open to Belgian students. Master of Audiovisual Arts Master of Fine Arts Master of Music Audiology Applied Information Technology Business, Retail and Languages Nursing Nutrition and Dietetics Occupational Therapy Social Educational Care Work Social Work Speech and Language Pathology Furthermore, Ghent University of Applied Sciences and Arts also offers a wide variety of follow-up programmes. Research and service provision Besides focusing on education, Ghent University of Applied Sciences and Arts also continues to stress the importance of research and service provision. The multi-sector learning environment has a strong research tradition and boasts a number of research groups whose excellence is recognized internationally. Nearly 414 researchers are actively involved in more than 110 research projects. Funding In 2008, Ghent University of Applied Sciences and Arts’ research funds totalled €13 million, an increase of €2 million euros on the previous year. International Each Ghent University of Applied Sciences and Arts faculty has cooperation agreements with a number of partner institutions, amounting to 250 bilateral agreements with institutions from 26 European countries. Arts Art faculties The School of Arts at Ghent University of Applied Sciences and Arts encompasses the former Royal Academy of Fine Arts (Ghent), founded in 1741 and merged into the university in 1995, and the Royal Conservatory. Concerts and exhibitions are organized throughout the academic year. The Royal Conservatory The Royal Conservatory ("Koninklijk Conservatorium") was one of the sixteen cultural institution merged into the university in 1995, with a history and heritage in its own right. The founding director was Martin-Joseph Mengal, in 1835. Notable students and faculty at the conservatory have included François-Auguste Gevaert, who studied directly under Mengal in 1841, Paul-Henri-Joseph Lebrun, who studied here and became a professor, and Edouard Potjes, who served as professor of piano for 22 years. Art library At the Faculty of Music and Drama, the art library will be moved and expanded in the course of 2009-2010. This is a very important step in the creation of a stimulating working environment for both artists and art students. Moreover, in 2010, Ghent University of Applied Sciences and Arts will have a new and professional exhibition infrastructure for artistic productions. A Prior A Prior is an international magazine for contemporary art, published by the Faculty of Fine Arts. It is one of the media through which the activities and research at the Faculty of Fine Arts are communicated. References External links Website of the