Erasmus University Rotterdam in Rotterdam
Campus Woudestein is Erasmus University Rotterdam's main campus: the Aula seats 882, tram 7 stops nearby and day parking costs at most €12.
Photo credits
The Aula of Erasmus University Rotterdam on the Woudestein campus, seen from the outside.: Wikifrits · Public domain
Quick answers
- Address
- Burgemeester Oudlaan 50, Rotterdam
- Address
- Burgemeester Oudlaan 503062 PA Rotterdam
- Aula
- 882 seats for ceremonies and graduations
- Tram
- Tram 7 from Rotterdam Centraal
- Parking
- Two garages; first 19 min free, max €12/day
- Campus
- 15-minute bike ride from the city centre
- PhD defences
- Weekdays, 90 minutes, start 10:30, 13:00 or 15:30
- Campus rule
- Smoke-free, indoors and out
- Contact
- +31 10 408 1111
Erasmus University Rotterdam agenda: upcoming events
Tonight, this week and the months ahead at this venue in Rotterdam.
This week
- Tue10Nov
- Tue10Nov
Free
December 2026
- Wed2Dec
- Tue8Dec
February 2027
- Sat6Feb
March 2027
- Sat6Mar
Plan your visit to Erasmus University Rotterdam
How many people fit in the Aula?
- Aula
- 882 seats
- Forumzaal
- 190 seats
- Senate Hall
- First floor, Erasmus Building
- Main campus hall
- Aula, 882
The Aula in the Erasmus Building seats 882 people. It is the campus's main ceremony hall and is used for graduations, official events and large lectures; a designated part of the hall has hearing loops.
The Forumzaal in the Van der Goot Building seats 190 people, with a microphone at every place. The Senate Hall, on the first floor of the Erasmus Building, is used for lectures, debates and PhD graduations and has no tables for the audience.
Compared with the campus's neighbours, the Aula is smaller than Stadion Woudestein (3,531) and Topsportcentrum Rotterdam (2,400), but it is the room the university uses for graduations and the Dies Natalis.
| Venue | Seats | Distance from campus | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Aula, Erasmus Building | 882 | On campus | eur.nl/en/campus/locations/spaces/aula |
| Forumzaal, Van der Goot Building | 190 | On campus | eur.nl/en/campus/locations/spaces/forumzaal |
| Stadion Woudestein | 3,531 | 0.2 km | OpenStreetMap / Wikidata |
| Topsportcentrum Rotterdam | 2,400 | 2.5 km | OpenStreetMap / Wikidata |
Seating in the Aula, Forumzaal and Senate Hall
The campus has three public ceremony rooms, each with a different layout. Check the event page for which room your ceremony uses.
Aula
882 seats, ground floor
Forumzaal
190 seats, third floor
Senate Hall
First floor, no audience tables
The Aula is a single large auditorium on the ground floor of the Erasmus Building. With 882 seats, it is the room for graduations and the Dies Natalis. Hearing loops cover a designated part of the hall; the floor plan shows where.
The Forumzaal on the third floor of the Van der Goot Building seats 190 in a smart conference layout, with a microphone at every seat. It is the room for a lecture or presentation where you need to speak and be heard.
The Senate Hall on the first floor of the Erasmus Building is used for lectures, debates and PhD graduations. The audience has a clear view of the speakers' table, but there are no tables for the audience.
- For a graduation or the Dies Natalis, the Aula is the room named on the event page; it seats 882.
- For a conference or a lecture with questions, every one of the Forumzaal's 190 seats has a microphone.
- For a PhD defence, check whether the ceremony is in the Senate Hall or the Aula; the event page names the room.
- If you use a hearing aid, ask at the Hospitality Desk for the Aula floor plan and the designated hearing-loop area.
Where to eat and drink on Campus Woudestein
Erasmus Food Plaza is the campus's international food court, with Has Döner Kebab, Sally's Salads, Coffeecompany, Tosti World, Sohmi Asian Streetfood and Mozza. It opens Monday to Friday 7:30-20:00, Saturday 10:00-16:00 and Sunday 11:00-18:00.
Café In de Smitse in the Hatta Building is the campus bar; Coffee Corner Langeveld, Mandeville and Theil serve coffee and sandwiches in their own buildings. The Campus Shop in Polak Building covers groceries, and Canon Copyshop in Polak handles printing.
Bring your own cup: disposable cups are no longer available at Vitam coffee corners and coffee machines, though cups can be bought at the outlets.
- Food court
- Erasmus Food Plaza, six outlets
- Campus bar
- Café In de Smitse, Hatta Building
- Coffee corners
- Langeveld, Mandeville, Theil
- Food plaza hours
- Mon-Fri 7:30-20:00; Sat 10:00-16:00; Sun 11:00-18:00
Visitor information: address, contact and campus rules
Visiting address: Campus Woudestein, Burgemeester Oudlaan 50, 3062 PA Rotterdam. The general phone number is +31 10 408 1111. For questions or complaints, call the Service Desk on +31 10 408 88 80 or email [email protected]; in an emergency on campus, call +31 10 408 1100.
The campus is smoke-free: smoking is not permitted at any Erasmus University Rotterdam location. Most buildings are open only for scheduled events or with a university card, so check the event page and the building's opening hours before you travel.
Guest WiFi is available for campus visitors; ask at the Hospitality Desk. The campus map section links the official PDF, which shows every building, including the Aula, Forumzaal and University Library.
- Visiting address
- Burgemeester Oudlaan 50, 3062 PA Rotterdam
- General phone
- +31 10 408 1111
- Service Desk
- +31 10 408 88 80; [email protected]
- Campus emergency
- +31 10 408 1100
- Smoking
- Not permitted anywhere on campus
Accessibility at Campus Woudestein
The auditorium and exam rooms are accessible by lift, and every building has adapted toilets. Visitors with an EU disabled parking card park free on campus; the disabled spaces at Erasmus Food Plaza are in Plaza Parking.
You can borrow a wheelchair from Campus Security: email [email protected] with your contact details and phone number, and collect it at the rear entrance of Sanders Building, opposite Polak Building. Platform lifts are operated by Campus Security; there is a sign with the phone number at each lift.
A designated part of the Aula has hearing loops, and the Aula and lecture halls CB-1 and CB-5 in Theil Building have audio induction loops. The campus has a quiet and meditation room, service dogs are welcome in all buildings, and a limited number of lockers for students with a physical impairment are in the central hall of Sanders Building.
- Lifts
- Auditorium and exam rooms accessible by lift
- Toilets
- Adapted toilets in all buildings
- Parking
- Free with an EU disabled parking card
- Wheelchair loan
- [email protected]; collect at Sanders Building
- Hearing loops
- Aula and Theil halls CB-1 and CB-5
- Service dogs
- Welcome in all buildings
What's on at Erasmus University Rotterdam
The university's event calendar mixes academic ceremonies with public lectures, workshops, festivals and open days. PhD defences are a large part of the calendar: the academic ceremonies page currently lists 54 results, usually at 10:30, 13:00 or 15:30 and lasting 90 minutes.
Recurring events include the Opening Academic Year on the first Monday of the academic year, the Dies Natalis in November, the Rotterdamlezing, Eurekaweek, the Erasmus Charity Run at the Rotterdam Marathon, International Women's Day and Brain Awareness Week in March.
Open days let prospective students see the campus; the Bachelor Open Day and Master Open Day are listed on the event calendar. Check the event page for tickets and registration.
- Event calendar
- 100 results
- PhD defences
- 54 results; 90 minutes
- Annual events
- Opening Academic Year, Dies Natalis, Eurekaweek
- Open days
- Bachelor and Master Open Day
Getting to Campus Woudestein by tram, metro or car
Tram 7 from Rotterdam Centraal is the simplest route: it stops at Erasmus Universiteit, about a 6-minute walk from the campus heart. Tram 1 and 11 also stop at Oude Plantage (4 minutes) and Woudestein (6 minutes). From the metro, get off at Kralingse Zoom, about 10 minutes' walk away.
By car, take the A16 and exit 25 (Centrum), then follow the signs to Burgemeester Oudlaan. Rotterdam Zuid station is about a 22-minute walk; Rotterdam Centraal is 60 minutes on foot, so use the tram.
Campus map and buildings
The official Campus Woudestein map (PDF) shows the campus buildings, including the Aula, Forumzaal, University Library and Erasmus Food Plaza: https://www.eur.nl/sites/corporate/files/Transport___campus_map_0.pdf.
The campus page also offers a 'Download campus map' link. Use the map before you travel if you are looking for a particular building.
Parking at Erasmus University Rotterdam: two garages and a P+R
There are two garages on campus, both with a maximum height of 2.10 metres. Erasmus Plaza is open 24/7 and has entrances on Burgemeester Oudlaan and Kralingse Zoom; Mandeville is open Monday to Friday from 7:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. Payment is by PIN or credit card at machines that are wheelchair accessible.
Visitors pay the short-term rate: the first 19 minutes are free, then €1.20 for 20-40 minutes, rising to €12.00 for 380 minutes to a day. Holders of an EU disabled parking card park free on campus. Motorcycles may only use the dedicated spaces in Mandeville.
For a cheaper day, P+R Kralingse Zoom has 1,689 spaces and is free for up to 24 hours if you continue by public transport or shared mobility; otherwise it costs €0.50 per 13 minutes, up to €23 a day. It is about a 21-minute walk from the campus.
Oude Plantage, about 9 minutes' walk away, is paid street parking along Plantagelaan rather than a managed car park. The rate is €2.24-3.00 an hour, with paid parking Monday to Saturday 09:00-23:00. The parking information warns that some spaces in and around the park have been removed or closed, so availability is not guaranteed.
| Parking option | Address | Walk | Rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| Erasmus Plaza | Burgemeester Oudlaan 50 | 7 min | First 19 min free; €1.20 for 20-40 min; max €12.00/day |
| Mandeville | Burgemeester Oudlaan 50 | 9 min | First 19 min free; €1.20 for 20-40 min; max €12.00/day; Mon-Fri 7:30 a.m.-7:30 p.m. |
| P+R Kralingse Zoom | Kralingse Zoom 70 | 21 min | Free up to 24 h with public transport; otherwise €0.50 per 13 min, max €23/day |
| Oude Plantage (street parking) | Plantagelaan, 3063 NG Rotterdam | 9 min | Paid street parking; €2.24-3.00/h; Mon-Sat 09:00-23:00 |
- Erasmus Plaza
- 24/7; 7 min walk
- Mandeville
- Mon-Fri 7:30 a.m.-7:30 p.m.; 9 min walk
- P+R Kralingse Zoom
- 1,689 spaces; 21 min walk
- Campus rate
- First 19 min free; €1.20 for 20-40 min; max €12.00/day
- Height limit
- 2.10 m
About Erasmus University Rotterdam and Campus Woudestein
Erasmus University Rotterdam is a public research university in the Kralingen district of Rotterdam. Its main campus, Woudestein, is the central point of the university: lecture halls, the University Library, study places, sports facilities and restaurants sit around one central heart, a 15-minute bike ride from the city centre.
Campus Woudestein is also the university's ceremonial address. The Aula in the Erasmus Building seats 882 people for graduations, inaugural lectures and the Dies Natalis; the Senate Hall hosts PhD defences and the Forumzaal seats 190 for conferences. Most buildings are open only for scheduled events or with a university card, so check the event page before you travel.
The university was founded in 1913 as the Nederlandsche Handels-Hoogeschool and took its current name in 1973. It counted 37,051 students in 2021, 9,088 of them from outside the Netherlands, and ranks in the top 3% of universities worldwide.
- Main campus
- Woudestein, Kralingen
- Cycle to centre
- About 15 minutes
- University Library
- On campus
- Food and shops
- Food plaza and campus outlets
- Aula
- 882 seats
- Forumzaal
- 190 seats
History: from the Netherlands School of Commerce to Erasmus University
Erasmus University Rotterdam began in 1913 as the Nederlandsche Handels-Hoogeschool (NHH), founded through private initiative with support from the Rotterdam business community. It became the Nederlandse Economische Hogeschool in 1939, the Medical Faculty Rotterdam was established in 1966, and in 1973 the two merged into Erasmus University Rotterdam, the first Dutch university named after a person.
The university moved to its Kralingen campus in 1968. The International Institute of Social Studies joined in 2009 and Erasmus University College was founded in 2013. In 2021 it counted 37,051 students, 9,088 of them from outside the Netherlands.
Erasmus himself was a Rotterdam-born philosopher, theologian and humanist; his adage 'The whole world is your homeland' is still the motto of its graduates.
- Founded
- 1913, Nederlandsche Handels-Hoogeschool
- Renamed
- 1973, Erasmus University Rotterdam
- Moved to Woudestein
- 1968
- Students
- 37,051 in 2021; 9,088 international
- Motto
- The whole world is your homeland
Photos
Photo credits
The Aula of Erasmus University Rotterdam on the Woudestein campus, seen from the outside.: Wikifrits · Public domain
Rector Magnificus Jantine Schuit speaking at the lectern in the Aula during the Dies Natalis.: Erasmus University Rotterdam / Arie Kers · Erasmus University Rotterdam (venue website)
Students having lunch in the Living Room, a campus meeting place at Woudestein.: Erasmus University Rotterdam · Erasmus University Rotterdam (venue website)
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Frequently asked questions about Erasmus University Rotterdam
Where is Erasmus University Rotterdam?
Campus Woudestein is at Burgemeester Oudlaan 50, 3062 PA Rotterdam, in the Kralingen district. The campus is a 15-minute bike ride from the city centre.
How do I get to Campus Woudestein by public transport?
Tram 7 from Rotterdam Centraal stops at Erasmus Universiteit, a 6-minute walk from campus. Tram 1 and 11 stop at Oude Plantage (4 min) and Woudestein (6 min); metro Kralingse Zoom is a 10-minute walk.
Is there parking at Erasmus University Rotterdam?
Yes, two garages: Erasmus Plaza (24/7) and Mandeville (Mon-Fri 7:30 a.m.-7:30 p.m.), both with a 2.10 m height limit. P+R Kralingse Zoom is a cheaper option 21 minutes' walk away.
Where can I find the campus map?
Download the official Campus Woudestein map (PDF) at https://www.eur.nl/sites/corporate/files/Transport___campus_map_0.pdf. It shows the campus buildings, including the Aula, Forumzaal, University Library and Erasmus Food Plaza.
How much does parking cost?
The first 19 minutes are free; then €1.20 for 20-40 minutes, rising to €12.00 for 380 minutes to a day. P+R Kralingse Zoom is free for up to 24 hours with public transport, otherwise €0.50 per 13 minutes up to €23 a day.
How many people fit in the Aula?
882. The Aula is on the ground floor of the Erasmus Building and is used for graduations, official events and large lectures.
What time do PhD defences start?
Most PhD defences start at 10:30, 13:00 or 15:30 and end at 12:00, 14:30 or 17:00, so they last 90 minutes. Check the event page for the room.
Can I visit the campus?
Yes, for scheduled events and open days. Check the event calendar for Bachelor and Master Open Days, and the campus map for buildings.
Is the campus accessible for wheelchair users?
Yes: lifts serve the auditorium and exam rooms, all buildings have adapted toilets, and you can borrow a wheelchair via [email protected]. EU disabled parking card holders park free.
Where can I eat on campus?
Erasmus Food Plaza has Has Döner Kebab, Sally's Salads, Coffeecompany, Tosti World, Sohmi and Mozza; it opens Mon-Fri 7:30-20:00, Sat 10:00-16:00, Sun 11:00-18:00. Café In de Smitse in Hatta is the campus bar.
Is the campus smoke-free?
Yes. Smoking is not permitted at any Erasmus University Rotterdam location, indoors or outdoors.
How many students study at Erasmus University Rotterdam?
37,051 in 2021, 9,088 of them from outside the Netherlands. The university ranks in the top 3% worldwide.
When was Erasmus University Rotterdam founded?
1913, as the Nederlandsche Handels-Hoogeschool. It took its current name in 1973 after merging with the Medical Faculty Rotterdam.
Can I park free with an EU disabled parking card?
Yes, holders of an EU disabled parking card park free on Campus Woudestein. The disabled spaces at Erasmus Food Plaza are in Plaza Parking.
What is there to see on campus?
The Aula, the University Library, the Erasmus Food Plaza and the campus itself. The campus map lists every building.
Sources: Erasmus University Rotterdam: Campus Woudestein (October 30, 2026) · Erasmus University Rotterdam: Aula (October 30, 2026) · Erasmus University Rotterdam: route and directions (October 30, 2026) · Erasmus University Rotterdam: campus map (PDF) (October 30, 2026) · Erasmus University Rotterdam: parking (October 30, 2026) · Erasmus University Rotterdam: food, drinks and shops (October 30, 2026) · Erasmus University Rotterdam: contact (October 30, 2026) · Erasmus University Rotterdam: accessibility (October 30, 2026) · Erasmus University Rotterdam: history (October 30, 2026) · Erasmus University Rotterdam: event calendar (October 30, 2026)
