A report by the Observatory on Borderless Education has highlighted the Brussels School of International Studies (BSIS) as an example of how international branch campuses should operate.
The report, entitled International Branch Campuses: Success Factors of Mature IBCs, noted, for example, that BSIS does not simply transplant courses from the UK, but offers distinct programmes that provide enhanced value to students because they are based in Brussels, the home to the European Commission and numerous other European institutions.
As such it is popular with students from across Europe as well as further afield including the US and Canada. This means there are now 14 distinct programmes offered with around 300 postgraduate students enrolled at any one time.
It also noted that BSIS benefits from having an international faculty, made up of a core group of permanent staff, supported by both lecturers able to travel over from the UK as and when required and academics from local universities.
BSIS is also well set-up to respond to whatever the outcome of the UK’s negotiations to leave the European Union, as it is not reliant on UK academic staff or students to operate.
Responding to the report the University’s Dean for Europe, Professor Jeremy Carrette, said: ‘It’s excellent to see this recognition for the BSIS and the University. We continue to have a strong focus on our European centres and are always looking at how we can further improve opportunities for students studying in our European centres at Brussels, Paris, Rome and Athens.’