VUB enrolment up for seventh consecutive year

During the official launch of its new academic year on Tuesday at Bozar, The Free University of Brussels (VUB) announced an increase in the number of new students for the seventh year in a row. With more than 20% foreign students, the VUB is the most international of the Flemish universities, writes brusselnieuws.be.

It is the first time that the VUB has held its academic opening session in the centre of Brussels, with Rector Paul De Knop yesterday calling for VUB affiliates to descend upon Bozar in a "sustainable procession": by bike, bus or electric car.

During his opening address, the rector included the university's most recent statistics, which boast a 0.8% increase in the number of new first-year students (more than 1,300). Psychology (+ 27%) and Physical Education (+18%) are the most popular majors this year, while Communication Sciences saw a drop in student enrolment.

Of the VUB's nearly 14,000 students, 2,800 of them do not have the Belgian nationality, or more than 20%. The foreign students are mainly enrolled in Masters and PhD degree programmes.