Belgium (Ghent University)

Ghent University is a pluralistic university open to all, regardless of ideological, political, cultural or social background. Our credo is ‘Dare to Think’. Ghent University was founded in 1817. In 2017, Ghent University celebrated its 200th anniversary. As a top 100 university with more than 47,000 students and 15,000 staff members, we are one of the largest universities in the Dutch language area, located in Flanders, Belgium.

Our 11 faculties offer more than 200 courses and conduct in-depth research within a wide range of scientific domains. Several of our research groups, centres and institutes are renowned worldwide, in disciplines such as biotechnology, aquaculture, microelectronics, history. You will find many eminent scientists among our alumni, such as Nobel Prize winners Corneel Heymans and Maurice Maeterlinck, Leo Baekeland, Joseph Guislain, Walter Fiers, Marc Van Montagu, … as well as prominent people such as Robert Cailliau (pioneer of the Internet), Dirk Frimout (astronaut), Peter Piot (United Nations) or Jacques Rogge (former president IOC).

In comparison with other European universities, the Ghent Alma Mater is relatively young. The institution was inaugurated on October 9th, 1817, after King William I had proclaimed the establishment of three universities in the Southern Netherlands in the preceding year.