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History, Affiliations, and Rankings
Ghent University began its journey in 1817 when King William I, as part of a policy to stem the intellectual and academic lag in the southern part of the United Kingdom of the Netherlands (later to become Belgium), established the University. In 1991, it officially changed its name from Rijksuniversiteit Gent to Universiteit Gent, following an increased grant of autonomy by the government of the Flemish Community. Today, it is not only one of the major universities in Belgium, but also a top 100 world university that educates 49,000+ students. The University is academically affiliated with CESAER, European Universities Association, The Guild, and the S Group. According to QS World University Rankings 2022 Ghent ranks #141, the Times Higher Education World University Rankings ranks the University #96, while the US News and World Report ranks it at #92 globally.
Infrastructure, Campuses, and Courses
Located in Flanders, Belgium, Ghent University is one of the largest universities in the Dutch language area. The University also has an international Global Campus, making it the first European University in Songdo, Korea. Ghent University consists of 11 Faculties with over 130 individual departments. In addition, the University maintains the Zwijnaarde Science Park and Greenbridge Science Park. The University has a Faculty of Arts and Philosophy, Faculty of Bio-science Engineering, Faculty of Law, Faculty of Sciences, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Faculty of Engineering and Architecture, Faculty of Economics and Business Administration, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Faculty of Psychology and Educational Sciences, Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, and Faculty of Political and Social Sciences. Over 200 courses are offered at the University that come along with in-depth research opportunities, especially within the scientific domains. Ghent University’s research innovations in Biotechnology, Microelectronics, Aquaculture, and History are recognized for excellence worldwide.
Accomplishments and Alumni
Since its establishment 205 years ago, Ghent University has had a long road of history and accomplishments. Ghent University supports the Belgian Coordinated Collections of Microorganisms and the Vlaams Instituut Voor Biotechnologie. It is a member of the Santander Network and the U4 Network. It also participates in the Conference of European Schools for Advanced Engineering Education and Research. Many notable alumni like Leo Baekeland (Chemist Inventor of Bakelite), Wim Blockmans (Historian), and Thierry Bogaert (Founder of DevGen) have graduated from the Ghent University.
Student Diversity and Visiting Companies
Over 14% of the student body of Ghent University comprises International students. More than 6,800 students from over 100 countries attend the University every year. It is from a total of more than 49,000 students. The Career Service Center of Ghent University offers many resources to the students and alumni for connecting with potential employers and creating a better CV and a Resume. The University hosts many career fairs for students to interact with employers, which include, Deloitte, UZ Ghent, Stad Ghent, KU Leuven, HOGENT and more.
