At Ghent University, we strive to educate people who dare to think about the challenges of tomorrow. For that purpose, we provide education that is embedded in six strategic objectives: Think Broadly, Keep Researching, Cultivate Talent, Contribute, Extend Horizons, Opt for Quality.
Ghent University continuously focuses on quality assurance and quality culture. The Ghent University's quality assurance system offers information on each study programme’s unique selling points, and on its strengths and weaknesses with regard to quality assurance.

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Ghent University's Education Objectives

Quality Assurance at Ghent University

1. Language via culture and culture via language: the Oriental Languages ​​and Cultures programme is founded on these two equally important pillars: language and culture. Our students choose one cultural area -  with a corresponding package of language course units: Arabic, Chinese, Indian or Japanese. They gradually build up knowledge of a modern and a classical language variant, giving them access to, and getting to know the culture of the region (i.e. society, politics, history, religion/philosophy, literature) in depth.
2. Regional specialists in diversity: in addition to the language and culture course units of the chosen cultural region, our curriculum includes a number of other course units. We offer, for example, a number of general course units in which students acquire  the necessary skills to be able to work creatively and in a problem-solving way. We also offer minors or diversification modules by means of which students  can either specialize or broaden their knowledge, and/or seek a connection with advanced studies or the labour market.
3. Internationalisation: our programme is inherently internationally oriented. We encourage our students and lecturers to gain international experiences. The Bachelor's curriculum contains a one-term mobility window which students can use to spend at a university in the chosen cultural region. The (largely) English-taught two-year Master's curriculum includes a second stay abroad, to be spent either in the chosen cultural region or at a European university, and a compulsory work placement that can also be taken abroad. These foreign experiences not only deepen students’ language skills; they sharpen their view of the society, culture, etc. of the chosen cultural area.
4. Talent development: from the beginning, the curriculum contains general courses units, methodology and research or practice-oriented course units. In these course units we teach our students to approach the world with a critical and academic-scientific mind, and to think creatively and in a problem-solving way. The available minors (i.e. economics, politics, teaching, multiculturalism) are opportunities to compose a curriculum tailored to your own interests and vision of your future.
5. Broad employability: due to the special additional attention that we pay to methodological and practice-oriented course units, our graduates at once have advanced knowledge of their discipline, but can also easily find employment in other domains. The work placement, which ties in with the chosen minor or diversification module, forms an initial work experience.

1. Lecturers with practical experience and expertise: our lectures have proven academic track records in one or more aspects of their (culture specific) area of expertise. Their experience often stems from prolonged stays in that cultural region. Our lecturers can count on the support of teaching assistants, tutors and native speakers. Together, they closely supervise and monitor our students during intensive course units, especially with regard to the acquisition of the modern languages.
2. Multiperspectivism and room for diversity: we study each cultural region from a wide range of perspectives (e.g. social, religious, literary, philosophical, linguistic). In so doing, our programme reflects our students’ diversity of interests and talents.
3. Practical experience in a cultural region: in the third year, we offer our students the opportunity of a prolonged stay at one of our partner institutions abroad (either in the chosen cultural region or at a European university). The two-year Master's programme offers a second opportunity for studying abroad and the additional option of spending the mandatory work placement abroad as well.  
4. Academic-scientific knowledge and skills: we pay special attention to the integration of academic research in our teaching practice. In the methodology course units, our students gradually learn to create academic-scientific knowledge themselves. Our programme also offers opportunities for critical thinking and specialisation.
5. Future prospects: by implementing a mandatory work placement in the Master's curriculum, we offer our students an initial professional experience even before they graduate. This is an excellent starting position to apply for national and international jobs in the public and private sectors. Our students’ advanced language skills, in-depth insight into their chosen cultural region, and broad critical-academic knowledge and skills are an excellent preparation for the labour market or advanced studies.

1. Stakeholder involvement: we want to involve our current students, alumni and professional field representatives better in thinking about and (re)designing the curriculum. This means that we have to cultivate our contacts with these three groups. We are specifically looking for ways to (1) encourage our students to active participation in consultations, to (2) strengthen our ties with our alumni, and to (3) maintain our contacts with the professional field in order to achieve a better connection to the labour market.
2. Information dissemination: we want to improve the intake of new students by disseminating correct information about the study programme through all channels possible (e.g. study information days or “sid-ins”, information sessions, brochures, websites, web classes, open classes, children's university, lecture series, classes for secondary schools). In doing so, we must emphasise the social importance of our study programme better. Participation of our staff in cultural events, activities, think tanks, etc. … should lead to an enhanced visibility of our study programme in society.  
3. Benchmarking: we must focus on a benchmark exercise with similar study programmes at home and abroad, and wherever possible, integrate good practices into our study programme.

This study programme is accredited by the Accreditation Organisation of the Netherlands and Flanders (Dutch: NVAO). Accreditation was extended following the positive outcome of the institutional review in 2022. Programme quality was validated by a quality review, i.e. a screening of the Education Monitor by the Education Quality Board. The Quality Assurance Resolution (in Dutch) can be found here.

This information was last updated on 01/02/2023.
In case of questions or suggestions with regard to the publicly available information, please contact the study programme.