The study programmes offered at Ghent University Global Campus (GUGC) received a positive report from the Flemish University and Higher Education Council (VLUHR). This is an important step towards accreditation.
Global Campus
The GUGC was founded in 2014 on invitation of the South Korean government and has been a proud member of the Incheon Global Campus ever since.
The campus focusses on life sciences and offers three study programmes:
- Bachelor of Science in Environmental Technology
- Bachelor of Science in Food Technology
- Bachelor of Science in Molecular Biotechnology
The number of students has steadily grown; in 2020 around 500 students called GUGC their alma mater. You can hear what their experiences are here.
Accreditation
During her foundation the GUGC was granted a temporary accreditation to be able to build up its educational activities. During the fall of 2019 the study programmes were screened and reviewed by a panel of experts put together by the VLUHR in order to determine whether the study programmes at GUGC should be granted a permanent accreditation.
This procedure is necessary to determine whether a programme upholds all standards of quality set forth by the Flemish Government and is in compliance with all laws and regulations. The formal accreditation, which is yet to follow, will be granted by the NVAO (Nederlands-Vlaamse Accreditatieorganisatie). Accreditation determines whether an institution is allowed to grant its students the degree of Bachelor and Master.
The panel was made up of a number of impartial experts:
Chairman of the assessment panel
- Prof. Tiny van Boekel, Emeritus Professor Food Science, Wageningen University, the Netherlands
Panel members
- Prof. Eva Top, Professor of Biological Sciences, University of Idaho, USA
- Prof. Patrick Van Dijck, professor Moleculaire Biotechnologie van Planten en Micro-organismen, KU Leuven, Belgium
- Dr. Lee Min Seob, CEO of Eone diagnomics Genome Center, South Korea
- Charlotte Adams, student Master in Biochemistry and Biotechnology, University of Antwerp, Belgium
Project manager and secretary to the assessment panel
- Patrick Van den Bosch, Policy Advisor of the Quality Assurance Unit of the Flemish Higher Education Council
The panel was tasked with reviewing the programmes offered at GUGC on the basis of three generic quality standards:
- Targeted outcome level
- Educational learning environment
- Outcome level achieved
Review results
After an extensive study and review procedure, which also involved a visit to the campus to look at facilities and speak with tutors and students, the VLUHR gave all bachelor programmes at GUGC a positive review across the board.
"We took a big leap of faith in 2014 and I have the deepest respect for the colleagues that had the courage to take the jump with us. Now, after six years, I just want to repeat this once more: I have so much respect and gratitude for the pioneers that not only started this programme, but continue to develop it every day to such a degree of excellence. We are fully confident that our students there receive the best education possible and will be able to contribute to important innovations in molecular biotech, the food industry and environmental technology after graduation."
- Mieke Van Herreweghe, Vice-Rector Ghent University
