Prof. dr. Romain Meeusen, Vice Rector Internationalisation
Ranked as one of the world’s top comprehensive universities with a history spanning 180 years, the VUB combines award-winning research and accredited English and Dutch-taught study programmes (Bachelors, Masters and PhDs) with high impact on social, economic and cultural innovation.
At the VUB, students and professors work closely together. We coach our students to become open-minded world citizens, with a strong commitment towards sustainable humanistic societal values. Our graduates are well prepared for professional careers in an increasingly multilingual and international environment. An independent research attitude, as well as a multidisciplinary, international and intercultural environment are key features in the VUB’s ambition to be an open, international university platform. Our expertise and strategic position at the heart of Europe makes us an ideal partner for excellent research and education with a wide outlook on Europe and the world.
- Professor Romain Meeusen, Vice Rector Internationalisation
Listen to what some of our international students have to say on why they choose Brussels and the VUB for their studies. Here's an overview of all available courses in English: www.vub.ac.be/en/programmes
The VUB is 182 in the QS World University Rankings
VUB is one of Europe's most innovative universities, appearing in 48th position in Reuters' top 100 European list of most innovative universities.
Check out the listing for the U-Multirank
Brussels is 45th in QS Best Student Cities ranking. When asked to name the best thing about studying in Brussels, one student commented: “The diversity of people and the many internship and job opportunities.” - read on to the full story
The VUB Info Day will take place on Sunday 28 April on our Brussels Humanities, Engineering & Sciences campus, pleinlaan 2, 1050 Brussels. You can find our international colleagues and those managing the welcome refugee programme and the InCAMPUS project at the Study Guidance centre in Building F, from 10:00-15:00. Drop by and ask all your questions!
The Master and More Fair in Duesseldorf, Germany is where you can find us on 17 May 2019. Find out what English-taught courses we have on offer.
In addition, you can email us at international.relations@vub.ac.be to set up a skype call with one of our recruiters to answer any questions you have. Just email us the topics you want to discuss and we'll set up a time for a chat.
Large VUB delegation visits Bolivia to further research cooperation, as well as staff and student mobility. The trip comes after an agreement was signed between VUB and the Comité Ejecutivo de la Universidad Boliviana (CEUB) last year.
The LEAD2 Project Launched! Capacity Building in Higher Education project supported by the Erasmus+ programme runs from January 2019-January 2022
VUB strenghtens ties with the Université Internationale de Rabat in Morocco: From Monday 11 till Thursday 14 February two colleagues from the VUB International Relations office will be spending time at the Université Internationale de Rabat (UIR) in Morocco. It’s part of an Erasmus+ staff mobility project.
Sign For My Future - VUB joins the Belgian climate coalition's call, Sign for my future, for a strong climate policy. Rector Caroline Pauwels is ambassador of the campaign and calls on all Belgian residents - and VUB-people in particular - to collect as many signatures as possible. With this call, and by organising a climate lesson-marathon for young people and a bootcamp for professionals, the Vrije Universiteit Brussel puts climate high on its agenda. Sign the petition if you live in Belgium!
Researchers from VUB and NASA's JPL studied global-scale dispersal and connectivity of mangroves: Their findings, which have been published recently in PNAS, provide a baseline to improve understanding of observed mangrove species distributions and, in combination with climate data, the expected range shifts under climate change.
VUB Launches new European University Alliance 'EUTOPIA' with 5 partners: VUB joins forces with five other European universities for structural international collaboration on education and research.
Discover what the International Relations office got up to in 2018 by checking out our 2018 Highlights in Pictures booklet!
VUB International Relations Office launches call for internationalisation activities organised by VUB Students: The objective is to provide funding for students to organise events related to internationalisation. This means events which,
=> enhance the international spirit of the VUB
=> contribute to the concept of an international campus
=> build capacity on international and intercultural skills within the VUB community
=> contribute to the mix of international and local students.
Albinism in Tanzania: fighting ingrained beliefs and reducing stigma - A one-day conference on 25 October looking at stigma, stigma reduction strategies & fostering future collaborations
VUB hosted ESN Citizens' Dialogue event with EU Commissioner Navracsics, and other high-level representatives from the EU Institutions. Critical thinking vital in fostering active citizenship among Europe's youth
WisePocket app, a spin-off of the VUB and the Universidad de Oriente, Cuba win Digital for Development (D4D) Prize. The award was for most promising innovative idea in the category iStartup.
VUB hosts Latin American visitors for a working week on internationalisation - 14 RIESAL Network members will also join VUB's Latin America Day.
VUB International Relations office organises the 1st Latin America Day on campus
GLOBAL MINDS 2019: CALLS ARE OPEN!
New Vice Rector for International Relations: The VUB Board of Directors appoints Prof dr Romain Meeussen as new Vice Rector for Internationalisation.
Joint EU-Japan statement following the first EU-Japan policy dialogue in education, culture and sport: The meeting was also the occasion for Commissioner Navracsics and Minister Hayashi to launch two new Japan-EU joint initiatives: (1) A joint call for proposals to co-finance consortia of excellent European and Japanese universities to develop highly integrated master programmes and provide scholarships for talented students from Europe and Japan to study abroad. The joint call will be published in the framework of the EU Erasmus Mundus Joint Master Degree action and the Japan Inter-University Exchange Project (IUEP). (2) A short-term staff-exchange programme for EU and MEXT officials to promote peer-learning and boost cooperation.
VUB Alumnus becomes VUB Fellow: Dr James Kairo, an ambassador of mangroves: Mangroves are rapidly degrading and disappearing around the world. This is of serious concern to Dr James Kairo, who has been put forward as a VUB Fellow in recognition of his unique work studying and protecting mangroves.
VUB high on list of innovative universities in Europe - Vrije Universiteit Brussel is the third Flemish university on Reuter’s prestigious list of most innovative universities in Europe. This year, VUB moves up one place from 48th to 47th. It reafirms VUB’s decision to sustainably invest more in innovation.
The ISP is an advisory committee to the Student Council of the VUB. The International Student Platform represents the interests of international students who come from 129 countries around the world. This student structure takes on any issue the VUB's international students may face. The ISP, which consists of a group of 12 international students, plays an active part in the decision-making process at the VUB.
VUB coordinates or is a partner in several international projects.
Some projects below…
In 2016 VUB started a project on Arabic language courses for children between 6-15 years old. It is the first secular Arabic language course in Belgium with academic supervision. The curriculum is checked by specialists and PhD experts in Arabic language. As a non-profit programme only the material is charged (80 EUR per school year). Each lesson contains extra learning activities next to the regular teaching, such as games, Arabic songs etc. Students will receive a certificate of attendance by VUB. A video was made (in English) to showcase the classes and the reason why the VUB is coordinating this project. Check out the website page for more information on the classes and to register. More information on the project and to fund it is available on the VUB Foundation webpages.
Arabic is a world language. To provide them with a secular learning platform, the VUB in collaboration with UCOS and de Scholengroep, set up these courses to give youngsters in Brussels the opportunity to learn Arabic in a well-founded and qualitative manner.
The LEAD2 project a Capacity Building in Higher Education project supported by the Erasmus+ programme. The aims of the LEAD2 project are to: Strengthen the capacity of higher education institutions in governance and academic leadership; Enhance the knowledge and capacities of academic leaders and potential academic leaders on university governance and leadership; Implement innovative and targeted blended training (MOOC, workshops & peer learning) for academic leaders; Deepen the understanding of university governance and academic leadership through comparative studies; Create an online Knowledge Base, Referencing Tool & Networks; Establish an EU-China Center on University Leadership. The project is coordinated by VUB .
CARIBU is an Erasmus Mundus Action 2 (EMA2) partnership programme which aims to increase academic mobility, research and capacity-building opportunities between 8 EU universities and 12 countries from the African, Caribbean & Pacific region. The project creates a forum for mutual scientific cooperation, learning enhancement and exchange of best practices. All partners strive to meet the needs of the countries involved, including the support to disadvantaged regions, with special attention given to equal opportunities and gender balance.
The main goal of the Sport Physical Education And Coaching in Health (SPEACH) Project is to increase awareness and behavioural change in sports professionals and European citizens towards an active and healthy lifestyle.
The overall objective of EUCA INVEST is to strengthen the culture of entrepreneurship and creativity within Higher Education in Georgia and Kyrgyzstan. Higher education institutions should become actively interested parties for socio-economic development by strengthening the collaboration between the "corporate mindset" of the University and the "academic involvement" of the industry.
Wednesday 20 June 2018 is World Refugee Day. The Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB) has a long history of welcoming refugees and encourages those with an academic background or academic ambition to make use of the various opportunities offered on campus. In 2015 the Student Welcome Refugee Programme was set up at the university to provide support to those wishing to pursue their studies. in 2018 VUB also launched the InCAMPUS programme with additional support for some 20 refugee students.
#WEAREVUB #WithRefugees #WorldRefugeeDay
Global challenges require going beyond the borders of individual institutions. The VUB therefore supports international relationships emerging from bottom-up initiatives from within the academic community, but also builds institutional partnerships with leading like-minded partners. Our relationship with each partner is unique, but fits into the three levels of the VUB’s mission: research, education and societal impact creation.
Education: individual or group student mobility; staff mobility and international guest lecturers; joint curriculum development; double or joint diploma programmes; summer schools.
Research: collaborative research projects; joint PhDs; international joint research groups.
Societal impact: societal outreach; knowledge and technology transfer; incubator facilities; interregional development.
Strategic partners with whom the VUB has exceptionally strong alliances at these three levels, with an ongoing commitment for expanding the collaboration to several disciplines and faculties, are considered Privileged International Partners (PIP). Northwestern Polytechnical University in Xi’an, China, is the VUB’s first PIP.
Check out the map showing European mobility intensive partnerships.
EUTOPIA is a challenge-led, student-centred, place-based inclusive alliance of entrepreneurial, change focused universities. The EUTOPIA alliance brings together 6 universities in Europe and unites over:
165,000 students - 30,000 members of staff - 90,000 international alumni. With research centres in 760 areas, EUTOPIA’s expertise spans multiple areas, highlighting the network’s breadth of knowledge.
UNICA is an institutional network of 46 universities from 35 capital cities in Europe, combining over 150,000 staff and 1,800,000 students.
The European University Association (EUA) is the representative organisation of universities and national rectors’ conferences in 47 European countries. EUA plays a crucial role in the Bologna Process and in influencing EU policies on higher education, research and innovation. Thanks to its interaction with a range of other European and international organisations EUA ensures that the independent voice of European universities is heard, wherever decisions are being taken that will impact on their activities.
The European Institute for Advanced Studies in Management (EIASM) is an international network for management research and teaching that includes more than 50,000 management scientists from all over the world. EIASM's mission is to enhance high quality in research and doctoral studies in management and related disciplines.
Scholars at Risk works with its global network of higher education institutions around the world to arrange temporary research and teaching positions for threatened scholars.
Top Industrial Managers for Europe (T.I.M.E.) is a network of fifty-three engineering schools, faculties and technical universities. The oldest European network of engineering schools in its field, the T.I.M.E. Association promotes graduate student exchanges and double degrees throughout Europe and the world to enable students to achieve a broader, high-level scientific engineering education with in-depth intercultural experience.
Membership of the Universities Against the Death Penalty Network implies the conscientious application of member universities’ moral and intellectual weight and voice. It is a statement of support for the abolition of the death penalty worldwide. Network members lend their name to the struggle.
See below a selection of knowledge hubs active at VUB
The heart of Europe can without any doubt be considered as one of the most creative places on Earth. Painters, video artists, fashion designers, musicians, choreographers, film directors, … living and working in Belgium and its capital Brussels, are among the most respected masters in their specific domain, worldwide.
Our experiences of the last years - particularly in the Far East - in tight collaboration with Belgian and Flemish artists made it clear that this creative potential can serve as an excellent instrument for the promotion of Belgium and its regions as a place in the world that is driven by a unique form of innovation and creativity. A project methodology applying a special grass-roots approach was developed. The preparation of each project starts with the development of a human network in each city, connecting local artists, curators, universities and business people. This methodology, which must be understood as intertwining cultural and academic diplomacy, comes with the surprising effect that the opening of an exhibition becomes at the same time the celebration of a first constructive phase of a relationship. All events are fine-tuned to local interests, putting talented contemporary artists, belonging to different cultures, in the spotlight while combining artistic creation with academic reflection centred around thematically challenging and appealing themes. There is always an educational aspect linked to the events, involving students in the arts.
For general enquiries: international.relations@vub.be
Romain Meeusen, Vice-Rector International Relations
Jacqueline Couder, Director International Relations office
Ingrid Bauwens
Carine Steenwinckels
Steven Verhulst
Rita Vynck
Patrick Boeckstijns, Social services
Hilde De Haseleer, Data management & international scholarships
Vincent Spiessens, Finance
Arlind Cara
Adriana Moreno Cely
Sanne Clynhens
Francoise De Cupere
Martine Gheysen
Jannes Motmans
Email incoming exchange students: exchange.incoming@vub.ac.be
Email outgoing exchange students: exchange.outgoing@vub.ac.be
Email: erasmusprojects@vub.be
Marie Aurousseau
Emilie Flambeaux
Laura Gruyaert
Ann-Sophie Vanderschueren
Sander Verhoef
Daisy Bocchi, International marketing & recruitment
Kim Hardie, International communications
Diana Kentsch, International data governance
Xiaohong Tong, International marketing & recruitment + VUB China Network
Annabel Van Damme
Email: refugee@vub.ac.be
Email: incampus@vub.ac.be
Khaola Al Rifai
Tahaney Kattash
Email: bda@vub.be
URL: www.brusselsdiplomaticacademy.eu
Delia Barbu
Gunter Gaublomme
Cailin Mackenzie
Email: arabic.class@vub.be
Sami Azar
Mujadhed Ibrahim Hattab
+ Teachers: Hala Aboud, Rita Khayat, Roula Murjane, Rola Ibrahim, Nemah Morjanah, and Abdulmuhimn Othman.
Email: vub-ci@vub.ac.be
Maarten Gernay
Eugenia Marchetti
Xinning Song
Chang Zhu
