News from the faculty

Plastic surgery is about more than just appearance

Each year, an estimated 30 million plastic surgery procedures are performed. Research by Fabienne Krywuczky shows that plastic surgery is not only about beauty, it also touches on issues of identity and self-image. Yet, women who undergo these procedures are often perceived as narcissistic, superficial, or insecure.

AI rapidly on its way to becoming the largest energy consumer

The global use of artificial intelligence is growing at a rapid pace. Yet the energy consumption that comes with it remains largely invisible. Research by data scientist Alex de Vries-Gao shows that AI is on track to become one of the largest energy consumers in the digital world. Oversight and transparency are lacking.

VU-students win Seizmic Award at Aurora annual conference in Paris

A team of Business Administration students from VU Amsterdam received the prestigious Seizmic Award during the gala dinner of the Aurora Annual Conference, held on 21 May at the Musée national de l’histoire de l’immigration in Paris.

No equal opportunities in tech for women and people of colour

Women and people of colour are structurally excluded from the Dutch tech start-up ecosystem. This is the conclusion of research conducted by organizational scientist Maud van Merriënboer at VU Amsterdam.

Dementia care mainly falls on women's shoulders

The care for people with dementia often falls on the shoulders of women. Health economist Yvonne Krabbe-Alkemade is researching the consequences of the increasing demand for care on the position of women in society.

Professor Frans van der Wel was made a Knight of the Order of Orange-Nassau

Professor Frans van der Wel was made a Knight of the Order of Orange-Nassau on 4 June, upon his retirement from Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam. The honour was presented by Deputy Mayor Jasper Bloem of Zutphen, in recognition of his services to the university, the accountancy profession, business, and the public sector.