Hasselt University (
Dutch
Dutch commonly refers to:
* Something of, from, or related to the Netherlands
* Dutch people ()
* Dutch language ()
Dutch may also refer to:
Places
* Dutch, West Virginia, a community in the United States
* Pennsylvania Dutch Country
People E ...
: ''Universiteit Hasselt or UHasselt'') is a public research
university
A university () is an institution of higher (or tertiary) education and research which awards academic degrees in several academic disciplines. Universities typically offer both undergraduate and postgraduate programs. In the United States, t ...
with campuses in
Hasselt
Hasselt (, , ; la, Hasseletum, Hasselatum) is a Belgian city and municipality, and capital and largest city of the province of Limburg in the Flemish Region of Belgium. It is known for its former branding as "the city of taste", as well as its ...
and
Diepenbeek
Diepenbeek (; li, Diepenbik) is a municipality located in the Belgian province of Limburg near Hasselt. On January 1, 2012, Diepenbeek had a total population of 18,337. Its total area is 41.19 km² (15.9 sq mi) which gives a population dens ...
,
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 th ...
. It has more than 6,700 students and 1,660 academic, administrative and technical staff (2022). The university was officially established in 1971 as the Limburg Universitair Centrum (LUC) and changed its name to Hasselt University in 2005.
UHasselt is ranked 53rd out of 539 in the 2022 ''
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 ...
'' ranking of universities younger than 50 years. In the
European Commission's ''U-Multirank 2022'', UHasselt scores a top ten overall result, with fifteen excellent indicators.
Hasselt University has an extensive regional, national and global network of more than 500 partners, fostering collaboration in education, research and innovation.
As of October 2020, Rector of Hasselt University is Prof. Bernard Vanheusden. Vice-Rector for Education is Prof. Wanda Guedens, Vice-Rector for Research Prof. Ken Haenen.
History
![Acienne Prison](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/7/77/Acienne_Prison.jpg)
Establishment and start
UHasselt/LUC was official established by law in May 1971. In September 1973, the first academic year followed with around 320 students and six (undergraduate) programmes (Mathematics, Physics, Chemistry, Biology, Dentistry and Medicine).
Growth
In the ensuing decades, Hasselt University went through an enormous transformation. In 1991, the Limburg Business School (EHL) was transformed into the university's third faculty (Faculty of Applied Economics, presently Business Economics). The curriculum was expanded to include Transportation Sciences (2004), Law (2008), Architecture, Interior Architecture, Engineering Technology, Rehabilitation Sciences (2013) and Commercial Sciences (2015). In 2022, five additional programmes were launched: Social Sciences, Materiomics, Nursery and Midwifery, Healthcare Engineering and Engineering Technology: Computer Science.
Partnerships
In 2001, UHasselt/LUC and Maastricht University founded the Transnational University Limburg (tUL) – an international partnership involving two universities in two countries. tUL offers several programmes: Computer Science, Statistics, Biomedical Sciences and Law (a collaboration between tUL and KU Leuven). In 2003, UHasselt/LUC and university colleges PHL and XIOS (presently,
PXL University College) formed the Limburg Association of Higher Education, or AUHL. The Association eyes the further development of higher education and scientific research in the Region.
In 2022, Hasselt University joined the EURECA-PRO European University Alliance. The network enables students and staff to study, teach and research in the field of responsible consumption and production. The long-term ambition of UHasselt and its partners in Austria, France, Germany, Greece, Poland, Romania and Spain, is to become the European hub for education and research in sustainability.
Name change
In 2005, LUC was renamed Hasselt University (or UHasselt).
From one to two campuses
In 2012, UHasselt opened a second campus in the city centre of Hasselt. It includes the Rectorate, the Law Faculty Building and the Old Prison (‘Oude Gevangenis’). The Old Prison is the university's main seat as well as the place where new students must register.
Rectors of Hasselt University
Rectorial elections at UHasselt take place every four years. All members of the faculty and school boards are eligible to vote (including student representatives). As highest decision-making body, the board of governors officially appoint the new rector. Over the past decades, Hasselt University has had four rectors (including current Rector Vanheusden):
* 1972-1988:
Louis Verhaegen
* 1988-2004:
Harry Martens
Harry may refer to:
TV shows
*Harry (American TV series), ''Harry'' (American TV series), a 1987 American comedy series starring Alan Arkin
*Harry (British TV series), ''Harry'' (British TV series), a 1993 BBC drama that ran for two seasons
*Harry ...
* 2004-2020:
Luc De Schepper
Luc De Schepper (22 April 1957 – 19 December 2022) was a Belgian physicist and professor. De Schepper was rector of the Hasselt University from 2004 to 2020. He was chairman of the Flemish Interuniversity Council from 2015 to 2017.
De Schepper ...
* 2020–present:
Bernard Vanheusden
Bernard ('' Bernhard'') is a French and West Germanic masculine given name. It is also a surname.
The name is attested from at least the 9th century. West Germanic ''Bernhard'' is composed from the two elements ''bern'' "bear" and ''hard'' "bra ...
Campuses and main buildings
Campus Diepenbeek
Campus Diepenbeek (75 hectares) is located in the ‘green belt’ near Hasselt. The campus is home to several research institutes, incubators and spin-offs. The student restaurant, University Library, class rooms and auditoriums are located in Main Building D. Other notable campus buildings are the Science Tower (with laboratories for education and research in chemistry and physics) and the Application Centre for Concrete and Construction (ACB²).
Campus Hasselt
Campus Hasselt (2 hectares) consists of the Rectorate (with the Rector's Office), the Faculty of Law and the Old Prison. The almost 200-year-old building has a restaurant, two auditoriums and former prison cells turned into study rooms. The Student Service Centre, where enrolment of new students takes place, is also located in the Old Prison Building.
Faculties, Schools and research institutes
Faculties and Schools
UHasselt has seven Faculties and three Schools, offering 18 Bachelor and 34 Master programmes in total (including 5 English-taught programmes):
* Architecture and Arts
* Business Economics
* Engineering Technology
* Law
* Medicine and Life Sciences
* Rehabilitation Sciences
* Sciences
* School of Transportation Sciences
* School of Educational Studies
* School for Social Sciences
Research institutes and centres
UHasselt has four research institutes covering the entire research spectre (from fundamental research to applied research to valorisation):
* Biomedical Research Institute (BIOMED)
* Centre for Environmental Sciences (CMK)
* Data Science Institute (DSI)
* Institute for Materials Research (imo-imomec)
There are also three research centres:
* Limburg Clinical Research Centre (LCRC)
* Transportation Research Institute (IMOB)
* Expertise Centre for Digital Media (EDM)
Student life
Student Council
Each academic year, UHasselt students elect a Student Council (StuRa), consisting of fourteen members from the different Faculties and Schools. These representatives take part in several decision-making bodies, including the Board of Governors and the Educational Council.
Student Associations
UHasselt has a rich student life, with several Student Associations:
* Ambifaarke (student orchestra)
* ASG (Engineering Technology)
* BeMSA Hasselt (Belgian Medical Student Association)
* Biomedica (Biomedical Sciences)
* CCG (Christian Campus Community)
* Commeatus (Transportation Sciences)
* DIP's (Chemistry and Biology)
* ELSA Hasselt (European Law Students’ Association Hasselt)
* ESN Hasselt (Erasmus Student Network)
* Filii Lamberti (Mathematics, Physics and Computer Science)
* Hermes (Economics)
* JOSS (Joint Organisation of Statistics Scholars)
* Junior Consulting (association fostering entrepreneurial skills)
* Miezerik (Medicine)
* Themis (Law)
* Rekinea (Rehabilitation Sciences)
Academic life
Opening academic year
The formal opening of the academic year traditionally takes place in the penultimate week of September. The day starts with the Procession of Professors in the centre of Hasselt and a toast by the Mayor at City Hall. In the afternoon, a ceremony with speeches and music is held.
Foundation Day and Honorary Doctorates
![La médaille de l'université](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/40/La_m%C3%A9daille_de_l%27universit%C3%A9.jpg)
Hasselt University celebrates its Foundation Day on May 28 (the day when the university was established by law, in 1971). To mark the occasion, honorary doctorate degrees are awarded to individuals for outstanding contributions made to a specific field and/or to society in general. Each honorary doctor receives a diploma and the University Medal. Since 2022, UHasselt also hands out the Foundation Day Honorary Award to an organisation.
In the past decades, numerous internationally scientists, artists, architects, journalists and entrepreneurs from around the world joined the circle of honorary doctors of Hasselt University. The high number of researchers who received a Nobel Prize later in their career is remarkable:
Harold Kroto
Sir Harold Walter Kroto (born Harold Walter Krotoschiner; 7 October 1939 – 30 April 2016), known as Harry Kroto, was an English chemist. He shared the 1996 Nobel Prize in Chemistry with Robert Curl and Richard Smalley for their discovery o ...
,
Erwin Neher
Erwin Neher (; ; born 20 March 1944) is a German biophysicist, specializing in the field of cell physiology. For significant contribution in the field, in 1991 he was awarded, along with Bert Sakmann, the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine for ...
and
Georges Köhler Georges may refer to:
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Other uses
*Georges (name)
* ''Georges'' (novel), a novel by Alexandre Dumas
* "Georges" (song), a 19 ...
.
See also
*
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 ...
* Limburg Science Park
*
University Foundation
The Belgian University Foundation (French: ''Fondation Universitaire''; Dutch: ''Universitaire Stichting'') was founded in 1920. The goal of the Foundation, as was put forward by Emile Francqui, is to promote scientific activity at Belgian univer ...
*
Flanders Interuniversity Institute of Biotechnology
VIB is a research institute located in Flanders, Belgium. It was founded by the Flemish government in 1995, and became a full-fledged institute on 1 January 1996. The main objective of VIB is to strengthen the excellence of Flemish life sciences r ...
(VIB)
*
Interuniversity Microelectronics Centre
Interuniversity Microelectronics Centre (IMEC) is an international research & development organization, active in the fields of nanoelectronics and digital technologies, with headquarters in Belgium. Luc Van den hove has served as President and ...
(IMEC)
References
External links
Hasselt UniversityMore information about higher education in Flanders/Belgium (in English)Find an officially recognised programme of this institution in the Higher Education Register
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Educational institutions established in 1971
Universities in Belgium
Limburg (Belgium)
1971 establishments in Belgium
Buildings and structures in Limburg (Belgium)
Hasselt