Quality assurance

In 2022 the master in Bioscience Engineering: Sustainable Urban Bioscience Engineering went through an initial accreditation customised to own conduct by NVAO.

Based on the report of the assessment of the new programme of 2022, the programme is characterized by the following strengths and will further enhance itself by addressing the following points.

The quality of the programme is monitored by the quality assurance system of the University of Antwerp. As stipulated in the Flemish regulations, the programme will subsequently undergo its first accreditation customised to own conduct by NVAO in 2027.

Conclusions of the panel

The two-year English-language programme is organised jointly by UAntwerp (coordinator), UGent and KU Leuven and supported by a solid and motivated team. There is demonstrable interest from the professional field for this broad and multidisciplinary programme that aims to train bio-engineers who can provide sustainable and (eco)technological solutions for urban environmental issues (relating to climate change, biodiversity, circularity, energy, mobility, food, etc.).

The programme and the learning outcomes have been carefully considered, with attention to harnessing the strengths and research expertise of the three universities collaborating in this programme. The curriculum offers a well-balanced mix of theory and practice and aims to be both deepening and broadening. There is also a focus on non-engineering knowledge, social, ethical, and policy aspects, as well as qualitative assessments. The programme will pay attention to a clearly articulated graduate profile and will continue to monitor and adjust, if necessary, the balance between the depth and breadth of the curriculum.

The programme provides active, student-centred, and competence-based education through innovative teaching and learning methods such as integrated cases and city labs. The master's programme includes a short mandatory internship that allows students to gain valuable insights into the professional field, where they must assume various roles. Students have the opportunity to integrate their internship and master's thesis into an international study experience. Proper guidance and clear agreements with the professional field in this regard remain important to safeguard in the future. the programme will provide students with an overview of overview of options abroad that align with the programme by default, and where the internship and master's thesis can be carried out within the mobility window.

To implement the programme, a significant number of additional faculty members and administrative capacity are allocated. Adequate study facilities are provided, and there is clear attention to the feasibility of the programme, study guidance across the three campuses, and comprehensive information provision. It is important to maintain this capacity in the future, ensuring that the programme can be realized with the planned ambition and intensity, even if the enrollment were to increase significantly.

The programme will be offered for the first time in the academic year 2023-2024. Only after the conclusion of that academic year will the 'opleiding in cijfers' website provide more detailed information about this programme.