunct Anti-Revolutionary Party (ARP), which later merged into the Christian Democratic Appeal (CDA) party. From 1993 to 1994, he served as Foreign Minister of the Netherlands, succeeding Hans van den Broek. In 1995, he returned to his former position as Professor of Public...

Berend "Bert" de Vries is a retired Dutch politician of the Christian Democratic Appeal (CDA) party and economist.

Just Spee is a Dutch football administrator. Since 17 December 2019 he serves as President of the Royal Netherlands Football Association (KNVB).

Ewout Irrgang is a former Dutch politician, anti-globalization activist and banking employee. As a member of the Socialist Party (Socialistische Partij) he was an MP from 6 October 2005 to 19 September 2012. He focused on matters of finance, development aid and globalization.

Roelof Kuiper (born 5 April 1962 in Mariënberg) is a Dutch historian, philosopher, ideologue, politician and university professor. He was from 2007 to 2019 a member of the Dutch Senate, and is professor of Reformational philosophy at the Erasmus Universiteit Rotterdam in the name of the Association for Reformational philosophy, teaching Society Issues at the Christelijke Hogeschool Ede and Gereformeerde...

Martine Baay-Timmerman is a Dutch politician. She was member of the House of Representatives of the Netherlands for 50PLUS between 29 October 2013 and 10 September 2014. She left the House of Representatives due to health issues and was replaced by Henk Krol. Since 28 March 2017 Baay-Timmerman is a member of the Senate.

Sybe Schaap is a Dutch politician of the People's Party for Freedom and Democracy. He has been Senator from 12 July 2007 to 11 July 2019, doing water, agriculture, foreign affairs and European Union affairs. For example, he arranged a majority in favor of the Ukraine–European Union Association Agreement in the Dutch parliament.

Wilhelm Friedrich "Gaius" de Gaay Fortman was a Dutch jurist and politician of the Anti-Revolutionary Party (ARP).

Bong-Ho Son is a South Korean Christian ethics scholar and social activist. Son was born in Korea, and graduated from Gyeongju High School and Seoul National University. He then studied theology at Westminster Theological Seminary in the United States, and received his PhD from Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam in the Netherlands. He has taught at the Hankuk University of Foreign Studies...

Egbert Schuurman is a Dutch engineer, philosopher, politician for the Christian Union, and Emeritus Professor of Philosophy in the Netherlands.

Jacob Daniël du Toit, known by the pseudonym Totius, was a South African Afrikaner poet, minister, theologian, translator and professor.

Gerhardine Ruth Peetoom is a Dutch politician of the Christian Democratic Appeal (CDA). She was the party chair of the Christian Democratic Appeal between 2 April 2011 and 9 February 2019.

Adrianus Gerardus Schouw (born 30 December 1965 in Monster, South Holland) is a Dutch corporate director and former politician. As a member of Democrats 66 (D66) he was an MP from 17 June 2010 until 31 July 2015. He focused on matters of the European Union, democracy, judiciary and the right of asylum. He has been replaced by Fatma Koşer...

Maria Farida Indrati is a former justice of the Constitutional Court of Indonesia for two terms. During her both terms, she was the only woman among the Court's nine members.

Keklik Demir-Yücel is a Dutch politician of Turkish descent and former civil servant. As a member of the Labour Party (Partij van de Arbeid) she was an MP between 20 September 2012 and 23 March 2017. She focused on matters of emancipation, employment and (international) social work. Previously she was an MP in 2010, replacing Chantal Gill'ard. Till 2010, she...

Albert Ramchand Ramdin is a Surinamese diplomat serving as Minister of Foreign Affairs in the Santokhi cabinet since 16 July 2020. He is a member of the Progressive Reform Party (VHP). He was a diplomat until 2015 and was, among other roles, Assistant Secretary General of the Organization of American States (OAS). In March 2025 he was elected to serve...

Joël Stephanus Voordewind is a Dutch politician and former development aid worker. As a member of the Christian Union (ChristenUnie) he was an MP from 2006 until 2021. He focused on matters of foreign policy, defense, development aid, youth and family. Since 7 July 2022, he has been an alderman of Alkmaar.

Karla Maria Henriëtte Peijs is a retired Dutch politician of the Christian Democratic Appeal (CDA).

Bastiaan "Bas" de Gaay Fortman is a retired Dutch politician and diplomat of the Political Party of Radicals (PPR) and later the GroenLinks (GL) party and economist.

Tanja Malti Jadnanansing is a Dutch politician and former television presenter and communication employee. As a member of the Labour Party (Partij van de Arbeid), she was an MP from 17 June 2010 to 7 September 2016. She was replaced by Amma Asante. Jadnanansing focused on matters of higher education and science policy.

Aura Timen is a Romanian medical doctor based in the Netherlands. She is head of the department of primary care and professor of primary and community care at Radboud University Nijmegen.

Johanna van Leeuwen (18 January 1926 – 1 August 2018) was a Dutch politician of the Anti-Revolutionary Party (until 1980) and its successor, the Christian Democratic Appeal (CDA) party.

Ferdinand Alexander "Ferry" Hoogendijk was a Dutch journalist, political scientist and politician. He served as the editor-in-chief of Elsevier Weekblad and was elected as a member of the Dutch House of Representatives in 2002 for the Pim Fortuyn List party.

Nicolaas Govert "Dick" de Bruijn was a Dutch mathematician, noted for his many contributions in the fields of analysis, number theory, combinatorics and logic.

Shona Shukrula is a Dutch football referee, the first female referee in Dutch professional football.

Liesbeth van Tongeren is a Dutch politician, and former civil servant and director of Greenpeace Netherlands (2003–2010). As a member of GroenLinks, she was a member of the House of Representatives from 17 June 2010 to 13 June 2018. She focuses on matters of climate, energy, spatial planning, conservation and traffic. On 7 June 2018, she was appointed alderwoman of...

Laetitia Juliëtte Griffith is a retired Surinamese–born Dutch politician of the People's Party for Freedom and Democracy (VVD) and jurist.

Frans Lodewijk Johannis Tutuhatunewa was the fourth president in exile of the Republic of the South Moluccas between 1993 and 2010. He was born in Batavia, Dutch East Indies. He was preceded by Johan Manusama and succeeded by John Wattilete in 2010.

Joyce Juanita Sylvester is a Dutch politician and administrator. A member of the Labour Party (PvdA), she served as a member of the Senate from 2003 to 2015.

Pieter Bukman was a Dutch politician and diplomat of the Christian Democratic Appeal (CDA) party and economist.

Willem Joost "Wim" Deetman is a retired Dutch politician and teacher who served as Minister of Education and Sciences from 1982 to 1989, Speaker of the House of Representatives from 1989 to 1996 and Mayor of The Hague from 1996 until 2008. He was a member of the Christian Historical Union (CHU) until it was merged into the Christian Democratic...

Taco Dibbits is a Dutch art historian from Amsterdam, and director of the Rijksmuseum Amsterdam.

Johannes Alexander "Hans" Vijlbrief is a Dutch civil servant, economist, and politician, currently serving as a member of parliament for the social-liberal party Democrats 66 (D66). He previously served as State Secretary for the Extractive Industries in the Fourth Rutte cabinet.

Enneüs "Inne" Heerma was a Dutch politician of the Christian Democratic Appeal (CDA) party and management consultant.

Atzo Nicolaï was a Dutch politician of the People's Party for Freedom and Democracy (VVD) and businessman.

Dirk Anne "Dick" Benschop is a Dutch corporate executive and politician of the Labour Party (PvdA). He served as State Secretary for European Affairs in the second Kok cabinet.

Anna Júlia Donáth is a Hungarian politician. She was elected as a Momentum Movement (part of the Renew Europe group) Member of the European Parliament (MEP) in the 2019 European Parliament election. Donáth was the leader of the party between 21 November 2021 and 29 May 2022, and also from 28 January to 7 July 2024.

Barend Willem Biesheuvel was a Dutch politician of the Anti-Revolutionary Party (ARP) and jurist who served as Prime Minister of the Netherlands from 6 July 1971 until 11 May 1973.

Herman Dooyeweerd, also spelled Herman Dooijeweerd, was a professor of law and jurisprudence at the Vrije Universiteit, Amsterdam from 1926 to 1965. He was also a philosopher and principal founder of Reformational philosophy (with his brother-in-law Dirk Vollenhoven), a significant development within the Neo-Calvinist (or Kuyperian) school of thought. Dooyeweerd made several contributions to philosophy and other academic disciplines concerning:...

Frans Hubertus Henricus Weekers is a Dutch politician of the People's Party for Freedom and Democracy (VVD) and lawyer.

Bastiaan "Bas" van 't Wout is a Dutch retired politician who served as Minister of Economic Affairs and Climate Policy in 2021 in the Third Rutte cabinet. A member of the People's Party for Freedom and Democracy (VVD), he was previously elected to the House of Representatives from 2012 to 2020, before he held the position of State Secretary for...

Abraham "Bram" van Ojik is a Dutch diplomat and politician of the GreenLeft (GL) party and activist. Since 23 March 2017 he has been a member of the House of Representatives. He previously served in the House from 1993 to 1994, and from 2012 to 2015. In the latter three years he also served as leader of GroenLinks. He had...

Johan Willem van Hulst was a Dutch school director, university professor, author, politician, chess player and centenarian. In 1943, with the help of the Dutch resistance and students of the nearby University of Amsterdam, he was instrumental in saving over 600 Jewish children from the nursery of the Hollandsche Schouwburg who were destined for deportation to Nazi concentration camps. For...

Derk Jan Eppink is a Dutch journalist, politician in the Netherlands, and former cabinet secretary for European Commissioners Bolkestein (1999–2004) and Kallas (2004–2007). In 2009, he was elected to the European Parliament for List Dedecker, and in 2019 for Forum for Democracy. In 2021, he became an MP in the Dutch House of Representatives for the JA21 party, but in...

Hinderk "Henk" Bleker is a retired Dutch politician and jurist who served as State Secretary for Economic Affairs, Agriculture and Innovation in the First Rutte cabinet from 14 October 2010 to 5 November 2012. A member of the Christian Democratic Appeal (CDA), he previously was party chair from 20 June 2010 until 14 October 2010.

André Rouvoet is a retired Dutch politician of the Reformatory Political Federation (RPF) party and later the Christian Union (CU) party and jurist. He is the chairman of the executive board of the Healthcare Insurance association (ZN) since 1 February 2012.

Pieter Sjoerds Gerbrandy was a Dutch politician and jurist who served as Prime Minister of the Netherlands from 3 September 1940 until 25 June 1945. He oversaw the government-in-exile based in London under Queen Wilhelmina during the German occupation of the Netherlands. He was a member of the Anti-Revolutionary Party (ARP).

Leendert Cornelis "Elco" Brinkman is a retired Dutch politician and businessman who served as Minister of Welfare, Health and Culture from 1982 to 1989 and Leader of the Christian Democratic Appeal (CDA) in 1994.

Pauline Christine Krikke is a Dutch politician who served as mayor of The Hague from 2017 until 2019. A member of the People's Party for Freedom and Democracy (VVD), she previously served as mayor of Arnhem from 2001 to 2013. She started her career as a councillor (1994–1996) and alderwoman in Amsterdam (1996–2001) and was elected to the Senate between...

Eleonora Maria "Ellen" van Dijk is a Dutch professional road racing cyclist, who currently rides for UCI Women's WorldTeam Lidl–Trek. Besides road cycling she was also a track cyclist until 2012. Van Dijk is known as a time trial specialist and is five times world champion. She won her first world title on the track in the scratch race in...

Barbara Visser is a Dutch-Croatian politician of the People's Party for Freedom and Democracy (VVD). From 31 August 2021 to 10 January 2022, she served as Minister of Infrastructure and Water Management of the Netherlands in the third Rutte cabinet. She previously served as State Secretary for Defence from 26 October 2017 to 31 August 2021.

Gideon "Gidi" Markuszower is an Israeli–Dutch politician. He became a senator on 9 June 2015 on behalf of the right-wing populist Party for Freedom (PVV). In the 2017 Dutch general election, he was elected to the House of Representatives and gave up his Senate seat. On 20 January 2026, he left the PVV parliamentary group along with six other MPs...

Albert Gerard Koenders is a Dutch politician of the Labour Party (PvdA) who served as Minister of Foreign Affairs from 2014 to 2017. He is currently a professor at Leiden University and a special envoy of the World Bank. He is also chair of the Dutch Advisory Council on International Affairs, a member of the board of trustees of the...

Jozias Johannes van Aartsen is a retired Dutch politician who served as Leader of the People's Party for Freedom and Democracy from 2004 to 2006.

Jan Pieter Hendrik "Piet Hein" Donner is a retired Dutch politician of the Christian Democratic Appeal (CDA) party and jurist. He was granted the honorary title of Minister of State on 21 December 2018.

Jan Hendrikus Cornelis van Zanen is a Dutch politician who has served as Mayor of The Hague since 1 July 2020. A member of the People's Party for Freedom and Democracy (VVD), he previously served as Mayor of Utrecht (2014–2020) and Amstelveen (2005–2013). Jan van Zanen also was national chairman of the VVD (2003–2008). He has been president of the...

Lale Gül is a Dutch writer of Turkish descent.

Henricus Cornelis Maria "Henk" Krol is a Dutch journalist, publisher, entrepreneur, activist and politician. He was a member of the House of Representatives from 2012 to 2013, and again from 2014 to 2021. Having served as the leader of 50PLUS, he left the party in 2020, due to disagreements with the rest of the party's leadership. Since 2023, Krol has...

Erik Johan Anton Scherder (born 1 December 1951) is a Dutch professor of neuropsychology who is connected to the Vrije Universiteit in Amsterdam (VU). Scherder followed his education to physiotherapist in the late seventies after which he worked in the Valeriuskliniek in Amsterdam. Afterwards he followed the study psychology at the Vrije Universiteit of Amsterdam with a specialization in neuropsychology,...

Geert Ludzer Mak is a Dutch journalist and non-fiction writer.

Gerrit Zalm is a retired Dutch politician of the People's Party for Freedom and Democracy (VVD) and businessman.

Arend Johannes "Arend Jan" Boekestijn is a Dutch politician, who was a member of the Dutch House of Representatives from 30 November 2006 through 18 November 2009. He resigned after sharing information with the press regarding a confidential conversation with the Queen of the Netherlands.

Ernst Johan Kuipers is a Dutch gastroenterologist, professor and politician who served as Minister of Health, Welfare and Sport in the fourth Rutte cabinet from 2022 until 2024. He is a member of the Democrats 66 (D66) party.

Dilan Yeşilgöz-Zegerius is a Dutch politician who has served as Leader of the People's Party for Freedom and Democracy (VVD) since 2023. She also served as Minister of Justice and Security in the fourth Rutte cabinet from 10 January 2022 to 2 July 2024 and previously served as a member of the House of Representatives from 2017 to 2021 and...

Eberhard Edzard van der Laan was a Dutch politician who served as Minister for Housing, Communities and Integration from 2008 to 2010 and Mayor of Amsterdam from 2010 until his death in 2017. He was a member of the Labour Party (PvdA).

Joram Jaron van Klaveren is a Dutch politician. As a member of the Party for Freedom he was an MP from 17 June 2010 until 21 March 2014. He subsequently was an independent until his term in office ended on 23 March 2017. He focused on matters of desegregation, employment-to-population ratio, egalitarianism and emancipation. From 24 March 2011 until 11...

Esther Ouwehand is a Dutch politician and former marketing manager serving as party leader of the Party for the Animals (Dutch: Partij voor de Dieren, PvdD) in the House of Representatives since 2019. She has been a member of the House of Representatives since the 2006 election with two interruptions.

Wouter Jacob Bos is a retired Dutch politician of the Labour Party (PvdA) and businessman.

Gerungan Saul Samuel Jacob Ratulangi, known as Sam Ratulangi, was a Minahasan teacher, journalist, politician, and national hero from North Sulawesi, Indonesia. He was part of the committee that ratified the Constitution of Indonesia and served as the first Governor of Sulawesi.

Wilhelmus Simon Petrus Fortuijn, known as Pim Fortuyn, was a Dutch politician, author, civil servant, businessman, sociologist and academic who founded the party Pim Fortuyn List (Lijst Pim Fortuyn or LPF) in 2002.

Linda Margaretha de Mol is a Dutch television presenter and actress in the Netherlands and Germany. She is the sister of TV-producer and Endemol co-founder John de Mol, and has frequently appeared in productions of his.

Reza "Gucci" Ghoochannejhad Nournia is a former professional footballer who played as a forward.

Jan Pieter Balkenende Jr., commonly known as Jan Peter Balkenende, is a Dutch jurist and politician of the Christian Democratic Appeal (CDA) who served as Prime Minister of the Netherlands from 22 July 2002 to 14 October 2010.

Robert Charles Sproul was an American Reformed theologian, Christian apologist, and Presbyterian pastor. Being the founder and first chairman of Ligonier Ministries, Sproul could be heard daily on the Renewing Your Mind radio broadcast internationally.

Pieter Jacob Duisenberg is an American-born Dutch politician and businessman who served as a member of the House of Representatives from 2012 to 2017 for the People's Party for Freedom and Democracy (VVD). He resigned to become chairman of the Vereniging van Universiteiten per 1 October 2017. He is the son of Wim Duisenberg (1935–2005), the first President of the...

Fredrik "Fred" Teeven is a Dutch jurist, bus driver and former politician and prosecutor. A member of the People's Party for Freedom and Democracy (VVD), he served as State Secretary at the Ministry of Security and Justice from 2010 until his resignation in 2015 alongside that of Minister Ivo Opstelten.

Vera Alida Bergkamp is a retired Dutch politician. A member of the Democrats 66 (D66) party, she served as Speaker of the House of Representatives from 7 April 2021 to 5 December 2023. She was a member of the House of Representatives between 20 September 2012 and 5 December 2023.

Karin Straus is a Dutch politician and former human resource management employee and management consultant. As a member of the People's Party for Freedom and Democracy (Volkspartij voor Vrijheid en Democratie) she was an MP between 26 October 2010 and 23 March 2017. She focused on matters of financial arrangements for children (among others child care), social and psychiatric care,...

Werner Hans Peter Vogels is the chief technology officer and vice president of Amazon in charge of driving technology innovation within the company. Vogels has broad internal and external responsibilities.

Saskia Elisabeth Agatha Noorman-den Uyl is a retired Dutch politician of the Labour Party (PvdA).

Karin Prien is a German lawyer and politician of the Christian Democratic Union (CDU) who has been serving Federal Minister for Education, Family Affairs, Senior Citizens, Women and Youth in the government of Chancellor Friedrich Merz since 2025; she is the first woman of Jewish ancestry to head a ministry in a post-war German government.

Nienke Brinkman is a Dutch long-distance runner, both on the road as well as on trails. She won the bronze medal in the marathon at the 2022 European Athletics Championships, which was her first international medal, and has a personal best of 2:22:51 which she ran at the Rotterdam Marathon.

Katja Husen was a German biologist and politician. A member of Alliance 90/The Greens, she was speaker of the party's youth organisation, Green Youth, and served in the Hamburg Parliament from 2004 to 2008. She was CEO of the Centre for Molecular Neurobiology Hamburg.

Johan Adam Heyns was an Afrikaner Calvinist theologian and moderator of the general synod of the Nederduits Gereformeerde Kerk (NGK) in South Africa. He was assassinated at his home in Waterkloof Ridge, Pretoria.