Vrije Universiteit Brussel
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| Motto | Scientia Vincere Tenebras (Conquering darkness through science) |
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| Established | 1970 |
| Type | Private |
| Rector | Benjamin Van Camp |
| Staff | 2,519 |
| Students | 9,229 |
| Location | Brussels, Belgium |
| Campus | Etterbeek and Jette |
| Affiliations | UNICA |
| Website | www.vub.ac.be |
The Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB) is a Flemish university situated in Brussels, Belgium. The university title means "Free University of Brussels". However, there is another Free University of Brussels, namely the French-speaking Université Libre de Bruxelles (ULB). Partly because of this, the school officially does not translate nor abbreviate its name.
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[edit] History
The Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB) is the offshoot of the French-speaking Université Libre de Bruxelles (ULB) that was founded in 1834 by a Brussels lawyer with Flemish origins, Pierre-Théodore Verhaegen. He wanted to establish a university that would be independent from the state and the church and where academic freedom would reign. Although some courses at the ULB's Faculty of Law were already being taught in Dutch in 1935, it was not until 1963 that almost all the faculties offered courses in Dutch. The Dutch-speaking university was finally split off from its French-speaking counterpart on 1969-10-01.
With the act of 1970-05-28, the Vrije Universiteit Brussel and the Université Libre de Bruxelles officially became two separate legal, administrative and scientific entities.
[edit] Basic Philosophy
The Vrije Universiteit Brussel is the only Flemish university that has incorporated the principle of free inquiry in its statutes. This principle is based on a text by the French mathematician and natural philosopher Henri Poincaré (1854-1912), in which he says that:
Thinking must never submit itself, neither to a dogma, nor to a party, nor to a passion, nor to an interest, nor to a preconceived idea, nor to anything whatsoever, except to the facts themselves, because for it to submit to anything else would be the end of its existence.
It is no surprise that the seal of the Vrije Universiteit Brussel bears the legend 'scientia vincere tenebras' (conquering the darkness through science). The beggar's wallet and the joined hands on the orange-white-blue escutcheon in the emblem (the colours of the Prince of Orange) refer to the struggle of the Protestant Gueux and the Prince of Orange against the Spanish rule and the Inquisition in the 16th Century. The combination of the legend, wallet and joined hands symbolises the free and unfettered spirit of the Vrije Universiteit Brussel.
Another basic principle, also incorporated in the university statutes of the Vrije Universiteit Brussel, is that the institution must be managed according to the model of democracy. In concrete terms, this means that all echelons, from professors and assistants over researchers, students, administrative staff and technical personnel, are represented on all its governing bodies. Thus the university guarantees that every echelon has a voice in its decision-making processes and participates in its management.
[edit] Campus
Most of the faculties are located on the campus Etterbeek (which is actually located on the territory of the neighbouring borough of Elsene), it is the liveliest of the two campuses. The activities mainly take place in the numerous auditoriums and labs. In addition, there is a modern sports centre with various rooms for sporting activities, a football pitch encircled by a running track and an on-campus swimming pool. For eating out, there is not just the student restaurant, but also some snack bars ('t Complex, Opinio, Kultuurkaffee).
The campus in Jette is also a fully-fledged campus. The University Hospital (AZ-VUB) is in the vicinity. All medical courses and research, the so-called life sciences (medicine, pharmacy, dentistry, the biomedical and paramedical sciences) take place here.
[edit] Education
The Vrije Universiteit Brussel offers 129 study courses, of which 27 are taught in English. During the academic year 2003-2004, it also organised 75 short-term post-academic training courses for professionals.
[edit] Faculties
- Faculty of Arts and Philosophy
- Faculty of Law and Criminology
- Faculty of Economics, Social and Political Sciences and the Solvay Business School
- Faculty of Psychology and Education Sciences
- Faculty of Sciences
- Faculty of Medicine and Pharmacy
- Faculty of Engineering
- Faculty of Physical Education and Physical Therapy
- Department of Teacher Training
[edit] Institutional cooperation
The Vrije Universiteit Brussel cooperates with several institutions of higher education. They are:
- Université Libre de Bruxelles
- UNICA, the Institutional Network of the UNIversities from the CApitals of Europe
- The University of Kent (Brussels School of International Studies)
- Vesalius College, an anglophone institution sharing the VUB campus
- Erasmushogeschool Brussel (together with the Vrije Universiteit Brussel they make up the Brussels University Association)
- Brussels Chamber of Commerce
- UCOS, the University Development Cooperation Centre
- XIOS Hogeschool Limburg and Provinciale Hogeschool Limburg
- Royal Military Academy
- Higher Institute for Re-adaptation Sciences Louvain
- Worldwide, on the international level the Vrije Universiteit Brussel has concluded institutional collaboration agreements with 38 universities all over the world, and student exchange agreements with 160 universities
[edit] Notable alumni
[edit] Scientists & Academics
- Willy Gepts (1922-1991)
- Leo Apostel (1925-1995)
- Clement Hiel (1952-)
- Christine Van den Wyngaert (1952-)
- Jean Bourgain (1954-)
- Ingrid Daubechies (1954-)
- Raymond Hamers
- Pattie Maes
- Jan Danckaert
[edit] Artists
- André Delvaux (1926-2002)
- Jef Geeraerts (1930-)
- Erik Pevernagie (1939)
- Fabienne Demal (Axelle Red) (1968-)
[edit] Politicians
- Louis Tobback (1938-)
- Annemie Neyts (1944-)
- Norbert De Batselier (1947-)
- Karel De Gucht (1954-)
- Patrick Dewael (1955-)
- Frank Vanhecke (1959-)
- Bert Anciaux (1959-)
[edit] Notable faculty
- Els Witte
- Hugo Soly
- Catharina Lis
- Jean-Paul Van Bendegem
- Francis Heylighen
- Luc Steels
- Irina Veretennicoff
[edit] See also
- Center Leo Apostel
- List of universities in Belgium
- Université libre de Bruxelles
- Flemish Interuniversity Institute of Biotechnology (VIB)
- Interuniversity Microelectronics Centre (IMEC)
[edit] External links
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| Flemish : UA | VUB | KU Brussel | UGent | UHasselt / tUL | K.U.Leuven/KULAK | FCSR | ETF | |
| Francophone : FPMs | FUCAM | FUNDP | FUSL | FUSAGx | UCL | ULB | ULg | UMH | |
| Bilingual : Brussels Faculty for Protestant Theology | Royal Military Academy | |
| English : BSIS | VeCo | Coleurop | UNU/CRIS | |
