Belgian Universities Research Articles

EMI and DMI, an elitist language learning approach? An investigation of students’ socio-economic and language profiles

ABSTRACT Internationalisation of higher education has really taken off in recent decades, with universities increasingly organising all or parts of their study programmes in a language other than their traditional language of instruction. Usually, that language is English, which is referred to as English Medium Instruction (EMI), but there are also programmes in other foreign languages, such as Dutch Medium Instruction (DMI) in French-speaking Belgium. Previous research links EMI with access inequity. This study investigates whether this inequity also exists in French-speaking Belgium and whether it extends to DMI by examining the socio-economic and language profiles of students in unilingual programmes versus multilingual programmes with DMI and/or EMI courses. An online questionnaire was administered to undergraduate law, political sciences, and economics & management students at a French-speaking university in Belgium. The results indicate that multilingual programmes attract students of higher socio-economic status (SES) and those who benefited from Content and Language Integrated Learning (CLIL) school education, extracurricular activities or more classes in Dutch or English at secondary level. Taken together, these findings suggest that multilingual higher education with DMI/EMI in French-speaking Belgium is closely linked with access inequity. The article ends with suggestions for institutions offering or considering multilingual higher education.

Intersectional cognitive schemas of diversity and inclusion in higher education

ABSTRACT Despite efforts towards diversity, equity, and inclusion in higher education, systemic oppression persists. This study reflects on how initiatives intended to foster inclusion interact with existing exclusionary mechanisms, impeding progress in equity projects. Specifically, we investigate the visual representation of diversity as an inclusion initiative and explore how the new diversity discourse is assimilated into established organizational cultures through intersectional cognitive schemas that help reproduce class, gender, race and ableist relations. Using a gendered lens to analyse university brochure photographs from five universities in Belgium, we identify the distribution of embodied dominant expressions of masculinity and femininity among white and non-white individuals across different professions. Our findings reveal a hierarchy of inclusion based on intersectional cognitive schemas that place non-white individuals under white women and those under white men. These schemas include meritocratic beliefs regarding the required capacities for each profession, with non-white women emerging as the most disadvantaged. The findings suggest that diversity and inclusion initiatives require critical re-evaluation, taking into account the intersectional and systemic nature of oppression.

Linking science with media and policy: The case of academics in Flanders, Belgium

Abstract There is a growing expectation for academics to go public, that is, to actively engage with the media and supply policy advice for decision-makers. Data showing these interactions are scarce. By linking data from FRIS, BelgaPress, and Overton, this study reveals a first snapshot of academics’ media mentions and policy citations for all active academics from Dutch-speaking universities in Belgium. Exploratory analysis reveals distinct sector differences, with academics from Social sciences, Medical, and Health sciences being most visible. A small minority of mostly male academics featured very often in media as media figures, contrasted by much more discrete policy pillars whose publications were cited often but hardly featured in traditional media.

Report from the ECCL (European Company Case Law) Symposium on Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence – Sustainability and Law

The European Company Case Law (ECCL) Symposium took place on May 31, 2024, at the Faculty of Law, Ghent University in Belgium. The organizing committee consisted of Professor Hans De Wulf (Ghent University), Professor Joti Roest (University of Amsterdam), and Professor Diederik Bruloot (Ghent University). The ECCL comprises a pan-European board of experts representing each EU member state and publishes the ECCL journal, which offers readers a comprehensive overview of laws and legislation in the EU.

Towards teaching strategies addressing online learning in blended learning courses for adult-learners

Blended learning offers a learner-centred approach that employs both in-class learning and digital technology to facilitate online learning. Such an approach is especially advantageous to adult-learners in higher education as it meets their educational needs. However, adult-learners’ participation in blended learning programmes remains challenging due to a general lack of online interaction, and no clear teaching strategies that address this concern. Literature relating to adult-learners’ educational needs and online interaction was consulted in order to design teaching strategies that foster adult-learners’ online interaction. The aim of this study is to further validate these teaching strategies, hence a multiple case study was carried out using a mixed method approach. As such, eight teachers and sixteen students from four courses across three universities in Belgium and the Netherlands were interviewed. Additionally, a questionnaire testing a pre-defined set of variables was distributed to 84 students. The results lead to a set of validated teaching strategies that help teachers to further develop their professional skills and expertise. The teaching strategies can be grouped into three categories, namely 1) the teacher's online presence, 2) collaborative learning activities and preparatory learning activities, and 3) the distribution of learning content and learning activities across online and in-class learning. An elaborate set of validated teaching strategies is included. This study aids towards teacher professional development and adds evidence-based knowledge to teaching strategies and instructional frameworks for adult-learners in higher education.Teaching/learning strategies, adult-learning, cooperative/collaborative learning, teacher professional development, online learning.

JAPANESE CORPORATE CULTURE IN “FEAR AND TREMBLING” BY AMÉLIE NOTHOMB

Amélie Nothomb is a phenomenon in contemporary literature, particularly in Frenchspeaking countries. She has gradually won over readers with her autobiographical narrative style, her romantic humor that reveals her inner self, and her wealth of cultural knowledge about where she lived before returning to Belgium at the age of seventeen. This study focuses on how Japanese corporate culture is depicted in "Fear and Trembling" by Amélie Nothomb, first published in 1999. As she witnessed the hierarchal systems, long-term commitment, and daily behaviors of her company's employees at the beginning of her professional career as an interpreter in a company in Tokyo after graduating from university in Belgium, Amélie Nothomb’s thoughts about Japan were greatly influenced.

Racial and Gender Inequality as a (Non)Crisis: The Discursive Strategies of Academic-Managers in Belgian and Danish universities

This study investigates academic-managers’ understanding of gender and racial inequality in Belgian and Danish universities. Employing Sylvia Walby’s and Janet Roitman’s crisis concept, findings show that academic-managers use three discursive strategies of justification that are inherently tied to a noncrisis narrative. By justifying gender and racial inequality as a) ‘normal’ in academia through a meritocratic-neoliberal approach, b) considering it a matter that needs to be resolved ‘higher up’, and c) using a politics of time to relegate inequality to the past and equality to the future, they exempt themselves from dealing with gender and racial inequality. Crisis talk appears when gender inequality may harm the institution’s reputation. We conclude by advocating for a shift from a language of diversity to a language of crisis. Framing gender and racial inequality as a crisis evokes a sense of urgency to foster inclusion and diversity in research and innovation.

The contributions of Idzi Radziszewski, Gommar Michiels and Stefan Wyszyński to research in Dutch Studies at the Catholic University of Lublin in the light of the university’s contacts with the Low Countries (1918–1939)

In 1918 a Catholic university (KUL) was founded in the Polish city of Lublin. Idzi Radziszewski (1871–1922), a graduate of the Catholic University of Leuven (KU Leuven), became the first rector of KUL. The connection with KU Leuven is an important part of the founding narrative of this Polish university. But what about Dutch studies – were they pursued before 1977 (the official beginning of Dutch studies at KUL)? The aim of this article is twofold. First, it examines the extent of the Polish-Dutch and Polish-Flemish academic exchanges between 1918 and 1939, focusing on Polish graduates of Belgian universities working at KUL, KUL scholars visiting Belgium and the Netherlands and Flemish and Dutch scholars employed at KUL. Subsequently, the relationship of the earliest products of the scholarly activities of the leading members of the academic community at KUL with Dutch studies will be assessed: Idzi Radziszewski’s Wszechnica katolicka w Lowanium [The Catholic University in Leuven, 1908], “Ruch flamandzki” [“The Flemish Movement”, 1923] by Gommar Michiels OFMCap and future cardinal and primate of Poland Stefan Wyszyński’s Główne typy akcji katolickiej za granicą [The Main Types of Catholic Action Abroad, 1931]. Of these, Michiels’ article is the most significant monographic contribution to the field of Dutch studies. However, the other two are important works in which the objects of Dutch studies are presented in an interdisciplinary context.

Quality Care Program: Raise awareness, motivate and coach community-pharmacists to provide high-quality pharmaceutical care.

Apart from providing pharmaceutical care when dispensing prescribed medicines, responding to the demand for an OTC drug or advice, is another core task of the community pharmacist. By asking the correct questions, the pharmacist collects all the necessary information to accurately estimate a patient's specific health problem. Pharmacists have a social responsibility and guarantee the responsible delivery of health products and medicines at all times, especially when it concerns non-prescription medicines or in the context of self-care. By providing this person centered care, pharmacists can distinguish themselves from other dispensing channels and can justify why the dispensing of medicines, including OTC medicines, is reserved for the pharmacy. 
 This brought the Association of Pharmacists Belgium (APB), together with the training institutes for pharmacists, the local pharmacists' associations, and the Belgian universities, to set up the Quality Care Program. The aim of this program is to raise awareness, to motivate and to coach community-pharmacists to provide high-quality care. The program consists of 4 main components:
 1. Scientific education: knowledge is the foundation when it comes to quality of care. In addition to cooperation with the training institutes, the existing educational material is collected at a central location.
 2. A knowledge test that assesses the knowledge, skills and attitude of pharmacists. The test is intended to be constructive, to confirm that people are doing well or to indicate which points deserve more attention in the pharmacist's approach.
 3. Pharmacy Simulator, a serious game (educational video game), is a virtual learning program in which pharmacists learn in a playful way to ask their patients the right questions.
 4. A patient perception study aims to provide feedback to pharmacists about how they approach patients with their demand for an over-the-counter medicine in their pharmacy.
 The Quality Care Program was launched in 2021. Each year, the emphasis is on two therapeutic drug groups. Meanwhile, 4 cycles have already been organized on analgesics, laxatives, emergency contraception and reflux for which the global results have been published after each cycle. In the coming months we will investigate how the pharmacy simulator can be better applied and how pharmacists can learn from each other.

Global surgery education in Belgium: Student’s knowledge, attitudes and exposure

Purpose Understanding how medical students perceive global surgery will be essential in strengthening the global surgery workforce by 2030. This study investigated the knowledge, attitudes and exposure of Belgian medical students towards global surgery and identified avenues for medical institutions to include meaningful educational opportunities. Methods An online survey was distributed to first to final year medical students across Belgian universities using social media. Data were collected on demographics, exposure, knowledge and attitudes towards global surgery. Odds ratios with 95% confidence intervals were calculated. Results A total of 304 medical students participated from four Belgian universities. A minority reported having exposure to global surgery (24.7%), and most wanted more exposure (75.3%). Almost all respondents agreed (94.4%) that it is a relevant topic for medical students, and most agreed (71%) more compulsory education on the topic is needed. Only 13 to 44% of students could correctly answer questions testing global surgery knowledge. Personal/family responsibilities were the most important barrier to pursuing global surgery careers. Conclusions Global surgery knowledge and exposure is limited among Belgian medical students despite interest in the field. These results advocate for the inclusion of decolonised global surgery education alongside equitable international clinical internships in medical education worldwide.

Female representation in orthopedic surgery: where do we stand in Belgium ?

Female underrepresentation in Orthopedic Surgery and Traumatology is a well-known issue worldwide, including in Belgium. Most of the literature comes from northern America. This two-part study aims to quantify the female workforce in orthopedic surgery in Belgium and assess the presence of unconscious biases among active orthopedic surgeons. Epidemiological data from national registries, orthopedic societies and universities in Belgium were analyzed. This included data on medical students, residents, active orthopedic surgeons and awards given by a Belgian orthopedic society. Additionally, a questionnaire was administered to Belgian orthopedic surgeons, assessing their perceptions of gender stereotypes and potential unconscious biases. 90 participants responded with 70% of men and mean age was 36 years old. The data revealed that 12% of active orthopedic surgeons in Belgium were women in 2020. However, the representation f women was higher among residents, with a thirty percent distribution. In one university, women had a slightly higher chance of getting accepted in the orthopedic training then men. The questionnaire results indicated the presence of unconscious bias regarding subspecialties, which aligned with the actual distribution. Women tend to specialize more in upper limb surgery and pediatrics while men focus more frequently on lower limb surgery. The findings highlight the need for addressing the underrepresentation of women in orthopedic surgery and traumatology in Belgium. If the current rate of progress continues, it is projected that 30% of active orthopedic surgeons will be female by the year 2074. Identifying and addressing factors contributing to the underrepresentation, such as lack of mentorship, unconscious biases, visibility issues, and discrimination, is crucial for empowering future female orthopedic surgeons and fostering diversity in the field. Collaboration among European universities and orthopedic societies can play a vital role in reducing barriers and promoting gender equality in orthopedic surgery and traumatology.

O.1.1-11 Are stress symptoms associated to health-enhancing physical activity levels in university students? The case of a Belgian French-speaking university in 2022

Abstract Purpose Starting university is often associated with a decrease in physical activity and an increase in stress levels. In students, higher levels of stress have been associated with lower PA participation. During the pandemic, students’ levels of PA seem to have decreased whilst stress symptoms (SS) have increased. The purpose of this study was to investigate the association between health-enhancing physical activity (HEPA) and SS in students attending a French-speaking university in Brussels in spring 2022. Methods Data was collected using an online questionnaire in 1,754 voluntary students. HEPA was measured using the International Physical Activity Questionnaire-Short Form (IPAQ-SF) and SS were assessed using the Stress single item measure. Binary logistic regressions were used to investigate how much HEPA (yes/no) was associated to SS in three categories: minimally to not at all; very stressed; and highly stressed. Models were adjusted for sociodemographic characteristics. All analyses were weighed to calibrate estimates to the entire university population. Results Among the study population (females: 59.3%), over a third of students (35.3%) were classified as HEPA active. This prevalence was the lowest amongst those who were “highly” stressed (28.8%), intermediate in those who were “very” stressed (34.0%) and the highest amongst those who were “minimally or not at all” stressed (39.6%) (p = 0.0005). After adjusting for sociodemographic characteristics, compared to those who were “highly” stressed, those who were “minimally or not at all” stressed were more likely to be HEPA active (aOR: 1.30; 95%CI: 1.00-1.70). There was no difference in the likelihood of being HEPA active for those who were “very” stressed (vs. highly stressed: aOR: 1.16; 95%CI: 0.87-1.56). Among the sociodemographic characteristics, sex and year of study were associated to HEPA. Females were less likely to be HEPA active compared to males (aOR: 0.38; 95%CI: 0.30-0.47), whereas undergraduate students were more likely to undertake HEPA than master’s students (1st year: aOR: 1.30; 95%CI: 1.00-1.69, 2nd-3rd year: aOR: 1.33; 95%CI: 1.03-1.72). Conclusions These findings indicate an association between HEPA and SS in students attending a French-speaking university in Belgium in 2022. They will enable to inform health promotion initiatives encouraging HEPA at the university.

Designing an alumni strategy in a complex organisation: A multilevel approach

Ghent University is one of the largest Belgian universities with a vibrant alumni community. Connecting with that alumni community can be a challenge and is a task in many ways impacted by the balanced centralised/decentralised structure of the university. In this paper, we highlight the different agents, spread throughout the entire university, who jointly create a meaningful alumni policy and develop a strong connection with our alumni. We also touch upon structures and tools for internal collaboration and briefly discuss the results of the renewed alumni policy that was launched two years ago.

Investigating the Communities of Inquiry in Blended Learning Environments

The purpose of this paper is to investigate how the Community of Inquiry supports deep approaches to learning and especially within blended learning contexts. The research was conducted through quantitative methods. For the inquiry a questionnaire was delivered to participants in electronic form. All the participants were students from three universities in Belgium (Flanders and Capital Region) – only the departments that used blended learning within their teaching strategies. The survey was conducted from November 2014 until June 2015. The results of the inquiry agree with international studies that within blended environment, Cognitive Presence is highly related with deep learning (Akyol & Garrison, 2011; Akyol, Garrison, & Ozden, 2009; Garrison & Cleveland- Innes, 2005). Though, further research should be conducted, focusing on linking quantitative comparatives of the development of education and learning approaches.

Accessibility, Retention and Interactivity of Online Co-Creation Workshops: A Qualitative Post-Hoc Analysis

Introduction: Co-creation is becoming increasingly popular to develop interventions that can achieve results beyond scientific findings. Workshops are one of the main ways to collect data and generate ideas in co-creation, which traditionally have been conducted at a fixed, physical location. However, organising face-to-face workshops is considered challenging, due to the transportation time, low flexibility and high costs. This study aims to investigate the online format of co-creation workshops and to discuss methodological considerations. Methods: Co-creation workshops were organised with 78 medical students, general practitioner (GP) trainees and specialist trainees from five Belgian universities. The study included four different cohorts, namely first-year bachelors ( n = 12), first-year masters ( n = 13), first-year GP trainees ( n = 14) and first-year specialist trainees ( n = 39). Three consequential online workshops were organised for each cohort, resulting in 12 workshops in total. The collected data included qualitative data (video-and audio recordings, notes from interdisciplinary team discussions, Miro boards) and quantitative data (registrations and actual attendance rates). All workshops were transcribed verbatim and thematically analysed using NVivo. Results: The participants reported increased flexibility and reduced costs as main benefits of the online format. In addition, the online platforms Miro and Microsoft Teams were considered dynamic and inspiring, facilitating high levels of engagement and interactivity. However, the online format also showed some challenges, such as the need for a digitally educated population and a stable internet connection. Conclusion: This study has shown that online workshops, also in the highly interactive method of co-creation, provide a viable alternative to collect data and generate ideas. This is particularly the case, when the target population is geographically dispersed, has a high workload and is digitally educated. Online workshops, however, also face limitations and challenges that need to be considered when choosing this format.

#StudentsToo. prevalence of sexual assault reports among students of three European universities and their actions post-assault.

Previous research has indicated high rates of sexual assault (SA) among US students (> 25%). Yet this type of investigation has been less frequent at European universities. We conducted an investigation at three universities, two Dutch universities (N = 95 and N = 305) and one university in Belgium (N = 307). Students were asked to estimate the prevalence of SA, and to report about their personal experience. We defined SA as any situation in which students were inappropriately touched, forced to a sexual act without their consent, or were (sexually) verbally intimidated. 56% of students (Location 1: n = 54/95; Location 2: n = 172/305; Location 3: n = 172/307) across all three samples reported experiencing SA. The disclosed assaults were mostly unwanted sexual contact (i.e., groping) by male strangers aged 18-35 years. One-third of the sample reported to have done nothing post-assault, and among those who took actions, the majority disclosed the assault to friends, but rarely to family members. Also, 3-5% of students (Location 1: n = 3; Location 2: n = 11; Location 3: n = 11) (falsely) denied the assault. Seeking justice and needing support were important motivators of action, whereas psychological factors (i.e., memory distrust) were antagonists of this. Finally, besides psychological factors, fear of interpersonal consequences (e.g., being labelled as a "drama queen") was a strong influence to either deny or try to forget the assault. SA appears to be frequent among European students and further investigation including other European universities is warranted.

The correlates of statistics anxiety: Relationships with spatial anxiety, mathematics anxiety and gender

This study investigates the correlates of statistics anxiety. Considering that statistics anxiety and spatial anxiety have been separately correlated with related constructs (e.g., mathematics anxiety, academic performance, etc.), the possibility that spatial anxiety plays a role in statistics anxiety is explored. When facing statistics or mathematics operations, people may imagine or visualize the task operations they must do to obtain the result. To examine this hypothesis, 778 students in a Social or Health Sciences program, enrolled in a –often mandatory– statistics course from Canadian, French and Belgian universities completed an online survey. The results show moderate to strong positive correlations between all three types of anxiety (spatial, mathematics, and statistics). In addition, a mediation analysis reveals the intermediate role played by mathematics anxiety in the relationship between spatial and statistics anxieties. Nonetheless, the direct link from spatial anxiety to statistics anxiety is non-negligible in the model. Finally, the results also indicate that women report higher levels of statistics anxiety, which may be partly explained by their higher level of spatial anxiety.

Facing the dropout crisis among PhD candidates: the role of supervisor support in emotional well-being and intended doctoral persistence among men and women

ABSTRACT The number of PhD candidates who experience psychological problems has risen significantly over the past few years. Poor mental health can have numerous negative consequences for PhD candidates and their supervisors, as it may adversely affect their quality of life, attrition, and academic productivity. Despite these well-documented challenges, few studies have looked at how the supervisor – supervisee relationship can influence the emotional well-being of male and female doctoral candidates. The current work examined the role of the supervisor’s support in emotions and intended doctoral persistence among men (n = 411) and women (n = 514), in all disciplines at two large universities in Belgium. Results indicate that emotional well-being was low for all doctoral candidates but women experienced even more negative emotions (anxiety, stress, discouragement, demoralization, sadness and depression) and fewer positive emotions (confidence, optimism, happiness, fulfillment, satisfaction and content) than men. Interestingly, we also found that perceived structure and autonomy, two dimensions of supervisor support, have a positive effect on emotional well-being and intention of pursuing a PhD trajectory for both men and women. This paper makes a contribution to the higher education and research supervision literature by offering new directions for research and by providing guidelines for the training of research supervisors.

Experiences of general practice residents during the COVID-19 health crisis: impact on anxiety and motivation for general practice

The COVID-19 health crisis has turned the entire health care system and its actors upside down. For interns in general practice (IMGs), it has changed the way they practice medicine on a daily basis, disrupted their training, and highlighted their social responsibility, a factor that predisposes them to practice general medicine. To assess the impact of the health crisis on the anxiety and motivation for general practice of IMGs. Cross-sectional study using an online questionnaire (Qualtrics©) distributed by e-mail to IMGs of two French-speaking Belgian universities between 1 and 31 July 2020 following the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic. In a sample of 188 IMGs, the following variables, considered as significant risk factor for anxiety, were analyzed: psychological distress prior to the lockdown (OR=2.894), having more than 15 daily telephone consultations during the lockdown (OR=2.724), worrying about being affected by COVID-19 (OR=2.892), or deterioration in quality of life (OR=3.335). Conversely, the feeling of practicing in a supportive environment (OR=0.311) is a protective factor against anxiety. Finally, the feeling of social usefulness reinforces the motivation of IMGs for their profession (OR=4.737). This study allowed us to better identify the factors of anxiety and motivation for specialization in general practice among IMGs just after the first wave of COVID-19. Awareness of the risk factors for professional distress and how to deal with them should be considered in the university curriculum.

Learning from complex elderly care: a qualitative study on motivating residents in family medicine

BackgroundMore and more patients need complex care, especially the elderly. For various reasons, this is becoming increasingly difficult. The onus is essentially on family physicians to provide this care and family medicine residency programs should therefore prepare their residents for this task. We know from self-determination theory (SDT) that motivation plays a key role in learning and that in order to boost motivation, fulfillment of 3 basic psychological needs - for autonomy, competence, and relatedness – is crucial. As residents often lack motivation, residency programs face the important challenge to motivate them to learn about and engage in complex elderly care. How to do so, however, is not yet sufficiently understood.MethodsWe conducted a qualitative multi-institutional case study across four universities in Belgium and the Netherlands. In the period between June, 2015, and May, 2019, we triangulated information from semi-structured interviews, document analysis, and observations of educational moments. Guided by SDT concepts, the analysis was performed iteratively by a multidisciplinary team, using ATLAS.ti, version 8. In this process, we gained more insights into residents’ motivation to learn complex elderly care.ResultsWe scrutinized 1,369 document pages and 4 films, observed 34 educational moments, and held 41 semi-structured interviews. Although we found all the 3 basic psychological needs postulated by SDT, each seemed to have its own challenges. First, a tension between the need to guide residents and to encourage their independent learning complicated fulfillment of the need for autonomy. Second, the unpredictability of complex care led to reduced feelings of competence. Yet, guidelines and models could help residents to capture and apprehend its complexity. And third, family medicine practice, patients, and educational practice, by either satisfying or thwarting the need for relatedness, were identified as key mediators of motivation. By setting the right example and encouraging residents to discuss authentic dilemmas and switch their health care approach from cure to care, educators can boost their motivation.ConclusionOur study has demonstrated that the degree of perceived autonomy, guidance by the education program, use of authentic dilemmas, as well as involvement of group facilitators can aid the process of motivation.Trial registrationNVMO, ERB number 482.