Below you will find an overview of initiatives, supported by UAntwerp and in collaboration with other Flemish universities or research centres. Moreover, you can find the link to the interuniversity website:
FLAMES
Flanders' Training Network for Methodology and Statistics (FLAMES) is an inter-university training network rooted in the 5 Flemish universities.
This network aims to support young researchers in their pursuit of best-in-class training in methodology, statistics and data sciences by providing an overarching, structural, large and high quality course offer for doctoral students and young empirical researchers. StatUa is partner of FLAMES.
An overview of the training offer can be found on the website.
Contact
Lectures on effective communication (online, by Principiae)
The speaker is Jean-Luc Doumont, PhD. For additional information, visit www.principiae.be.
Participation is free of charge for PhD and postdoc researchers but registration is required.
18/02/2026 - Webinar: Working efficiently during your PhD
Unless you know how to squeeze more than 24 hours in a day, you are probably receptive to advice on how to achieve more in the time you have. Rather than add to the long lists of tips available in books or websites, this two-hour lecture proposes a simple but solid framework to help you decide what is worth doing and what is not. It then discusses how to manage your time and your physical or virtual space to actually get things done.
For additional information, visit www.principiae.be.
Dates & Location
Wednesday 18 February 2026, webinar from 14:00 till 16:00 + Q&A – Online via Zoom
Registration
Register here.
30/04/2026 – Webinar: Creating effective presentation slides
Those of us who attend presentations probably agree that most slides out there are ineffective, detracting from what presenters are saying instead of enhancing their presentations. Slides may impress with decoration, but seldom with content. This two-hour lecture discusses what (not) to include on a slide and why, how to optimize the slide’s layout to get the message across, and how to handle slides when speaking.
For additional information, visit www.principiae.be.
Dates & Location
Thursday 30 April 2026, 14:00 - 16:00 + Q&A – Online via Zoom
Registration
Register here.
Mind the GAP (Good Academic Practices)
Mind the GAP is a new online training tool on research integrity, created in a joint effort by the five Flemish Universities and aiming at both junior and senior researchers. The tool, which is available on Blackboard (after login), provides a thorough introduction to research integrity and touches on all aspects and stages of your research. It also addresses several malpractices and makes use of exercises and a test to evaluate your knowledge.
After completion of the 4 basic modules, a final test will be presented. If you answer at least 80% of the questions correctly, you pass the test and a certificate of attendance will be generated of which you need to take a printscreen as proof.
This training is compulsory for PhD researchers who started in academic year 2022-2023 or later (first date of enrolment) and is strongly recommended for all other researchers. It is strongly recommended to follow this course during the first year of your PhD.
The training takes approximately 8 hours to complete and can be included in your doctoral study programme (Competence category B: 1 point): add the activity to your annual progress report and include the certificate of attendance as proof.
You can find the course in Blackboard (after login) in the course overview by scrolling down to the courses that are not linked to a specific academic year.
NEW: Discover the Mind the GAP podcast! Have a listen via Spotify or Apple podcasts.
Qualitative Research Seminars
Research & Valorization
This seminar series, organised by the Doctoral Schools of 5 Flemish Universities, targets PhD students and young researchers in all disciplines at the beginning of their academic career. Registration for each seminar is organized by the doctoral school of the host institution and all questions related to registration and practical organization should be directed to the doctoral school of the host institution. PhD students from all Flemish universities can participate free of charge. For participants from other institutions, there is a participation fee. They will be contacted individually about this.
University | Contact | e-mail |
University of Antwerp | Catherine Bayart | adscourses@uantwerpen.be |
Ghent University | Mia Rousseau | mia.rousseau@ugent.be |
Hasselt University | Hilde Vanderheyden | doctoralschools@uhasselt.be |
University of Leuven | Michèle Van Buggenum | michele.vanbuggenum@kuleuven.be |
Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB) | Nele Van Schelvergem | doctoral.schools@vub.ac.be |
Practical information
These seminars are currently not scheduled.
Research to market
The Research to market programme is a short interuniversity programme for researchers that teaches you to create value from your research and takes you on a journey to discover its market potential. It is the perfect first step if you are interested in entrepreneurship as a researcher.
More information on later editions will follow.
Systematic Review - Course by Cochrane
Target audience
PhD researchers within the field of medicine and healthcare, planning or interested in performing a high-quality (Cochrane) systematic review of intervention research.
Abstract
Systematic reviews are key elements in evidence-based healthcare and clinical guidelines. This course focuses on systematic reviews in intervention research. Systematic reviews use a systematic and transparent approach to identify all relevant articles, appraise the risk of bias, examine sources of variation, and, if appropriate, meta-analyse the results of the primary studies. This systematic approach distinguishes high-quality systematic reviews from traditional, so-called narrative, reviews and low-quality systematic reviews.
This course will offer a mix of lectures and practicals that will help the student to perform all of these steps in practice. In addition, specific challenges to systematic reviews and new developments will be highlighted.
Cochrane is an international non-profit organization that produces and disseminates trusted systematic reviews, and advocate for its use (www.cochrane.org). The focus of Cochrane is on systematic reviews of intervention research in health care and health policy. The Cochrane methodology is considered the gold standard in systematic review development. Cochrane Belgium provides guidance and support to researchers interested in performing a systematic review.
Click here to find the detailed programme
Objectives
This 3-day course focuses on systematic reviews of interventions. It will teach you all about the different steps to take to perform a high-quality, methodologically sound and reliable systematic review.
This hands-on course consists of plenary sessions and workshops on:
- the rationale for performing a systematic review
- the key steps of a systematic review
- the formulation a proper review question addressing a therapeutic dilemma
- the writing of a systematic review protocol
- the design of a comprehensive and efficient search strategy to identify relevant RCT’s in electronic bibliographic databases
- the assessment of primary studies (RCT) for their risk of bias
- meta-analysis & the difference between fixed and random effects approach and their assumptions
- the different measures of heterogeneity
- the interpretation of the findings and the assessment the GRADE certainty of evidence
The course, taught by experienced systematic review experts, is filled with workshops and exercises, thus preparing you to get started immediately on your own systematic review.
Registration and practical information
Next courses will be given on following dates:
- 6, 7 and 8 May 2026 at UGent
- 26, 27 and 28 May 2026 at KULeuven.
Registrations are closed.
This course is free for UAntwerp PhD researchers.
Contact
For more information about the content of the course, visit the website or contact Cochrane at cochrane.belgium@gmail.com.
Flanders AI Academy (VAIA)
The Flanders AI Academy or VAIA is a collaboration between all the universities in Flanders. VAIA provides courses and trainings in Artificial Intelligence for professionals and researchers in Flanders. Their aim is to unlock the expertise in the academic research institutions so it can flow towards the work force of our society. In this way VAIA helps ensure the (future) economic competitiveness of Flanders. With a wide range of accessible courses and trainings, VAIA aims to stimulate everybody to adopt lifelong learning.
An overview of courses and trainings can be found on the website of VAIA: https://www.vaia.be/en/calendar?lang=en
Contact
The following course is aimed at researchers in life sciences:
Introduction to AI and Machine Learning for Biomedical Research: 18/11/2025 - 05/12/2025
Get familiarised with artificial intelligence (AI) models and state-of-the-art biomedical research based on machine learning! VAIA and its partners are hosting the 4th edition of their successful introductory AI training course for biomedical research.
More information can be found on the website of VAIA. Registration will close on 3 November 2025.
Participation is free but registration is required.
VIB
VIB is a life sciences research institute in Flanders, Belgium. With more than 1,470 scientists from over 60 countries, we perform basic research into the molecular foundations of life.
VIB is an excellence-based entrepreneurial institute that focuses on translating basic scientific results into pharmaceutical, agricultural and industrial applications. VIB works in close partnership with 5 universities − UGent, KU Leuven, University of Antwerp, Vrije Universiteit Brussel and Hasselt University and is funded by the Flemish government.
VIB develops and disseminates a wide range of science-based information about all aspects of biotechnology.
An overview of interesting trainings en events offered by VIB can be found on the website (see also info below).
Contact
training@vib.be
Tel. +32 9 244 66 11