# Open University of the Netherlands

> university

**Wikidata**: [Q1407397](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q1407397)  
**Wikipedia**: [English](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Open_University_of_the_Netherlands)  
**Source**: https://4ort.xyz/entity/open-university-of-the-netherlands

## Summary
The Open University of the Netherlands is an academic institution for further education, established in 1984. Located in Heerlen, Netherlands, it serves a significant student body, with 17,015 students recorded in 2021. The university is a member of several key organizations, including the European University Association and Open Education Global.

## Key Facts
*   The Open University of the Netherlands was founded in 1984.
*   It is located in Heerlen, Netherlands, at coordinates 50.879 latitude and 5.9593 longitude.
*   In 2021, its budget was 82,203,000 euro.
*   The university had 634 employees in 2021.
*   In 2021, the Open University of the Netherlands had 17,015 students.
*   Theo J. Bastiaens is the rector, starting his term on January 1, 2019.
*   It is a member of the European University Association, ORCID, Inc., Open Education Global, and the European Association of Distance Teaching Universities.
*   The university is part of the Open European University since 2024.

## FAQs
### Q: When was the Open University of the Netherlands founded?
A: The Open University of the Netherlands was founded in 1984. This date marks its inception as an academic institution for further education.

### Q: Where is the Open University of the Netherlands located?
A: The Open University of the Netherlands is located in Heerlen, Netherlands. Its coordinates are 50.879 latitude and 5.9593 longitude.

### Q: How many students did the Open University of the Netherlands have recently?
A: In 2021, the Open University of the Netherlands had 17,015 students. This number reflects its student enrollment for that specific year.

### Q: Who is the current rector of the Open University of the Netherlands?
A: The current rector of the Open University of the Netherlands is Theo J. Bastiaens. He began his term on January 1, 2019.

### Q: What is the budget of the Open University of the Netherlands?
A: In 2021, the budget for the Open University of the Netherlands was 82,203,000 euro. This figure represents its financial resources for that year.

## Why It Matters
The Open University of the Netherlands plays a significant role in higher education, particularly within the context of open and distance learning in the Netherlands and Europe. As an academic institution founded in 1984, it provides further education, making it accessible to a broad range of students. Its substantial student body, reaching 17,015 in 2021, and a budget of over 82 million euro in the same year, underscore its scale and impact. Membership in organizations like the European University Association, Open Education Global, and the European Association of Distance Teaching Universities highlights its commitment to collaborative academic standards and innovative educational approaches. Being part of the Open European University further solidifies its position in shaping the future of accessible higher education across the continent. The university's focus on open education contributes to widening participation in higher learning, offering flexible study options that cater to diverse student needs and promoting lifelong learning opportunities.

## Notable For
*   **Pioneering Open and Distance Learning**: As an "Open University" and a member of Open Education Global and the European Association of Distance Teaching Universities, it specializes in flexible and accessible higher education.
*   **Significant Scale**: With 17,015 students and 634 employees in 2021, and a budget exceeding 82 million euro, it represents a major educational institution.
*   **European Integration**: It is a member of the European University Association and is part of the Open European University, indicating its active role in the broader European higher education landscape.
*   **Long-standing Presence**: Established in 1984, it has a decades-long history of providing academic education.

## Body

### General Information
*   **Entity Type**: University, organization
*   **Native Label**: Open Universiteit
*   **Aliases**: ou.nl, Open University Netherlands, Offene Universität der Niederlande
*   **Country**: Netherlands
*   **Location**: Heerlen, Netherlands
*   **Coordinates**: 50.879 latitude, 5.9593 longitude
*   **Inception**: 1984
*   **Wikipedia Title**: Open University of the Netherlands
*   **Wikidata Description**: university

### Leadership
*   **Rector**: Theo J. Bastiaens (started 2019-01-01), with Anja Oskamp as a previous rector.

### Financials & Scale
*   **Budget**: 82,203,000 euro (as of 2021)
*   **Employees**:
    *   562 (as of 2018)
    *   564 (as of 2019)
    *   593 (as of 2020)
    *   634 (as of 2021)
*   **Count of Students**:
    *   14,244 (as of 2018)
    *   14,358 (as of 2019)
    *   18,344 (as of 2020)
    *   17,015 (as of 2021)

### Identifiers & Digital Presence
*   **ISNI**: 0000000405015439
*   **GND ID**: 215386-5
*   **ROR ID**: 018dfmf50
*   **VIAF ID**: 123276046
*   **GRID ID**: grid.36120.36
*   **Freebase ID**: /m/0419j9
*   **Ringgold ID**: 10198
*   **Microsoft Academic ID (discontinued)**: 7876267
*   **Library of Congress Authority ID**: n89230018
*   **NLA Trove People ID**: 958994
*   **National Library of Israel J9U ID**: 987007423168405171
*   **Encyclopædia Britannica Online ID**: topic/Open-University-Netherlands (stated as 'Open University')
*   **EU VAT Number**: NL007381955B03
*   **EU Transparency Register ID**: 934919720425-35 (stated as 'Open Universiteit in the Netherlands')
*   **EU Participant Identification Code**: 999589269
*   **World Higher Education Database ID**: IAU-013096
*   **Actorenregister ID**: 15e1c154-53f4-4e88-9aa4-dc56e8a53f17
*   **ARWU University ID**: open-university-netherlands
*   **U-Multirank University ID**: open-university-netherlands
*   **Yale Lux ID**: group/0f7020f6-6611-4191-8f4b-cf7d3da1a0d8
*   **Website**: http://www.ou.nl
*   **Twitter**: OU_Nederland
*   **Facebook**: openuniversiteit
*   **Instagram**: open_universiteit
*   **LinkedIn ID**: open-universiteit
*   **YouTube Handle**: openuniversiteitnl (as of 2025-11-24)
*   **YouTube Channel ID**: UCjkqufrGMjBAntXE-EvyG1w (channel 'Open Universiteit', with 137 videos, 4080 subscribers, 167159 views, started 2009-10-02, as of 2025-01-19)
*   **Mastodon Address**: OpenUniversiteit@mastodon.nl (started 2023-01-27)
*   **API Endpoint URL**: https://login.ou.nl/oam/fed (Shibboleth, as of 2020-06-23)

### Affiliations & Memberships
*   **Related Class**: university (academic institution for further education)
*   **Affiliated People**:
    *   Michael Boelen (Dutch entrepreneur and software developer)
    *   Stef Joosten (Dutch university professor, computer scientist, born 1959)
    *   Vanessa Evers (Professor of Human Media Interaction, writer, computer scientist, born 1974)
*   **Member Of**:
    *   Association of Universities in the Netherlands
    *   European University Association (as of 2019-07-16)
    *   ORCID, Inc. (as of October 2023)
    *   Open Education Global (as of 2023-03-22)
    *   Open European University
    *   European Association of Distance Teaching Universities
*   **Part Of**: Open European University (since 2024)

### Technical Details
*   **IPv4 Routing Prefix**: 145.20.0.0/16
*   **IPv6 Routing Prefix**: 2001:610:338::/48

### Media & Categories
*   **Logo**: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Special:FilePath/Ou-nl.jpg
*   **Image**: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Special:FilePath/OpenUniversiteit,_Rotterdam_(2018)_02.jpg
*   **Commons Category**: Open Universiteit Nederland
*   **Topic's Main Category**: Category:Open Universiteit Nederland
*   **Category for Alumni of Educational Institution**: Category:Open University (Netherlands) alumni
*   **Wikipedia Languages**: arz, be, ca, de, en, eo, fa, fr, li, nl

### Research
*   **Researchgate Institute ID**: Open_Universiteit_Nederland

## References

1. [Source](https://www.lobbyfacts.eu/datacard/open-universiteit-in-the-netherlands?rid=934919720425-35)
2. GRID Release 2017-01-10
3. Virtual International Authority File
4. [Source](https://eua.eu/about/member-directory.html)
5. [Source](https://web.archive.org/web/20231020113811/https://orcid.org/members)
6. [Source](https://web.archive.org/web/20230322221352/https://www.oeglobal.org/about-us/members-list/)
7. [Source](https://www.eadtu.eu/index.php/members)
8. Freebase Data Dumps. 2013
9. [Source](https://www.ou.nl/documents/40554/225368/U2022_8374_Instellingsplan_2023_2027.pdf)
10. GRID Release 2015-12-14
11. GRID Release 2016-12-06
12. Aligned ISNI and Ringgold identifiers for institutions
13. [Source](https://apps.db.ripe.net/search/lookup.html?source=ripe&key=145.20.0.0+-+145.20.255.255&type=inetnum)
14. [Source](https://apps.db.ripe.net/search/lookup.html?source=ripe&key=2001:610:338::/48&type=inet6num)
15. [Source](https://orcid.org/signin)
16. Microsoft Academic Knowledge Graph
17. [Source](https://ror.org/018dfmf50)
18. National Library of Israel Names and Subjects Authority File
19. YouTube API