Social programme

Wednesday 24 June - Welcome reception at VU University

The conference starts with the traditional welcome reception at the VU University. Drinks and snacks will be served and, if weather permits, the reception will be outside. Before the start of the welcome reception, you will have the opportunity to register for the conference in the main hall of the building.

Thursday 25 June - Canal cruise through Amsterdam canals

You are invited for a canal cruise through the Amsterdam canals. What better way could there be of exploring Amsterdam’s ancient city center than by going on a tour through the city’s canals? This is definitely an experience not to be missed during a visit to Amsterdam.

Friday 26 June - Conference dinner in hotel Krasnapolsky

The conference dinner will be served in the famous and historical Wintergarden of the Krasnapolsky hotel which is a monumental, multi functional restaurant officially built for the world expo in 1883. Its structure of glass and cast-iron provides an extremely agreeable environment. This extraordinary place has been added to the list of new monuments of the city ('Rijksmonumenten'). The glass roof, supported by a construction of wood and wrought iron, covers the room with a blanket of natural light. Decorations that characterize art, trade and science have been fitted to the walls.

Saturday 27 June

From 15.15 – 16.30 a cocktail is offered to all participants by FEEM to celebrate its 20th Anniversary. All participants are invited to join this celebration.

Amsterdam

After our closing ceremony on Saturday afternoon, you may want to visit the beautiful city of Amsterdam and all its attractions and sights. Here are some suggestions:

Museums are the main tourist attraction in Amsterdam. Amsterdam has over fifty museums which attract many millions of visitors every year. The Rijksmuseum, Van Gogh Museum and Stedelijk Museum are the most popular museums. Of course, the Anne Frank House, which was the hiding place in which Anne Frank wrote her famous diary during the Second World War, is now a well-known museum as well. The museum tells the history of the eight people in hiding and those who helped them during the war. Anne Frank's diary is among the original objects on display. Museum Ons’ Lieve Heer op Solder (Our Lord in the Attic) is one of the oldest and most remarkable museums in Amsterdam. Behind the characteristic facade of the house by the canal lies a largely original 17th-century home and a complete hidden church. This hidden church 'in the attic' was built during the Reformation, when Catholics were forbidden to hold public services. The Shipping Museum is also worth a visit with its replica of a Dutch trading ship, docked at the front. Museums such as the Tropical museum and Jewish museum also include children's section. Alongside the wealth of majestic Golden Age paintings, you'll find exciting modern art, press, film, theatre and photography museums and some unique Dutch treats like the Heineken Experience, the Ajax Museum and the Houseboat museum. Also, there is a number of art galleries in Amsterdam.

A number of sites and monuments should also be of interest and are an essential part of the Amsterdam experience. For example, Oude Kerk: this old church with little houses clinging to its sides, remains a calm heaven at the heart of the freneric Red Light District. Its buildings, especially the Gothic-renaissance style octagonal bell tower, were used by sailors to get their earrings.



Dam square is the very centre and heart of Amsterdam. As an historical site, it is fascinating and worth taking the time to appreciate. The Dam has seen many historical dramas unfold over the years, and was for example, the reception area for Napoleon and his troops during the 1808 take-over of the city. The impressive history of the square is well documented in the Amsterdam Historical Museum. The Royal Palace (Koninklijk Paleis) which dominates the square, was originally used as the town hall and its classical facade and fine sculptures were intended to glorify the city of Amsterdam and its government. In contrast to its turbulent history, the square is now a peaceful place and is home to hundreds of pigeons and tourists resting their tired feet.



The Begijnhof is a charming garden surrounded by old houses. The houses in the courtyard were once occupied by devout celibate Béguine nuns and are still home to single women today. In the centre of the lawns is a medieval church and at No.34 stands the oldest house in Amsterdam. The entrance is on the Spui and is indicated by a carved sign. Entry is free, but you must be quiet!



Of Amsterdam's 1280 or so bridges, the Magere Brug or “Skinny Bridge” is the most famous. It is a traditional double-leaf, Dutch draw-bridge connecting the banks of the river Amstel. Approximately every twenty minutes, the bridge opens to let boats through. The original bridge was built in 1670, but as the traffic on Amstel increased, a wider bridge was built to replace the narrow one.

Please check www.amsterdam.info for more information on Amsterdam attractions.

Outside of Amsterdam

Fotograaf: Walter Herfst, Rotterdam

The Kröller-Müller Museum is an interesting museum to visit with a magnificent amalgamation of art, architecture and nature. Amidst unspoilt natural surroundings, the Kröller-Müller Museum’s collection centres on the extensive collection of works by Vincent van Gogh and the world famous sculpture garden. From the VU University, it takes about two hours with public transport to reach the museum.



With its traditional green painted houses, warehouses and windmills the Zaanse Schans gives the feeling of having stepped back into the seventeenth or eighteenth centuries. However this is not an open air museum but a colourful living and working neighbourhood. Most of the buildings were re-located from other areas in the Zaanstreek in the 1960’s and 70’s as owing to urban development they were under threat of obliteration. The Zaanse Schans offers a magnificent view of the surrounding landscape as it was before and after the industrial revolution. This panorama makes the Zaanse Schans a vital link in the European Route of Industrial Heritage.

Other attractions in the surroundings of Amsterdam can be found here.