The University of Antwerp (Dutch: Universiteit Antwerpen) 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.
Contents
History
Origins
The university's roots go back to Sint-Ignatius Handelshogeschool (Saint-Ignatius College of Commerce) founded by the Jesuits (Society of Jesus) 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 (including Law) and a Faculty of Political and Social Sciences. It was renamed Universitaire Faculteiten Sint-Ignatius Antwerpen (UFSIA)
in the 1960s when the Belgian government granted it university status. In the early 1970s UFSIA joined into a confederation with "Rijksuniversitair Centrum Antwerpen" (RUCA) and "Universitaire Instelling Antwerpen" (UIA), 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 (AUHA). 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 (1 bachelor, 16 master, 6 master-after-master and 3 postgraduate programmes). All of these programmes are divided into 9 faculties.
Business and Economics
Pharmaceutical, Veterinary and Biomedical Sciences
Medicine and Health Sciences
Arts
Design Sciences (including architecture and conservation)
Social Sciences
Law
Applied Engineering Sciences
Science
The Institute of Development Policy and Management (IOB) 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 (Antwerpen)
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 (in 2010 Times Higher Education World University Rankings and QS World University Rankings parted ways to produce separate rankings), University of Antwerp was ranked on a shared 177th place. An overview of the THE-QS World University Rankings up to 2011:
Times Higher Education World University Ranking:
Notable alumni
Economics
Marcia De Wachter (1953–), director of the National Bank of Belgium
Patrick Janssens (1956–), politician (Flemish MP, former mayor of Antwerp)
Mimi Lamote (1964–), CEO Mayerline
Philippe Muyters (1961–), politician (Flemish minister)
Yuri Bobbert (1973-), cybersecurity executive, academic, and entrepreneur
History
Bart De Wever, (1970-), politician (prime minister of Belgium (2025–present), representative, floor leader New Flemish Alliance party and mayor of Antwerp)
Marie-Rose Morel, politician
Law
Gerolf Annemans (1958–), politician (representative, floor leader Vlaams Belang party)
Peter Van Den Bossche (1959-), professor and member of the WTO Appellate Body
Cathy Berx (1969–), jurist and politician (governor of the province of Antwerp)
Jan Grauls (1948–), diplomat (ambassador)
Mieke Offeciers-Van De Wiele (1952–), politician (former minister)
Kris Peeters (1962–), politician (Minister-President of Flanders)
Herman Portocarero (1952–), author and diplomat
Matthias Storme (1959–), lawyer and politician
Rudi Thomaes (1952–2018), former CEO of the Federation of Belgian Enterprises
Bruno Valkeniers, businessman and politician (party leader of Vlaams Belang)
Staf Van Reet, businessman
Medicine
Paul Stoffels (1962–), cofounder of Tibotec and Virco
Manto Tshabalala-Msimang (1940–2009), South African politician
Linguistics and Literature & Philosophy
Clara Cleymans (1989–), actress, voice actress and musical theatre singer
Jan Huyghebaert (1945–), banker
Jan Leyers (1958–), author, musician and presenter
Hugo Matthysen (1956–), author, musician and presenter
Bart Peeters (1959–), musician and presenter
Matthias Storme (1959–), lawyer and politician
Political and Social Sciences
Jos Geysels, former politician and chairman 11.11.11
Patrick Janssens (1956–), politician (Flemish MP, mayor of Antwerp)
Marthe Wandou (1963–), Cameroonian activist
Peter Mertens (1969–), politician
Lieven Janssens (1977–), politician (former mayor of Vorselaar)
Johan Vande Lanotte (1955–), politician (minister, MP, senator)
Johan Van Hecke (1954–), member of the European Parliament
Mieke Vogels (1954–), politician (former minister, Flemish MP)
Sciences
Dries Buytaert (1978–), author of Drupal
Didier de Chaffoy de Courcelles (1953–), vice-president R&D of Janssen Pharmaceutica
Peter Piot (1949–), microbiologist, head of UNAIDS
Vincent Timmerman, molecular biologist
Christine Van Broeckhoven (1953–), scientist and politician
Rosa Rademakers (1978-), neurobiologist
Anthony Liekens (1975–), informaticists, biologist, inventor and educator
Notable faculty
Marc Bossuyt, law
Fernand Deschamps (1868–1957), philosophy
Rudy Martens, management
Bence Nanay, philosophy
Christine Van Broeckhoven, molecular biologist
Christine Van Den Wyngaert, law
Frank Vandenbroucke, Applied Economics and Social Sciences
Hans Vangheluwe, computer science
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:
1978: FISU World University Cycling Championship
1982: FISU World University Cross Country Championship
1992: FISU World University Chess Championship
2004: IFIUS World Interuniversity Games
2006: FISU World University Cycling Championship
2007: EUSA European University Bridge Championship
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".