The Université catholique de Louvain has developed close links with the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) for many years. One component of the International Lhoist Berghmans Innovation Chair is to strengthen collaboration with this prestigious institute in the field of science and technology.
In this framework, an agreement was signed in January 2015 and renewed for successive periods of 5 years. Each year, it allows on the one hand a maximum of 5 students from EPL to complete an internship in a lab at MIT; and on the other hand a maximum of 5 MIT students to complete an internship in a lab at EPL or in a Belgian company partner of UCLouvain on the Science Park. Although some MIT students choose this program to improve their French proficiency, knowledge of French is not a prerequisite to participating in this exchange.The focus is really on the opportunity to offer students at the Bachelor's and Master's level a rewarding hands-on research experience.
In addition to the financial support of the Chair, the agreement was made possible thanks to previous collaborations between UCL and MIT notably through the Belgium Seed Fund signed in 2011 and renewed several times since then.
The quality and results of projects funded by this seed fund justified the development of other platforms of collaboration such as this one (further information on the Belgium Seed Fund).
Description of projects in which students have been involved in both Louvain-la-Neuve and Cambridge:
Examples of posters made by students who participated in the program.
Programme brochure for MIT Students