Belgium is a country in Western Europe. Belgium has 3 official languages – Dutch, French, and German, due to the geographic and cultural boundary between Romance and German Europe, where it is located. Belgium’s total population exceeds 11 mil. Some 11% of the Belgium residents have foreign nationality, with 13% having been born outside the country. The Belgium residents vary in origin as well, with at least ¼ of the said 11 million hailing from other countries or their ancestors coming in from elsewhere.
Belgium’s economy is strongly globalized. Belgium ranks ninth in terms of size of national economy in the European Union and 25th worldwide. Belgium is among the founding members of the European Union and NATO, with the headquarters of those organizations being located in her capital – Brussels. It is a hub of international politics and as such boasts more ambassadors, reporters, and headquarters of large companies than capitals such as Washington, D.C.
The country is host to a number of key international organizations, such as the International Atomic Energy Agency, OPEC, and the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe.
The higher education institutions в Belgium include universities, colleges, arts colleges, architecture institutes, and the Royal Military Academy. You may only study for a doctoral degree at universities, but not at colleges or other education institutions.
As it is one of the most multicultural countries in the, education in Belgium is divided between several languages and regions. Depending on the geographic region in Belgium, tertiary schools have various tuition levels, with most state universities having tuition not exceeding EUR 835 per year.
Bachelor’s programs: 3 yrs.
Master’s programs: 1-2 yrs.
The higher education institutions in Belgium can select their teaching methods. Most Bachelor’s programs taught in colleges have a three-tier structure, comprising theory, practical exercises, and internship. Naturally, the profiled Bachelor’s programs aim to synthesize training in the area of a certain occupation. Such programs also have well established connections with companies, where student may commence their internship as soon as they complete their education. Overall, internship is almost always an integral part of all specialties and educational establishments in Belgium.
According to 2016 data, 55 000 international students study in Belgium, amounting to circa 1/6 of the total number of students in the country (297 000). The main flow of students coming to study in Belgium hail from French-speaking African countries and former colonies, such as: Nigeria, Cameroon, Congo, Benin, Algeria, Tunisia, and Morocco, as well as countries such as China, Vietnam, India, USA, Turkey, and Lebanon.
The main languages of instruction in Belgium are French and Dutch, naturally, though, many programs are taught in English. Some of the specialties most desired by international would-be students are Medicine (23%), Economy and Business Sciences (15%), as well as engineering specialties (14%).
There are 8 large universities in the country, which feature in the best universities rankings of QS World University Rankings® 2018. The oldest and most esteemed among them is the Leuven University (KU Leuven).
Here is a list of all Belgian universities featured in the rankings:
