UGent has a license agreement for ArcGIS Online and ArcGIS Pro.

ArcGIS Online

Since May 1, 2025, ArcGIS applications are only available with an ArcGIS Online account. After requesting and approving your account, you can use ArcGIS Online and download and install ArcGIS Pro on your own device.

1. Request an ArcGIS Online account via forms.cloud.microsoft/e/mpxcRE2Zrq
2. Wait for your ArcGIS application to be approved. Once approved, you will receive an email from ArcGIS asking you to set a password.
3. Click on the link in the email and choose a password for your ArcGIS Online account. Also make a note of the ArcGIS username for your ArcGIS Online account.
4. Log in at www.arcgis.com using your ArcGIS Online account (not your UGent account).
5. Click the square with the dots to see an overview of all available apps.

ArcGIS Pro

You can install ArcGIS Pro in two ways:

1. Employees with an Intune device can install ArcGIS Pro via the Company Portal.
2. People with an ArcGIS Online account:
   1. Log in at www.arcgis.com using your ArcGIS Online account (not your UGent account).
   2. Click on your user account > My Settings > the Licenses tab for an overview of all licenses assigned to your account.
   3. Next to ArcGIS Pro, click Download ArcGIS Pro.

Additional Information

• Since May 1, 2025, Ghent University no longer has a license for ArcMap. Esri will also end its support for ArcMap in 2026. At ArcGIS Pro - Import an ArcMap document, you will find instructions for migrating ArcMap files to ArcGIS Pro.
• You can find comprehensive manuals and courses on the following support websites:
  • support.esri.com
  • learn.arcgis.com/en/gallery
  • www.esri.com/training/catalog
• An ArcGIS Online account also gives you access to Esri Academy (via the Training button in the top right menu) and the Esri Community (community.esri.com).

The university has a license agreement with Autodesk for educational versions of AutoCAD, Civil 3D and Revit. These licenses may only be used for educational purposes and therefore not within the administrations of the university or for commercial research (services to external companies, ...).

Students and teachers must first create an educational account with Autodesk (using your Ghent University email address) in order to download and install the software on their own devices.

Autodesk is also available on the PCs in the PC classrooms.

All Ghent University staff and students can use Belnet FileSender to exchange large files (up to 6TB) securely and efficiently with other staff and/or students at Ghent University or another Belgian educational and research institution.

In 2025, we will be able to offer BioRender licenses at a temporary introductory price of €160 excluding VAT per employee. This price is only valid for the first 100 licenses ordered and during the first year.

In 2026, the cost price for subsequent orders and renewals is expected to be around €195 excluding VAT.

Order licenses

To simplify administration, we ask that orders be grouped by department or research group as much as possible.

You can order BioRender licenses via ICT HelpMe. Be sure to include the following information:

• Subject: Order BioRender licenses
• The name of the applicant and budget holder
• The cost center and fund
• The number of licenses
• The email addresses of the employees for whom the licenses are intended (if already known).

Additional information

Can licenses be transferred?

No, the licenses are strictly personal. Only if an employee leaves Ghent University or indicates that they no longer need the license can this license be transferred to a colleague in exceptional circumstances. It is not permitted to frequently exchange licenses between employees or to share login details.

I have already purchased a (more expensive) individual license myself. Can I still take advantage of this central offer?

If you already have an individual or team license, you can purchase a new license through Ghent University and receive a pro-rata refund of the license fee for the remaining period of your license.

Where can I find a manual?

• www.biorender.com/customer-resources
• www.biorender.com/learn

On Athena, anyone with a Ghent University account (both staff and students) has access to a wide range of applications. You can launch all these applications online, without having to install them on your professional or personal device first. Athena uses Citrix technology for this.

To use all the applications available on Athena, you first need to install the Citrix Workspace application on your device. Please do not fill in anything when you are asked to add an account. Just click on the cross on the right. Then go to https://athena.ugent.be to start an application from Athena.

With MOJO conference registration software, you can manage online registrations and payments for your event (conference, symposium, convention, etc.). Please visit Online registrations and payments for events.

Ghent University has a campus license for EndNote.

Installation

Employees with an Intune device can install EndNote via the Company Portal.

Employees and students can also install EndNote via Academic Software:

1. Log in to Academic Software with your UGent account.
2. Click on Software at the top and then on EndNote.
3. Follow the installation instructions on the page.

Connections, Filters and Styles in EndNote

EndNote offers a wide range of Connections, Filters and Styles files. You can view the files via Edit > Output Styles > Open Style Manager...

To customize a style:

• Select a Style and click on Edit.
• Make the desired changes.
• Then select File > Save As from the menu.
• Save the file to your home drive, e.g. under H:\Athena\EndNote\Styles\

To use your own style file:

• Open the Edit menu > Preferences > Folder Locations.
• Click the Select Folder button next to Style Folder.
• Open the folder on your home drive where you saved the Style file, e.g., under H:\Athena\EndNote\Styles\

To return to the default Style files:

• Open the menu Edit > Preferences > Folder Locations.
• Select the button "EndNote Defaults".

Additional information

• Research tip EndNote: what is it?
• Manuals and FAQ
• EndNote manual & tips of the Faculty Law and Criminology.

With this web application, you can create your own registration forms for events with simple registration options. Please visit Online registrations and payments for events.

Foxit PDF Editor is a fast and secure PDF editor that allows you to create, edit and secure PDF documents.

Athena

Foxit PDF Editor is available on Athena for all Ghent University staff and students.

Local installation

You can also order a license for local installation via ICT HelpMe. These licenses cost €48.84 excluding VAT per employee per year. Be sure to include the following information in your application:

• Subject: Ordering Foxit PDF Editor licences
• The name of the applicant and budget holder
• The cost center
• The number of licences
• The email addresses of the employees for whom the licenses are intended (if already known).

To simplify administration, we ask that orders be grouped by department or research group as much as possible.

Manuals

• Select the menu item Help in the application.
• Consult the manuals on the Foxit website.
• Consult the video tutorials on the Foxit website, on YouTube or Foxit US YouTube channel.

Gismo is available for active Ghent University researchers. Please read the research tip GISMO: what is it? for more details.

The university has a campus license for GitHub. However, this agreement is limited to projects in research and education.

Ghent University has a campus license for IBM SPSS Statistics. This license may only be used for educational purposes and non commercial research.

You can install IBM SPSS Statistics in two ways:

1. Employees with an Intune device can install SPSS via the Company Portal.
2. Employees and students can install SPSS Statistics on their own devices via Academic Software:
   • Log in to Academic Software with your UGent account.
   • Click on Software at the top and then on SPSS Statistics.
   • Follow the installation instructions on the page.

Tips

To avoid corruption of data files, it is best to save your SPSS Statistics data files:

• on a network drive such as the H: or S: drive. Do not open files directly from your PC's C: drive or a USB stick.
• in the ‘.zsav’ format instead of the ‘.sav’ format

Additional information

The SPSS Statistics manuals are available online.

A number of sample files are available in the folder \\install.ugent.be\software\SPSSStatistics\29\Samples (copy these files to your H: drive before opening them in SPSS Statistics).

Given the licensing issues with Oracle JDK, ICT has opted for Adopt OpenJDK as an alternative. This Java environment is free for commercial use and provides the necessary support. We recommend that everyone who uses Java switch to Adopt OpenJDK.

The university has a campus license for LabVIEW Professional Development System and a large number of LabVIEW modules and toolkits (overview).

Installation

Employees and students can install LabVIEW via Academic Software:

• Log in to Academic Software with your UGent account.
• Employees and students can install LabVIEW via Academic Software.
• Follow the installation instructions on the page.

Manuals and instructional videos

• Academic Research
• Self-Paced Online Training

Ghent University has a campus license for MAXQDA Analytics Pro.

MAXQDA replaces NVivo

• MAXQDA offers similar functionality for qualitative data analysis as NVivo.
• You can export project data from NVivo and then import it into MAXQDA using the universal “REFI-QDA Project” exchange format.

Installation

Employees and students can install MAXQDA via Academic Software:

• Log in to Academic Software with your UGent account.
• Click on Software at the top and then on MAXQDA.
• Follow the installation instructions on the page.

A new serial number is available (valid until 10/04/2026) via Academic Software. Please deactivate the old serial number first (select in the software the blue question mark > Deactivate License on this Computer) before activating the new serial number.

TeamCloud

At the moment, the TeamCloud feature is not included in the MaxQDA license held by Ghent University. Moreover, it is rather unlikely that such a license extension will be introduced in the future.

More information

• The MAXQDA website offers a detailed manual and video tutorials
• The MAXQDA Academy offers training programs and workshops
• The University of California offers training materials with screenshots and instructions

Ghent university has a campus license for Maple.

Installation

You can install Maple in two ways:

1. Employees with an Intune device can install Maple via the Company Portal.
2. Employees and students can install Maple via Academic Software:
   • Log in to Academic Software with your UGent account.
   • Click on Software at the top and then on Maple.
   • Follow the installation instructions on the page.

Additional information

• You can find comprehensive manuals about Maple on the Maple Documentation Center.
• To make the license work on Linux 64-bit, you need to execute the following command:

  sudo apt-get install ia32-libs

License

The university has 2 separate license agreements for Matlab:

1. research licence
2. classroom licence

Both licenses require a connection with a license server and therefore can only be used while connected with the university network either directly or via VPN or Eduroam.

Research license

Matlab research licenses can be used for research purposes. They cannot be used on computing clusters or for commercial research.

The number of available research licenses:

Classroom license

MathWorks has discontinued the "Classroom" licence model. We can continue to use the classroom licences, but we can no longer update them to the latest version. Matlab 2024a is therefore the most recent version we can offer on Athena and in the PC classrooms.

Matlab classroom licenses can only be used for educational purposes and not for research or on computing clusters. The Matlab version on Athena and in computer rooms uses these licenses.

The number of available classroom licenses:

Matlab for students

Students can access Matlab on Athena and on the computers in some computer rooms. The university licenses do not allow installing Matlab on devices that are owned by students. Students who wish to install Matlab on their device can purchase a student license.

Installation

Matlab can be installed on devices that are owned by the university, either:

• the classroom license if you use Matlab to prepare courses.
• the research license if you use use Matlab for research.

It's possible to download the installation files from Mathworks, or copy the installation files from the software share.

Installation via Mathworks

1. Register first on the Mathworks registration website using your @UGent.be email-address. During registration, you'll need an activation key to be found in the file \\install.ugent.be\software\MatlabResearch\Readme.txt. If you can't see the Matlab folder, you don't have access yet. Please contact ICT HelpMe to request access to the Matlab folder.
2. Logon to https://www.mathworks.com
3. Click on 'Get MATLAB' in the top right corner
4. Select license: 647388 Research
5. Click 'Download' to download the installer
6. Choose a Matlab version
7. Click on Windows, macOS or Linux according to your operating system
8. The installer is being downloaded...
9. Click on the file to start the installation, for example: matlab_R2020b_win64.exe
10. The installer is extracted and launches the installation...
11. Login with your Mathworks account.
12. Accept the license agreement
13. Click on license: 647388 Research
14. Choose the installation folder
15. Browse to the license file and either:
    • you open the license file on the software share: \\install.ugent.be\software\MatlabResearch\ResearchLicense.dat
    • you create a text file, for example C:\temp\ResearchLicense.dat, with the following contents:

      SERVER licmatlabresearch.ugent.be 000000000000 27002
      USE_SERVER

16. Modify the other installation options as prefered.
17. Click on Begin Install.

Installation via the software share

There is no need to register on the Mathworks website if you install Matlab from the software share.

1. Copy the installation files for your operating system. For example, if you wish to install Matlab 9.9 on Windows, copy the folder 
   \\install.ugent.be\software\MatlabResearch\MatlabResearch2020b\win64 for Windows and copy and extract matlab_R2020b.tar.xz for Linux
2. Start the installation from within the copied folder.
   Windows - click on setup.exe
   Linux - run: sudo ./install
3. Click on Advanced Options and 'I have a File Installation Key'
4. Accept the license
5. Install using File Installation Key (to be found in \\install.ugent.be\software\MatlabResearch\Readme.txt)
6. Select License File.
7. Browse to the file \\install.ugent.be\software\MatlabResearch\ResearchLicense.dat
8. Choose destination folder
9. Choose the necessary toolboxes
10. Modify the other installation options as prefered.
11. Click on Begin Install.

Computing clusters

As the university only has a limited number of research licenses, it is not allowed to use these directly on the High Performance Cluster (HPC) or other computing clusters. It is possible to use the MATLAB Compiler to compile a standalone executable and to run this executable on a computing cluster. Executing compiled Matlab programs doesn't consume any licenses on the license server.

Compiling on Unix systems

Matlab programs can be compiled on Unix systems in the following way, for example:

  $ mcc -m -R -nojvm -R -nodisplay myscript.m -o myscript

The compiled program can then be executed using the following command:

  $ ./run_myscript.sh $EBROOTMATLAB

The $EBROOTMATLAB variable indicates the location where Matlab is installed, e.g. /usr/local/MATLAB/R2020b, but you can also simply specify the path to the Matlab installation folder instead of this variable.

Compiling on Windows systems

On Windows systems, Matlab programs can be compiled as follows:

  $ mcc -m -R -nojvm -R -nodisplay myscript.m -o myscript

The compiled program can then be executed using the following command:

  $ run_myscript.bat "C:\Program Files\MATLAB\R2020b"

The Matlab compiler

• More info about the Matlab compiler can be found on http://www.mathworks.co.uk/products/compiler.
• More info about compiling the Matlab programs for the HPC can be found in the HPC documentation.
• To use the MATLAB Compiler, you must install a third-party compiler. More info about compatible compilers can be found on https://nl.mathworks.com/support/compilers.html.
• After installation the compiler can be integrated into Matlab using the following command:

  mbuild -setup
  

Comments

Use the command "ver" to check which toolboxes are installed.

UGent has a Microsoft Azure for Students agreement with Microsoft. This agreement offers all UGent students and staff the opportunity to use a number of Microsoft applications free of charge for educational purposes.

The main applications included in this agreement are:

• Microsoft Project
• Microsoft Visio
• Visual Studio Enterprise
• Windows 11

Students can use this agreement to install Windows 11 on a virtual machine, for example, in Parallels Desktop on a Mac or in VirtualBox on Linux.

Please note: this offer is valid strictly for educational use. Instructors may use the software for lesson preparation. For non-educational use (such as research, administration, …), a separate license must be acquired through the Microsoft Select Plus Agreement.

Registration

Open the Azure for Students page and click on 'Start free'. Use your UGent email address during registration. The registration must be renewed annually.

More info

Frequently asked questions about the Azure Education Hub

All UGent students and staff have access to the basic version of Copilot via m365.cloud.microsoft/chat.

Staff can purchase a license for the paid version via the Microsoft Select Plus agreement.

What is the difference between the basic and paid versions of Copilot?

Basic version

• Access via m365.cloud.microsoft/chat.
• No integration with Word, Excel, PowerPoint, or Outlook.
• Basic AI chat for questions, writing, and brainstorming.
• Limited performance during peak hours.

Paid version

• Access via m365.cloud.microsoft/chat 
• Integration in Outlook, Teams, Word, Excel, PowerPoint.
• Faster and more reliable.
• Access to business data (emails, documents, meetings) for contextual help.
• Enterprise security and compliance.

Microsoft Defender is built into Windows 11 by default. It is part of Windows Security and provides protection against viruses, malware, ransomware, and other threats without the need to install additional antivirus software.

My device has been isolated by Microsoft Defender. What should I do now?

When Defender detects a serious security risk on your work device, the device may be isolated. This means that your device will be temporarily disconnected from the network to prevent further spread of malware and other threats.

What will I notice as a user?

• You will receive a pop-up notification stating that your device has been disconnected from the network.
  
• You can no longer connect to internal and external services, such as:
  • Email and Teams
  • Network drives
  • VPN
  • Onedrive
• Internet access is completely disabled.
• Working locally remains possible (files can still be saved on the device).

Why is my device being isolated?

Isolation protects the Ghent University network from further infection. This occurs in cases such as:

• Detection of active malware or ransomware
• Suspicious network activity such as:
  • Connections to external servers with a bad reputation
  • Attempts to spread further within the Ghent University network
• Installation of high-risk software Examples:
  • P2P file-sharing software
  • Cheating software for games
  • Free software from unreliable sources (if malicious actions are detected)
  • Software that violates licence terms
  • Unapproved VPN software
• Use of unsigned drivers
• Suspicious actions, such as:
  • Disabling Microsoft Defender or the firewall
  • Installing antivirus software from another manufacturer
  • Indications of a data breach or data exfiltration

My device is isolated, what should I do?

Contact the IT contact person for your department or faculty, or the Ghent University IT helpdesk. They will wipe the device and reinstall Windows.

Will my files be deleted?

During reinstallation, all files on the device will be deleted. It is therefore important to make a backup before reinstallation is carried out.

How long does isolation take?

Isolation lasts until Windows is reinstalled on the device. You can therefore get back to work immediately after reinstallation.

Microsoft Campus Agreement

The Microsoft Campus Agreement covers the most commonly used Microsoft applications and grants the right to freely install them on UGent devices.

This agreement includes, among others:

• Microsoft Office: Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Access, Outlook
• Windows Desktop Upgrade (*): Windows 11 Enterprise
• Windows Server Client Access Licenses

(*) The Windows Desktop license is an upgrade license. This means it may only be used to upgrade PCs or laptops with an existing legal Windows license to a version included in the Campus Agreement. Most devices purchased, for example via Dell, already have an OEM license for Microsoft Windows and can therefore be upgraded to Windows 11 Enterprise.
 

Select Plus Agreement

For Microsoft products that are not covered by the Microsoft Campus Agreement, UGent offers the Select Plus Agreement.
 

Cost

• Copilot: €261.97 excl. VAT
• Project: €57.81 excl. VAT
• Visio: €21.53 excl. VAT
• Visual Studio Enterprise: €304.01 excl. VAT
• Windows Server: €50.29: license per physical server with max. 16 cores (not needed for virtual servers hosted by ICT).

The above prices are per staff member and per year (Visio, Project, Visual Studio) or per installation (Windows Server) - at the time of writing in November 2025.

A license with Software Assurance entitles the user to all upgrades of the product that appear within the Software Assurance period (typically 3 years). You can purchase a license for the most recent version of a program, but also install an older version.
 

Ordering Licenses

To simplify administration, we ask that orders be grouped as much as possible by department or research group.

You can order licenses via ICT HelpMe. Be sure to include the following information:

• Subject: License order + the name of the application (e.g., Visio, Project, ...)
• The name of the applicant and budget holder
• The cost center and fund
• The number of licenses
• The email addresses of the staff members for whom the licenses are intended (insofar as already known).

For Educational Purposes

Microsoft Project can be used free of charge for educational purposes via the Microsoft Azure for Students agreement.

For Non-Educational Use

For the use of Microsoft Project in the context of research, administration, ... you must purchase a license via the Microsoft Select Plus agreement.

For Educational Purposes

Microsoft Visio can be used free of charge for educational purposes via the Microsoft Azure for Students agreement.

For Non-Educational Use

For the use of Microsoft Visio in the context of research, administration, ... you must purchase a license via the Microsoft Select Plus agreement.

The Oracle software may be:

• installed on UGentNet hosts that are officially registered with ICT.
• used outside UGent, provided that this use results from an assignment from UGent or takes place within the framework of education or research at UGent.

Download the software at https://www.oracle.com/downloads/index.html

Please consult the research tip Qualtrics: how do I use this survey tool? for all details.

Ghent University has a campus license for a number of Siemens applications, including Siemens NX. This license permits the use of the application for educational purposes and non-commercial research. Use for commercial purposes is not permitted.

Installation

Employees with an Intune device can install Siemens NX via the Company Portal.

Employees and students can also install Siemens NX via Academic Software:

1. Log in to Academic Software with your Ghent University account.
2. Click on Software at the top and then on Siemens NX.
3. Follow the installation instructions on the page.

Siemens Xcelerator Academy

This e-learning platform offers a wealth of course material for the various Siemens applications.

Anyone with a Ghent University account can apply for an Enterprise Academic Gold Membership for this platform:

1. Go to https://training.plm.automation.siemens.com/mytraining/selfreg.cfm 
2. Create a new account using your Ghent University email address. You will receive an email titled ‘Welcome to Xcelerator Academy’ confirming your registration.
3. Log in at https://training.plm.automation.siemens.com/mytraining/home.cfm. 

SigmaPlot is available on Athena for all staff members and students at Ghent University.

The manuals can be found at https://grafiti.com/support/.

The Academic Software platform is available to all students and staff at Ghent University, but not to Ghent University retirees or UZ staff.

An overview of the software available for your Ghent University profile can be found on the website of Academic Software (under “Software”).

• Documentation for staff: intranet
• Documentation for students: student portal

The Athena software platform gives everyone with a Ghent University account (both staff and students) access to a wide range of applications. You can launch all these applications online, without having to install them on your professional or personal device first.

The Company Portal software platform is available to all Ghent University employees with a professional Windows device from Ghent University. This is one of the applications that Intune installs in the background on your professional Windows device.

The Microsoft 365 software platform (or "M365 Copilot") is available to all students and staff at Ghent University.

Go to https://m365.cloud.microsoft/apps/ for an overview of the software available on this software platform.

• Documentation for staff: intranet
• Documentation for students: student portal

As an employee, you can reserve UGent infrastructure for your academic and non-academic activities. You can always reserve a room via TimeEdit.

With UServe, you can easily submit structured and bundled work, repair and service requests for our buildings and facility services. See UServe: requests for repairs, works and other services for more details.