Vlerick Leuven Gent Management School has been in existence for more than half a century and can look back upon a stirring yet successful history.

Mastering Management In The Heart Of Europe

Founded by professor André baron Vlerick in 1953 the school has risen in stature to become the leading business school in Belgium. In 1998, the school concluded a structural cooperation framework with Ghent University and the Katholieke Universiteit Leuven, the two biggest Belgian universities, each having a strong reputation in fundamental research.

Research As A Core Business And An International Showpiece
With the establishment of the research and impulse centres, the school set up a solid research structure and a coherent research strategy.

The School has gained a particular competence in three (broad) domains which encompass individual research projects and research centres.

1. Management Of Technology, Innovation And Entrepreneurship.
Innovation and entrepreneurship being essential elements for growth in any economy.

2. Doing Business From A European Perspective
Situated at the crossroads of two distinctive European cultures (Latin and German), where the heart of the European Union is situated (European Commission and Parliament) and often the (European) headquarters of multinational companies are located, the school is in prime position to study the complex issues related to doing business in Europe. Those problems range from the location strategy of multinational firms in a united Europe over corporate governance differences to the impact of cultural differences on doing business. The focus in this spearhead is relevant both for Europe and other multicultural regions around the world.

3. Corporate Social Responsibility
More and more, society is imposing new expectations on business. Companies are seeking ways to“mainstream” Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) into their business processes and are trying to respond to their stakeholders’ needs.

As an academic institution and management school, Vlerick Leuven Gent Management School plays a fundamental role in the ongoing debate and is conducting research to bring more clarification with regard to the complex issues of Corporate Social Responsibility.

A Top European Management School
Today the school is well-known at European level and it is the only Belgian school to hold triple accreditation from EQUIS (European Foundation for Management Development), AMBA (UK-based International MBA Quality Certification Authority) and the American AACSB label making the school one of the 28 business schools in the world to hold triple accreditation.

Vlerick Leuven Gent Management School offers numerous training programmes for company executives as well as a wide variety of services in a multicultural environment. As such the School serves all types of customers: students, postgraduates, individuals, Belgian and international companies and organisations.

Since 1959 the school has been delivering degree programmes and although those programmes have been continuously modified and enhanced to ensure that the latest developments in management thinking and practice are incorporated in the teaching, the values and scale that have driven the school for over 50 years as an academic management school retain: synthesis, entrepreneurial attitude, integrity and autonomy, respect for diversity and customer focus.

The school currently offers the following degree programmes: - An international MBA Programme (full-time and part-time), aimed at executives with at least 3 years of working experience and with a strong international focus. It gives participants up-to-date theoretical insights in relation to practical experience, all within an intellectually stimulating environment that is shared with similarly experienced fellow participants.

- Three one-year full-time Masters Programmes, aimed at young university graduates, who know where they want to go, and need the right management foundation to help get them started:

• Masters in General Management
• Masters in Financial Management
• Masters in Marketing Management

Masters Programmes: A Unique Approach
The Masters are much more than just a year of theoretical courses and concepts. They are different in many ways, a combination of theory, practice and management skills. Management is much more than a theoretical base and it is more than just concepts: it’s an attitude, a philosophy!

Most of the management skills cannot be taught in class;

they require an interactive and experience-based approach. Ongoing interaction between students and faculty ensures optimal results. Great importance is attached to developing practical social skills such as oral presentations, report writing and group work (e.g. meeting skills and negotiation).

Each course includes exercises and individual help for students to improve skills in learning, negotiation and presentation. The students gain hands-on experience by conducting an in-company project of at least 8 weeks. Faced with a current real business problem the students show their ability to integrate in the real business environment and contribute to the development of a solution that is ready for implementation. Students learn to work against deadlines, write management reports and make professional presentations. At the conclusion of the project, the quality and applicability of their analysis and their recommendations are assessed by a jury of both academics and business professionals.

The active learning method involves active participation and cooperation, group work, case studies, business games and simulations, international study trip, residential seminars, company visits and guest speakers from reputable companies as well as testimonials from managers and entrepreneurs illustrating real-life cases.

Alumni
The Vlerick Leuven Gent anagement School Alumni Network is one of the most active and influential Alumni networks in the world with currently over 11,500 Alumni successfully operating at top management levels in the manufacturing industry, in consultancy, in services and in the public sector in 100 countries.

Further information on the school, programmes, admission criteria, financial conditions and scholarships visit: www.vlerick.be