Development Cooperation at K.U.Leuven

Within K.U.Leuven, numerous cooperation programmes and development projects are implemented with partner universities all over the world. Members of our university community are regularly called upon for responsibilities within regional, national and international development organisations.

A K.U.Leuven Mission Statement (pdf file, you need Acrobat Reader) on development cooperation has been developed by the Interfaculty Council for Development Co-operation (IRO). The IRO is an advisory board, which consists of representatives from all faculties. IRO also has a limited budget to support a series of IRO-initiatives, e.g. doctoral scholarships. For more information, please contact Martine Dekoninck.

Since 1998 the University (Development) Cooperation in Flanders has been managed by the Vl.I.R. (Flemish Inter-university Council). K.U.Leuven, as a member university of the VL.I.R., is very active in these university cooperation programmes.
The VL.I.R. has structured this university cooperation into four programmes:

1. Institutional University Cooperation (IUC): a long-term cooperation framework with selected partner-universities
2. Own Initiatives: individual and specific cooperation projects between (faculties or departments of) universities
3. North Actions: activities of Flemish universities in Flanders (research concerning development cooperation, international training courses and programmes)
4. Scholarships: support for students from developing countries.

K.U.Leuven is the co-ordinator of three IUC programmes:

1. In Bolivia: Universidad Mayor de San Simon, Cochabamba
2. In Zimbabwe: University of Zimbabwe, Harare
3. In the Philippines: Saint Louis University and Benguet State University