Université Libre de Bruxelles (ULB)

The Université Libre de Bruxelles (ULB) is a multicultural institution, with more than a third of its students and researchers being international. It has made internationalization a daily reality, much like Brussels itself, a cosmopolitan city par excellence. Its dynamic approach to openness to Europe and the world is reflected in numerous agreements, collaborations, and partnerships with some of the best universities worldwide.

With four Nobel Prizes in Science, a Fields Medal, and three Wolf Prizes among its researchers and alumni, the University’s long tradition of excellence is evident. Strongly involved in the European Research Area, ULB has been awarded the HR Excellence in Research label by the European Union (EURAXESS) and has secured a European funding program (COFUND) to host postdoctoral researchers in mobility.

With its twelve faculties, two schools, and one institute, ULB covers all disciplines by closely linking teaching and research. It offers nearly 40 undergraduate programs (BA), 150 Master’s programs, 6 Erasmus Mundus programs (Master’s level), over 65 specialized Master’s degrees, and participates in 20 doctoral schools with nearly 2,000 ongoing doctoral projects. Committed to providing its students with a solid foundational education, critical thinking skills, and a passion for research, the University also meets the needs of new student populations. Very dedicated to offering everyone the opportunity to pursue higher education, ULB has made efforts to develop various types of support for students: financial assistance, psychological counselling, guidance, French language improvement courses, and more.

Since its founding in 1834, ULB has been involved in the ongoing fight for critical thinking and freedom, whether opposing dictatorships or other nationalist drifts, advocating for equal opportunities, and addressing numerous societal issues. Based on the principle of free examination, which assumes the independence of reason and the rejection of all dogma, the University has remained true to its original ideals: an institution free from any tutelage, committed to defending democratic and humanistic values.

Since 2023, 4 faculties of ULB (Science, Architecture, Human and Social Sciences, Engineering) have set up a Science Shop, aimed at addressing the challenges raised by the actors of the Brussels territory. The working method consists of gathering issues from associations, citizen collectives, and administrations, and traducing them into research questions that students from all faculties explore as part of their education (courses, projects, dissertations, internships, etc.). This approach is based on a strong network of lecturers who agree to involve their students during their courses.
Additionally, our interdisciplinary work model has proven its relevance in exploring issues in their complexity, with each project enhancing the understanding of the territory and contributing to the body of knowledge that successive students draw upon. This original model has enabled the involvement of more than 500 Bachelor’s and Master’s students, brought together around thematic projects that represent the socio-ecological transition challenges of the Brussels region.

Sharing our experience with foreign university partners has highlighted the uniqueness and appeal of our approach, as well as its rarity within the landscape of science shops: by participating in this project, we hope to encourage the development of similar practices.