University College Ghent is one of the 17 university colleges in Flanders. It was founded in 1995 when thirteen institutes of higher education merged. In 2001, a second merger took place to form University College Ghent as we know it today. In 2003, University College Ghent became part of the Ghent University Association, a cooperative body of universities and university colleges. The governing bodies of University College Ghent are the Board of Governors, the President, the Executive Board, the Principal, the Deans and the Faculty Councils.
Faculties
University College Ghent consists of three faculties and one School of Arts. Each of these entities is led by a dean, who is responsible for the day-to-day management of his or her faculty.
University College Ghent is a modern urban university college located throughout the city of Ghent. There are also campuses in the neighbouring cities of Aalst and Melle.
Student facilities and services
Student facilities include libraries, concert halls, learning centres, research and study centres, a 3,000 m² sports centre and much more. Additionally, University College Ghent offers its students a complete range of student services, from housing and catering to student jobs, cultural events and medical assistance. All these services are centrally organized by the Office for Student Services and Student Life.
Study programmes
University College Ghent offers a wide range of bachelor and master programmes in the following fields of study:
Five of the study programmes are taught exclusively in English. These programmes are specifically organized for foreign exchange students, but they are also open to Belgian students.
Furthermore, University College Ghent also offers a wide variety of follow-up programmes.
Research and service provision
Besides focusing on education, University College Ghent also continues to stress the importance of research and service provision. The multi-sector learning environment has a strong research tradition and boasts a number of research groups whose excellence is recognized internationally. Nearly 414 researchers are actively involved in more than 110 research projects.
Funding
In 2008, University College Ghent’s research funds totalled €13 million, an increase of €2 million euros on the previous year.
International
Each University College Ghent faculty has cooperation agreements with a number of partner institutions, amounting to 250 bilateral agreements with institutions from 26 European countries.
Arts
Art faculties
The School of Arts at University College Ghent encompasses the former Royal Academy of Fine Arts, founded in 1741 and merged into the university in 1995, and the Royal Conservatory. Concerts and exhibitions are organized throughout the academic year.
The Royal Conservatory was one of the sixteen cultural institution merged into the University in 1995, with a history and heritage in its own right. The founding director was Martin-Joseph Mengal, in 1835. Notable students and faculty at the conservatory have included François-Auguste Gevaert, who studied directly under Mengal in 1841, Paul-Henri-Joseph Lebrun, who studied here and became a professor, and Edouard Potjes, who served as professor of piano for 22 years.
Art library
At the Faculty of Music and Drama, the art library will be moved and expanded in the course of 2009-2010. This is a very important step in the creation of a stimulating working environment for both artists and art students. Moreover, in 2010, University College Ghent will have a new and professional exhibition infrastructure for artistic productions.
''A Prior''
A Prior is an international magazine for contemporary art, published by the Faculty of Fine Arts. It is one of the media through which the activities and research at the Faculty of Fine Arts are communicated.
