The University of Antwerp is a young, dynamic, publicly funded and fully accredited Belgian university. It was founded in 2003 after the merger of three smaller universities: UFSIA (Universitaire Faculteiten Sint-Ignatius Antwerpen), RUCA (Rijksuniversitair Centrum Antwerpen) and UIA (Universitaire Instelling Antwerpen). It integrates the assets of its historic roots with its ambition to contribute positively to society, carries out its tasks in a spirit of academic freedom and responsibility, and espouses active pluralism.
The University of Antwerp is characterised by its high standards in pioneering, creative and innovative scientific research which strives for international excellence. It stimulates both basic and applied research and their valorisation. It has 15 Centres of Excellence (CoE) across all scientific disciplines. The CoEs are international flagships, bringing together consortia of researchers of proven scientific quality and impact.
The University of Antwerp also offers excellent internationally accredited academic education – closely connected to its scientific research – to students from all social groups and of all generations. Students acquire knowledge about research results during lectures, through course materials and/or digital media. They gain a better insight by discussing research findings with each other and by writing papers about them. The university aims at the development and integration of knowledge, skills and attitudes that will prepare its students to take responsibility in society. Students are stimulated to develop into independently minded people who are capable of thinking analytically.
Moreover, the university provides student-based education and emphasises the development of competences. In addition tonknowledge and insight, these competences will also include particular skills and attitudes. Thanks to this competence-oriented education ts academic graduates are able to function successfully in professional environments.
The University of Antwerp is not an island: it builds bridges to secondary education, to industry and, by extension, to society as a whole, and stimulates public debate on scientific, social, philosophical and ethical questions. Furthermore, it is committed to the development of its city and region. With its partners in the Antwerp University Association, it takes responsibility for higher education in the Antwerp region. It also attaches great importance to its close, historic links with Antwerp University Hospital and Antwerp Management School. It seeks constructive partnerships in the fields of research, teaching and academic service to society. The university shares its expertise with both public and private partners.
The university has nine faculties: 1) Applied Engineering, 2) Arts, 3) Business and Economics, 4) Design Sciences, 5) Law, 6) Medicine and Healthm Sciences, 7) Pharmaceutical, Biomedical and Veterinary Sciences, 8) Social Sciences and 9) Science. Doctoral programmes are available in all faculties, with more than 1,800 PhD students registered.
The University of Antwerp has more than 20,000 fee-paying students.
About 4,000 of these students are from foreign countries, with about 130 different nationalities. In line with the Bologna process, the University of Antwerp has adopted the Bachelor-Master structure. It offers 3-year Bachelor programmes (180 ECTS credits) and 1-year or 2-year Master programmes (60 or 120 ECTS credits) – more than 140 in total.
The University of Antwerp has over 80,000 alumni. With over 6,000 members of staff, it is one of the most important employers in Antwerp, Flanders’ largest city. It fosters diversity and offers its staff and students equal opportunities and maximum potential for personal development.
A research driven university
Home to 21 000 students, 800 professors and lectures and 2800 researchers, the University of Antwerp is a middle-sized, research intensive university and a driver of the flourishing innovation ecosystem of Antwerp.
The University of Antwerp is a research intensive university, striving for excellence in its scientific research, which remains a cornerstone for high-quality education.
The University of Antwerp stands for activating, student centred and competence-based education. Its students are trained to become open-minded experts, who have the skills that are needed in today’s continually changing world and labour market. As a member of YUFE (Young Universities for the Future of Europe), the University of Antwerp is embedded in an international network. As a European university, it encourages expertise sharing and cooperation with their networks and other universities, across disciplines and borders, to a maximum positive social impact.
