General details Ghent Campus Reep 1GhentB-9000Belgium Tel: +32 9 210 97 31 Email: Click here Website
Location Map
Status Business School
Accreditation & Recognition EFMD,
Date established --
Services available
Languages of instruction DutchEnglish
Mission & values
Vlerick Leuven Gent Management School is an international academic school of management that aims to make an important contribution to professionalising management and encouraging entrepreneurship. The school realises this mission through rigorous and relevant scientific research and by offering a wide range of high-quality management courses with a specific European dimension. We welcome students, managers and organisations from all over the world.
To accomplish our mission, Vlerick Leuven Gent Management School applies the following basic values:
These values are applied to our training and research programmes, to the internal activities and behaviour of our employees, and to everything that we do: We apply internally what we teach as part of our programmes.
Synthesis Vlerick Leuven Gent Management School’s added value can be found in the productive interaction between scientific knowledge and practical management experience. Clients will find the School a professional partner for discussion and will be able to further develop their own ability to synthesise during meaningful dialogues with lecturers, researchers and fellow students. They can rely on the School fulfilling its role as watchdog with regard to new management theories and concepts, as well as to the best practices from within the corporate world. The School commits itself to synthesising its research and training activities and to developing forward-looking and relevant management models. An interdisciplinary approach is essential for this. Sense of Entrepreneurship Vlerick Leuven Gent Management School wishes to share with its clients its belief in the value of the sense of entrepreneurship. The community can expect the School to play an active role in encouraging a sense of entrepreneurship and innovation. It wishes to be a central meeting place for entrepreneurs and researchers to discuss a unifying theme. Internally as well, the School creates an environment that encourages innovation. In order to realise this, employees are given the necessary freedom and means to develop breakthrough innovations, which may arise from individual creative minds and talents as well as from effective teamwork. Integrity and Autonomy Vlerick Leuven Gent Management School is convinced that integrity is a fundamental value for every organisation as well as for that organisation's management. The community can expect the School to contribute to the development of an ethical conscience in all its activities and in its relationship with all its stakeholders. To achieve this, we pay particular attention to the social responsibility of managers and organisations. As a scientific institution, for example, we actively take part in the debate on corporate responsibility and corporate social responsibility. We have also incorporated this theme in our course activities. You should clearly sense that we acknowledge and apply a coherent and explicit value system in every contact with the School. Freedom of expression is of vital importance for an academic institution like ours. Vlerick cherishes its autonomous position and approaches its environment in an objective and unbiased manner. Respect for Diversity Vlerick makes maximum use of the richness provided by the diversity of its clients. For its part, the School wants to guarantee its clients an environment that respects and promotes diversity. In turn, this should increase their ability to deal with diversity. Customer Orientation Students, participants, organisations and the community can rely on the School to take their desires and needs as a basis for the development of educational programmes and the definition and execution of research projects. Empathy for the client is the fundamental attitude of the School's staff members.
Vlerick Leuven Gent Management School’s added value can be found in the productive interaction between scientific knowledge and practical management experience.
Clients will find the School a professional partner for discussion and will be able to further develop their own ability to synthesise during meaningful dialogues with lecturers, researchers and fellow students.
They can rely on the School fulfilling its role as watchdog with regard to new management theories and concepts, as well as to the best practices from within the corporate world.
The School commits itself to synthesising its research and training activities and to developing forward-looking and relevant management models. An interdisciplinary approach is essential for this.
Vlerick Leuven Gent Management School wishes to share with its clients its belief in the value of the sense of entrepreneurship.
The community can expect the School to play an active role in encouraging a sense of entrepreneurship and innovation. It wishes to be a central meeting place for entrepreneurs and researchers to discuss a unifying theme.
Internally as well, the School creates an environment that encourages innovation. In order to realise this, employees are given the necessary freedom and means to develop breakthrough innovations, which may arise from individual creative minds and talents as well as from effective teamwork.
Vlerick Leuven Gent Management School is convinced that integrity is a fundamental value for every organisation as well as for that organisation's management.
The community can expect the School to contribute to the development of an ethical conscience in all its activities and in its relationship with all its stakeholders. To achieve this, we pay particular attention to the social responsibility of managers and organisations. As a scientific institution, for example, we actively take part in the debate on corporate responsibility and corporate social responsibility.
We have also incorporated this theme in our course activities. You should clearly sense that we acknowledge and apply a coherent and explicit value system in every contact with the School. Freedom of expression is of vital importance for an academic institution like ours. Vlerick cherishes its autonomous position and approaches its environment in an objective and unbiased manner.
Vlerick makes maximum use of the richness provided by the diversity of its clients. For its part, the School wants to guarantee its clients an environment that respects and promotes diversity. In turn, this should increase their ability to deal with diversity.
Students, participants, organisations and the community can rely on the School to take their desires and needs as a basis for the development of educational programmes and the definition and execution of research projects.
Empathy for the client is the fundamental attitude of the School's staff members.
Located in the heart of the European Union, Vlerick Leuven Gent Management School is in a prime position to study the complex issues related to doing business in Europe.
The Belgian campuses - in Ghent and Leuven - benefit from the rich histories and present vitality of these two cities, as they produce skilled managers for the 21st century.
The third campus is located in St-Petersburg, and provides a unique window on the cultures and economies of Russia and surrounding regions.
The history of the School goes back to the Marshall plan in 1949, when Professor André Vlerick was appointed General Manager of the Belgian Council for Economic Cooperation. Only 30 years old at that time, Professor Vlerick's task was to assist European businessmen in cooperating with American managers within the scope of the Marshall Plan. He found that European businessmen eagerly adopted the ready-made techniques of their American colleagues. However, the lack of distinctively European methods led him to create a new European management approach in 1953. This approach formed the basis for the Centre for Productivity Studies and Research at Ghent University, the forerunner of today's management school.
Both industry and public authorities recognised the significance of Professor Vlerick’s approach to management training. As a successful banker and scientist, he was able to give theoretically sound, practical advice to a significant number of entrepreneurs, which produced lasting benefits. As Minister of Regional Development and later as Minister of Finance, he also had significant impact on the Belgian economy. Many of his ideas were revolutionary at that time.
Organisations that want to succeed in an ever-changing world need a solid on-going training platform. Leveraging over 50 years of experience in management development, a deep understanding of business issues, and a talent for transferring knowledge, Vlerick Leuven Gent Management School can partner with you to design and deliver a learning experience tailored to your organisation’s specific needs.
Whether your company is going through major organisational change or you have other strategic needs - such as developing a group of high-potential managers or senior executives - we have the approach, flexibility and resources to provide the most appropriate management development programme for your particular need. Our programmes cover all areas of business and can be delivered to any level of the organisation, anywhere in the world.
We are part of a select group of institutions in the world to hold a triple accreditation and are proud to be recognised by our clients a world class partner for company-specific solutions. More info on Accreditations & rankings.
Vlerick Leuven Gent Management School brings the business and academic worlds together by applying a high-quality, relevant and rigorous academic framework to the experiences and challenges of managers at every stage of their career.
Because our customised programmes are designed entirely around our partners' needs, all sorts of formulas are possible.
This is the process we follow:
1. Initial meeting
To design a management development programme for you, we first discuss with you your primary needs, objectives and target group. Usually, the client describes the corporate strategy and business issues. At this stage, the sense of fit between the client and Vlerick Leuven Gent Management School becomes clear.
2. Needs analysis
A designated programme manager conducts a thorough needs analysis to gain intimate knowledge of your company’s strategic priorities, industrial environment, culture and climate, and a deep understanding of its needs and challenges. At the completion of this process, the key strategic areas to be addressed during the programme are identified.
3. Programme design
Based on subsequent discussions, we design the learning process, appoint the faculty members who will deliver the programme, fine-tune the programme's content, and finalise all practical issues regarding the programme.
4. Programme delivery
Delivery of the programme is managed by a professional co-ordinator, who guides the participants through the programme. During the programme, our faculty make sure that the participants are constantly challenged to give the best of themselves. We typically use a combination of lectures, case discussions, questionnaires, group work and business simulations.
5. Programme review
Every programme is evaluated during and after delivery. Participants are asked to give feedback on all aspects of the programme to determine whether the programme's objectives are being met. Together with the client, these evaluations are analysed during review meetings and are used to fine-tune the programme's content and implementation.
Organisations that have partnered with us to create a unique learning platform include:
3M
AGC
Agoria
Agricultural Bank of Russia
Electrabel
Elia
Etex
Fortis
Friesland Foods Professional Belgium
Fuji Hunt
KPMG
Manpower
PSA HNN
Managers who work in an international environment - rapidly becoming the norm nowadays - are required to have more and more skills. International growth also brings operational changes in many companies. To respond to this changing business ethos, Umicore has put together a tailor-made course for managers with leadership potential, enlisting Vlerick's expertise to hammer out the details. We spoke to Mark Dolfyn, Umicore's Human Resources Development Manager. Read more... (pdf, 103 kB)
When AGC defined its vision to include focusing on more innovation, it meant innovation in every area of the company's operations and at all levels, from manufacturing glass for high-tech touch panel displays to investing in processes that increase quality and reduce costs. Innovation within its management team was no exception and AGC Russia quickly recognised that its young potential high potentials needed a programme that would give them a good grounding in business skills and develop their personal leadership. Read more... (pdf, 1.3 MB)
Atlas Copco is a multinational company that employs more than 27,000 people throughout the world and 2,500 people in Belgium. Quality, innovation and a client-focused approach are Atlas Copco's core values on which its growth is built. In order to fulfil its mission the company invests considerable mean in human resources, for example via training. Atlas Copco calles upon the expertise of Vlerick Leuven Gent Management School for two in-house management training sessions.
Read more... (pdf, 351 kB)
In partnership with Vlerick Leuven Gent Management School, Bayer Schering Pharma has developed the European Leadership Programme. The main aim is to familiarise non-Western managers with the business culture, management standards and management techniques that are prevalent in Western Europe.
Read more... (pdf, 763 kB)
SWIFT asked Vlerick Leuven Gent Management School to develop a programme specifically for its senior management: the 'Leading for high performance' programme. SWIFT management was actively involved both in designing the programme and presenting some of the subjects, thereby translating the theory back to the reality within SWIFT. According to Mark Waller, Head of HR at SWIFT, Vlerick is the business school that best suited SWIFT's needs - combining high-quality teaching with a tailored solution.
Read more... (pdf, 177 kB)
'Finance for non-financial managers' is the name of the tailored programme that Vlerick Leuven Gent Management School co-developed with Bekaert. The programme is part of Bekaert's internal management training plan for executives and senior project managers from all corners of the globe. According to Joris De Snoeck, Group Training & Development Manager, the Vlerick programme is crystal-clear and the approach accessible and 'ready-to-use'.
Read more... (pdf, 158 kB)
"I budget for two company-specific programmes a year, but this year I'm organising three. Now's time that we all need to be pulling in the same direction." Marc Hendrikx, HR manager at Bostik, the international adhesive specialist, recognises the need for training and the value of a company-specific programme in times of crisis.
Read more... (pdf, 4.2 MB)
Since 1999, Vlerick and TNO (the Dutch organisation for applied scientific research) have been partners in the development of TNO’s TOTEM Programme, designed for high-potential managers. In this programme, the best practices and new insights around management disciplines like innovation management, strategic marketing, account management, finance, management control and leadership are shared, analysed and discussed.
In cooperation with Campbell Foods, Vlerick's HRM Centre developed a 4-day training programme on leadership and people management for Campbell's management. The customised programme was based on the centre's strong Leadership Model, which has been proven in practice. Matching exercises, exposures and activities to each of the model's components made the programme a highly effective learning experience.
Since 2006 the Belgacom Group, Belgium's reference provider of integrated telecommunication services, has organised "House of Development III", a company-specific programme on innovation management for senior managers and high-potential employees. Vlerick offers its expertise in this field as external academic partner.
Read more... (pdf, 155 kB)
This year the Antwerp-based port operator PSA HNN, in association with Vlerick, organised its third in-house training course in financial management for non-financial personnel.
Read more... (pdf, 165 kB)
In 2008 we established a taskforce to determine the prioritary actions of the Agoria federation in the branch of Innovation. A questionary among the members pointed out that there is an urgent need for High Level education and experience sharing in the domain of O&O management. After several discussions in the taskforce an appropriate programme was developed in collaboration with Vlerick Leuven Gent Management School.
Read more...
The Fortis Business Management Programme is a one-week management programme aiming at the development of customer-orientation throughout Fortis by means of the use of an integrated performance framework. This framework includes presentations and discussions that revolve around the strategic, marketing, management control, process and organisational perspectives.
Read more... (pdf, 160 kB)
Making strategic decisions is not always easy when several protagonists are involved. Vlerick Leuven Gent Management School helps companies to structure and facilitate their decision-making process. "An objective third party is often crucial," points out Filip Van Pottelbergh, head of Brady’s European Marketing & New Product Development department.
Read more... (pdf, 86 kB)
Company-specific programmes are not off the shelf. Each inquiry sets a four-step plan in motion: needs assessment, programme design, implementation and evaluation. A few experts with practical experience of the process have their say.
Read more... (pdf, 3.6 MB)
IMEx stands for 'Integrated Management Exercise', a business game that has been part of the MBA and Masters programmes at Vlerick Leuven Gent Management School for years. The business game was organised on site at Hewlett Packard for the first time at the end of 2004. An interview with Robosa Gbinoba, HR manager at HP, and Filip Goeman, researcher at Vlerick.
Read more... (pdf, 4.5 MB)
