In many respects, 2013 was a growth year for the UvA: the number of students rallied back to above the 30,000 mark, the number of PhD conferrals grew by 15 per cent to over 500, and personal grants and revenues from indirect government funding and contract research also increased.
These are figures to be proud of and they are just some of the many figures cited in this Annual Report. However, unquantifiable results can be equally, if not more, important. An example is the Institutional Quality Assurance Audit, in which we attained the highest scores granted by the Accreditation Organisation of the Netherlands and Flanders (NVAO). Another example is the heightened cooperation within the Amsterdam Academic Alliance, which received considerable attention from the Executive Board in 2013.
Financially, 2013 was a positive year. The operating profit for teaching and research was €10.1 million. To implement the Accommodations Plan, slightly less was drawn from the Accommodations Plan Reserve in 2013 than was budgeted, although without affecting the plan’s multiannual framework. For the University of Amsterdam as a whole, the Annual Report cites a positive result of €5.1 million, €14 million higher than budgeted.