About Group T

History

1888	Foundation of 'Sint-Pietersambachtsschool' in Leuven by Joris Helleputte (1852-1925), engineer, politician and Minister of State.
1935	'Sint-Pietersambachtsschool' becomes 'Sint-Pietersberoepsschool'.
1954	'Sint-Pietersberoepsschool' becomes 'Vrije Technische Scholen Leuven'.
1960	Ernest De Graeve, Director of 'Vrije Technische Scholen Leuven', establishes the 'Bijzondere School voor Technisch Ingenieurs'. The school opens with 1 major (Electromechanical Engineering) and 16 students.
1962	'Bijzondere School' becomes 'Hogere School voor Technisch Ingenieur'.
1970	Johan De Graeve becomes President and establishes Group T. The school is called 'Hogere School voor Technisch Ingenieur Groep T Leuven' (the Group T Leuven University College for Technical Engineering.)
1975	Group T sets up on 'Campus Blauwput'.
1977	Technical engineers are given the degree and diploma in industrial engineering. Group T, working with the national radio and film institute and the 'Cardinal Mercier Hoger Instituut', establishes the 'Katholieke Industriële Hogeschool Brabant' with offices in Leuven, Vorst and Schaarbeek.
1978	Group T brings all its activities to Leuven and expands the full engineering program by 4 departments: Electromechanical Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Electrical/Electronic Engineering, and Civil Engineering.
1980	Creation of the 'Katholieke Industriële Hogeschool Groep T Leuven' (Group T Leuven Catholic Industrial University College.)
1983	The Civil Engineering department gives way to the Chemical Engineering department (with options in Chemistry and Biochemistry.)
1985	Group T engineering students number more than 1,000.
1993	'Industriële Hogeschool Groep T' is renamed 'Groep T Technologische Hogeschool Leuven' (Group T Leuven Technological University College.)
1994	First Group T mission to China.
1995	Take-over of the 'Provinciale Normaalschool Leuven' (teacher training) with offices in Leuven and Tienen. The teachers' training college is renamed 'Groep T Pedagogische Hogeschool Leuven' (Group T Leuven teachers' training university college.) The 'Pedagogische' and the 'Technologische Hogeschool' now both resort under 'Groep T - Leuven Hogeschool'.
1996	Group T sets up at the new Vesalius Campus.
1997	Group T centers its teacher training to Comenius Campus in Leuven.
1998	Signing of the first cooperation agreement with Chinese partner universities.
2000	First Chinese students enroll in the Joint International Engineering Program.
2002	First Group T mission to Thailand.
2003	Chinese students receive their engineering degrees at Group T.
2004	Group T joins the K.U.Leuven Association.
2004	Establishment of the Hong Zhi Scholarship for talented Chinese students from rural areas.
2004	Introduction of the bachelor/master structure and new engineering curricula.
2005	'Groep T Technologische Hogeschool Leuven' is renamed 'Groep T-Leuven Engineering School'; the teachers' training school is renamed 'Groep T-Leuven Educating School'.
2005	Group T students build the first Belgian solar-powered car. They come in 11th in the World Solar Challenge, the non-official world championship for solar cars in Australia.
2005	First students with Hong Zhi Scholarships study at Group T.
2006	GROUP T and the China Official Office for Teaching Chinese as a Foreign Language start the Leuven Confucius Class, the first of its kind in the world.
2007	Establishment in Beijing of the Group T-China-Academic Alumni Alliance, the network for Chinese Group T-graduates.
2007	Group T students build a new solar car. They come in second in the World Solar Challenge.
2007	Group T students participate in the Vehicle Design Summit, a Massachusetts Institute of Technology initiative to design and build an eco-friendly car. Students from Group T and Beijing's Tsinghua University take care of the frame and the high performance engine.
2007	New partneruniversities in China, Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos, and Thailand.
2007	Group T signs a contract in Beijing with the Confucius Institute Headquarters to establish a Confucius Institute at Group T.
2007	Establishment of the Group T-Greater Mekong Subregion-Academic Alumni Alliance in Bangkok (Thailand), a network of Group T-alumni in the Mekong region (Thailand, Vietnam, Laos, Cambodja, Myanmar, and the South China province of Yunnan.)
2007	Group T fully joins the K.U.Leuven Association.
2008	'Groep T - Leuven Hogeschool' is renamed 'Groep T - Internationale Hogeschool Leuven'/Group T-International University College Leuven. Its two departments, also known as 'colleges' are 'Groep T'/Group T-Leuven Engineering College' and 'Groep T'/Group T-Leuven Education College.
2008	Group T introduces Islamic religious studies and Buddhism at the Leuven Education College, thus confirming the plurality of world visions at the university college.
2008	Arthur D'Huys is Group T's new general manager. Johan De Graeve remains managing director.
2008	Group T offers the possibility to spread the master programs over two years. The two-year path can be complemented with the Entrepreneurial Engineering Experience, an intensive learning experience in a company.
2008	Third Solar Team builds a new solar car.
2008	November: opening of the Confucius Institute at Group T—the first of its kind in Flanders.
2009	February: VDS Team presents the Vision 200 prototype at Vesalius Campus.
2009	March: tenth anniversary of the China Journey Project, the final-year bachelors' study trip to China.
2009	Group T is the first and only Belgian educational insitution so far to participate in the International Education Expo at the International Exhibition Center in Beijing (Juny 13 to 15).
2009	A record number of foreign students graduates from the English-language bachelor, master, and postgraduate programs at the beginning of July. Amongst them the first Thai Master graduate.
2009	The Confucius Institute at Group T organizes the European Confucius Institute Conference September 18 to 20. Its 180 participants make it one of the biggest continental conferences in the world.
2009	The Confucius Institute at Group T is proclamed Confucius Institute of the Year at the annual world conference in Beijing in November.
2009	Johan De Graeve, Group T's President, receives an honorary doctorate in China on December 24. He is the third Belgian to have been bestowed this honor. That same month, he receives an award in Bangkok for his work as Outstanding Person in Promoting International Understanding.
2010	In March, Group T-Leuven Education College is the first teacher training school in Flanders to become a member of UNESCO's Associated Schools Project Network.
2010	Group T enters into agreements with Indian partner universities for the first time.
2011	The fourth Solar Team builds a new solar car and comes in 11th in the World Solar Challenge.
2011	Group T opens a new campus in Haasrode, just outside of Leuven: Intelligent Mobility.
2011	Group T organizes the first China-Flanders Job Fair and the first China Higher Education Forum.
2011	Group T becomes a member of the KU Leuven's new Engineering Technology Faculty.
2011	Group T enters into agreements with Ethiopian partner universities for the first time.
2011	Group T sets up the International Class at Beijing Jiaotong University, China.
2011	Group T-Leuven Education College introduces a new course: Protestant Religious Education
2012	The Formula Group T Team builds the Areion, a race car driven by electricity.
2012	Group T-Leuven Education College introduces a new course:Comparitive Philosophy
2012	With 1663 students, Group T-Leuven Engineering College saw the biggest increase in student population of all Flemish Engineering programs. Its market share rises from 16% to 18%. The university college also counts most students in the academic bachelor Engineering program and the most new Engineering students in the region.
2013	The fifth Solar Team builds a new highly effective solar car.