VUB launches new Facts & Figures
Science as the driving force behind the university
How big is the VUB today, where does it invest, and what does this mean for students and society? The new edition of Facts & Figures, featuring figures for the calendar year 2025, provides a clear answer. The overview brings together figures on research, education, innovation and societal impact. But behind those figures lies one clear common thread: science is not a separate pillar, but the driving force behind the entire university. Rector Jan Danckaert: “We have reformed our research structures, professionalised innovation, modernised teaching and made leadership more people-centred.”
The research machine at the VUB is running at full speed. In 2025, the VUB invested 155.1 million euros in research activities. These funds support an extensive academic ecosystem comprising 2,650 academic staff and 2,326 PhD researchers, spread across three doctoral schools. The result is a strong research output, with more than 2,600 academic publications in a single year. In addition, research is increasingly leading to practical applications, with 228 active patent families and 52 spin-offs arising from VUB research.
The university also demonstrates its strength on the international stage. Between 2021 and 2025, the VUB secured 194 European research projects, representing nearly 120 million euros in funding. The university performs particularly well in prestigious programmes, such as the European Research Council and the Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions, and ranks among the top in Belgium in terms of European research funding per professor.
Education rooted in science
Research is not limited to publications and laboratories. The VUB explicitly positions itself as a university where teaching is grounded in science. In the 2025–2026 academic year, the university has 24,695 students enrolled on programmes that are constantly informed by the latest research insights. Students are thus not only introduced to existing knowledge, but also learn how that knowledge is generated through experimentation, analysis and critical thinking.
The international nature of this education is striking. More than 6,000 students come from abroad, representing 151 different nationalities. This diversity reflects the international research context in which the VUB operates and strengthens the interaction between education and science. Its location in the European capital, Brussels, certainly contributes to this.
The close link between research and education is also reflected in concrete initiatives. The university invests in innovative learning environments, such as the Learning and Innovation Centre, where new forms of education are developed. At the same time, it responds to current developments, for example by screening thousands of course modules for the impact of artificial intelligence. In this way, teaching remains closely aligned with evolving scientific and societal realities.
A scientific approach to societal challenges
However, the impact of science is not limited to students and researchers. The VUB is strongly committed to social engagement, including through interdisciplinary research networks that focus on major challenges such as climate change, mental health and urban development. Research is actively shared and applied in this context. “Relevance means recognition by international peers as well as significance for society,” says Danckaert. In 2025, more than 7,500 people took part in the university’s outreach activities, and hundreds of researchers were supported in science communication.
This societal role is also reflected in the collaboration with the UZ Brussel university hospital, where research, education and care come together on a daily basis. Innovations in medical technology, such as new imaging techniques or treatments, find their way directly into patient care there.
In addition, the university ensures that research also generates economic impact. Through the Industrial Research Fund and various incubators, research ideas are transformed into applications and entrepreneurship. The Research Park in Zellik plays a central role in this as a growing innovation hub, where companies, researchers and start-ups collaborate. A concrete example of this investment strategy is the installation of a 7 Tesla MRI scanner, a unique research facility that offers new possibilities in medical imaging and collaboration at both the Flemish and international levels.
Perhaps the greatest societal impact is the scientifically trained graduates that the university produces with great pride. Every year, the VUB awards thousands of degrees. Each year, students celebrate this at the Graduation Ceremony on Brussels’ Grand Place, which has now become a defining tradition of the city. Hundreds of PhDs are also completed each year. Together, they form an alumni network, to which more than 80,000 people have already registered. Jan Danckaert: “Science and education are at our core. We continue to pioneer research and commercialise it where it creates added value for society.”
Sicco Wittermans
