University of Antwerp

In Antwerp, you will attend classes at University of Antwerp and live in apartments located a short walk away from the university.

The University of Antwerp was originally founded in 1852 by the fathers of the Societas Jesu as the "Sint-Ignatius Business Institute. In 1965 the institute officially became a university and was renamed "Universitaire Faculteiten Sint-Ignatius te Antwerpen," or UFSIA. In 2003, UFSIA merged with two other Antwerp universities and is now known simply as the University of Antwerp, or UA for short.

Today, the University of Antwerp is one of Belgium's most distinguished universities. It attracts students from all over Europe. As a medium-sized university, UA's enrollment totals approximately 3,500 full-time students. There are 600 faculty and staff members.

The Faculty of Applied Economics (the "business school") is one of the largest and most famous in the country, with approximately 2,500 students. It is located in the 16th century historical buildings in the center of the city, while the schools of Law, Languages, History, Literature, Philosophy, and Social sciences are accommodated in the modern buildings nearby.

JMU students will be housed in apartments near the university. There are three types of rooms: single rooms, single rooms with a small kitchenette, and a studio apartment for two people with a small kitchenette. All apartments have showers and toilets, and there is a common kitchen on three floors in the building.

The University of Antwerp may look ancient on the outside, but inside it is furnished with modern facilities. Students will have access to a full business library, complete with computer lab and copy center. There are other campus computer labs as well, in buildings next to the library. Students will meet in modern classrooms, and they may choose to spend time in the Agorra, or a student lounge with restaurant and recreational facilities.

There are several small businesses surrounding the university that will provide all the amenities you are seeking while staying at the University of Antwerp. And the university is just a few minutes away by foot from the historic "Grand Place" of Antwerp. You are also near museums, churches, restaurants, the Diamond district, and other historical sites. You will find you have plenty to do in Antwerp itself, chosen as the "Cultural Capital of Europe" in 1993.

For more information about the University of Antwerp, visit the official web site.


UFSIA