Ghent University prides itself on being a knowledge hub which is not only forwardthinking but also self-questioning and authentic.
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‘Dare to think’: not just a slogan
As a consequence, innovation and academic freedom are at the core of our institution. Researchers have the freedom to express their thoughts and opinions, to identify problemsolving methods and to carry out unconditional curiosity-driven research work. These activities are performed in accordance with recognised ethical principles and practices.
At this university, we are not afraid to take a leap of faith: many a researcher has been given the opportunity to pursue his or her own line of inquiry, often resulting in well-established projects that generate great research. We offer a platform to the dissenting voices, and give wildcards to the out-of-the-box ideas. This cutting edge, pioneering attitude creates a dynamic research environment which is unique among the Belgian universities.
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A modern comprehensive university With eleven faculties housing more than 120 departments Ghent University’s research ranges across all disciplinary areas.
It extends from (Veterinary) Medicine to Business and Economics, from Psychology to Literature and Philosophy, to Applied Sciences and Engineering, to Politics, Sociology and Law. The realisation of our research vision requires thriving and engaged communities across a wide spectrum, from Arts and Humanities to the Basic and Applied Sciences and Medicine. Research intensity is ubiquitous throughout the whole institution. Current research runs through the 200 study programmes.
Its findings are translated into policy and real-life applications, that have clear impact in society. We consciously guard against the danger of research and its quantitative output becoming aims in themselves. Ghent University deliberately validates the so-called ‘non-tangibles’ of academia and encourages its researchers to look beyond the edge of their page or beyond the confines of their lab.
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“We offer a platform to dissenting voices, and wildcards to out-of-the-box ideas.”
Understanding our strengths
Outstanding problem- and curiosity-driven research conducted by individuals and small groups are the building blocks of an excellent university. The success of that foundation requires a committed focus on interaction across the disciplines and collective effort. Inspired by the idea that many important breakthroughs in research take place at the intersection of disciplines, Ghent University has made a strategic decision to foster collaborative research by providing extra funds for a limited number of multidisciplinary research partnerships (MRP’s): » Biotechnology for a sustainable economy (Ghent Bio-Economy) » Bio-Informatics (From Nucleotides to Networks) » Nano- and Biophotonics (Center for Nano- and Biophotonics) » Neurosciences (Institute for Neuroscience) » Inflammation and Immunity (GROUP-ID) At the same time we actively invest in research in the humanities, social and behavioural sciences, taking into account the specificity of these disciplines.
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An engaged university with a sense of purpose Here at Ghent University, we pay attention to the many definitions of ‘engagement’. Most importantly, we do not simply want to be a research hotel that temporarily lends a ‘roof’ to researchers, rather we strive to build a ‘research nest’ where researchers can be suitably guided, are encouraged to spread their wings and can work in a pleasant and nurturing work setting. If the research environment is agreeable
and stimulating, researchers will become more involved with their colleagues and their institution and employees will feel more committed. Experienced researchers can consolidate their position, potential top researchers can bloom and new researchers can be appropriately guided. Therefore true engagement and participation within the university is a given: all researchers can put themselves forward for election and represent their
colleagues in the management and policy bodies. Furthermore, we have a rich tradition in university development cooperation and capacity building. It is based on international solidarity and mutual collaboration between academics in the North and the South is actively promoted.
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Excellence as superlative of quality
It goes without saying that excellence in terms of our staff and their research activity is a prerequisite for the delivery of Ghent University’s research vision. We strive to meet international excellence standards in all aspects, be they academic, social or economic. This excellence is achieved by requiring and/or offering quality in input (funding, staff), process (infrastructure, management, support) and outcome (research output, doctoral degrees, valorisation). Ghent University acknowledges that top quality may be attained at different speeds by the various research groups and that choices can be made on an institutional as well as a departmental level. A focus on quality across the board will always lead to greater impact and scale, bringing benefits for the entire research community of Ghent University.
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Facts & figures December 2012
A snapshot of the vital statistics on Ghent University Staff
Students
Graduates
Income
8163 10588
37637
â‚Ź 526,923,000
Zoom in Staff population
Administrative and technical staff
2681
Professors
1119
assisting Academic staff
1198
5482
Academic staff
Other researchers (externally funded)
3165
Zoom in Academic and research staff FOREIGN NATIONALITIES AT GHENT UNIVERSITY Europe (EU) Europe (non-EU) Asia Middle-East Africa South-America North-America Oceania
As knowledge is partly embodied in people, attracting researchers from abroad is an important instrument for knowledge exchange and for the inflow of new scientific ideas. 17% of Ghent University academic and research staff has a non-Belgian nationality. Ghent University follows an open and transparent recruitment, selection and promotion policy for researchers and strives for the “HR Excellence in Research label�.
6 Ghent University wants its researchers to publish the results of scientific research in the best scientific media.
Total number of publications in 2012: ent
gh y universit
While they are expected to publish extensively, researchers must ensure that the quality of their publications takes precedence over the quantity. Authors are actively encouraged to upload their publications in the Academic Bibliography as Open Access publications or to publish them in Open Access journals.
4668
5
4
Average flemish
3
universities
Number of publications in Web of Science journals per professor, per year
2 2001
2002
2003
2004
2005
2006
2007
2008
2009
2010
ghent university
2,88
3,22
3,43
3,61
4,37
4,29
4,86
5,55
5,71
5,76
2011 6,01
Average fl. universities
2,87
2,94
3,30
3,37
4,02
3,96
4,25
4,92
5,05
5,02
5,31
Share in Ghent University output
impact score
6%
40% or more above world average 20% or more above world average Around world average
5% 4% 3%
Ghent University research footprint
2% 1% 0%
20 fields in which Ghent University researchers publish most
Research funding Despite worldwide economic difficulties Ghent University has maintained its share of private research funding around 20% an impressive number according to OECD studies. Since the introduction of the European Research Council (ERC) we have been the proud host to 2 Advanced Grants and 15 Starting Grants.
Research expenditures 2012 250
200
150
100
50
Private Research Funding Public Research Funding - EU and International Public Research Funding - Regional and National
0 2000
2001
2002
2003
2004
2005
2006
2007
2008
2009
Total amount: â‚Ź 248,13 million
2010
2011
2012
Doctoral research
in 2012:
637
800 600
14% 32%
14%
13% 27%
DISTRIBUTION DOCTORAL RESEARCHERS OVER FIVE DOCTORAL SCHOOLS Arts, Humanities and Law Social and Behavioural Sciences Natural Sciences Life Sciences and Medicine (Bioscience) Engineering
400 200
Number of doctoral degrees awarded
0 1997
1998
1999
2000
2001
2002
2003
2004
2005
2006
2007
2008
2009
2010
Doctoral research at Ghent University is organised in five Doctoral Schools. These are active in four domains: doctoral training (offering specialised courses and transferable skills training), employability (entering into dialogue with potential employers), quality assurance and internationalisation.
2011
2012
Network of Saint Louis University & Benguet State University (Philippines) Can Tho University (Vietnam) Hanoi University of Technology (Vietnam) Hue University (Vietnam)
AFRICA
LATIN AMERICA
Of the entire Flemish budget for Development Cooperation research funding for universities, Ghent University receives a share of 42%. More than 30 research based DC projects are evidence of this exceptional tradition. Long-standing institutional cooperation with several partner universities from the South has been established:
ASIA
Development Cooperation
Universidad Mayor San Simón (Bolivia) Escuela Superior Politécnica del Litoral (Ecuador) University of Cuenca (Ecuador) Universidad Central Marta Abreu de Las Villas (Cuba) Anton de Kom University (Surinam) Universidad Nacional Agraria La Molina (Peru) Universidad de Oriente (Cuba)
University of Zimbabwe (Zimbabwe) Jimma University (Ethiopia) Mekelle University (Ethiopia) University of Nairobi (Kenia) Moi University (Kenia) Sokoine University of Agriculture (Tanzania) University of Zambia (Zambia) University of the Western Cape (South Africa) University Eduardo Mondlane (Mozambique) Mzumbe University (Tanzania) N. Mandela African Institute of Science & Techn. (Tanzania) Mountains of the Moon University (Uganda) Mbarara University of Science & Technology (Uganda) Uganda Christian University (Uganda) Université Catholique du Congo (DR Congo) Université Catholique de Bukavu (DR Congo) Université de Kisangani (DR Congo)
120
Technology Transfer bringing research into practice
By the end of 2012 the patent portfolio of Ghent University Association contained 337 active patent families of which Ghent University is owner or co-owner. In 2012, 5 new spin-offs were established, 19 license agreements and 552 new research agreements were concluded with industry.
PATENT APPLICATIONS
100
invention disclosures patent applications
80
60
40
20
0 2004
2005
2006
2007
2008
2009
2010
2011
2012
Innovation through collaboration
Ghent University attracts research-oriented companies towards the university campuses. This vicinity provides direct access to our talent pool and fosters collaboration with other high-tech companies residing on campus: Âť Five incubators: one incubator serves wide-ranging activities, the others are focused on biotech, ICT, clean technology and textile technology. Âť Two accelerators: state-of-the art lab infrastructures oriented towards either biotech or ICT. Âť The Ghent and Ostend science parks provide sites to larger companies for their own dedicated research facilities.
Library Ranking
2,000,000 The University Library holds around 2,000,000 works including 50,000 journals and a large cultural heritage collection. This amounts to more than 90 kilometers of book shelves. The library served around 3,000,000 e-article downloads in 2012.
TOP
Other noteworthy facts: » Google Books Partner (200,000 e-books available online) » Pioneer in the development of library standards and protocols: OAI-PMH, OpenURL » Pioneer of the Open Access Movement: Santa Fe Convention, Berlin Declaration, Driver, OpenAIRE
100 Ghent University is the only Belgian university in the top 100 of both the Shanghai (ARWU) and the Times (THE) ranking.
iMinds
VITO
U4 Groningen Göttingen Uppsala
Powerful partnerships
IMEC AUGent HoGent AHS Howest
GHENT UNIVERSITY POWERFUL PARTNERSHIPS
Ghent University Association (AUGent): » University College Ghent (HoGent) » Artevelde University College Ghent (AHS) » University College West Flanders (Howest)
UZ Gent
Lille
Ghent University Hospital (UZ Gent) Songdo
Kent
VUB VIB
Interuniversity Research Centres: » iMinds » VIB » IMEC » VITO
Strategic Alliance partners: » Free University of Brussels (VUB) » University of Groningen (U4) » University of Göttingen (U4) » Uppsala University (U4) » University of Kent » University of Lille 1, 2 and 3 International Ghent University campus Songdo (South Korea)
Colophon Produced by Research Department Graphic Design De Blauwe Peer Photography Christophe Vander Eecken Printing PurePrint, Oostkamp Website www.ugent.be/en/research Twitter @ResearchUGent