Vrije Universiteit Brussel

The Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB) is a university where students can learn in Dutch and English. It is located in Brussels, Belgium. The university has four campuses in different parts of the city and nearby areas.

The Vrije Universiteit Brussel started in 1970. It came from the Free University of Brussels, which was founded in 1834. The founder wanted to create a university that was free from control by the government or the church. The university's motto is Scientia vincere tenebras, meaning "Conquering darkness through science".

The VUB is one of the leading universities in Belgium. It is open to students from Europe and the world. The university has eight faculties. These faculties teach many different subjects, such as natural sciences, classics, life sciences, social sciences, humanities, and engineering. The university offers programs for undergraduate and graduate students.

History

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

The Vrije Universiteit Brussel started from a university made in Brussels in 1834. At that time, 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 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. The school gets money from the government and also from other places like research projects and student fees.

The school has 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 is called the Rector. 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 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 courses are taught in Dutch, but 59 are also in English. The university uses the bachelor-master system, with bachelor's, master's, and doctoral degrees.

Students can join most courses without special rules. Some advanced courses need earlier degrees, like a bachelor's degree for a master's. There is also an exam for those who want 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.

The university is known around the world and appears in important 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 and respectful. The university follows the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, which helps people learn and grow by thinking freely. This means everyone can share ideas without 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 people who stood up for freedom long ago.

The university 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. It has many buildings made of concrete, 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 has courses and research in life sciences such as medicine, pharmacy, and dentistry.

The Brussels Technology Campus in Anderlecht opened in 2013. It shares space with another school and 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 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. Students can study at 160 different schools around the world.

Student life

The BSG is a group that helps students and looks after their interests. It works with a group at another university to hold a special event each year.

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 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. Some of them are Diederik Aerts, Kris Deschouwer, Paul Devroey, Francis Heylighen, Dave Sinardet, Luc Steels, Jean-Paul Van Bendegem, Willy van Ryckeghem, and Els Witte.

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, Ingrid Daubechies, Willy Gepts, Francis Heylighen, Steven Laureys, Pattie Maes, and Els Witte.

Artists from the university include Claude Coppens, André Delvaux, Fabienne Demal (also known as Axelle Red), and Erik Pevernagie.

Among business leaders are Tony Mary and Alexander De Croo.

Prominent politicians include Amir-Abbas Hoveyda, Willy Claes, Zoran Milanović, and Sammy Mahdi.

Athletes include Emma Meesseman and Kathleen Smet.

Journalists from the university include Danira Boukhriss and Tim Trachet.

Honorary doctorates

The university has awarded honorary doctorates to many respected figures, including Nelson Mandela, Daniel Barenboim, Noam Chomsky, Kim Clijsters, Richard Dawkins, Sonia Gandhi, Julia Gillard, Václav Havel, and Richard Stallman.