<html>
<head>
<meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=iso-8859-1">
<meta name="Generator" content="Microsoft Word 15 (filtered medium)">
<!--[if !mso]><style>v\:* {behavior:url(#default#VML);}
o\:* {behavior:url(#default#VML);}
w\:* {behavior:url(#default#VML);}
.shape {behavior:url(#default#VML);}
</style><![endif]--><style><!--
/* Font Definitions */
@font-face
{font-family:"Cambria Math";
panose-1:2 4 5 3 5 4 6 3 2 4;}
@font-face
{font-family:Calibri;
panose-1:2 15 5 2 2 2 4 3 2 4;}
@font-face
{font-family:Verdana;
panose-1:2 11 6 4 3 5 4 4 2 4;}
/* Style Definitions */
p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal
{margin:0cm;
margin-bottom:.0001pt;
font-size:11.0pt;
font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;
mso-fareast-language:EN-US;}
p.MsoCommentText, li.MsoCommentText, div.MsoCommentText
{mso-style-priority:99;
mso-style-link:"Tekst opmerking Char";
margin-top:0cm;
margin-right:0cm;
margin-bottom:8.0pt;
margin-left:0cm;
font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:"Verdana",sans-serif;
mso-fareast-language:EN-US;}
a:link, span.MsoHyperlink
{mso-style-priority:99;
color:#0563C1;
text-decoration:underline;}
a:visited, span.MsoHyperlinkFollowed
{mso-style-priority:99;
color:#954F72;
text-decoration:underline;}
p.msonormal0, li.msonormal0, div.msonormal0
{mso-style-name:msonormal;
mso-margin-top-alt:auto;
margin-right:0cm;
mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto;
margin-left:0cm;
font-size:12.0pt;
font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;}
span.TekstopmerkingChar
{mso-style-name:"Tekst opmerking Char";
mso-style-priority:99;
mso-style-link:"Tekst opmerking";
font-family:"Verdana",sans-serif;}
span.E-mailStijl20
{mso-style-type:personal;
font-family:"Verdana",sans-serif;
color:#4472C4;
font-weight:normal;
font-style:normal;}
span.E-mailStijl21
{mso-style-type:personal;
font-family:"Verdana",sans-serif;
color:#4472C4;
font-weight:normal;
font-style:normal;}
span.E-mailStijl22
{mso-style-type:personal;
font-family:"Verdana",sans-serif;
color:#4472C4;
font-weight:normal;
font-style:normal;}
span.E-mailStijl23
{mso-style-type:personal-reply;
font-family:"Verdana",sans-serif;
color:#4472C4;
font-weight:normal;
font-style:normal;}
.MsoChpDefault
{mso-style-type:export-only;
font-size:10.0pt;}
@page WordSection1
{size:612.0pt 792.0pt;
margin:70.85pt 70.85pt 70.85pt 70.85pt;}
div.WordSection1
{page:WordSection1;}
--></style><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
<o:shapedefaults v:ext="edit" spidmax="1026" />
</xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
<o:shapelayout v:ext="edit">
<o:idmap v:ext="edit" data="1" />
</o:shapelayout></xml><![endif]-->
</head>
<body lang="NL-BE" link="#0563C1" vlink="#954F72">
<div class="WordSection1">
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Verdana",sans-serif;color:#2E75B6">Dear Madam/Sir<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Verdana",sans-serif;color:#2E75B6"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoCommentText"><span lang="EN-GB" style="color:#2E75B6">Just 10 years ago, we (the University of Applied Sciences, Howest in Bruges, Belgium) have introduced in our Biomedical Laboratory Sciences program the option (or a major) in bioinformatics.
Still, we understand from our (international) partners of the working field that the need of laboratory workers with
<b>bioinformatics</b> skills is still growing. Therefore we have transformed our major into an
<b>advanced bachelor program</b> that has been certified by the Flemish (or Belgian) government. In this way, we educate graduates with experience in “wet lab” techniques to solve biological problems by means of computational techniques.
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoCommentText"><span lang="EN-GB" style="color:#2E75B6">As the interest from abroad in our education programme keeps growing, we have decided to teach our bioinformatics advanced bachelor’s program in
<b>English</b>, starting next year.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Verdana",sans-serif;color:#2E75B6">As our program is open to students from all over the world, we would like to give you some more details about our advanced bachelor program in bioinformatics.
To be able to work in a “dry lab”, we focus on three main topics: <b>informatics, bioinformatics and programming</b>. Within the field of informatics, the student learns to work on a Unix system, to store biological data and to analyse large datasets using
data mining techniques. Second, the “dry lab” technician becomes familiar with comparative genomics, structural bioinformatics, systems biology and the analysis of high-throughput experimental data. In the last important topic, programming skills are introduced
to create web applications, to script bioinformatics pipelines and to perform statistical analysis in R.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Verdana",sans-serif;color:#2E75B6">This short and intensive
<b>one year</b> (!) program (60 ECTS) runs from the half of September to the end of June. It is open for every bachelor, master and PhD with a profound knowledge of
<b>molecular biology</b> and an interest in (bio)informatics. To improve the studyability, the structure of the program is divided into
<b>three blocks</b> of six weeks. All three main topics are covered during each block, with only three to four courses per block. The majority of the courses are taught by experts in the field and they all combine theory with practical exercises. After every
block the courses are <b>immediately assessed</b>. The program includes an internship in a work placement during eight weeks, starting around the spring holidays (the middle of April). It can be performed in Belgium or abroad in the home country. An overview
of the bioinformatics program can be found on our website: </span><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Verdana",sans-serif;color:#2E75B6"><a href="http://www.howest.be/bioinformatics"><span lang="EN-GB" style="color:#2E75B6">www.howest.be/bioinformatics</span></a></span><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Verdana",sans-serif;color:#2E75B6">.
We believe that with this extra bachelor degree, the graduate will be stronger and have more opportunities on the job market.
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Verdana",sans-serif;color:#2E75B6">Next to our program we will help the student around our city and country. Our student support services will help with the accommodation in the charming
city of Bruges, also referred to as the “<b>Venice of Belgium</b>”. Next to the many historical and architectural features, there is also for example a ‘chocolate walk’, a chocolate trail that goes past all of the finest chocolate shops in the city centre.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Verdana",sans-serif;color:#2E75B6"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Verdana",sans-serif;color:#5B9BD5;mso-fareast-language:NL-BE"><img border="0" width="434" height="319" style="width:4.5208in;height:3.3229in" id="Afbeelding_x0020_2" src="cid:image002.jpg@01D28D2F.0C50FFE0" alt="Bruges Belfry in the Evening as seen from the Dijver Canal"></span><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Verdana",sans-serif;color:#2E75B6"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Verdana",sans-serif;color:#2E75B6"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Verdana",sans-serif;color:#2E75B6">Students in Bruges enjoy preferred access to museums, classical and modern music concerts and sports facilities. Around the historical centre of
the City of Bruges, students can enjoy a great social life. A broad range of restaurants with traditional and international cuisine, wine bars and pubs offers the students the opportunity to discover the city's multifaceted night life. Our student society
AmiScientia will be happy to guide you.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Verdana",sans-serif;color:#2E75B6">As for transportation, throughout all of the city centre, busses are available. But most of the students take a bike rental formula as the traffic
is not that crowded. With easy train access in less than an hour travel time, other cool Belgian cities as Brussels, Ghent and Antwerp are to be discovered. But also Amsterdam, Paris and London are easy to get there.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Verdana",sans-serif;color:#2E75B6">For more information, please do not hesitate to send an e-mail to
</span><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Verdana",sans-serif;color:#2E75B6"><a href="mailto:blt@howest.be"><span lang="EN-GB" style="color:#2E75B6">blt@howest.be</span></a></span><span class="MsoHyperlink"><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Verdana",sans-serif;color:#2E75B6">.</span></span><span class="MsoHyperlink"><span style="color:#2E75B6"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Verdana",sans-serif;color:#2E75B6">Kind regards<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Verdana",sans-serif;color:#2E75B6"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top:12.0pt"><b><span lang="NL" style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Verdana",sans-serif;color:#4472C4;mso-fareast-language:NL-BE">Mieke Demeyere<o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt:12.0pt;margin-right:0cm;margin-bottom:12.0pt;margin-left:0cm">
<span lang="NL" style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Verdana",sans-serif;color:#4472C4;mso-fareast-language:NL-BE">Opleidingscoördinator Biomedische Laboratoriumtechnologie<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Verdana",sans-serif;color:#2E75B6">Program Coordinator Advanced bachelor bio-informatics<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt:12.0pt;margin-right:0cm;margin-bottom:12.0pt;margin-left:0cm">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Verdana",sans-serif;color:#4472C4;mso-fareast-language:NL-BE"><img border="0" width="175" height="69" style="width:1.8229in;height:.7187in" id="Afbeelding_x0020_6" src="cid:image003.png@01D28D2E.B01CDFA0" alt="howest international_transparant"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top:12.0pt"><span style="color:#4472C4;mso-fareast-language:NL-BE"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><i><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Verdana",sans-serif;color:#4472C4;mso-fareast-language:NL-BE">Howest University of Applied Sciences<o:p></o:p></span></i></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Verdana",sans-serif;color:#4472C4;mso-fareast-language:NL-BE">Campus Rijselstraat<o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Verdana",sans-serif;color:#4472C4;mso-fareast-language:NL-BE">Rijselstraat 5 - 8200 Brugge - Belgium<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Verdana",sans-serif;color:#4472C4;mso-fareast-language:NL-BE">Tel.: +32 50 38 12 77<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Verdana",sans-serif;color:#4472C4;mso-fareast-language:NL-BE">Fax: +32 50 38 11 71<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Verdana",sans-serif;color:#4472C4;mso-fareast-language:NL-BE"><a href="http://www.howest.be/blt"><span style="color:#4472C4">www.howest.be/blt</span></a><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Verdana",sans-serif;color:#4472C4;mso-fareast-language:NL-BE"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><i><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Verdana",sans-serif;color:#4472C4;mso-fareast-language:NL-BE">Denk aan het milieu vooraleer je dit bericht of de bijlagen uitprint!</span></i><span style="color:#4472C4;mso-fareast-language:NL-BE"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
</div>
</body>
</html>