The 2020-2021 academic year was ravaged by the pandemic. VUB was obliged to adapt, but its scientists, staff and students performed brilliantly despite this, according to the 2020-2021 Facts & Figures. Through quality research, customised education and a strong social commitment, VUB took another step forward in that difficult year.
VUB again proved itself to be a strong European player in research and innovation in 2020-2021. The research budget grew from €117,833,727 to €148,232,239 – a huge 25.8% increase. Researchers adapted very quickly to the restrictions imposed during the pandemic. In the area of applied research, the VUB TechTransfer team provided high-quality support, mostly from home. More projects were handled and approved than ever before. The 173 research groups at VUB published 2,737 scientific articles.
VUB had 20,451 students in 2020-2021, of whom 4,668 were international. In the previous academic year, there were a total of 19,156 students. The number of employees also grew, from 4,042 to 4,261, including 2,749 academic members of staff.
While VUB had 116 fellows and 118 honorary fellows in 2019-2020, in 2020-2021 that grew to 143 and 152 respectively.
Spin-offs
In 2021, VUB had 43 active spin-offs and two new ones were launched: Abscint, a clinical-stage molecular imaging company developing antibody-based medical diagnostic methods, and Weave.ly, which enables non-engineers to build fully functional software prototypes.
UZ Brussel
VUB’s university hospital, UZ Brussel, also stood strong in this difficult year, with the number of consultations growing from 412,246 to 428,504, excluding emergency. Hospital staff numbers grew too: from 3,134 to 3,459.
In the 2020-2021 Facts & Figures you’ll learn all about the Vrije Universiteit Brussel: about our academic and support staff, our students, our campuses and our research. About our place in Brussels and the broader international context. Where we stand in global rankings. You name it. Our history and our milestones; the basis for our values today. About UZ Brussel and the pioneering science carried out there.
The complete 2020-2021 Facts & Figures can be found here.