Educational quality of the programme
At VUB the quality of the education takes centre stage. This isn't something we say lightly: we scrutinise our programmes regularly to align them with changing student needs in a rapidly changing society.
This public information is part of VUB’s quality assurance system and was ratified by the Academic Council on 04/09/2023.
Strengths of the programme
- Active engagement of educational teams and students: The course council embraces participatory decision-making, actively involving all stakeholders. The teaching team takes into careful consideration the needs of the students, both in curriculum design and in discussions within the council.
- Focus on sustainability: The curriculum offers a thorough exploration of sustainability from various angles, covering its multiple facets. This approach aims to cultivate business economists with a focus on sustainability within their respective domains.
- Fostering professional competencies: In addition to teaching theoretical knowledge, the programme dedicates considerable attention to the cultivation of practical skills. By doing so, the programme optimally equips students for their prospective careers.
- Intercultural Exchange: Students highly value the opportunity to interact with individuals from diverse nationalities, seeing the cultural exchange to enrich their future professional identities.
Opportunities
- Alumni collaboration: The programme should take proactive measures to strengthen connections with former students, harnessing their expertise and insights to enhance the program.
- Promotion of international engagement: By incorporating international skills as clear learning objectives, the programme can effectively monitor and support students' growth and development in these areas.
- Student representation: To enhance student engagement in the programme, it is valuable to establish a stable group of student representatives within the course council. This fosters a smooth transition of representation and motivates active student participation.
Current developments
- Profiling: Given the significant diversity among students, clear communication about the unique profile of the programme is essential to reach students with the appropriate prior knowledge. Data on student backgrounds and academic performance provide valuable insights in this regard. The programme staff will refine the current profiling during a dedicated team day.
- Emphasis on sustainability: The programme places a strong emphasis on sustainability throughout both the bachelor's and master's programmes. This is achieved by continuously working on the development of a cohesive curriculum centred around this theme.
- Commitment to a diverse and inclusive educational approach: The programme considers various backgrounds and learning needs in its educational approach. Firstly, a preparatory mathematics course is available, as well as individual guidance for mathematics and language throughout the entire programme. Students with exceptional talent are offered an excellence programme and the opportunity to pursue a doctoral track as part of their master's thesis.
Where do we get this information from?
As institution we routinely ask our students to give their honest opinion about the study programme during their academic career. We also consult our professors and assistants and gauge the expectations in the future field of work. We receive structured feedback from our former students and compare our programmes with others at home and abroad. Through a Peer Review every six years an expert panel endorses the programme’s assets and can recommend some actions. Lastly, the Education Quality Council takes a formal decision about the quality and functioning of a programme.
Quality Cycle
Each programme follows a six-year quality cycle. The timeline below shows the schedule for this particular programme.
