School of Arts
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Gent

Gent, originally named Ganda, arose at the confluence of two rivers. In the late medieval times it was the second largest city in NW-Europe. Gent is situated 55 km to the west of Brussels and covers 156 square kilometers. It is the capital of the East Flanders Province and the second largest city of the region Flanders, which is one of the three regions of Belgium. The greater metropolitan area of Gent has 515,000 inhabitants.

In 1537 Emperor Charles V, who was born in Gent in 1500, found the inhabitants of Gent guilty of disobedience and rebellion: they had to walk the streets barefoot, wearing only a shirt and a noose. For that reason the inhabitants of Gent are called noose-wearers. Today, the historical centre enjoys the unique atmosphere provided by the rivers and canals. The city of Gent bathes every evening in the enchanting light of its buildings and monuments - the city was awarded three Michelin stars for its lighting. Besides the Hogeschool Gent and other schools, Gent also has its university. The many students fill the city with sparkling life. Gent was chosen the ‘most enjoyable City of Flanders’ in 2005 and 2006.

Gent’s central motto is “city of knowledge and culture accessible for everyone”. That knowledge and culture are at the heart of the city is also a historic fact: from the well known Mystic Lamb of the brothers Van Eyck, to the beguinages – of which we have three – protected by UNESCO as World Heritage Sites, to the tower of the University Library which was built by Henry Van de Velde. And in the near future, a new city library will become a beacon of modern architecture.

Knowledge and culture are still in this city’s heart today. Gent is home to a university, three polytechnic institutes and two – in 2007, three –postgraduate arts programmes. 50.000 students of higher education study here and make of Gent the education capital of Flanders.

Gent has 8 museums, 2 art halls, 7 art centres, 5 theatres and 5 concert halls, 1 music hall, 1 opera and 22 film screens. In addition to all this, dozens (subsidised and recognised) organisations are located either in one of the above or elsewhere in the city. Art lovers from over the world know Gent thanks to:
• Famous exhibitions such as Chambres d’Amis (1986) and Over the Edges (2000)
• The annual edition of the Flanders International Film Festival-Gent (33rd edition in 2006!)
• The biennial International Street Theatre Festival (I.S.T.F.) alternating with the Puppet Buskerfestival
• The Festival van Vlaanderen where music of all sorts and times are cherished
• The Documentary Filmplatform
• The Time festival
This is just to prove you that whoever is interested in art & culture should come to Gent.

We are also known for our Burgundian nature. In Gent there are 426 restaurants and eating-houses and 346 cafés and pubs; nice places to have a drink with your friends!

Interesting sights
In the pedestrian city centre, the history of Gent surrounds you. The impressive medieval Castle of the Counts bears witness to an illustrious past. There are many prominent museums such as the S.M.A.K. (housing contemporary art), the Design Museum and the Museum of Industrial Archaeology and Textiles. Also, unique masterpieces of the Flemish Primitives can be seen in Gent. From St Michael’s bridge, enjoys a unique view of three towers (St Nicholas’ church, the Belfry and St Bavo Cathedral) and of the magnificent façades of the Graslei and the Korenlei. The Boekentoren (Book Tower), a library built by Henry Van de Velde, is a tower-shaped library located at the highest point in Gent.

Hogeschool Gent
http://www.hogent.be
Established in 1995, Hogeschool Gent is the outcome of two successful mergers that involved sixteen institutions of higher education. Many had been leaders in higher education for decades or even longer; the Royal Academy of Fine Arts, for example, was founded in 1748. The goal is to link, mix and interconnect this range of assets to create surplus value in the fields of education, applied research, services and the development of the arts. Hogeschool Gent defines its main tasks in an international perspective and opts for co-operation and networking with European and international organisations and universities in order to connect with the ongoing international evolutions and actions within a multicultural context. This international option is stressed further by our participation in the Gent University Association, which aims at an international profile. Hogeschool Gent is the largest ‘hogeschool’ in the country in terms of budget, staff and student population (more than 13.000 students) and has the widest range of subjects on offer, in fact almost anything from the fine arts to engineering sciences and from music to biotechnology.

How to reach us
In Brussels or Brussels Airport

The Airport City Express leaves four times an hour from inside the airport building (floor –2) and takes you to one of the main railway stations in Brussels (subsequently Noord/Nord, Centraal/Central and Zuid/Midi). In Brussels you can switch to one of the many intercity trains (IC) to or via “Gent Sint-Pieters”, Ghent’s main railway station (All trains with destinations “Brugge”, “Knokke/Blankenberge” or “Oostende” stop in Ghent). Some trains run directly from the airport to “Gent Sint-Pieters”.

In Ghent
Public transport

From the covered tram stop in the “Gent Sint-Pieters” railway station, you can take

+ line 1, trams 4/15/21, get off at the stop “Bijlokehof”, which is at a 5 minutes walk from the Bijloke Campus;
+ line 1, tram 1, get off at the stop “Gent Savaanstraat”, which is at a 7 minutes walk from the Bijloke Campus.

To organise your journey by bus or tram, you can as well consult the “routeplanner” at www.delijn.be (in Dutch).
By car

When arriving in Ghent, take sign “Gent Centrum”, followed by “Andere richtingen” (other directions), turn left at the traffic lights and continue straight ahead on the Sint-Lievenslaan. You are now on the bypass of Gent. Carry on via the Citadellaan and go into the right lane following the option “Eeklo”. Continue on the Charles De Kerckhovelaan, IJzerlaan and Godshuizenlaan. Turn right at the Louis Pasteurlaan, and on your right you will reach the Jozef Kluyskensstraat.

To organise your journey by car, you can as well make use of the routeplanner “Mappy”: www.mappy.be.