University of Antwerp
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.
Type
2003
1973 (confederation)
1852 (Institut Saint-Ignace)
6,205
21,133
1,939
City Campus
Campus Mutsaard
Campus Paardenmarkt
Campus Drie Eiken
Campus Middelheim
Campus Groenenborger
UA
In September 2020, the University of Antwerp chose to start the new academic year with stricter coronavirus measures than those recommended by the government.[2]
History[edit]
Origins[edit]
The university's roots go back to Sint-Ignatius Handelshogeschool (Saint-Ignatius School for Higher Education in 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.[3]
Merger[edit]
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.
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.
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.
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.
University rankings
201–300 (2022)
293 (2022–23)
400 (2022)
280 (2023)
20 (2021)
=131 (2023)
7 (2022)
=223 (2022–23)