Vrije Universiteit Brussel

About

Located in the heart of Brussels, Belgium, Vrije Universiteit Brussel is a dynamic, urban research institution renowned for its strong faculties in engineering, human sciences, and life sciences. The university offers a wide array of English-taught bachelor's and master's degree programs tailored specifically to a global audience, attracting a diverse student body from over 120 countries. International students benefit from a dedicated International Relations Office and the Etterbeek campus student services, which provide comprehensive support with housing, orientation, and administrative integration. What sets this institution apart is its distinctive "Brussels educational profile," which actively encourages critical thinking and leverages its unique European capital setting to offer policy-relevant research opportunities and international internships. The campus experience is intensely multicultural and urban, offering students a vibrant community life combined with direct access to European Union institutions and international policymaking bodies.

Background

The Vrije Universiteit Brussel (Dutch: [ˈvrɛiə ʔynivɛrsiˈtɛid ˈbrʏsəl] ; lit. 'Free University of Brussels'; abbreviated VUB) is a Dutch-speaking research university in Brussels, Belgium. It has four campuses: Brussels Humanities, Science and Engineering Campus (in Elsene), Brussels Health Campus (in Jette), Brussels Technology Campus (in Anderlecht) and Brussels Photonics Campus (in Gooik). The Vrije Universiteit Brussel emerged from the 1969 split of the Free University of Brussels, which was founded in 1834 by the lawyer and liberal politician Pierre-Théodore Verhaegen. The founder aimed to establish a university independent from state and church, where academic freedom would prevail. This is still reflected in the university's motto Scientia vincere tenebras, or "Conquering darkness through science", and in...

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