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Ghent University ( nl, Universiteit Gent, abbreviated as UGent) is a
public In public relations and communication science, publics are groups of individual people, and the public (a.k.a. the general public) is the totality of such groupings. This is a different concept to the sociology, sociological concept of the ''Öf ...
research university A research university or a research-intensive university is a university that is committed to research as a central part of its mission. They are the most important sites at which knowledge production occurs, along with "intergenerational kn ...
located in
Ghent Ghent ( nl, Gent ; french: Gand ; traditional English: Gaunt) is a city and a municipality in the Flemish Region of Belgium. It is the capital and largest city of the East Flanders province, and the third largest in the country, exceeded i ...
,
Belgium Belgium, ; french: Belgique ; german: Belgien officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a country in Northwestern Europe. The country is bordered by the Netherlands to the north, Germany to the east, Luxembourg to the southeast, France to ...
. 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 The United Kingdom of the Netherlands ( nl, Verenigd Koninkrijk der Nederlanden; french: Royaume uni des Pays-Bas) is the unofficial name given to the Kingdom of the Netherlands as it existed between 1815 and 1839. The United Netherlands was cr ...
after the fall of
First French Empire The First French Empire, officially the French Republic, then the French Empire (; Latin: ) after 1809, also known as Napoleonic France, was the empire ruled by Napoleon Bonaparte, who established French hegemony over much of continental E ...
. In that same year, he founded two other universities for the southern provinces as well, alongside Ghent University:
University of Liège The University of Liège (french: Université de Liège), or ULiège, is a major public university of the French Community of Belgium based in Liège, Wallonia, Belgium. Its official language is French. As of 2020, ULiège is ranked in the ...
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 French (french: français(e), link=no) may refer to: * Something of, from, or related to France ** French language, which originated in France, and its various dialects and accents ** French people, a nation and ethnic group identified with Franc ...
(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 Flanders (, ; Dutch: ''Vlaanderen'' ) is the Flemish-speaking northern portion of Belgium and one of the communities, regions and language areas of Belgium. However, there are several overlapping definitions, including ones related to cultu ...
, 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 Ghent University Library ( nl, Universiteitsbibliotheek Gent) is located in the city of Ghent, Belgium. It serves the university community of students and scholarly researchers. History After Ghent University was founded in 1817, books confisca ...
(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 The Framework Programmes for Research and Technological Development, also called Framework Programmes or abbreviated FP1 to FP9, are funding programmes created by the European Union/European Commission to support and foster research in the Europea ...
(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 The United Kingdom of the Netherlands ( nl, Verenigd Koninkrijk der Nederlanden; french: Royaume uni des Pays-Bas) is the unofficial name given to the Kingdom of the Netherlands as it existed between 1815 and 1839. The United Netherlands was cr ...
(which would later become Belgium). The original four faculties comprised Humanities (Letters), Law, Medicine, and Science, with the language of instruction being
Latin Latin (, or , ) is a classical language belonging to the Italic languages, Italic branch of the Indo-European languages. Latin was originally a dialect spoken in the lower Tiber area (then known as Latium) around present-day Rome, but through ...
. 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 (; 31 October 1835 – 20 August 1917) was a German chemist who synthesised indigo and developed a nomenclature for cyclic compounds (that was subsequently extended and adopted as part of the IUPAC org ...
(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 World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was List of wars and anthropogenic disasters by death toll, one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, ...
, the occupying German administration conducted ''
Flamenpolitik ''Flamenpolitik'' ( German; "Flemish policy") is the name for certain policies pursued by German authorities occupying Belgium during World War I and World War II. The ultimate goal of these policies was the dissolution of Belgium into separate ...
'' 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 August Vermeylen (12 May 1872, in Brussels – 10 January 1945, in Uccle) was a Belgian writer and literature critic. In 1893 he founded the literary journal '' Van Nu en Straks'' (''Of Today and Tomorrow''). He studied history at the Free Univ ...
served as the first rector of a Dutch-language university in Belgium.In the
Second World War World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposi ...
, 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 Flemish Community ( nl, Vlaamse Gemeenschap ; french: Communauté flamande ; german: Flämische Gemeinschaft ) is one of the three institutional communities of Belgium, established by the Belgian constitution and having legal responsibilitie ...
. The faculty of
Politics Politics (from , ) is the set of activities that are associated with making decisions in groups, or other forms of power relations among individuals, such as the distribution of resources or status. The branch of social science that studies ...
and
Social Sciences Social science is one of the branches of science, devoted to the study of societies and the relationships among individuals within those societies. The term was formerly used to refer to the field of sociology, the original "science of so ...
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 Blandijnberg is a 29m high hill in the city center of Ghent in East Flanders, Belgium. History The Blandijnberg was already inhabited in prehistoric times. In the 3rd century AD. there was a Gallo-Roman villa on the hill, owned by a person ...
, the Boekentoren houses the
Ghent University Library Ghent University Library ( nl, Universiteitsbibliotheek Gent) is located in the city of Ghent, Belgium. It serves the university community of students and scholarly researchers. History After Ghent University was founded in 1817, books confisca ...
, which contains nearly 3 million volumes. The university library has joined the Google Books Library Project. Among other notable collections, it preserves
Papyrus 30 Papyrus 30 (in the Gregory-Aland numbering), designated by 𝔓30, is an early copy of the New Testament in Greek. It is a papyrus manuscript of the Pauline epistles, it contains only 1 Thess 4:12-5:18. 25-28; 2 Thess 1:1-2; 2:1.9-11. The m ...
, 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 University of Leuven or University of Louvain (french: Université de Louvain, link=no; nl, Universiteit Leuven, link=no) may refer to: * Old University of Leuven (1425–1797) * State University of Leuven (1817–1835) * Catholic University of L ...
, 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 ''QS World University Rankings'' is an annual publication of university rankings by Quacquarelli Symonds (QS). The QS system comprises three parts: the global overall ranking, the subject rankings (which name the world's top universities for th ...
''. For 2021, Ghent University has been ranked, worldwide, 85th by U.S. News & World Report and 96th by ''
Times Higher Education ''Times Higher Education'' (''THE''), formerly ''The Times Higher Education Supplement'' (''The Thes''), is a British magazine reporting specifically on news and issues related to higher education. Ownership TPG Capital acquired TSL 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 The Belgian Co-ordinated Collections of Micro-organisms (BCCM) is a Belgian government funded consortium of seven scientific institutions, who manage and exploit a collection of microbial and genetic resources. The consortium comprises more than 26 ...
and the Vlaams Instituut voor Biotechnologie. Within Europe, it is a member of the
Santander Network The SGroup - Universities in Europe network (SGroup), previously called Santander, is a non-profit association of universities incorporated in Spain. It was founded in 1992. Members ;Armenia * Yerevan State Medical University - Associate Memb ...
, 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 CESAER is a non-profit association of universities of science and technology in Europe. CESAER was founded on 10 May 1990, seated in the Castle of Arenberg in Leuven, Belgium. The association has 58 universities of science and technology in 26 ...
. In addition, the university cooperates with numerous universities for the
Erasmus Desiderius Erasmus Roterodamus (; ; English: Erasmus of Rotterdam or Erasmus;''Erasmus'' was his baptismal name, given after St. Erasmus of Formiae. ''Desiderius'' was an adopted additional name, which he used from 1496. The ''Roterodamus'' w ...
and
Erasmus Mundus The European Union's Erasmus Mundus programme (named after Erasmus, the Renaissance scholar) aims to enhance quality in higher education through scholarships and academic co-operation between the EU and the rest of the world. The three main objec ...
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 Henry Clemens van de Velde (; 3 April 1863 – 15 October 1957) was a Belgian painter, architect, interior designer, and art theorist. Together with Victor Horta and Paul Hankar, he is considered one of the founders of Art Nouveau in Belgium.' ...
, 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 Joseph Antoine Ferdinand Plateau (14 October 1801 – 15 September 1883) was a Belgian physicist and mathematician. He was one of the first people to demonstrate the illusion of a moving image. To do this, he used counterrotating disks with repe ...
(1801-1883), physicist, mathematician * Abdoel Rivai (1871-1937), physician, journalist, the first native of the
dutch east indies The Dutch East Indies, also known as the Netherlands East Indies ( nl, Nederlands(ch)-Indië; ), was a Dutch colony consisting of what is now Indonesia. It was formed from the nationalised trading posts of the Dutch East India Company, whic ...
to obtain
doctoral degree A doctorate (from Latin ''docere'', "to teach"), doctor's degree (from Latin ''doctor'', "teacher"), or doctoral degree is an academic degree awarded by universities and some other educational institutions, derived from the ancient formalism '' ...
* Leo Apostel (1925–1995), philosopher * Leo Baekeland (1863–1944), chemist, inventor of
Bakelite Polyoxybenzylmethylenglycolanhydride, better known as Bakelite ( ), is a thermosetting phenol formaldehyde resin, formed from a condensation reaction of phenol with formaldehyde. The first plastic made from synthetic components, it was developed ...
*
Wim Blockmans Willem Pieter Blockmans (born 26 May 1945, Antwerp, Belgium) was Professor of Medieval History at Leiden University between 1987 and 2010. He earned a PhD from the University of Ghent. He has been Rector of the Netherlands Institute for Advanced ...
(born 1945), historian * Thierry Bogaert, founder of DevGen * Luc Bossyns, civil engineer *
Marc Bossuyt Marc, Baron Bossuyt (born 9 January 1944 in Ghent) is a member of the Permanent Court of Arbitration in The Hague and a former judge at the Belgian Constitutional Court. Bossuyt obtained a Dr.iur (LLM) at the University of Ghent in 1968, a ''Cer ...
(born 1944), judge, professor *
Dries Buytaert Dries Buytaert (born 19 November 1978)Curriculum Vitae
is ...
(born 1978), computer scientist, founder of the Drupal
CMS CMS may refer to: Computing * Call management system * CMS-2 (programming language), used by the United States Navy * Code Morphing Software, a technology used by Transmeta * Collection management system for a museum collection * Color manage ...
* Robert Cailliau (born 1947), co-inventor of the World Wide Web * Luc Coene (1947–2017), economy, governor of the
National Bank of Belgium The National Bank of Belgium (NBB; nl, Nationale Bank van België, french: Banque nationale de Belgique, german: Belgische Nationalbank) has been the central bank of Belgium since 1850. The National Bank of Belgium was established with 100% p ...
(NBB) *
Marc Coucke Marc Coucke (born 27 January 1965) is a Belgian businessman, multimillionaire and media figure. Founder of former BEL20 pharmaceutical company Omega Pharma, he has spread his business interests across several sectors including art, through his ...
(born 1965), co-founder of
Omega Pharma Omega Pharma was a Belgian-based pharmaceutical company which was acquired in 2014 by Perrigo Company plc, an Irish/U.S.-based global pharmaceutical public company. The company was founded in 1987 and was based in the Industrial area 'de Prijke ...
*
Martin De Prycker Martin De Prycker (b. Sint-Niklaas, 16 January 1955) is a Belgian engineer and businessman. He was until December 2008 the CEO of Barco, a Belgian display hardware manufacturer. He currently serves as CEO of Caliopa, a spin-off of Ghent Univer ...
(born 1955), engineer *
Bertha De Vriese Bertha De Vriese (26 September 187717 March 1958) was a Belgian physician. When she earned her degree as a doctor of medicine at Ghent University, where she was the first woman to conduct research and the first woman physician to graduate from ...
(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 Bert, baron De Graeve (born 1955, Avelgem) is a Belgian businessman and since 20 May 2006 chief executive officer (CEO) and chairman of Bekaert, where he succeeded baron Julien De Wilde. In 2014 he became chairman of the board. Education Bert D ...
(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 Arnoud De Meyer is a Belgian business academic at the Lee Kong Chian School of Business of Singapore Management University (SMU). He was previously President of SMU, Director of the Judge Business School of the University of Cambridge, and found ...
(presently) director of Judge Business School of the University of Cambridge * Wim De Waele, economy and computer science, director of the
IBBT iMinds (formerly IBBT) was a Flemish non-profit organization, founded by the Flemish Government. It was founded as a research institute, with a focus on information & communication technology ( ICT) in general, and applications of broadband techno ...
*
Catherine de Zegher Catherine de Zegher (born Marie-Catherine Alma Gladys de Zegher Groningen, April 14, 1955) is a Belgian curator and a modern and contemporary art historian. She has a degree in art history and archaeology from the University of Ghent. From 1988 ...
(born 1955), international curator, art critic, and art historian *
Martin Dobelle Martin Dobelle (December 25, 1906 - August 11, 1986) was an American surgeon. Early life and education Born in New York City December 25, 1906, the son of Harry and Ida Kaplan Dobelle, he grew up in Brooklyn, New York. An alumnus of Boys High ...
(1906–1986), veteran orthopedic surgeon * Yaakov Dori (1899–1973), first
chief of staff The title chief of staff (or head of staff) identifies the leader of a complex organization such as the armed forces, institution, or body of persons and it also may identify a principal staff officer (PSO), who is the coordinator of the supporti ...
of the
Israeli Defense Forces Israeli may refer to: * Something of, from, or related to the State of Israel * Israelis, citizens or permanent residents of the State of Israel * Modern Hebrew, a language * ''Israeli'' (newspaper), published from 2006 to 2008 * Guni Israeli (b ...
, 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 Derrick-Philippe B. J., Baron Gosselin (1956) is a Belgian engineer and economist. He is chairman of the Belgian Nuclear Sciences Research Center SCK CEN, vice-chairman of Belgonucleaire and vice-chairman of the Royal Higher Institute for De ...
(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 Corneille Jean François Heymans (28 March 1892 – 18 July 1968) was a Belgian physiologist. He studied at the Jesuit College of Saint Barbara and then at Ghent University, where he obtained a doctor's degree in 1920. Heymans won the Nobel Pr ...
(1892–1968), physiologist (
Nobel prize The Nobel Prizes ( ; sv, Nobelpriset ; no, Nobelprisen ) are five separate prizes that, according to Alfred Nobel's will of 1895, are awarded to "those who, during the preceding year, have conferred the greatest benefit to humankind." Alfr ...
winner) *
Jan Hoet Knight Jan Hoet (; 23 June 1936 – 27 February 2014) was the Belgian founder of SMAK (''Stedelijk Museum voor Actuele Kunst'' or Municipal Museum for Contemporary Art) in Ghent, Belgium. Biography Jan Hoet was born in Leuven, Belgium. Thr ...
, (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 Jaap Kruithof (Berchem, 13 December 1929 - Boechout, 25 February 2009) was a Belgian philosopher and writer. His parents were Dutch Protestants. He took degrees in history, law and philosophy in Ghent, and in Paris. Then he earned a Ph.D. on H ...
(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 Herman Liebaers (February 1, 1919 in Tienen, Belgium – November 9, 2010 in Jette, Brussels) was a Belgian linguist. He was director general of the central Belgian Royal Library and ''Marshal of the Royal Household'' of the Royal Court of B ...
(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 The Nobel Prizes ( ; sv, Nobelpriset ; no, Nobelprisen ) are five separate prizes that, according to Alfred Nobel's will of 1895, are awarded to "those who, during the preceding year, have conferred the greatest benefit to humankind." Alfr ...
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 Paul Mansion (3 June 1844 – 16 April 1919) was a Belgian mathematician, editor of the journal '' Mathesis''. Life and work Mansion was the ninth of the ten brothers. His father died when he was only a baby and he was brought up by his mothe ...
(1844–1919), mathematician * Rudi Mariën, pharmacy, chairman of Innogenetics *
Gerard Mortier Gerard Alfons August, Baron Mortier (25 November 1943 – 8 March 2014) was a Belgian opera director and administrator of Flemish origin. Biography Born in Ghent, the son of a baker, Mortier attended in youth the Jesuit private school Sint-Barb ...
(1943–2014), artistic director * Roland Peelman, conductor and musical director *
Jean-Pierre Nuel Jean-Pierre Nuel (February 27, 1847 – August 21, 1920) was a Luxembourgian- Belgian ophthalmologist and physiologist who was a native of Tétange. In 1870 he earned his doctorate from the University of Ghent, and became licensed to pract ...
(1847–1920), physiologist * Peter Piot (born 1949), doctor, assistant secretary-general of the
United Nations The United Nations (UN) is an intergovernmental organization whose stated purposes are to maintain international peace and security, develop friendly relations among nations, achieve international cooperation, and be a centre for harmoni ...
*
Henri Pirenne Henri Pirenne (; 23 December 1862 – 24 October 1935) was a Belgian historian. A medievalist of Walloon descent, he wrote a multivolume history of Belgium in French and became a prominent public intellectual. Pirenne made a lasting contribut ...
(1862–1935), historian * Karel Poma (1920–2014), chemist and politician *
Ockert Potgieter Ockert Potgieter (Ukrainian: Окерт Потгітер; 11 December 1965 – 11 October 2021) was a South African missionary in Ukraine and a film director. Education Potgieter completed his school years at Potchefstroom Gimnasium. He st ...
(1965-2021), missionary and film director *
Adolphe Quetelet Lambert Adolphe Jacques Quetelet FRSF or FRSE (; 22 February 1796 – 17 February 1874) was a Belgian astronomer, mathematician, statistician and sociologist who founded and directed the Brussels Observatory and was influential in intro ...
(1796–1874), statistician *
Godfried-Willem Raes Godfried-Willem Raes is a Belgian composer, performer and instrument maker. He is the founder of the Logos Foundation of which he is still the president. He holds a PhD from Ghent University and is professor of experimental music composition at ...
(born 1952), composer, performer and instrument maker * Jacques Rogge (1942–2021), doctor, president of the
International Olympic Committee The International Olympic Committee (IOC; french: link=no, Comité international olympique, ''CIO'') is a non-governmental sports organisation based in Lausanne, Switzerland. It is constituted in the form of an association under the Swis ...
* 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 Luc Van den Bossche (born 16 September 1947, in Aalst) is a Belgian socialist politician and father of Freya Van den Bossche. He graduated as a Doctor in law at the University of Ghent in 1970. Luc Van den Bossche was a Member of Parliamen ...
(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 Dirk van de Put (born 1959/60) is a Belgian businessman, and the chairman and chief executive officer (CEO) of Mondelez International. CEO since November 2017, he also became chairman in April 2018. Early life Van de Put is a native of Mechelen, ...
, businessman, incoming CEO of
Mondelez International Mondelez International, Inc. ( ), often styled Mondelēz, is an American multinational confectionery, food, holding and beverage and snack food company based in Chicago. Mondelez has an annual revenue of about $26 billion and operates in ...
* Karel van de Woestijne (1878–1929), writer *
Henry van de Velde Henry Clemens van de Velde (; 3 April 1863 – 15 October 1957) was a Belgian painter, architect, interior designer, and art theorist. Together with Victor Horta and Paul Hankar, he is considered one of the founders of Art Nouveau in Belgium.' ...
(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 Désiré Charles Emanuel van Monckhoven (1834–1882) was a Belgian chemist, physicist, and photographic researcher. He was also an inventor and author.Day, Lance ''et al.'' (1996) ''Biographical Dictionary of the History of Technology,'' p. 4 ...
(1934–1882), physicist *
Jules Van Praet Jules Van Praet (2 July 1806 – 29 December 1887) was a Belgium, Belgian diplomat and personal secretary of King Leopold I of Belgium. He was born in Bruges, and died in Brussels aged 81. Honours * 1853: Grand Cordon of the Order of Leopold (A ...
(1806–1887), statesman * Willy van Ryckeghem (born 1935), economist *
Piet Vanthemsche Piet, Baron Vanthemsche (6 December 1955) is a Belgian veterinary surgeon and civil servant. In 2008, he succeeded Noël Devisch as President of the ''Boerenbond'' (E: Catholic Belgian Farmers Union) in Leuven. Education Born in Kortrijk, he gra ...
(born 1955), veterinary surgeon * Daniel Varoujan (1884–1915), Armenian poet * Guy Verhofstadt (born 1953), former prime minister of Belgium, liberal European politician *
Dirk Verhofstadt Dirk Verhofstadt (born 25 August 1955 in Dendermonde) is a Belgian social liberal ( Rawlsian) theorist and younger brother of former Belgian Prime Minister and former ALDE European Parliament Leader Guy Verhofstadt. He has a keen interest in ...
(born 1955), publisher * Etienne Vermeersch (1934–2019), philosopher *
Katrien Vermeire Katrien Vermeire (born Ostend, 1979) is a Belgian artist. Career Katrien Vermeire studied photography at the Royal Academy of Fine Arts in Ghent and art history at Ghent University. She won the quadrennial Fine Arts Award of the Province of ...
(born 1979), artist *
André Vlerick André, Baron Vlerick (1919–1990) was a Belgian politician, businessman, professor and founder of the Vlerick Leuven Gent Management School. He graduated in economy at the University of Ghent and was appointed at the University of Leuven as we ...
(1919–1990), economy * Emile Waxweiler (1867–1916), engineer and sociologist *
Marc Zabeau Marc Zabeau (born Lier, 1949) is a Belgian scientist and businessman. Biography Marc Zabeau graduated in 1971 as a licentiate in zoology at the University of Ghent and obtained a PhD in 1974, studying the genetics of ''Escherichia coli'' in t ...
(born 1949), zoology


Notable faculty

*
S.N. Balagangadhara S. N. Balagangadhara (aka Balu) is a professor emeritus of the Ghent University in Belgium, and was director of the India Platform and the Research Centre Vergelijkende Cutuurwetenschap (Comparative Science of Cultures). Early life and educat ...
(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 Corneille Jean François Heymans (28 March 1892 – 18 July 1968) was a Belgian physiologist. He studied at the Jesuit College of Saint Barbara and then at Ghent University, where he obtained a doctor's degree in 1920. Heymans won the Nobel Pr ...
(1892–1968), physiologist (
Nobel prize The Nobel Prizes ( ; sv, Nobelpriset ; no, Nobelprisen ) are five separate prizes that, according to Alfred Nobel's will of 1895, are awarded to "those who, during the preceding year, have conferred the greatest benefit to humankind." Alfr ...
winner) * Joseph Plateau (1801–1883), physicist *
Xavier Saelens Xavier Saelens (born 1965) is a Belgian scientist and currently his main research interest is finding a universal influenza vaccine. He is a lecturer in Virology and Group Leader of the Molecular Virology Unit at the University of Ghent ( Ghent, ...
(born 1965), biotechnology * Jeff Schell (1935–2003), biotech pioneer * Erwin Schrödinger (1887–1961), physicist (
Nobel Prize The Nobel Prizes ( ; sv, Nobelpriset ; no, Nobelprisen ) are five separate prizes that, according to Alfred Nobel's will of 1895, are awarded to "those who, during the preceding year, have conferred the greatest benefit to humankind." Alfr ...
winner), visiting scholar * Johan Rudolf Thorbecke (1798–1872), statesman * Marc Van Montagu (born 1933), biotech pioneer *
August Vermeylen August Vermeylen (12 May 1872, in Brussels – 10 January 1945, in Uccle) was a Belgian writer and literature critic. In 1893 he founded the literary journal '' Van Nu en Straks'' (''Of Today and Tomorrow''). He studied history at the Free Univ ...
(1872–1945), author, art historian, statesman *
Adolf von Baeyer Johann Friedrich Wilhelm Adolf von Baeyer (; 31 October 1835 – 20 August 1917) was a German chemist who synthesised indigo and developed a nomenclature for cyclic compounds (that was subsequently extended and adopted as part of the IUPAC org ...
(1835–1917), chemist (Nobel prize winner), visiting scholar * August Kekulé (1829–1896), chemist


Rectors

* 1817–1818:
Jean Charles Van Rotterdam Jean may refer to: People * Jean (female given name) * Jean (male given name) * Jean (surname) Fictional characters * Jean Grey, a Marvel Comics character * Jean Valjean, fictional character in novel ''Les Misérables'' and its adaptations * Je ...
* 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 Charles is a masculine given name predominantly found in English and French speaking countries. It is from the French form ''Charles'' of the Proto-Germanic name (in runic alphabet) or ''*karilaz'' (in Latin alphabet), whose meaning was " ...
* 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 Charles is a masculine given name predominantly found in English and French speaking countries. It is from the French form ''Charles'' of the Proto-Germanic name (in runic alphabet) or ''*karilaz'' (in Latin alphabet), whose meaning was " ...
* 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 Henri Pirenne (; 23 December 1862 – 24 October 1935) was a Belgian historian. A medievalist of Walloon descent, he wrote a multivolume history of Belgium in French and became a prominent public intellectual. Pirenne made a lasting contribut ...
* 1921–1923: Eugène Eeman * 1923–1924: Jean-François Heymans * 1924–1927: * 1927–1929: Camille De Bruyne * 1929–1930: * 1930–1933:
August Vermeylen August Vermeylen (12 May 1872, in Brussels – 10 January 1945, in Uccle) was a Belgian writer and literature critic. In 1893 he founded the literary journal '' Van Nu en Straks'' (''Of Today and Tomorrow''). He studied history at the Free Univ ...
* 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 , mottoeng = Literal: From here, light and sacred draughts. Non literal: From this place, we gain enlightenment and precious knowledge. , established = , other_name = The Chancellor, Masters and Schola ...
, Classics (2021)


See also

* *
Belgian Co-ordinated Collections of Micro-organisms The Belgian Co-ordinated Collections of Micro-organisms (BCCM) is a Belgian government funded consortium of seven scientific institutions, who manage and exploit a collection of microbial and genetic resources. The consortium comprises more than 26 ...
(BCCM) * Flanders Interuniversity Institute of Biotechnology (VIB) *
Ghent Bio-Energy Valley The Ghent Bio-Energy Valley is a joint initiative, started in 2005, of Ghent University, the city of Ghent, the Port of Ghent, the Development Agency East Flanders and a number of industrial companies. The initiative aims at the development of ...
* 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 Science and technology in Flanders, being the Flemish Community and more specifically the northern region of Belgium ( Europe), is well developed with the presence of several universities and research institutes. These are strongly spread over all ...
* University Foundation * Zwijnaarde science park * List of modern universities in Europe (1801–1945) *
List of universities in Belgium This is a list of universities in Belgium. In Belgium, which is a federal state, the constitution attributes legislative power over higher education to the Communities. The Dutch-speaking Flemish Community, the French Community and the German C ...
* List of Jesuit sites


Notes and references


External links

* {{authority control 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