Vesalius College, also known commonly as VeCo, is a college situated in the heart of Brussels, Belgium. The college is operated in association with the Vrije Universiteit Brussel. It is named after Andreas Vesalius, one of the first and foremost pioneers in the study of Anatomy who lived during the Renaissance period. The college was founded in 1987 and offers three-year Bachelor's degree programs in accordance with the Bologna process. Vesalius College is one of the few educational institutions in Belgium which teaches exclusively in English.
Location
The college has its own administration buildings, lecture rooms and other offices located at Pleinlaan 5 in the Brussels borough of Ixelles, adjacent to the main Etterbeek campus of the Vrije Universiteit Brussel. It also operates in cooperation with the Vrije Universiteit Brussel, using some of its classrooms for lectures.
Facilities
On the Pleinlaan campus, Vesalius College has its administrative offices, classrooms, a conference room, computer facilities as well as the Student Lounge and the English and Math Workspace. Vesalius College also shares the facilities of the adjacent campus of the Vrije Universiteit Brussel, such as classrooms, the large lecture halls, computer facilities, the library, the cafeteria, the sports complex with indoor basketball, tennis and squash courts, and gymnasium facilities.
Organisation
The College programmes fall under the auspices of Sven Van Kerckhoven, PhD. Vesalius College has four Undergraduate Majors under the current three-year program:
Business Major - Faculty chaired by Frank Billingsley, PhD
Communications Major - Faculty chaired by Trisha Meyer, PhD
International Affairs Major - Faculty chaired by Tongfi Kim, PhD
Major Faculty chaired by Marc Cogen, PhD
There are also two MA programmes and a Master preparatory programme:
MA in Diplomacy and Global Governance
MA in Global Peace, Security and Strategic Studies
European Peace and Security Studies
The International Affairs curriculum also includes the Undergraduate Certificate in European Peace and Security Studies. Taught jointly by Vesalius College, the Belgian Royal Military Academy, the Institute for European Studies and the University of Kent, the course critically assesses the responses of NATO, the EU and the United Nations. All three majors are accredited by the Dutch-Flemish Accreditation Organisation, the official accreditation agency established by international treaty between the Dutch government and the Flemish community government, which is responsible for education in, the Dutch-speaking part of Belgium.
Internships
Students have the option of applying to participate in the Vesalius Internship Programme. The VIP is a competitive, graded internship programme that gives students the opportunity to experience an international and professional environment in the ‘Capital of Europe’. Internships are available with governmental organisations, multinational corporations, NGOs, think tanks, media centers and many other organizations.
Student Organisations
The student body elects a Student Government every academic year starting in the Fall until the end of Spring. The Vesalius Student Government includes four members: a president, vice-president and treasurer, an internal affairs representative, an external affairs representative and a social affairs representative. Students are asked to represent their Majors on the Student Council in which issues regarding the College and all things academic are discussed and the necessary votes are taken. These people are named Major Representatives at the beginning of every academic year.
Clubs
The College also hosts a variety of clubs in which the students can participate:
Music Club
Sports Club
Partner Institutions
At present, the College has agreements of varying types with the following colleges, universities and study abroad organizations:
