The Network Institute
Information, communication, and associated technologies create novel ways of connecting people, communities, organizations, and economies in the Information Society. New local and global opportunities emerge for people to associate and collaborate with others in a wide diversity of network relationships. These networks offer highly flexible and versatile forms of association and organization across existing boundaries. A continuing process of creating, exchanging and sharing information and knowledge is a key mechanism driving these networks. It innovates in very fundamental ways how we work, think, and act.
The Network Institute’s research mission is to come to a better scientific understanding of the emerging networked world in all its technological, economic and social aspects, and to help further its proper development.
To this end, jointly with partners in industry and society, The Network Institute carries out four interdisciplinary research programmes focused on themes of prime societal relevance: Value and Knowledge Networks, Internet and Web Science, Social and Communication Networks, The Connected World.
- The Network Institute brings together researchers from many different academic disciplines, including information systems, communication science, computer science, business and management research, knowledge management, marketing and strategy, economics, artificial intelligence, mathematics, and organization science.
- The Network Institute is part of the VU University Amsterdam, located in the Southern part of Amsterdam near Schiphol Airport. This is a hotspot area of rapid economic development and innovation especially in professional services, finance, media, ICT, and the place where many international companies have their headquarters.