Dream Teams are full-year, high-impact student teams focused on solving urgent societal challenges. As a Dream Team member, you work in a multidisciplinary group of 8 to 14 bachelor’s and master’s students from across the VU. Together, you build knowledge, develop solutions, and learn how to turn ambition into action.
Each team focuses on a fixed theme for one academic year and hands over to a new group the following year. This ensures continuity, momentum, and long-term impact.
You do not just grow academically—you develop personally, professionally, and entrepreneurially. You build “A Broader Mind.”
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Each team works on a unique challenge tied to real-world problems and guided by expert researchers:
PULSE Racing
Use Functional Electrical Stimulation (FES) technology to enhance the mobility of people with spinal cord injuries. Compete in the global Cybathlon event alongside elite para-athletes and robotics teams.
VU-Vital
Improve the physical and mental health of students and staff. Can healthier choices lower your biological age?
Burning Lowlands
How can we balance nature conservation, agriculture, recreation, and biodiversity while protecting society from devastating wildfires?
Reduce Food Waste
Help the VU community become more conscious of food waste and inspire better habits through design, data and behaviour change.
Rise Team (VU-UT Dream Team)
The VU-UT Rise Team is a joint initiative between Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam and the University of Twente. The team's goal is bold and unprecedented: to achieve the world’s first landing of a biofuel-powered rocket.
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Real impact
Work on meaningful, research-based problems with societal relevance
Interdisciplinary collaboration
Partner with students from different year levels and academic disciplines
Professional skills
Build your CV with experience in teamwork, stakeholder engagement, and innovation
Academic recognition
Earn extracurricular ECTS (or curricular, depending on your study program)
Training and coaching
Join a structured skills program covering team dynamics, priority-setting, and personal leadership
VU Demonstrator Lab support
Access lab space, community events, and practical guidance throughout the year
A strong network
Connect with researchers, experts, and potential partners
Friendships
Collaborate closely and grow with a committed team of peers
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Academic ambassadors – VU researchers who offer deep knowledge and professional connections
DLAB team – Hands-on support and integration into the broader startup and innovation ecosystem
Peer teams – Shared sessions, visibility, and inspiration from other Dream Teams
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Interested in joining a Dream Team?
Get in touch to learn more about available teams, application timelines, and how to get involved.
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