Agreement between the Wallonia-Brussels Federation and Masters in Medicine regarding authorizations.

The UMons’ master in medicine caused a disturbance in the Wallonia-Brussels Federation’s ruling coalition. However, a solution was reached on Saturday that involved granting the requested 57 authorizations, including the one for medical studies at UMons, with certain conditions. UMons won’t receive any additional funding for its master’s program, and the other faculties of the Federation won’t be funded either.

There will be an evaluation following five years regarding the benefits of the authorizations for the master’s program organized in conjunction with ULB and UMons. The evaluation will determine the link between the creation of the program and the installation of general practitioners in areas with shortages as well as the accessibility for students. The authorization for the joint master’s program will be revoked if there’s a breakdown in collaboration with the Erasmus University Hospital or if academic authorities request the recognition of a new university hospital.

The government also plans to reform the way authorizations are granted in the future by imposing a moratorium until the start of the 2025-2026 academic year. No new training offers will be authorized until then.

The file of the master in medicine at UMons upset the balance of the coalition in power in the Wallonia-Brussels Federation. This government reached an agreement this Saturday, the crisis is subsiding. The solution that was found consists in granting the 57 authorizations that were requested, including that for medical studies at UMons, but under certain conditions. UMons will not benefit from additional funding for its master’s in medicine and the other faculties of the Federation will not be funded.

After five years, there will be an evaluation of the opportunity of the authorizations of the master organized in joint degree between the ULB and the UMons. This evaluation will be made on the basis of an independent study on the link between the creation of these masters and the installation of general practitioners in the areas in shortage as well as the contribution in terms of accessibility for the students. The authorization relating to a master’s degree in medicine in joint degree between the ULB and the UMons will be canceled in the event of a rupture of collaboration with the Erasmus University Hospital or in the event of a request from the academic authorities for recognition of a new university hospital.

The government also plans to reform the way clearances will be made in the future. There will now be a moratorium on authorizations and no new training offer will be authorized before the start of the 2025-2026 academic year.

In conclusion, the recent crisis surrounding the master’s in medicine at UMons has been resolved with a compromise between the government and the university. While UMons will not receive additional funding for their program, they will be granted the authorizations they requested, as long as certain conditions are met. The future of joint degree programs between ULB and UMons will depend on an evaluation of their impact on the availability of general practitioners and accessibility for students. Additionally, the government plans to reform the authorization process with a moratorium on new training offers until 2025-2026. As the dust settles, it is hoped that this resolution will maintain a balance between the interests of the university and the needs of Belgium’s healthcare system.