Established in 1962, UWC now comprises 12 United World Colleges dotted around the world. UWC will open a new ‘UWC Benelux’ in Maastricht in 2009. Students from all over the world, aged 16 to 19, live, work and study together in an environment which aims to stimulate mutual understanding, global awareness, peace and sustainable development. Students from Belgium attend UWC colleges for their final two years of secondary school. UWC also organises Short Courses in summer, lasting 2 to 3 weeks, which are also attended by Belgiain youngsters. Short courses are grounded in the same philosophy and pedagogic methods as the colleges.

UWC differs from traditional international schools in that candidates are selected on the basis of their motivation and personality, regardless of their financial means. This is made possible through extensive scholarships which are raised and allocated to selected students by UWC Belgium’s National Committee.

The UWC curriculum is linked to the internationally acclaimed International Baccalaureate, which is recognised by universities throughout the world including Belgium. Besides excellent academic standards, UWC’s educational model emphasises the active engagement of students in areas such as social services, conflict management, sustainable development, the arts and sports.

Since its inception, some 35,000 students around the world have benefited from the UWC experience, including almost 150 Belgians.