Ghent University

Ghent University ( nl, Universiteit Gent, abbreviated as UGent) is a public research university located in Ghent, Belgium.

Established before the state of Belgium itself, the university was founded by the Dutch King William I in 1817, when the region was incorporated into the United Kingdom of the Netherlands after the fall of First French Empire. In that same year, he founded two other universities for the southern provinces as well, alongside Ghent University: University of Liège and State University of Leuven.

After the Belgian revolution of 1830, the newly formed Belgian state began to administer Ghent University. In 1930, UGent became the first Dutch-speaking university in Belgium. Previously, French (and, even earlier, Latin) had been the standard academic language in what was ''Université de Gand''. In 1991, it was granted major autonomy and changed its name accordingly from ''State University of Ghent'' ( nl, Rijksuniversiteit Gent, abbreviated as ''RUG'') to its current designation.

Located in Flanders, Ghent is one of the largest Belgian universities, consisting of 44,000 students and 9,000 staff members. The university also supports the Ghent University Library (including the famous Boekentoren) and the Ghent University Hospital, which is one of the biggest hospitals in Belgium. In addition to satellite campuses elsewhere in Flanders and a Global Campus in Songdo, South Korea, Ghent University maintains many inter-university partnerships and programs both inside and outside of Europe.

An avowedly research-driven and socially minded university, UGent consistently rates among the top 100 universities in the world. It is one of the greatest beneficiaries of funding from the Flemish research council. It was also among the Top 30 recipients of major research grants awarded by the European Research Council under the funding framework Horizon 2020 (2014–2020).

History

Foundation in the 19th century

Ghent was one of the largest and most important cities of Europe in the medieval period.

The university in Ghent was opened on 9 October 1817, with JC van Rotterdam as the first rector. The foundation of universities in Ghent, Liege, and Leuven that year – by the Dutch King William I – was part of a larger policy to stimulate academic lag across the southern provinces of the United Kingdom of the Netherlands (which would later become Belgium). The original four faculties comprised Humanities (Letters), Law, Medicine, and Science, with the language of instruction being Latin. In the first year, it had 190 students and 16 professors.

In the wake of the Belgian Revolution, of 1830, the number of students declined, having peaked at 414. Although the faculties of humanities and science were dissolved from the university, they were restored five years later, in 1835. At this time, French also became the language of instruction, taking the place of Latin.

Ghent University played a role in the foundation of modern organic chemistry. Friedrich August Kekulé unraveled the structure of benzene at Ghent and Adolf von Baeyer (Johann Friedrich Wilhelm Adolf von Baeyer), a student of August Kekulé, made contributions to organic chemistry.

In 1882, Sidonie Verhelst became the first female student at Ghent University, in science and pharmacology.

Developments in the 20th century

In 1903, the Flemish politician Lodewijk De Raet led a successful campaign to begin instruction in Dutch, and the first courses were begun in 1906.

During World War I, the occupying German administration conducted '' Flamenpolitik'' and turned Ghent University into the first Dutch-speaking university in Belgium. A Flemish Institute (''Vlaemsche Hoogeschool''), commonly known as Von Bissing University, was founded in 1916 but was disestablished after the war and French language was fully reinstated. In 1923, Cabinet Minister Pierre Nolf put forward a motion to definitively establish the university as a Dutch-speaking university, and this was realized in 1930. August Vermeylen served as the first rector of a Dutch-language university in Belgium.In the Second World War, the German administration of the university attempted to create a German orientation, removing faculty members and installing loyal activists.
In the postwar period, Ghent University became a much larger institution, following government policy of democratizing higher education in Flanders during the 1950s and 1960s. By 1953, there were more than 3,000 students, and by 1969 more than 11,500.

The number of faculties increased to eleven, starting with Applied Sciences in 1957. It was followed by Economics and Veterinary Medicine in 1968, Psychology and Pedagogy, as well as Bioengineering, in 1969, and Pharmaceutical Sciences.

In the 1960s, there were several student demonstrations at Ghent University, notably around the Blandijn site, which houses the Faculty of Arts & Philosophy. The most severe of demonstrations took place in 1969 in the wake of May 1968.

Since the end of the Cold War

In 1991, the university officially changed its name from ''Rijksuniversiteit Gent'' (RUG) to ''Universiteit Gent'' (UGent), following an increased grant of autonomy by the government of the Flemish Community. The faculty of Politics and Social Sciences is the most recent addition, in 1992.

Academic profile

Organisation and structure

Ghent University consists of eleven faculties with over 130 individual departments. In addition, the university maintains the Zwijnaarde science park and Greenbridge science park.

List of faculties

* 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
* Faculty of Political and Social Sciences

Library

Standing on the Blandijnberg, the Boekentoren houses the Ghent University Library, which contains nearly 3 million volumes. The university library has joined the Google Books Library Project. Among other notable collections, it preserves Papyrus 30, an early manuscript of the Greek New Testament.

The university is also a partner in the development of De Krook, the new public library and media center in the center of Ghent, opened in 2017.

Reputation & rankings

Ghent University consistently ranks among the top 100 universities in the world and, alongside the Catholic University of Leuven, the best in Belgium. In 2017, it was ranked, globally, 69th by the Academic Ranking of World Universities (or Shanghai ranking) and 125th by '' QS World University Rankings''. For 2021, Ghent University has been ranked, worldwide, 85th by U.S. News & World Report and 96th by '' Times Higher Education''.

International relations

The university maintains many partnerships within Belgium, across Europe, and throughout the world.

Inside Belgium, Ghent University supports the Belgian Co-ordinated Collections of Micro-organisms and the Vlaams Instituut voor Biotechnologie.

Within Europe, it is a member of the Santander Network, the Enlight (previously the U4) Network, and the 3i University Network. It also participates in the Conference of European Schools for Advanced Engineering Education and Research. In addition, the university cooperates with numerous universities for the Erasmus and Erasmus Mundus programs; within the framework of the latter, it heads the International Master of Science in Rural Development and the International Master of Science in Soils and Global Change (IMSOGLO).

Beyond Europe, Ghent University conducts exchange programs on all six continents. Frameworks include its campus in South Korea and its 3C Partnership.

Associated contributions and innovations

Ghent University has been instrumental in the development of COinS and Unipept.

Gallery

File:Rommelaere Instituut 2010PM 0261 21H7267.JPG, Rommelaere Instituut
File:Faculteit Rechtsgeleerdheid 2010PM 1120 21H8919.JPG, Law School
File:Rectoraat 2010PM 0217 21H7220.JPG, Rectorate
File:Plantentuin 2010PM 1080 21H8867.JPG, Botanical garden
File:Boekentoren ugent rozier 675.jpg, The Boekentoren, designed by Henry van de Velde, is one of the most famous university buildings
File:Technicum 2010PM 0223 21H7226.JPG, The Technicum, or Faculty of Engineering
File:Volderstraat aula UGent.jpg, Aula Academica
File:Faculteit Bio-ingenieurswetenschapppen 2010PM 0299 21H7326.JPG, Faculty of Bioengineering
File:Blandijn 2010PM 1039 21H8809.JPG, The Blandijn houses the Faculty of Letters and Philosophy
File:UGent Campus Kortrijk.png, UGent Campus in Kortrijk
File:Faculteit Psychologie UGent.JPG, Faculty of Psychology
File:Resto Overpoort 2010PM 0098 21H7081.JPG
File:Leeszaal 3.jpg, Library of the department of Architecture and Urbanism
File:Boekentoren ugent0103.jpg, Boekentoren
File:Boekentoren ugent0102.jpg, UGent Boekentoren
File:Faculteitsbibliotheek Letteren en Wijsbegeerte UGent.jpg, Library of the Humanities Faculty
File:Museum voor Dierkunde 2010PM 0413 21H7553.JPG, Museum of Zoology
File:Anatomisch Instituut - Bijlokesite 2010PM 0778 21H8528.JPG, Institute for Anatomy
File:Rectoraatsgebouw UGent.jpg, Rectorate
File:Voormalig restaurant Overpoort UGent.jpg
File:Gent Universiteitscampus Voldersstraat-PM 07207.jpg

People

File:Johan Heinrich Neuman - Johan Rudolf Thorbecke.jpg, Johan Rudolf Thorbecke, statesman
File:Henry.Pirenne.Portrait.gif, Henri Pirenne, historian
File:George de Hevesy.jpg, George de Hevesy, Nobel Prize winner in Chemistry
File:Maurice Maeterlinck 2.jpg, Maurice Maeterlinck, Nobel Prize winner in Literature
File:Corneille Heymans nobel.jpg, Corneel Heymans, Nobel Prize winner in Medicine
File:Belgisch-Nederlandse studieconferentie te Helvoirt (NB). Minister M. de Riemaeck, Bestanddeelnr 920-8362.jpg, Marguerite Legot, first female government minister in Belgium
File:Yaakov Dori2.jpg, Yaakov Dori, president of the Technion, Haifa
File:Suzanne Lilar.1980s.jpg, Suzanne Lilar, feminist writer
File:Marc van Montagu and Jozef Schell.jpg, Jozef Schell (right), molecular biologist
File:Marmont675.jpg, Marc van Montagu, molecular biologist
File:Robert Cailliau On Desk.jpg, Robert Cailliau, co-inventor of the World Wide Web
File:Guy Verhofstadt EP press conference 3.jpg, Guy Verhofstadt, politician
File:Rolin-Jacquemyn.jpg, Gustave Rolin-Jaequemyns, jurist and diplomat
File:Hélène Mallebrancke (1902-1940).jpg, Hélène Mallebrancke (1902-1940) Civil engineer and Belgian Resistance member in Second World War

Notable alumni

* Joseph Antoine Ferdinand Plateau (1801-1883), physicist, mathematician
* Abdoel Rivai (1871-1937), physician, journalist, the first native of the dutch east indies to obtain doctoral degree
* Leo Apostel (1925–1995), philosopher
* Leo Baekeland (1863–1944), chemist, inventor of Bakelite
* Wim Blockmans (born 1945), historian
* Thierry Bogaert, founder of DevGen
* Luc Bossyns, civil engineer
* Marc Bossuyt (born 1944), judge, professor
* Dries Buytaert (born 1978), computer scientist, founder of the Drupal CMS
* Robert Cailliau (born 1947), co-inventor of the World Wide Web
* Luc Coene (1947–2017), economy, governor of the National Bank of Belgium (NBB)
* Marc Coucke (born 1965), co-founder of Omega Pharma
* Martin De Prycker (born 1955), engineer
* Bertha De Vriese (1877–1958), first woman to enroll and graduate as a physician
* Franz Cumont (1868–1947), historian
* (1922–1992), gynecologist, best known as chocolate maker of the brands Leonidas and Daskalidès.
* Bert De Graeve (born 1955), law, businessman
* Michel de Kemmeter, author and researcher in human sustainable development
* Rudy Dekeyser, molecular biologist, assistant director of the VIB
* Arnoud De Meyer (presently) director of Judge Business School of the University of Cambridge
* Wim De Waele, economy and computer science, director of the IBBT
* Catherine de Zegher (born 1955), international curator, art critic, and art historian
* Martin Dobelle (1906–1986), veteran orthopedic surgeon
* Yaakov Dori (1899–1973), first chief of staff of the Israeli Defense Forces, president of the Technion – Israel Institute of Technology
* Paul Fredericq (1850–1920), historian
* Walter Fiers (1931–2019), molecular biologist
* Leopold Flam (1912–1995), historian, philosopher
* Dirk Frimout (born 1941), physicist, astronaut
* Derrick Gosselin (born 1956), engineer, economist, business manager
* Joseph Guislain (1797–1860), physiologist and psychiatrist
* Jacques-Joseph Haus (1796–1881), jurist
* Lucienne Herman-Michielsens (1926–1995), law, politician
* Philippe Herreweghe (born 1947), doctor, psychiatrist, orchestra conductor
* Corneille Heymans (1892–1968), physiologist ( Nobel prize winner)
* Jan Hoet, (1936–2014), art historian, museum director, founding director of the SMAK
* Mark Janse (born 1959), classicist and linguist
* Friedrich August Kekulé von Stradonitz (1829–1896), chemist
* Jaap Kruithof (1929–2009), philosopher
* Tom Lanoye (born 1958), philologist, writer
* François Laurent (1810–1887), jurist
* Marguerite Legot (1913–1977), jurist, first Belgian woman to serve as a government minister
* Yves Leterme (born 1960), prime minister of Belgium
* Emma Leclercq (1851–1933), cell biologist
* Herman Liebaers (1919–2010), writer, former Marschal of the Royal Household.
* Suzanne Lilar (born Suzanne Verbist) (1901–1992), philosopher, jurist, essayist, novelist
* Julius Mac Leod (1857–1919), botanist
* Maurice Maeterlinck (1862–1949), jurist, writer ( Nobel prize winner)
* Hélène Mallebrancke (1902–1940), first female Belgian civil engineer to graduate from the University of Ghent, Resistance member in Second World War
* Paul Mansion (1844–1919), mathematician
* Rudi Mariën, pharmacy, chairman of Innogenetics
* Gerard Mortier (1943–2014), artistic director
* Roland Peelman, conductor and musical director
* Jean-Pierre Nuel (1847–1920), physiologist
* Peter Piot (born 1949), doctor, assistant secretary-general of the United Nations
* Henri Pirenne (1862–1935), historian
* Karel Poma (1920–2014), chemist and politician
* Ockert Potgieter (1965-2021), missionary and film director
* Adolphe Quetelet (1796–1874), statistician
* Godfried-Willem Raes (born 1952), composer, performer and instrument maker
* Jacques Rogge (1942–2021), doctor, president of the International Olympic Committee
* Gustave Rolin-Jaequemyns (1835–1902), jurist, diplomat and cofounder of the Institut de droit international
* Jozef Schell (1935–2003), molecular biologist
* Ferdinand Augustijn Snellaert (1809–1872), physician and writer
* Luc Van den Bossche (born 1947), law, politician
* Guido van Gheluwe (1926–2014), jurist and founder of the Orde van den Prince
* Herman Vanderpoorten (1922–1984), politician
* Hugo Van Heuverswyn (born 1948) chemist, biotech pioneer and businessman
* Ann Van Gysel, zoology
* Dirk Van de Put, businessman, incoming CEO of Mondelez International
* Karel van de Woestijne (1878–1929), writer
* Henry van de Velde (1863–1957), architect
* Alexander Van Dijck, pioneer in rare diseases
* Prudens van Duyse (1804–1859), writer
* Paul van Geert (born 1950), psychologist
* Marc Van Montagu (born 1933), biotech pioneer
* Désiré van Monckhoven (1934–1882), physicist
* Jules Van Praet (1806–1887), statesman
* Willy van Ryckeghem (born 1935), economist
* Piet Vanthemsche (born 1955), veterinary surgeon
* Daniel Varoujan (1884–1915), Armenian poet
* Guy Verhofstadt (born 1953), former prime minister of Belgium, liberal European politician
* Dirk Verhofstadt (born 1955), publisher
* Etienne Vermeersch (1934–2019), philosopher
* Katrien Vermeire (born 1979), artist
* André Vlerick (1919–1990), economy
* Emile Waxweiler (1867–1916), engineer and sociologist
* Marc Zabeau (born 1949), zoology

Notable faculty

* S.N. Balagangadhara (born 1952), comparative science of cultures
* George de Hevesy (1885–1966), Nobel Prize winner, Chemistry
* François Laurent (1810–1887), historian and jurisconsult
* Jan De Maeseneer (born 1952), medicine, family medicine
* Georges De Moor (born 1953), medicine, medical informatics
* Walter Fiers (1931-2019), molecular biologist
* Corneille Heymans (1892–1968), physiologist ( Nobel prize winner)
* Joseph Plateau (1801–1883), physicist
* Xavier Saelens (born 1965), biotechnology
* Jeff Schell (1935–2003), biotech pioneer
* Erwin Schrödinger (1887–1961), physicist ( Nobel Prize winner), visiting scholar
* Johan Rudolf Thorbecke (1798–1872), statesman
* Marc Van Montagu (born 1933), biotech pioneer
* August Vermeylen (1872–1945), author, art historian, statesman
* Adolf von Baeyer (1835–1917), chemist (Nobel prize winner), visiting scholar
* August Kekulé (1829–1896), chemist

Rectors

* 1817–1818: Jean Charles Van Rotterdam
* 1818–1819:
* 1819–1820: Jean Baptiste Hellebaut
* 1820–1821:
* 1821–1822: François Egide Verbeeck
* 1822–1823: Jean Guillaume Garnier
* 1823–1824: Pierre De Ryckere
* 1824–1825: Louis Vincent Raoul
* 1825–1826: Jacques Louis Kesteloot
* 1826–1827: Jean Charles Hauff
* 1827–1828: Jacques Joseph Haus
* 1828–1829: Pierre Lammens
* 1829–1830:
* 1830–1831: Jacques Van Breda
* 1831–1832: Leopold Auguste Warnkoenig
* 1832–1833: François Verbeeck
* 1833–1834: Jacques Joseph Haus
* 1834–1835: Jacques Louis Kesteloot
* 1835–1838: Jacques Joseph Haus
* 1838–1839: Philippe Auguste De Rote
* 1839–1840:
* 1840–1841: Jean Timmermans
* 1841–1842: Josephus Nelis
* 1842–1843: Georg Wilhelm Rassmann
* 1843–1844: Charles Van Coetsem
* 1844–1845: Marie-Charles Margerin
* 1845–1846: Jean-Baptiste Minne-Barth
* 1846–1847: Joseph Roulez
* 1847–1848: François Verbeeck
* 1848–1852: Eloi Manderlier
* 1852–1855:
* 1855–1857: Constant-Philippe Serrure
* 1857–1864: Joseph Roulez
* 1864–1867: Jacques Joseph Haus
* 1867–1870:
* 1870–1873: Joseph Jean Fuerison
* 1873–1879:
* 1879–1885:
* 1885–1887: Jean-Jacques Kickx
* 1887–1891: Gustave Wolters
* 1891–1894: Adhémar Motte
* 1894–1897: Charles Van Cauwenberghe
* 1897–1900: Polynice Van Wetter
* 1900–1903:
* 1903–1906:
* 1906–1909: Hector Leboucq
* 1909–1912:
* 1912–1915: Henri Schoentjes
* 1916–1918: Pierre Hoffmann
* 1918–1919: Henri Schoentjes
* 1919–1921: Henri Pirenne
* 1921–1923: Eugène Eeman
* 1924–1927:
* 1927–1929: Camille De Bruyne
* 1929–1930:
* 1930–1933: August Vermeylen
* 1933–1936:
* 1936–1938:
* 1938–1939: Jean Haesaert
* 1939–1941: René Goubau
* 1940–1944:
* 1944–1947:
* 1947–1950:
* 1950–1953:
* 1953–1957:
* 1957–1961:
* 1961–1969:
* 1969–1973:
* 1973–1977:
* 1977–1981:
* 1981–1985:
* 1985–1993:
* 1993–2001:
* 2001–2005: Andreas De Leenheer
* 2005–2013: Paul Van Cauwenberge
* 2013–2017:
* 2017–2021:

Recipients of honorary doctorates

* J. G. ten Houten, Wageningen Agricultural University, Agricultural Sciences
* Mary Beard, University of Cambridge, Classics (2021)

See also

*
* Belgian Co-ordinated Collections of Micro-organisms (BCCM)
* Flanders Interuniversity Institute of Biotechnology (VIB)
* Ghent Bio-Energy Valley
* Ghent University Hospital (UZ Gent)
* Ghent University Museum (GUM)
* Greenbridge science park
* Interuniversity Microelectronics Centre (IMEC)
* Open access in Belgium
* Science and technology in Flanders
* University Foundation
* Zwijnaarde science park
* List of modern universities in Europe (1801–1945)
* List of universities in Belgium
* List of Jesuit sites

Notes and references

External links

*

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Universities in Belgium
Forestry education
Educational institutions established in 1817
Engineering universities and colleges in Belgium
Forestry in Belgium
1817 establishments in the Netherlands
William I of the Netherlands