Vrije Universiteit Brussel

The Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB) is a Dutch- and English-speaking research university in Brussels, Belgium. It has four campuses: Brussels Humanities, Science and Engineering Campus (in Elsene), Brussels Health Campus (in Jette), Brussels Technology Campus (in Anderlecht) and Brussels Photonics Campus (in Gooik).

The Vrije Universiteit Brussel was formed in 1970 by the splitting of the Free University of Brussels, which was founded in 1834 by the lawyer and liberal politician Pierre-Théodore Verhaegen. The founder aimed to establish a university independent from state and church, where academic freedom would prevail. This is still reflected in the university's motto Scientia vincere tenebras, or "Conquering darkness through science", and in its more recent slogan Redelijk eigenzinnig, or "Reasonably self-willed".

One of the leading Belgian universities open to Europe and the world, the VUB's research articles are on average more cited than articles by any other Flemish university. The university is organised into eight faculties that accomplish the three central missions of the university: education, research, and public service. The faculties cover a broad range of fields of knowledge including the natural sciences, classics, life sciences, social sciences, humanities, and engineering. The university provides bachelor, master, and doctoral education to about 8,000 undergraduate and 1,000 graduate students.

History

Main article: Free University of Brussels (1834–1969)

The Vrije Universiteit Brussel started from a university created in Brussels in 1834. Back then, Belgium had universities in three cities, but not in its capital, Brussels. Because the government did not want to pay for a new university, a group of smart people decided to create one that anyone could join, no matter what they believed or where they came from.

This university, called the Free University of Belgium, began with very little money. Students paid fees to help it run. Over time, it grew and added more subjects to study. In 1969, the university split into two parts — one that taught in Dutch and one that taught in French. The Dutch-speaking part became the Vrije Universiteit Brussel, or VUB. Today, VUB has four campuses in different parts of Brussels.

Organisation

The Vrije Universiteit Brussel is an independent school. Everyone, including teachers, workers, and students, helps make big decisions. Even though the school gets money from the government, it also gets support from other places like research projects and student fees.

The school is split into different parts called faculties, such as Law, Social Sciences, Psychology, Sciences, Medicine, Arts, Engineering, and Physical Education. Each faculty has its own way of teaching and doing research, but they all follow the school’s rules.

The school’s leader, called the Rector, helps make daily decisions. Right now, Jan Danckaert is the Rector. Before him, Caroline Pauwels was the Rector until she left in 2022 for health reasons.

Education

See also: List of educational programmes at the Vrije Universiteit Brussel

The Vrije Universiteit Brussel offers courses in many modern subjects like law, economics, social sciences, management, psychology, physical sciences, life sciences, medical sciences, pharmaceutical sciences, humanities, engineering, and physical education. About 22,000 students study in one of its 128 educational programmes. All programmes are taught in Dutch, but 59 are also available in English. The university follows the bachelor-master system, offering bachelor's, master's, master after master's, and doctoral degrees.

Students can join most programmes without special rules, but some advanced programmes need certain earlier degrees. For example, you need a bachelor's degree to start a master's, and a master's to begin a doctoral programme. There is also an exam for those wanting to study medicine. Tuition fees are low and sometimes free for students who need help paying.

The academic year has two parts, each lasting thirteen weeks. The first part runs from October to January, and the second from February to June. Exams happen in January and June. There are breaks for Christmas and Easter, and students have free time between semesters and in the summer from July to September.

The university works hard to keep its education quality high. Students give feedback on their courses each semester. Programmes are checked by panels and international groups. All programmes are approved by the Nederlands-Vlaamse Accreditatie Organisatie, which makes sure education standards are met in Flanders and the Netherlands.

The university is known around the world and appears in important university rankings such as Times Higher Education World University Rankings, QS World University Rankings and Academic Ranking of World Universities.

Basic principles

The Vrije Universiteit Brussel believes in being open-minded and respectful. The university follows the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, especially the idea of free thinking to help people learn and grow. This means everyone can share their ideas without fear of being told what to think.

The university’s motto, Scientia vincere tenebras or Conquering darkness through science, shows this spirit. Its symbol shows a wallet and joined hands, reminding us of brave people who stood up for freedom long ago.

The university also works like a democracy. Everyone, from teachers to students, has a say in how things are run. This helps keep the university independent and free to explore new ideas.

Campus and facilities

The Vrije Universiteit Brussel has four main campuses. The Brussels Humanities, Sciences & Engineering Campus is in Elsene and has many buildings made of concrete, mostly built in the 1970s. This campus has classrooms, labs, a sports center, a football field, a running track, and a swimming pool. Students and staff can eat at a restaurant, and there are several cafes.

The Brussels Health Campus is in Jette and includes the University Hospital (UZ Brussel). It is home to courses and research in life sciences such as medicine, pharmacy, and dentistry.

The Brussels Technology Campus in Anderlecht opened in 2013 and shares space with another school. It has labs and facilities for engineering students.

The Brussels Photonics Campus is located in Gooik.

The university offers studies in many fields, including languages, social sciences, engineering, medicine, psychology, sciences, law, and physical education.

Institutional cooperation

The Vrije Universiteit Brussel works together with many schools and groups. Some of these include Erasmushogeschool Brussel, UCLouvain Higher Institute for Re-adaptation Sciences, Top Industrial Managers for Europe, UNICA, the Institutional Network of the UNIversities from the CApitals of Europe, Université libre de Bruxelles, University of Kent, Vesalius College, The Brussels School of Governance, and the Royal Military Academy.

The university also has agreements with universities in many countries, allowing students to study at 160 different schools around the world.

Student life

The BSG is an organization that helps students and protects their interests. It works together with a group at another university to hold a special yearly event.

VUB has many student groups for different subjects and interests. Some groups are for students studying arts, medicine, engineering, psychology, economics, sciences, physical education, or law. There are also groups for students from different places in Belgium and beyond, as well as groups for specific hobbies like games, beer culture, or classic liberalism. Many of these groups have special pins or badges that members can wear.

Notable people

Notable faculty

The Vrije Universiteit Brussel has had many respected teachers, including Diederik Aerts, Kris Deschouwer, Paul Devroey, Mark Elchardus, Francis Heylighen, Jonathan Holslag, Dave Sinardet, Hugo Soly, Luc Steels, Jean-Paul Van Bendegem, Willy van Ryckeghem, Andre Van Steirteghem, Irina Veretennicoff, Els Witte, and Lode Wyns.

Notable alumni

Many successful people have graduated from the Vrije Universiteit Brussel. Some well-known scientists and academics include Leo Apostel, Patrick Baert, Sathyabhama Das Biju, Jean Bourgain, Antoon Van den Braembussche, Guy Brasseur, Bob Coecke, Ingrid Daubechies, Kris Deschouwer, Guido Geerts, Willy Gepts, Raymond Hamers, Francis Heylighen, Clement Hiel, Steven Laureys, Wim Leemans, Pattie Maes, Kieran Moore, Frank Pattyn, Ram Lakhan Ray, Peter Rousseeuw, Sophie de Schaepdrijver, Johan Schoukens, Helena Van Swygenhoven, Els Witte, and Christine Van Den Wyngaert.

Artists from the university include Claude Coppens, André Delvaux, Fabienne Demal (also known as Axelle Red), Jef Geeraerts, Stéphane Ginsburgh, Sapiyossi, Erik Pevernagie, and Marcel Vanthilt.

Among business leaders are Pieter De Leenheer, Tony Mary, and Felix Van de Maele.

Prominent politicians include Amir-Abbas Hoveyda, Marco Formentini, Willy Claes, Louis Tobback, Annemie Neyts-Uyttebroeck, Norbert De Batselier, Marc Verwilghen, Karel De Gucht, Christian Leysen, Patrick Dewael, Frank Vanhecke, Bert Anciaux, Gunther Sleeuwagen, Jan Jambon, Maggie De Block, Hans Bonte, Florika Fink-Hooijer, Zoran Milanović, Bruno Tobback, Wouter Beke, Alexander De Croo, Tinne Van der Straeten, Zuhal Demir, Nadia Sminate, and Sammy Mahdi.

Athletes include Sébastien Godefroid, Emma Meesseman, Dirk Van Tichelt, Jürgen Roelandts, and Kathleen Smet.

Journalists from the university include Yves Desmet, Jean Mentens, Danira Boukhriss, and Tim Trachet.

Honorary doctorates

The university has awarded honorary doctorates to many respected figures, including Nelson Mandela, Daniel Barenboim, Hans Blix, Noam Chomsky, Kim Clijsters, Jacques Cousteau, Richard Dawkins, Dario Fo, Sonia Gandhi, Julia Gillard, Rom Harré, Václav Havel, Johann Olav Koss, Natan Ramet, Richard Stallman, and Herman van Veen.