Vub corporate brochure

VRIJE UNIVERSITEIT BRUSSEL OPEN-MINDED UNIVERSITY AT THE HEART OF EUROPE

“Thinking must never submit itself, neither to a dogma, nor to a party, nor to a passion, nor to an interest, nor to a preconceived idea, nor to anything whatsoever, except to the facts themselves, because for it to submit to anything else would be the end of its existence.”

Henri Poincaré, 1909

TABLE OF CONTENTS Do you know VUB?...........................................................................................................4 Facts & figures....................................................................................................................5 More than 180 years of history.. ............................................................................. 6 Brussels, beating heart of Europe.. ....................................................................... 8 Campuses.............................................................................................................................. ?

Students & alumni............................................................................................................ ?

International & exchange students...................................................................... ?

Inclusive university. . ......................................................................................................... ?

More than education...................................................................................................... ?

Top Research @VUB...................................................................................................... ?

UZ Brussel research. . ...................................................................................................... ?

Network.................................................................................................................................... ?

VUB Foundation................................................................................................................. ? #WeAreVUB........................................................................................................................... ?

DO YOU KNOW VUB? VUB, based in the heart of Europe The Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB) is an internationally-oriented university in Brussels, the heart of Europe. Through tailor-made high quality research and education, VUB wants to contribute in an active and committed way to a better society for tomorrow.

That is our mission.

Free inquiry and encouraging critical thinking VUB is the only Flemish university that has the principles of ‘Free Inquiry’ written into its articles of association. These principles are based on the writings of French mathematician and natural philosopher Henri Poincaré (1854-1912): ‘Thinking must never submit itself’. It is still our basic philosophy today.

FOUNDATION

110,000,000 € 230,000,000

€

VUB

RESEARCH BUDGET

1,677

TURNOVER PhDs

30 BACHELORS IN 3 DOCTORAL SCHOOLS 75 MASTERS 21 ADVANCED MASTERS 8 FACULTIES 21 POSTGRADUATES ULB

1834

1969-1970

16,094 INSCRIPTIONS OF WHICH 21.5% INTERNATIONAL SPREAD ACROSS 4 CAMPUSES

BRUSSELS HUMANITIES, SCIENCES & ENGINEERING CAMPUS

128

NATIONALITIES

3,282 PERSONNEL

BRUSSELS HEALTH CAMPUS UNIVERSITY HOSPITAL BRUSSELS

BRUSSELS TECHNOLOGY CAMPUS BRUSSELS PHOTONICS CAMPUS

>50,000 ALUMNI

360,765 C O N S U L TAT I O N S 3,671 PERSONNEL 721 30,262 BEDS HOSPITALISATIONS

19,000

UNIVERSITY ASSOCIATION BRUSSELS STUDENTS (

VUB + Erasmushogeschool Brussel

)

5

MORE THAN 180 YEARS OF HISTORY How it all started VUB originated from the French-speaking Université Libre de Bruxelles (ULB), which was founded in 1834 by a Brussels lawyer with Flemish roots, Pierre-Théodore Verhaegen. It was his intention to create a university independent from church and state with academic freedom at its core.

All ULB faculties offer courses in Dutch

° Belgium

1830

1963 ° ULB, University in Brussels, French spoken

2011 1970

1834

6

° Brussels University Alliance (VUB – ULB)

NL

° VUB independent, with full programmes in Dutch

Science and Brussels The Solvay Conferences 1911 – 2014

Ernest Solvay (16 April 1838 – 26 May 1922)

The International Solvay Institutes for Physics and Chemistry, located in

Ernest Solvay was a Belgian chemist, industrialist and philanthropist,

Brussels, were founded by the Belgian industrialist Ernest Solvay in 1912,

who after his successful establishment of the company Solvay & Cie,

following the historic 1911 Conseil Solvay, considered to be a turning

used his considerable wealth to set up the Institute for Sociology at

point in the world of Physics. The 1911 conference was attended by

the ULB in 1894, as well as the International Institutes for Physics and

among others Albert Einstein, Max Planck, Niels Bohr, Marie Curie, and

Chemistry. In 1903 he set up the Solvay Business School, which today

Henri Poincaré.

still forms part of the ULB and VUB.

ENG

1911

2017

Large selection of programmes in English

2014 The 2014 conference featured among others Nobel prize winner F. Englert 7

BRUSSELS, BEATING HEART OF EUROPE

• 1 million inhabitants • 33% of foreign origin • 104 languages

World’s largest press centre

8

• 4th business city in Europe • 1,700 international institution headquarters

• International decisionmaking centre • EU & NATO headquarters • 1st congres city in Europe • Largest diplomat community

FROM BRUSSELS TO London

Paris

2 hours 1 hour 20 min.

Frankfurt

3 hours

Amsterdam

2 hours

Brussels BELGIUM

ETTERBEEK çè ZAVENTEM AIRPORT 25 minutes

9

CAMPUSES 169,209m2 surface

(Etterbeek and Jette) or more than 26 football fields

VUB 2020 FUTURE

Brussels Humanities, Sciences & Engineering Campus

•

33,100m2 new

•

VUB-ULB ICT S

650

Main campus Etterbeek (Elsene)

Brussels Health Campus Jette new auditoria & classrooms •

Learning & Inn

International S

150 extra stu •

Brussels Technology Campus Anderlecht

Brussels Photonics Campus Gooik

10

study & recre

Usquare

E INVESTMENTS IN ETTERBEEK

will mean a new university neighbourhood on the site of the former barracks of the

XY building

0

VUB and ULB are working with the Brussels Capital Region on the Usquare project. It gendarmerie to turn them into a new, lively neighbourhood with room for university

student rooms

services as well as housing for families and students. It will have an interdisciplinary research centre that creates synergies between incubator, StartLab and FabLab. The

Science & Technology Park

event hall

art & expo room

KultuurKaffee

novation Centre

Student Site (Usquare)

udent rooms

eation facilities

project is also being given an international dimension, with housing for students and researchers and with international reception spaces.

Learning and Innovation Centre On the boundary between the VUB and ULB campuses in Brussels, a new building will emerge in a few years’ time. The new study centre will offer new learning environments to students from both VUB and ULB: silent rooms for individual study, rooms for course work in groups, experience centres for activities for smaller groups and active learning rooms. Moreover, the ties with external partners from the corporate world will be tightened through project and exposition spaces.

11

STUDENTS 15,865

students

+6.3%

*

10% FIRST-TIME UNIVERSITY STUDENTS

9,687

students

1,602

2008 2009

2009 2010

2010 2011

2011 2012

2012 2013

*

2013 2014

2014 2015

2015 2016

2016 2017

152 STUDY PROGRAMMES

53 ENGLISH, 99 DUTCH STUDENTS IN STUDY PROGRAMMES Bachelors

6,762

ALUMNI

Masters

5,550

+50,000

Advanced Masters PhD Postgraduates 54% Women

46% Men

Teacher Training Other (credit students, Erasmus students ...)

TOTAL

12

713 1,448 95 112 1,185 15,865

ALUMNI

20.72%

not satisfied

96.15%

paid job within a year

79.28 %

satisfied

74%

<3 months

WHERE THEY WORK 37.46%

3.52%

non-profit

3.52%

ICT

3.80%

consulting

3.80%

finances & insurances

immediately

Quick @work

5.42%

research & development

5.51%

legal sector

9.70%

education & training

9.89%

medical, social & health sector

12.28%

public services & government

13.97%

university & academy

20.72%

Happy @work

other

13

INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS

THE NETHERLANDS: 548

SPAIN: 123

128 NATIONALITIES

21.5%

3,411 INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS

1 4

52%

EEA countries: 1,744 Non-EEA

(16%)

(3.6%)

countries: 1,637

2 3

48%

ITALY: 131

55%

GERMANY: 223 (6.5%)

5

TOP 5 EEA COUNTRIES

ROMANIA: 86

(3.8%)

(2.5%)

45%

TURKEY: 82 (2.4%)

IRAN: 57

2 4 INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS IN STUDY PROGRAMMES 24.4%

INDIA: 61

Masters: 1,306

38.3%

(1.8%)

PhD: 649 Other: 466

*

14

EEA: European Economic Area

1 5

4.7%

VIETNAM: 55

19%

(1.6%)

13.7%

CHINA: 261 (7.6%)

3

Bachelors: 831 Advanced Masters: 159

(1.7%)

TOP 5 NON-EEA COUNTRIES

EXCHANGE STUDENTS

5 1 1

3

2

3

4 2

2016 - 2017 INCOMING STUDENTS 245 students 37 countries 28 EEA - 9 NON-EEA

TOP 5 INCOMING COUNTRIES 1 SPAIN 2 ITALY 3 GERMANY 4 TURKEY 5 CHINA

*

2016 - 2017 OUTGOING STUDENTS 273 students

40.4% 59.6%

31 countries

37.2% 62.8%

7 EEA - 24 NON-EEA

4 5

TOP 5 OUTGOING COUNTRIES 1 SPAIN 2 GERMANY 3 FRANCE 4 ITALY 5 CANADA

EEA: European Economic Area

15

INCLUSIVE UNIVERSITY For Children Arabic Language Classes Project Culture starts with your own identity VUB started a project on Arabic language courses for 6-15 year

For Scholars Academic Freedom Worldwide VUB participates in the Scholars at Risk Network. Scholars at Risk works to protect threatened scholars and promote academic freedom around the world.

old children in Brussels. It is the first Arabic language course in Belgium with academic supervision. The curriculum is checked by specialists and PhD experts in Arabic language. Each lesson contains extra learning activities next to the regular teaching, such as games, Arabic songs etc. Students receive a certificate of attendance by VUB. The children are taught by highly educated

For Students Student Refugee Programme and InCAMPUS

refugee teachers who fled their homeland due to war. When people get opportunities, we

The VUB launched its Student Refugee Programme in 2015-2016.

strengthen society.

The intake of refugee students has increased since then, with a

The more languages

majority coming from Syria, Palestine, Iraq and Afghanistan.

we speak, the better

In 2018, the VUB added a specific track to the student refugee

we understand one

programme, called InCAMPUS for those refugees who need more

another.

help in terms of language, study guidance and psychological support.

16

Honorary doctorate for Dr. Emma Bonino and the people of Lampedusa Lampedusa is a small island in Italy that unwittingly found itself on the frontline of the recent refugee crisis. With the honorary degree, VUB wants to honour Emma Bonino and the people of Lampedusa for their efforts in defending and safeguarding the rights of refugees and migrants who have arrived in Europe. Bonino spoke about the migration crisis and the role European lawmakers and higher education institutions like the VUB can play in helping to resolve this issue.

17

MORE THAN EDUCATION VUB education: excellent student/staff ratio: 5 Pillars – students 1 Turned into reasonable steadfast individuals

1

2 Committed to a sustainable humanist society

2

3 Turned into world citizens

3

4 Develop independent & inquiring attitudes

4

5 Prepared for their professional lives

5 8 Faculties • Economic and Social Sciences and Solvay Business School • Law and Criminology • Psychology and Educational Sciences • Arts and Philosophy • Sciences and Bio-engineering Sciences • Medicine and Pharmacy • Engineering • Physical Education and Physiotherapy

87% of students rate professors as good or very good

very good: 31% 2015 - 2016

18

good: 56%

mediocre: 7%

poor: 3%

Students appreciate education at VUB. This yearly anonymous feedback is based on: • lectures • study material • education method • examination

• Students participate in Rector elections • 10% students represented in all decision-making

53 fully English-taught programmes 2 English-taught Bachelors 33 English-taught Master & Advanced Master programmes 8 English-taught Postgraduate Certificate programmes 3 Multidisciplinary Doctoral Schools 7 Double degree Master programmes

Fields of English-taught programmes Bachelor in • Social Sciences (interdisciplinary: Political Sciences, Sociology, Communication Studies) • Business Economics Master degree & Advanced Master • Humanities: Business, Communication, Law, Politics & Economics, Education, Linguistics, European Studies • Engineering & Exact Sciences • Life Sciences, Biology PhD degree • Offered in more than 30 disciplines Postgraduates Certificate • Medicine • Art, Education, Business, China studies • Economic Diplomacy

19

TOP RESEARCH @VUB VUB is #48 in top 100 most innovative European Universities

9

20

RESEARCH CLUSTERS

city dynamics

societal challenges

brain & behaviour

the circle of life

smart engineering

smallest particles

fighting diseases

environmental issues

big data

ALMOST 110 MILLION FOR RESEARCH 166 166 Research groups

21% revenue from cooperation with private sector

15% own research budget

19% 45%

budget Flemish government for fundamental research

project financing by governments

21

UNIVERSITY HOSPITAL (UZ BRUSSEL) RESEARCH

10 RESEARCH CLUSTERS • Development, Ageing and Pathology • Diabetes Research Centre • Liver, Cell Biology and Toxicology • Medical Imaging and Physical Sciences • Neurosciences • Oncology Research Centre • Pharmaceutical research and data technology • Public Health • Reproduction, genetics and regenerative medicine • Research Centre for Cardiovascular diseases

721 publications per year UZ Brussel & Faculty of Medicine & Pharmacy

22

CANCER 1st Radixact treatment worldwide @UZ Brussel & Innovative immunotherapy

DIABETES Sophisticated tools & integrated care of type 1 diabetes

FERTILITY Oncofertility assures fertility of cancer patient after treatment Pioneer in IVF

LYMPH EDEMA

HEART Innovative CT-scan can prevent invasive surgery in cathlab

Lymph clinic treats forgotten patients after cancer treatment

23

NETWORK 497 agreements with 245 partner universities for student exchange and other scholarship programmes.

European university Associaton (EUA)

Grupo Coimbra Brasil

VUB China Network

Vesalius College

Brussels University Alliance (BUA)

Organization of American States (OAS) University Centre for Development Cooperation (UCOS) University Association Brussels (UAB)

Alliance with Ghent University Network Universities from the Capitals of Europe (UNICA)

24

Top Industrial Managers for Europe (T.I.M.E.)

Brussels Academy for China and European Studies (BACES)

VUB FOUNDATION What you give to the VUB, you get back.

VUB receives financial support from the government but it is not

legal advisor can assist you in making the best choices in terms of

sufficient to optimise the work on core tasks or initiate innovative

your financial assets.

projects. This is why we set up the VUB Foundation. Alternatively,

For more information, please contact us at any time for a non-

they can establish a registered fund in connection to such a project.

binding conversation with

The VUB Foundation can help you in this regard. If you have a

Isabelle Marneffe,

certain faculty, specific research group or project in mind you would

Director of the VUB Foundation.

like to support, then we will help you and in consultation with your

Email: isabelle.marneffe@vub.be or call +32 2 629 15 42

With weKONEKT.brussels, VUB and ULB launched a new concept: our students pouring into Brussels for their classes.

#WeAreVUB VUB means education, research and social commitment. Its values

with our association partners to ensure our work, both in education

are based on radical humanism, which translates into the principles

and research, is internationally well-founded and improves our

of freedom, equality, and solidarity.

societal commitment.

Freedom for us means free research: the rejection of every purely authoritative argument and the guarantee of freedom of research.

VUB sits in the heart of Brussels, which itself is the capital of

Equality means fairness and recognition of diversity.

Belgium and Europe. One third of its population is of foreign origin,

Societal commitment represents our commitment to the major

giving the city an amazing variety of cultures and nationalities.

societal challenges and our concern for a sustainable society. Have

It houses the headquarters of many organisations and

respect for our fellow human beings and the world. This is VUB.

multinationals, the EU institutions, NATO, and a wide array of NGOs. In terms of quality of living, Brussels ranks 27th (out of 231) in the

As a university we continuously strive towards proactively

mercer poll of 2017. Belgium is ranked 20th in the World Economic

improving and modernising our education offering. We

Forumâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Global Competitivenessâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Index 2017-2018. In terms of

optimise and innovate our research, ensuring it is international,

higher education and training, it ranks 11th in the world, and 5th

interdisciplinary and carried out within an environment of

for healthcare and primary education. It is by its very nature a truly

excellence. We aim to be the point of reference for work and study,

international city, where students from across the world can feel at

by providing continued support and training to our students and

home, learn from each other, and explore new worlds.

staff. We want to further our connectedness to the world and

26

to the city we are based in, to forge national and international

VUB, like the city it calls home, is an international university, with

partnerships, and encourage social entrepreneurship, develop

increasing international students and staff on its campuses. As a

projects with the city of Brussels, with our alumni in Belgium but

university, it embraces all that the city stands for: welcoming, open,

also on the international level.

innovative, diverse and interesting.

We must continue to improve and further develop our relationships

Welcome to VUB. Welcome to Brussels!

abroad through development cooperation, within our networks, and

Caroline Pauwels, rector VUB

Responsible publisher Prof. Dr. Caroline Pauwels Rector Vrije Universiteit Brussel

Realisation Vrije Universiteit Brussel Dienst Marketing & Communicatie Pleinlaan 9 I 1050 Brussel I Belgium +32 (0) 629 12 98 I marcom@vub.be

Illustrations Greet De Gendt, Deborah Puylaert, Frankie Verdickt, Marcom, IRMO, Universiteitsarchief VUB Layout Gekko Vrije Universiteit Brussel Pleinlaan 2 I 1050 Brussel I Belgium +32 (0) 629 21 11 www.vub.be/en I info@vub.be International Relations Office Visitors: Pleinlaan 5 I 1050 Brussel I Belgium + 32 (0) 614 81 01 international.relations@vub.be facebook.com/VUBrussel facebook.com/VUBInternationalRelations twitter.com/vubrussel | instagram.com/vubrussel vubtoday.be

27

2018

vub.be/en