As an institute, we are responsible for the organisation and coordination of education, research and services in the field of teaching methodology and teacher training and the fields of study that fall within the teaching authority of the Vrije Universiteit Brussel for organising the educational master's programmes. We are guided in this by a well-considered policy plan and strategy. In order to achieve our set goals, we divide responsibilities and powers over various bodies. Discover our mission and vision, and what our organisational structure exactly looks like.
Who are we?
The Multidisciplinary Institute for Teacher Education at VUB is a collaborative learning and research team of about 50 teacher educators. Together we have a great deal of practical and research expertise in pedagogy and didactics, in teaching methodology in many domains (languages, science and technology, economics, behavioral sciences and social sciences, physical education and health sciences) and in sociological, philosophical and legal frames of reference for education. With this expertise, we are happy to contribute to the full professional continuum for teachers, including after graduation.
What do we want to do?
The teacher training programme at VUB trains teachers who learn to work in a team and who are strong enough to create maximum development opportunities for every student in an environment full of diversity. With an inquisitive attitude, they discover in practice how they can optimally use their subject expertise in education.
Our institute presents itself as a collaborative learning and research team that works in partnership with schools towards a shared mission. Our principles:
- We have the ambition to focus on the learning capacity of all students.
- We have appreciation for every student in the perspective of strong personal, relational and civic education with a view to a sustainable humane society.
- We recognise education as a complex intellectual and relational activity with judgment and decision-making in unique situations.
- We stimulate critical-reflective and inquisitive teaching as a motor for quality improvement.
- We strive for collaborative teaching with a view to the well-being and growth opportunities of both students and teachers themselves.
On the one hand, the programme uses the principles as a canvas for the programme-specific learning outcomes. On the other hand, we apply them in our own training practice. In this way, we and our team of teacher educators want to create an education culture that inspires the future teaching of our students.
How do we want to do this?
The VUB teacher training programme aims to train teachers who not only act reflectively and inquisitively in their own classroom practice, but also outside of it. With a view to school development and community building, they also learn to take on a role in collaborative practice research, in collaboration with colleagues, students and external parties.
The world needs you
We prepare teachers for the educational landscape of today and tomorrow, by teaching them how to work cross-curricular and in a team. In this way, we want to maximise the chances of success for every student, raise and educate our future generations in a sustainable way, and thus help shape the world of today and tomorrow and the concept of urban engaged university.
Our organisational structure
We occupy a central position within the university, reporting to the Vice-rector Education and Student Affairs. Input into the different courses we offer is formally set out in a simple and efficient administrative organisational structure which contains the following entities: Day to Day management, an Institute Council, an Interfaculty Education Board and advisory commissions.
The Executive Board is responsible for the day-to-day operation of the Institute, including the preparation of the policy plan, the annual action plan, and the monitoring of financial transactions. It is composed at least of the chairman of MILO, the policy officers (coordination, operation, internship, professionalisation) and the campus coordinators of the campus COOVI (Anderlecht) and campus De Oranjerie (Diest and Leuven). The local organisation and coordination of training is realised by a campus coordination team led by a campus coordinator.
The Institute Council determines the general policy of MILO and supervises the Executive Board. The Institute Council is made up of representative numbers of MILO members, education partners and delegates from the Vice Rectorate for Education and Student Affairs.
Interfaculty Education Board
Educational course content is organised by the Interfaculty Education Board. The Interfaculty Education Board formulates a vision for each of the courses on offer and translates this into concrete proposals with regard to their content, form, context and study, which are then submitted directly to the Vice-rector of Educational and Student Affairs.
The preparation of agenda points takes place within various commissions which are authorised to make proposals and provide advice (e.g. the cultural sciences commission). The Interfaculty Education Board and its commissions are set up in such a way as to ensure that all the various processes, locations and the related courses and faculties are represented, and thus include members of staff who are linked primarily to a faculty and to the Multidisciplinary Institute for Teacher Education (MILO).
Representation in VUB councils and boards
Finally, we also have representatives in various VUB councils and boards. A representative may be elected directly from one of the Multidisciplinary Institute for Teacher Education’s entities, or by the Vice-rector Education and Student Affairs.