Leadership Message from the Rector
“겐트대학교 글로벌캠퍼스는 200년 전통의 겐트대학교와 함께 미래를 향해 나아가며, 학문적 우수성과 글로벌 협력을 강화하고, 연구 중심 교육과 포용적 공동체, 혁신과 사회적 책임을 바탕으로 동아시아와 유럽을 잇는 학문 교류의 허브로 성장하고 있습니다.”
As Rector of Ghent University and President of the Board of Ghent University Global Campus, and on behalf of our entire university community, I warmly welcome you to Ghent University Global Campus. Ghent University is one of Belgium’s major universities, rooted in Europe’s rich academic and cultural tradition. Over more than 200 years, we have employed many eminent scientists: Nobel Prize winners Corneille Heymans and Maurice Maeterlinck, chemist and Bakelite inventor Leo Baekeland, and more recently, pioneers such as HIV/AIDS researcher Peter Piot and biotechnologist Marc Van Montagu. Ghent University was the first European university to establish a campus on the Incheon Global Campus, invited by the Korean government for its global reputation and top-ranked life science programs. Since its opening in 2014, GUGC has offered bachelor programs in Environmental Technology, Food Technology, and Molecular Biotechnology. Talented and hardworking students and staff are welcomed into a growing academic community. GUGC brings the European model of higher education and research to South Korea, with close student-professor interaction and early lab experience that fosters scientific insight and societal relevance. It challenges itself and its students to aim high and help solve global challenges – from health and food security to climate change and sustainability.
As GUGC enters its second decade, it is transitioning from a pioneering extended campus into a fully integrated entity of Ghent University.
This evolution is guided by a bold strategy built on five pillars:
Prof. Dr. Petra De Sutter
Rector of Ghent University
President of the Board of Ghent University Global Campus
Prof. Dr. Petra De Sutter is Rector of Ghent University and President of the Board of Ghent University Global Campus. Her academic career combined clinical practice, teaching and research in reproductive medicine. From 2008 to 2019, she headed the fertility clinic at Ghent University Hospital. She has made significant contributions to both fundamental research in human embryology and stem cell biology, as well as applied research in reproductive medicine.
Her professional path brings together academic research, higher education, clinical practice, public service and institutional leadership. As Rector, she leads Ghent University in pursuing excellence in education and research, academic freedom, societal engagement and international collaboration.
In her role as President of the Board of Ghent University Global Campus, she supports the continued integration and development of the campus within Ghent University, while strengthening its role as an international platform for research-led education, academic cooperation and engagement between Europe and East Asia.
Research Profile Publications & Research Data
As GUGC enters its second decade, it is transitioning from a pioneering extended campus into a fully integrated entity of Ghent University.
This evolution is guided by a bold strategy built on five pillars:
- Academic Excellence: continued investment in research-led education and flexible programs, including the exploration of future graduate-level opportunities.
- Community and Wellbeing: a warm, inclusive environment where close ties support academic success and personal growth.
- Global Engagement: strengthening GUGC’s role as a portal to East Asia and beyond through student mobility, strategic partnerships, and contributions to Ghent University’s global mission.
- Innovation and Impact: promoting academic freedom and interdisciplinary collaboration, while pursuing technology transfer and societal engagement.
- Integration and Autonomy: helping shape Ghent University’s strategic direction while tailoring priorities to the unique context of the Incheon Global Campus.
Prof. Dr. Petra De Sutter
Rector of Ghent University
President of the Board of Ghent University Global Campus
Prof. Dr. Petra De Sutter is Rector of Ghent University and President of the Board of Ghent University Global Campus. Her academic career combined clinical practice, teaching and research in reproductive medicine. From 2008 to 2019, she headed the fertility clinic at Ghent University Hospital. She has made significant contributions to both fundamental research in human embryology and stem cell biology, as well as applied research in reproductive medicine.
Her professional path brings together academic research, higher education, clinical practice, public service and institutional leadership. As Rector, she leads Ghent University in pursuing excellence in education and research, academic freedom, societal engagement and international collaboration.
In her role as President of the Board of Ghent University Global Campus, she supports the continued integration and development of the campus within Ghent University, while strengthening its role as an international platform for research-led education, academic cooperation and engagement between Europe and East Asia.
Research Profile Publications & Research Data
Message from the President of Ghent University Global Campus
“겐트대학교 글로벌캠퍼스는 벨기에 홈 캠퍼스와 우리 정부의 지원을 통해 환경/식품/생명 분야에서 세계 최고 수준의 연구와 연구기반 교육을 제공하고 있습니다.”
Dare to Think. Shape the Future.
Belgium and Korea share a long history of friendship, cooperation, and mutual respect. Since establishing diplomatic relations in 1901, our two countries have continued to strengthen their partnership across education, science, technology, culture, and industry.
Today, Ghent University Global Campus stands at the heart of this relationship.
Located in Songdo, Incheon—one of Asia’s most dynamic international hubs—Ghent University Global Campus brings the academic excellence, research expertise, and innovative spirit of Ghent University to Korea. Here, students, researchers, and partners from different backgrounds come together to exchange ideas, challenge conventions, and create solutions for the future.
Our mission goes beyond education.
We believe that education is not simply about acquiring knowledge. It is about empowering young people to think independently, discover their strengths, take responsibility for their choices, and develop the confidence to shape their own future.
This reflects a long-standing educational philosophy at Ghent University: students should not simply receive knowledge, but learn to question, explore, participate, and take ownership of their learning.
At Ghent University Global Campus, this philosophy comes to life through education closely connected to research, innovation, and society. Through our strengths in Molecular Biotechnology, Environmental Technology, and Food Technology, students learn to approach complex challenges from different perspectives and connect scientific knowledge with real-world solutions.
This is the spirit behind our philosophy: Dare to Think.
To dare to think means having the courage to ask new questions, the independence to examine assumptions, and the curiosity to explore different perspectives. It also means recognising that knowledge becomes truly meaningful when it is shared, applied, and used to create positive change.
Ghent University Global Campus is now entering a new chapter.
Building on the foundations we have established, we are strengthening our role as a research-driven international campus and as a platform connecting education, research, innovation, and industry across Korea, Belgium, and the wider world.
Our ambition is not simply to prepare graduates for the jobs of today. It is to nurture people who are ready to learn, adapt, question, collaborate, and lead in the face of tomorrow’s challenges.
Through education, research, innovation, and global engagement, we aim to nurture talent, advance knowledge, and turn ideas into meaningful impact.
The future will belong to those who are willing to keep learning, think independently, embrace different perspectives, and act with purpose.
At Ghent University Global Campus, we want our students to have the knowledge, freedom, and responsibility to shape that future—for themselves and for others.
I invite you to join us on this journey.
Together, let us challenge ourselves, explore new possibilities, and turn bold ideas into meaningful impact.
Dare to Think. Shape the Future.
Thank you.
Taejun Han, Prof. Dr
Campus President Ghent University Global Campus
Profile
Prof. Dr. Taejun Han is Campus President of Ghent University Global Campus and a guest professor in Ghent University’s Faculty of Bioscience Engineering, Department of Animal Sciences and Aquatic Ecology.
He earned his PhD in Marine Biology from the University of Liverpool, following studies in Earth Science and Plant Biology at Seoul National University. His academic expertise spans marine biology, aquatic toxicology, and algal ecophysiology, with broader research interests in marine biotechnology, blue carbon and seaweed-based carbon reduction, biomass and biorefinery, environmental monitoring, and ecotoxicological assessment.
Throughout his career, he has held leadership roles in academic societies and research organisations in the marine and environmental sciences and has contributed to scientific research, international collaboration, and the development of applied environmental technologies.
As Campus President, he has led efforts to strengthen Ghent University Global Campus as a research-driven international campus, expanding global research partnerships, university–industry collaboration, and connections between Korea, Belgium, and the wider international community.
UGent Research Profile
Publications & Research Data
Belgium and Korea share a long history of friendship, cooperation, and mutual respect. Since establishing diplomatic relations in 1901, our two countries have continued to strengthen their partnership across education, science, technology, culture, and industry.
Today, Ghent University Global Campus stands at the heart of this relationship.
Located in Songdo, Incheon—one of Asia’s most dynamic international hubs—Ghent University Global Campus brings the academic excellence, research expertise, and innovative spirit of Ghent University to Korea. Here, students, researchers, and partners from different backgrounds come together to exchange ideas, challenge conventions, and create solutions for the future.
Our mission goes beyond education.
We believe that education is not simply about acquiring knowledge. It is about empowering young people to think independently, discover their strengths, take responsibility for their choices, and develop the confidence to shape their own future.
This reflects a long-standing educational philosophy at Ghent University: students should not simply receive knowledge, but learn to question, explore, participate, and take ownership of their learning.
At Ghent University Global Campus, this philosophy comes to life through education closely connected to research, innovation, and society. Through our strengths in Molecular Biotechnology, Environmental Technology, and Food Technology, students learn to approach complex challenges from different perspectives and connect scientific knowledge with real-world solutions.
This is the spirit behind our philosophy: Dare to Think.
To dare to think means having the courage to ask new questions, the independence to examine assumptions, and the curiosity to explore different perspectives. It also means recognising that knowledge becomes truly meaningful when it is shared, applied, and used to create positive change.
Ghent University Global Campus is now entering a new chapter.
Building on the foundations we have established, we are strengthening our role as a research-driven international campus and as a platform connecting education, research, innovation, and industry across Korea, Belgium, and the wider world.
Our ambition is not simply to prepare graduates for the jobs of today. It is to nurture people who are ready to learn, adapt, question, collaborate, and lead in the face of tomorrow’s challenges.
Through education, research, innovation, and global engagement, we aim to nurture talent, advance knowledge, and turn ideas into meaningful impact.
The future will belong to those who are willing to keep learning, think independently, embrace different perspectives, and act with purpose.
At Ghent University Global Campus, we want our students to have the knowledge, freedom, and responsibility to shape that future—for themselves and for others.
I invite you to join us on this journey.
Together, let us challenge ourselves, explore new possibilities, and turn bold ideas into meaningful impact.
Dare to Think. Shape the Future.
Thank you.
Taejun Han, Prof. Dr
Campus President Ghent University Global Campus
Profile
Prof. Dr. Taejun Han is Campus President of Ghent University Global Campus and a guest professor in Ghent University’s Faculty of Bioscience Engineering, Department of Animal Sciences and Aquatic Ecology.
He earned his PhD in Marine Biology from the University of Liverpool, following studies in Earth Science and Plant Biology at Seoul National University. His academic expertise spans marine biology, aquatic toxicology, and algal ecophysiology, with broader research interests in marine biotechnology, blue carbon and seaweed-based carbon reduction, biomass and biorefinery, environmental monitoring, and ecotoxicological assessment.
Throughout his career, he has held leadership roles in academic societies and research organisations in the marine and environmental sciences and has contributed to scientific research, international collaboration, and the development of applied environmental technologies.
As Campus President, he has led efforts to strengthen Ghent University Global Campus as a research-driven international campus, expanding global research partnerships, university–industry collaboration, and connections between Korea, Belgium, and the wider international community.
UGent Research Profile
Publications & Research Data