The full name of the University of Leuven is the Catholic University of Leuven. The comprehensive ranking of the University of Leuven is first in Belgium and sixth in Europe. Ranked 39th in the world.
KU Leuven is a vibrant organization. Most importantly, it is a group composed of students, professors and staff. Each member of this group can devote himself to the development and absorption of knowledge in his or her own field in an exciting environment. The responsibilities of the KU Leuven Leadership Center include leading policy implementation and decision-making. The current leadership team has spent its first year in office building on the achievements of its predecessors while also focusing on establishing new initiatives and implementing its own priorities in many different areas. Many of these projects are described in detail in this booklet.
On a human level, KU Leuven hopes to be a university where every member feels satisfied and energized to work. In terms of organization, we will continue to develop the team organizational structure so that each college, research unit, department, etc. has its new positioning and responsibilities. We will also continue to work hard to significantly improve the quality of service support provided by various departments to each member of this group. In terms of scientific research and teaching, we will focus on the selection and model of major decisions and the refinement of work policies, thereby making the University of Leuven a leading academic institution. The above-mentioned points combine to form the basis of a dynamic force, which is used to strengthen the implementation of the mission of the University of Leuven.
These small manuals before you are actually not very complete. The university itself is a very complex and ever-changing group, and a small booklet cannot introduce it all in detail. All we can present are some representative facts and figures. I hope that the articles in this booklet will inspire you to further experience and understand KU Leuven personally, and to discover and understand the people, ideas and initiatives of KU Leuven and its affiliated hospitals.
All operations of the University of Leuven are based on "people". Without the "brain", the University of Leuven cannot exist. The care of employees is therefore at the core, which can be seen in the development of transparent personnel management, which attaches particular importance to the professional development of employees. To this end, we have relevant initiatives in place, whether for academic, administrative or technical staff.
In terms of the personnel management system, we strive to develop a clear professional title positioning for each employee and a promotion system with clear regulations. When weighing the appointment and promotion of full-time teaching staff (ZAP company), both teaching and research positions are the focus of assessment. For academic assistants (Australia) and appointment, visiting and chair professors and academic researchers (rice), we continue to work hard to develop a stimulating academic and research environment. Doctoral education is gradually moving towards the development of diversified capabilities, and its scope is not limited to research and teaching. For administrative and technical staff, based on their needs, new regulations for employee group insurance have been implemented, and the work structure has also been refined. A carefully formulated administrative organization, coupled with a detailed division of powers and responsibilities, enables employees to have a clear understanding of each job function and a correct understanding of its content, obligations and rewards.
Diversity and equality of opportunity are the priorities we have repeatedly emphasized in various measures. Research and teaching are human tasks, and only in a good environment can we achieve progress and growth, and in this positive environment can we take into account work and personal family life at the same time. Diversity has added value at all levels and is one of the foundations of creation and renewal. Based on this, we pay special attention to reducing administrative burdens that are counterproductive to productivity. At the same time, in order to ensure a relaxed and comfortable working atmosphere, we are also concerned about the relevant conditions of the hardware environment.
With 16,297 employees (8,107 employed at the university and another 8,190 employed at the university hospital), the University of Leuven has become one of the largest employers in the region.
In 2005, the University of Leuven had 1.399 teachers, 2.748 administrative and technical staff, and 3.960 assistants and researchers.
KU Leuven exists thanks to its students. If there are no students, then it also loses its reason for existence. It is also part of its mission to strive to develop students into critical and mature citizens. Therefore, students' participation in the university's leadership meetings has another level of significance.
As of February 1, 2006, 31.447 students were registered at the University of Leuven, including 5.009 freshmen. They are registering for the first time to study in the first year of various courses at the University of Leuven. Approximately 55% of the freshmen are female. The College of Arts, Medicine, Law and Business are the colleges with the largest number of students.
Among all registered students, 88 are Belgian nationals, another 6 hold EU nationality, and 6 are from countries outside the EU. These foreign students mainly come from several countries listed in the list below.
Leuven University is in alliance with 12 universities, which are distributed throughout the Flemish region. Leuven University Alliance*** has 70,000 students, ranking first in the teaching system of the Franmont District.
Student welfare facilities focus on students’ learning and the quality of their living environment. The Learning Guidance Center provides guidance to students who request assistance at any stage of their studies. In terms of practical work in catering, housing, psychological counseling and health care, social and legal support, etc., it has cooperative relationships with other universities in the Leuven University Alliance. We also continue to pay special attention to dormitory services and assistance to people with disabilities, such as those with physical or sensory disabilities, chronic illnesses, and those with learning difficulties. The Student Work-Study Counseling Office has arranged after-school work-study jobs for nearly a thousand students, with a cumulative annual salary of almost two million euros.
Student welfare facilities contribute to the open enrollment of KU Leuven. Good social welfare facilities, whether material or spiritual, are one of its indispensable factors. Making it easier for students with financial difficulties to enter the University of Leuven does not mean that the level and quality of teaching will be affected.
The University of Leuven, together with the City of Leuven, provides students with a rich choice of sports and cultural activities. Students' participation in sports and cultural activities is inseparable from their intellectual education and cultivation, and should be integrated into one. It is for this same reason that the spiritual, ritual and spiritual formation of the University Diocese is integrated into our entire educational system. From another perspective, the university parish thus brings a more concrete image of Christian character to the University of Leuven.
Teaching
Academic activity is the essence of KU Leuven. Knowledge is generated from thinking and research, and knowledge needs to be passed on to a new generation of academic researchers. Teaching is therefore at the heart of KU Leuven and its raison d’être. It is unimaginable to imagine the University of Leuven without students and without teaching. Teaching is what differentiates KU Leuven from research institutions.
Research and teaching are closely linked at KU Leuven. Scientific research is the source of academic teaching content, and teaching is the touchstone of research results. The purpose of teaching is also to cultivate students' ability to organize knowledge. Students use solid knowledge in their own fields, coupled with extensive knowledge in other fields, to develop a scientific research attitude: mastering the methods of obtaining scientific research results, thinking skills for exploring evidence and data, and a critical and scientific attitude. In addition, students also expand their university education into broad aesthetic, cultural and social education. As a result, students have the ability to independently establish relevant and in-depth opinions, handle correctly and have the courage to shoulder social responsibilities.
The introduction of the bachelor's system and the completion of the planning of the master's system provide a good opportunity to carry out thorough teaching reforms. Every teaching department was given a new look, and the curriculum was improved according to new perspectives and needs. The flexibility of teaching allows students to adjust their academic plans according to their individual expectations and needs. This development trend is also a great challenge for the teaching administration department.
Toledo is an e-learning interface, a virtual learning environment between the University of Leuven and its alliance universities, which allows teachers and students to enhance the teaching and learning process through interactive dialogue with each other.
In terms of practical teaching goals, KU Leuven pursues high quality. The internal evaluation system and inspections from outside the school not only present the current quality of the university, but also serve as the basis for subsequent quality tracking and improvement. The University of Leuven is committed to establishing an institution of the highest quality in Europe and France.
Quality assurance and development is a dynamic process, in which space needs to be given to new initiatives. Orientation and coin plans empower us to work toward this goal. The full name of the program is "Teaching Development and Practice Plan", which was established in 1997. Its purpose is to give innovative teachers the opportunity to develop new working models. Teaching development funds (money) incentivize teaching reform at the consortium level. Groups of work groups connect positive enthusiasm and guide the development of countless new ideas into substantial results. The completion of the department conversion plan within the Leuven University Alliance has enabled the smooth conversion of research programs provided by the universities in the alliance and the University of Leuven.
The quality of teaching basically depends on the quality of people, that is, the students and teachers of the school. Therefore, giving students the opportunity to participate in the construction of their own education and giving high praise to teachers for their efforts in teaching are the basic goals of the KU Leuven Leadership Center and various administrative departments. Their role is to provide necessary service support, prepare funds and create conditions so that the daily teaching process can proceed smoothly and in depth. The addition of the Kortrijk branch is of great significance to the entire education system of the University of Leuven. Its independent approach and special attractions make Kortrijk an ideal starting point for higher education. Although the institution is small, it does not prevent it from being compatible with large institutions. Regional characteristics can also go hand in hand with international openness. The close relationship between the University of Leuven and the Kortrijk campus not only enables the two parties to effectively exchange personnel and ideas, but also guarantees a good relationship between the two parties in the future.
Scientific and technological research
Scientific and technological research is the lifeline of the university, the source of teaching content and the basis of administrative service support. Investment in international high-tech research is therefore absolutely necessary.
Universities have been pleased with the huge increase in funding over the past few years. For example, the University of Leuven spent 123 million euros on academic research in 1996. In 2005, it almost doubled to 230 million euros. Its growth is mainly in the three aspects of the Special Research Fund (converter), the Leuven University R&D Center and the Academic Research Fund (FWO). Several research projects proposed by the French federal government will continue this growth. These plans are: the Odysseus Project, which recruits internationally renowned or international-level potential research experts, the Methusalem Project, which continues to fund outstanding research talents, and the Hercules Project, which funds the purchase of precision scientific instruments.
At the same time, KU Leuven itself has also completed a very important cooperative action, that is, the allocation of internal funds. In 1996, research funding for research groups in the School of Medicine, Academy of Sciences, School of Engineering and School of Bioengineering accounted for 80% of the total expenditure, while in 2005, it accounted for only 65%. During the same period, research funding allocated to research groups in departments in the humanities and sciences increased by as much as 100 to 300 percent. The number of doctoral students has also increased significantly in the last few years, and is still increasing (up to 427 students in 2005, including 117 foreign doctoral students). In the past few years, after thinking and research, a competency model standard has been formulated for doctoral students. That is, in addition to acquiring knowledge and abilities from the research process, doctoral students also need to possess various skills in their working lives after leaving school. This ability has also become a project that they must learn.
Scientific research results
In 2005, the publication of scientific research results continued to increase significantly. Université Leuven publishes nearly 40% of the scientific academic works in the Flemish region, and it also accounts for nearly half of the scientific citations in the field of citation bibliometrics. It is obvious that the performance of the University of Leuven has far exceeded the expectations of the outside world when evaluated in terms of the proportion of research funding provided by the Flemish government.
In terms of quality, the publication of KU Leuven journals is also continuing to increase. Evaluated based on impact factors, these journals rank among the top 10% in their fields. In many fields where the publication of research results is increasingly important, the contribution of KU Leuven has also grown significantly. Establishing an elite grant with additional funding will allow world-class research teams to have greater room for development by receiving this funding, without sacrificing other research teams. The improvement in the level of academic works not only indicates the rational use of research funds, but is also an important indicator of the image of the University of Leuven.
Some of KU Leuven’s research programs or research specialties enjoy considerable popularity, such as: Sagalassos, cryptography, nanotechnology, stem cell research and genetics research at KU Leuven. wait.
In addition, among the representative scientific research projects of the University of Leuven, there are several key research projects that cannot be ignored, such as: the "Overview of Church History" (magazine history ecclésiastique) research of the University of Leuven. We Roles in thrombosis research, Rega, research centers on virology, etc. Of course, we only gave a few examples, and only gave a rough explanation, which is not complete.
Teaching researchers at the University of Leuven have another important mission, which is the academicization of university teaching. Teaching researchers in Leuven, through integrated or alliance departments, contribute their own strength to the teaching reform of universities, so that the teaching of universities is also based on medium and long-term research. [page]
Academic Research and Society
Scientific research results must not only be evaluated for their academic value, but also for their value at other levels beyond academics. If the practical value of scientific research results is evaluated by their transformation into economic and social life, KU Leuven has also achieved outstanding results in this regard, especially the work results of the KU Leuven R&D Center. A large part of its results are research independently led by the R&D center itself. The research and development center of the University of Leuven has achieved the following results: it has established and mentored 60 branch units, managed patent cases with outstanding achievements, and is also responsible for the smooth connection between academia and the business community on a daily basis.
KU Leuven places special emphasis on scientific research that is creative and focused on a specific economic goal. Since 2006, in line with this concept, the Industrial Research Fund (in French) has been established to promote the interconnection between scientific research and the economy.
The contribution of KU Leuven’s scientific researchers in participating in social discussions may be difficult to judge with one data, but the university’s leadership center still encourages teachers and researchers to actually participate in these discussions and educate them Participation is affirmed.
Challenges
Just like other universities in the Flemish region, the daily funding and funding to cover daily academic staff and infrastructure are not large and have not increased. The University of Leuven faces several difficult challenges. Although the substantial increase in research funding fees is good news, on the other hand, in addition to maintaining academic standards for the guidance of research projects and the training of researchers, the demand for space and equipment has also increased dramatically. This urgent problem cannot be solved immediately without substantial government participation. Therefore, we have great expectations for the new research funding fee plan recently passed by the Flemish state government, and hope that the new plan will improve the current situation.
Not only in the precise sciences and biomedicine, but also in several areas of the humanities, there are many leading scientific research projects that require a large investment in infrastructure, and for these many of them are quite large. Where expensive and heavy instruments are arranged. The French government has also made considerable efforts in this regard and invested a lot of money. Through the establishment of flexible cooperation structures, KU Leuven strives to strengthen the vitality of scientific research and promote the practical efficiency of invested infrastructure, whether on campus or with other domestic and foreign universities. As for the humanities, as in certain areas of the exact sciences and biomedicine, additional funds are needed to establish special files and virtual professional libraries to serve as research laboratories for researchers and students.
In addition, non-scientific infrastructure initiatives have been developed that benefit not only the University of Leuven but also the city of Leuven. The maintenance and repair of existing buildings, often of historical value but not well adapted to today's needs, remains a significant challenge.
Internationality
Modern universities are all looking at the world. KU Leuven shows that it takes this seriously in many ways. It is an active member of the League of European Research Universities (LERU, founded in 2002) and the only Belgian member. Furthermore, the University of Leuven is also a very active member of the Coimbra group. The Coimbra Group is a cooperative relationship (founded in 1985) composed of several European universities with international standards and broad vision.
Many students at the University of Leuven have participated in the Socrates and Erasmus exchange student programs, replacing a period of their learning careers with further studies at European schools abroad.
Foreign research talents are recruited, and long-term foreign experience of domestic researchers has gradually become a necessary qualification. 'Talent mobility will be central to the execution of our leadership approach.
Numerous partnerships and active participation in competitive European teaching and research venues underline the importance of our commitment to the internationalization of KU Leuven.
Leuven University is also actively involved in cooperation with universities in southern European countries, especially poor countries. Many professors from various departments participate in such collaborations in their personal capacity. In particular, the research activities are widely established in Southern Europe by various research groups from the Faculties of Psychology and Education, the Faculty of Bioengineering, the Faculty of Medicine and the Faculty of Pharmacy. In this way, KU Leuven catalyzes the establishment of active dialogue and cooperation between Northern and Southern Europe.
The growing partnership between KU Leuven and its sister university - Université Leuven (Catholic University of Leuven, Belgium, University College London) strengthens the international image of both parties in scientific research and teaching.
University Hospital
For many Flemish people, the phrase 'go to Leuven' means 'go to Leuven to attend university', or 'go to China' Best hospital' consistently. The persistence of modern management, the concentration of high-level medical talents and the dedicated medical and nursing staff have made the University Hospital of Leuven the highest level medical center in Europe.
Although it is large in size, the environment is still warm and humane.
Leuven University Hospital has multiple functions. In addition to being a regional hospital for Leuven and surrounding areas, they are also primarily a tertiary clinical and critical illness hospital. In addition, it plays an important role in the training of future doctors and specialists, and is also an important discussion center for academic and medical research. Unlike other hospitals, the University Hospital of Leuven has many different functions, but so far, it has only received limited funding from the government.
Good cooperation with other hospitals in the medical work network is indispensable, but this can only solve part of the problem.
KU Leuven and the region
For the city of Leuven and the Greater Leuven Region, KU Leuven is an important partner and a major employer.
In particular, the large number of residential students has brought additional income to Leuven's business. The rapid growth of technology companies in Leuven has also significantly increased the value of Leuven and created tens of thousands of job opportunities.
The University of Leuven and its entire community bring a very special atmosphere and a strong international image to the city of Leuven. The constructive cooperation between the university and the city of Leuven is in the interest of both parties and promotes the development of both parties.
Kortrijk Campus also does its best to participate in some initiatives of its municipal and provincial governments. Particular attention will be paid to the development of the Eurodistrict in the three regions of Rijsel and Kortrijk/Doornik.