University of Antwerp


The University of Antwerp is a major Belgian university located in the city of Antwerp. The official abbreviation is UAntwerp. The University of Antwerp has about 20,000 students, which makes it the third-largest university in Flanders. The University of Antwerp is characterised by its high standards in education, internationally competitive research and entrepreneurial approach. It was founded in 2003 after the merger of three smaller universities.
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History

Origins

The university's roots go back to Sint-Ignatius Handelshogeschool founded by the Jesuits in Antwerp in 1852. This was one of the first European business schools to offer formal university degrees. It later opened a Faculty of Literature and Philosophy and a Faculty of Political and Social Sciences. It was renamed Universitaire Faculteiten Sint-Ignatius Antwerpen
in the 1960s when the Belgian government granted it university status. In the early 1970s UFSIA joined into a confederation with "Rijksuniversitair Centrum Antwerpen" and "Universitaire Instelling Antwerpen", public institutions.

Merger

In 2003 UFSIA, RUCA, and UIA merged into the University of Antwerp to become the first explicitly pluralistic university in Belgium, offering philosophical, ethical, and spiritual discourse and openness towards religion and intercultural dialogue. It soon became the third largest university in Flanders with 20,000 students. In order to face the challenges posed by the internationalization of European education and research, the university is part of the Antwerp University Association. The Catholic influence that the Jesuits had at UFSIA continues through the Saint Ignatius University Centre (UCSIA), Antwerp, founded in 2003.
In September 2020, the University of Antwerp chose to start the new academic year with stricter coronavirus measures than those recommended by the government.

Faculties

The University of Antwerp has 34 academic bachelor programmes, 83 master programmes, 26 master-after-master programmes and 21 postgraduates. In addition, there are 26 programmes completely taught in English. All of these programmes are divided into 9 faculties.
  • Business and Economics
  • Pharmaceutical, Veterinary and Biomedical Sciences
  • Medicine and Health Sciences
  • Arts
  • Design Sciences
  • Social Sciences
  • Law
  • Applied Engineering Sciences
  • Science
The Institute of Development Policy and Management has an autonomous faculty-like UAntwerp status and Antwerp Management School is an autonomous school within the University of Antwerp.

Campuses

The six campuses are located all over the city of Antwerp, from the historic city centre to the green belt to the south of the city.
  • Stadscampus: Prinsstraat 13, 2000 Antwerpen
  • Campus Mutsaard: Mutsaardstraat 31, 2000 Antwerpen
  • Campus Paardenmarkt: Paardenmarkt 92, 2000 Antwerpen
  • Campus Drie Eiken: Universiteitsplein 1, 2610 Wilrijk
  • Campus Middelheim: Middelheimlaan 1, 2020 Antwerpen
  • Campus Groenenborger: Groenenborgerlaan 171, 2020 Antwerpen

Academic ranking

In the 2010 QS World University Rankings the University of Antwerp was ranked 179th overall in the world. On the 2009 THE–QS World University Rankings list, University of Antwerp was ranked on a shared 177th place. An overview of the THE-QS World University Rankings up to 2011:
YearRank
2005235
2006252
2007187
2008195
2009177
2010179
2011197

Times Higher Education World University Ranking:
YearRank
2011–2012276–300
2012–2013192
2013–2014164
2014–2015170
2015–2016190
2016–2017201–250
2017–2018201–250
2018–2019201–250
2019–2020198
2020–2021170
2021–2022143
2022–2023131

Notable alumni

Economics

History

Law

Medicine

Linguistics and Literature & Philosophy

Political and Social Sciences

Sciences

Notable faculty

Student life

Sports

The University of Antwerp has a long tradition in organizing international student championships. The following FISU, EUSA and IFIUS events have been organized:

Student organisations

At the University of Antwerp there are faculty clubs, regional clubs and political clubs. Faculty bound clubs are governed by VUAS which consists of Unifac and ASK-Stuwer. Political and philosophical clubs are governed by PFK-Antwerpen. The student newspaper is called "Dwars".