Vrije Universiteit Brussel Education, Research & Societal Commitment

Values 04

10 Education Research 14 Welcoming the world  21 Societal Commitment Excellence  in results 26 30 Brussels Education Research Societal Commitment 05 Vrije Universiteit Brussel - Values

Thinking must never submit itself, ‘Vrije’ = ‘Free’ (in English) •• Research and thought neither to a dogma, nor to a party, nor without dogma to a passion, nor to an interest, nor to •• Open atmosphere of a preconceived idea, nor to anything tolerance and diversity •• Active pluralism, respect, whatsoever, except to the facts open-mindedness themselves, because for it to submit to anything else would be the end of its Personal growth, with a positive and critical attitude, in addition existence. to a sense of responsibility and open-mindedness, these are characteristics that you will encounter in everyone here at our Henri Poincaré (1854-1912) university, from professors and researchers to students and staff French mathematician and philosopher of science members. It lies at the very heart of our academic success.

VUB promotes social diversity in its study programmes and in its student and staff policies, guaranteeing equal opportunities for all, without distinction on the grounds of gender, social or ethnic origins, beliefs, sexual orientation, age or disability. 1st Solvay Conference 1911, changing the world of physics

VUB, a tradition of knowledge sharing

Max Planck

Ernest Solvay

Marie Curie Henri Poincaré 07 1st Solvay Conference 1911, changing the world of physics 180 years of history

In the spirit of Belgium’s independence He also set up the famous, and still in 1830, a university was founded in its ongoing today, Solvay Conferences, Albert Einstein capital, Université libre de Bruxelles (ULB). changing the world of physics and It was to become a university independent chemistry. from state and church, where academic freedom would reign. Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB) split off as the Dutch speaking homologue of ULB in ULB grew apace and rapidly occupied 1969 and it became a separate legal entity a prominent position in the national in 1970. Since then, VUB has established and international scientific landscape. an extensive Dutch and English taught For example: Ernest Solvay, chemist, portfolio. industrialist and philanthropist was Henri Poincaré deeply connected with the University and VUB-ULB can be proud of 5 Nobel prizes founded several scientific institutes, the and many other awards in science. most famous being the Solvay Business School, which is still part of ULB and VUB. VUB in a nutshell   3 green international Brussels University Hospital campuses  ++ On-campus libraries ++ 721 beds } ++ Language centre ++ 324,961 consultations/yr ++ Computer labs ++ 30,621 hospitalisations/yr 13,920students ++ Job service ++ 3,496 staff, incl. academics ++ Career centre ++ 10 expert research domains ++ Sports facilities ++ Pioneer in ‘circle of life’ care ++ Medical care ++ Counselling ++ Housing services ++ Restaurants and cafes 6,780staff ++ Cultural activities 09

21%   international

9,6% 127 232Mio non EEA students nationalities operating budget 11,7% EEA students* PhD Students: 1,443 42%

13,920students Advanced Master Students: 810 26%

Master Students: 4,500 24%

6,780staff Bachelor Students: 5,200 10%

national (Belgian) international

*EEA - European Economic Area Education

Economic & Social Sciences Science & Engineering Physical Education and Solvay Business School Bio-Engineering Sciences Sciences & Physiotherapy

Psychology & Educational Medicine & Law & Criminology Arts & Philosophy Sciences Pharmacy 11 107 Dutch-taught programmes Choice - Flexibility - Guidance NEW 1 VUB offers a full range of Bachelor and Master courses, including various programmes English-taught Bachelor programme taught in English. The key concept in this range of courses is flexibility. The system of in Social Sciences (Communication/ majors and minors enables students to plan their studies in a way that best meets Politics/Sociology) their interests. Many courses are also adapted for working students. Highly accessible faculty, a good teacher/student ratio and small group workshops ensure close 33 interaction and hands-on experience. English-taught Master/ Advanced Master programmes Doctoral Schools 8 Unlike in other countries, PhD researchers in Belgium mainly conduct research, English-taught Postgraduate Certificate programmes sometimes in combination with some teaching assignments. However, they are not obliged to follow courses and/or earn credits. Our PhD students are junior researchers and are best placed to identify their own particular training needs, issues and concerns. Our Doctoral Training Programme is tailored to meet the actual needs of 5 each individual PhD student. Double degree Engineering The Programme offers a structural framework to acquire and develop skills that Master programmes support both research and teaching abilities, and proves valuable outside the academic environment. 3 Multidisciplinary Doctoral Schools VUB education delivers strong individuals, critical minds & world citizens 13

Unique educational concept Quality first We do not solely rely on our own Being a student at VUB means learning in an open education quality assessment. atmosphere of tolerance and diversity; it means Our students assess their courses growing into independent and critically-thinking every semester and external individuals. experts also closely monitor the 55% standard of our qualifications. VUB is a pioneer in education, always ready to go beyond the obvious and to meet the upcoming needs  of society.

VUB was the first university in Belgium to offer a whole range of new programmes: 86% All degree programmes offered communication sciences, computer sciences, of the students were by VUB are accredited by the biomedical sciences, gerontology, adult 31% satisfied according to the Dutch Flemish Accreditation education, photonics, herpetology, ... course evaluation survey Organisation (NVAO). very good good mediocre bad very bad not relevant 3% 0% 4% 7% Excellence in research

Research 15 Excellence in research

36%  non-governmental 94researchMio budget *in addition funding to the public funding

Excellent reputation in the international circuit: ++ large number of references to our scientific publications ++ large participation in European research ++ commitment towards international aid and 158 2,500 development cooperation research groups publications in 2013 Research ++ numerous international congresses organised on our campuses

At VUB we advocate the maintenance and development of our own quality-driven research culture, with respect for diversity of hypotheses and approach, personal initiative and long-term thinking. International experts commissioned by the Flemish University Council confirmed this through an assessment of our research.

VUB supports all R&D activities: from scientific discovery and exploration of new knowledge up to invention and development, including interaction with regional and worldwide industrial and economic actors, the non-profit sector, policy makers and governments. Research clusters 

city dynamics societal challenges brain & behaviour

smallest particles fighting diseases environmental issues

the circle of life big data smart engineering Doctoral research

PhD guidance by dedicated supervisors (charter of the good promoter) and 3 196 Multidisciplinary Doctoral Schools: Human Sciences / Natural Sciences and (Bioscience) PhD degrees awarded in 2014 Engineering / Life Sciences and Medicine Innovative results through stimulation of research validation

37 120 19 reported inventions active patent families new patent applications VUB’s industrial gateway in 2014 in 2014

The economic valorisation of the research conducted at VUB is one of the university’s key missions, implying:

++ organising awareness campaigns Interuniveristy seed capital (spin-offs) ++ stimulating entrepreneurship within the research community ++ creating spin-off companies founded on university know-how ++ following up of the patent strategy ++ maintaining an industrial and financial expert network VUB science communication platform 19 Knowledge centres

Institute for European studies

Study and research facility in European Studies, on the role of the EU

Brussels Diplomatic Academy

BRUSSELS DIPLOMATIC ACADEMY Knowledge centre for economic diplomacy and international enterpreneurship

The Interuniversity Institute for High Energies, IIHE (ULB-VUB)

Created in 1972, IIHE’s main research topic is the physics of elementary particles

Interuniversity Institute of Bioinformatics in Brussels, (IB)²

(IB)² brings together VUB and ULB research groups specialised in bioinformatics analysis of large scale omics data, into an interuniversity, cross-faculty laboratory

ECHE

ECHE is a research group and platform at VUB dedicated to research and cooperation on higher education issues in the EU and China 2 incubation centres VUB stimulates entrepreneurship

IICB NV The VUB incubation centres ICAB and IICB offer support in setting up BUSINESS-INCUBATOR OFFICES business plans for start-ups and provide administrative, juridical and tax assistance. 24 flourishing spin-off companies Societal Commitment

23 VUB & Engagement Societal Commitment is one of VUB’s core values. From a 1,000 km bicycle ride to support the fight against cancer to its circle of life research, from innovative teacher training projects and educational science kits to development cooperation projects and environmental research, Vrije Universiteit Brussel always remains closely connected to the world we live in and participates wherever possible and needed.

VUB’s societal commitment is reflected by its Honorary Doctors

Toots Thielemans Kim Clijsters Nelson Mandela & Jacques-Yves Cousteau Fatou Bensouda musician tennis player Frederik Willem de Klerk oceanographer chief prosecutor politicians Vrije Universiteit Brussel is strongly connected in powerful partnerships, affiliations and networks

We are convinced that the competences, experience and knowledge within one single university are insufficient to understand the complexity of some research subjects and global problems, to model them and to design solutions. Therefore, VUB is connected through networks and partnerships as a basic instrument to fulfil its function.

Brussels University Brussels Academy Organization of Vesalius Alliance University Centre for China and American States College for Development European Studies (OAS) Cooperation (BACES) (UCOS) China Top Industrial Network VUB VUB Managers for Europe (T.I.M.E.) Grupo Coimbra Brasil Network European University Alliance with Universities University Association Ghent University from the Capitals Association Brussels (UAB) of Europe (EUA) (UNICA) 25 Cooperation for innovation: partnerships and integrated mobility

Partnerships help building sustainable cooperation structures such as international joint educational programmes, joint research laboratories, joint and dual degrees. These are embedded in a system of quality assurance that transcends the university’s boundaries. Partnerships provide a breeding ground to realise social, economic and cultural impact through knowledge and technology transfer, with the aim of a.o. contributing to inter-regional development.

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Group mobility Joint research Joint technology transfer

  

Curriculum development Joint PhDs Joint incubators

- Joint programmes 

  Joint labs Joint regional Joint degrees development  Excellence in results 27 VUB rankings

194 301-350 200-300 Quacquarelli Symonds (QS) World Times Higher Education (THE) World Academic Ranking of World University Rankings 2015 University Rankings 2015-2016 Universities (ARWU) 2015

U-Multirank 2014 Research Knowledge Transfer International Regional Excellence in results Orientation Engagement Citation rate Research Top cited Co- Patents International Regional joint publications publications publications awarded joint publications (size-nor- with industrial (size- publications malised) partners normalised) B A B A A A A

A (Very good) - B (Good) - C (Average) - D (Below average) - E (Weak) What students and researchers say

I am a freshwater ecologist and I attended the MSc in Biology: Environment, Biodiversity and Ecosystems. My time at the VUB was very important for my formation. I learned a lot about every single process that characterises the research in general, and moreover I gained expertise in oral skills and presentation techniques. I appreciated the multidisciplinary approach offered by the faculty: a vast choice of electives ensures a dynamic learning process of many different subjects, allowing you to build up a general knowledge and to link different scientific areas. An applied approach to ecology ensures that you gain skills during the field work, and the excursions offered by the MSc were inspiring, intense and enjoyable. Furthermore, students from different MSc programmes join the excursions. This ensures real sharing of theoretical and practical knowledge. Pierluigi Colangeli, Italy

I love to read. Turning my hobby into a degree sounded like a plan, so I enrolled at the VUB and became a student in “English and Spanish literature and linguistics”. The experience was fantastic: I got to learn so much more than I could have ever fathomed! I initially thought I would only learn how to decipher the English and Spanish language and how to analyse their most prominent oeuvre - which is exactly what I learned. But in studying the linguistic and literary origin and development of the two most widely spoken languages in the world, I also acquired an insight into the world’s history, into the frame of mind of entire generations of authors, into the cultural, moral, religious etc. background of their readers. The fact that I got to do this in Brussels, a melting pot of cultures, institutions and - most importantly for me - languages, only added to the experience. The studies in linguistics and literary studies cover pretty much every area of philanthropy and that is what sets this study off from any other: its ability to form well-rounded and enlightened people through the medium of language. As a matter of fact, I enjoyed this degree so much, that I went on to obtain an Advanced Master’s in Literary Sciences afterwards. Currently, I am in the process Alexandra Sanchez, of applying for a doctoral grant, with the objective of writing a dissertation on Cuban-American Belgium literature. What was a mere hobby will hopefully become a career... 29 Prestigious colleagues & alumni

Europe needs well-trained and critically thinking intellectuals who help shape the policies of the future. The principles underpinning teaching and research at Vrije Universiteit Brussel help to address the challenges we face today, and have been a stimulating factor in my career.

Ingrid Daubechies Ulla Werbrouck Pattie Maes Karel De Gucht Axelle Red mathematician judo champion Computer scientist at MIT former European commissioner singer/Unicef ambassador Brussels, one of the world’s most cosmopolitan cities

1.1Mio inhabitants 33% of foreign origin

EU + NATO headquarters 1,700 headquarters of international associations Vrije Universiteit Brussel - At the beating heart of Europe

As one third of its 1.1m population is of foreign and innovative (ranked 13th) businesses that origin, Brussels boasts an astonishing variety of operate in the high value added end of global th cultures, styles and nationalities. value chains.

English is an important language, due to Brussels is home to several representations 27 the numerous international political of international institutions, among which Most liveable city in the world organisations headquartered in Brussels, such several divisions of the UN (UNICEF, UNESCO, (Source: The Economist livability as the European Commission, the Council of etc.), the Organization for African Unity, the ranking 2015) the European Union, NATO, Eurocontrol, etc. International Organization for Migration, etc. Brussels and Belgium offer an outstanding Aside from this vibrant centre of international quality of life. While Brussels is ranked 22nd business and politics, Brussels is a most best city to live in (source: Mercer’s City interesting historical city and an arts centre ++ World’s largest press Ranking 2015), Belgium is ranked as the 18th with a rich cultural heritage and a wide variety centre most competitive country worldwide (source: of museums, theatres, concert halls, etc. ++ Largest diplomatic World Economic Forum 2014-2015). Next to community excellent health-care and primary education Brussels is also a delight for your taste buds. ++ First Congress City in (ranked 2nd in the world), Belgian higher Chocolate, delicious local cuisine, waffles and Europe education performs extremely well (ranked an incredible diversity of beers are all at your 5th in the world). Belgium benefits from a fingertips. high level of technological readiness (ranked 14th) and highly sophisticated (ranked 10th) Vrije Universiteit Brussel International Relations & Mobility Office

Email: [email protected] Tel: +32 (0)2 614 81 01 Website: www.vub.eu LF 09-14/1.000ex.