Pierre Gurdjian, the President of the francophone Free University of Brussels (ULB), considers that the merger of the ULB with the Dutch-speaking Vrij Universiteit Brussel (VUB) is “indeed a logical strategic vision.” He said this in an interview granted to L'Echo and De Tijd on Friday.
Born in Wilrijk, to a Brussels father and an Antwerp mother, with a degree from the VUB, Mr Gurdjian sees an “obvious partnership” forming between ULB and VUB. A merger between both Brussels universities will give them “greater weight at international level.” He goes on, “If our two universities join forces, we jump up by around 100 places in the international rankings.”
However, he considers that the institutional context makes the partnership “genuinely difficult.” Mr Gurdjian goes on, “The funding regimes are very different. We cannot achieve this by the end of next week. Although it is a joint project, I hope that we can mobilise the support of our partners, in particular the political world.”
Not wishing to be overenthusiastic, the ULB President tempers, “Nothing has been decided. I am simply extrapolating in the face of the apparent willingness, which is appearing spontaneously.”
The Brussels Times
