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Studying Abroad

Why go abroad?

An exchange during your studies is a unique opportunity to spend three months or more abroad and be immersed in another culture. It is an absolute boost for your 'soft skills': your personal, emotional, social and intellectual skills such as adaptability, self-confidence, self-awareness, resourcefulness and decisiveness.
Employers also appreciate internationally oriented employees and attach great importance to a foreign exchange experience when assessing a CV.

Naïma, master student African Studies
Studying abroad is simply an unforgettable adventure. I have learned even more to be open to everyone and all cultures.
Hannes, alumnus sinology
The study programme Oriental Languages and Cultures offers a good mix of history, culture and language course units. In combination with the possibility to do a minor, the highly recommended exchange with Liaoning University in Shenyang during the bachelor's, the possibility of an internship in the master's and the option to go to China or Taiwan on a scholarship after the master's, the study programme provides you with a thorough knowledge of and down-to-earth view on Chinese and Western society.
Divya, bachelor student Applied Language Studies
An Erasmus experience is very enriching on several levels: you are completely immersed in a new culture, you learn aspects of a foreign language that you did not see in grammar classes, you make a lot of new friends, you learn to stand on your own two feet and to trust yourself. I highly recommend it!

Who can go abroad?

Bachelor

Within all study programmes of the faculty you can go on exchange in the third year of the standard learning track (BA3).

Certain conditions apply to each study programme.

If you have a personalised learning track (GIT), we recommend discussing your plans abroad with the learning track counsellor, so that your stay abroad fits in with your curriculum as well as possible.

Master

Within the study programmes African Languages and Cultures, Oriental Languages and Cultures and Linguistics and Literature, you can also go on exchange during your master's. You can apply for a scholarship again without any problem. Conditions apply for exchange during the master's.

Where can you go?

For more information on the allocation of the available places, please go to the information session of your study programme (see above) and the contact persons of each study programme.

How much does an exchange cost?

Because of the agreements with our partners, our students do not have to pay an enrolment fee to the partner institution. As an exchange student, you enrol at Ghent University as a regular student. If you are entitled to a Flemish study grant or a reduction in the tuition fee, you retain this right during your stay abroad. Child benefit also continues during your study abroad.
There are a number of scholarships available.

Scholarships

Various scholarships (in Dutch) are available to enable you to go abroad for study, research within the framework of a master's dissertation or internship.

Can you go abroad as student with a functional impairment?

As a student with a functional impairment, you can also go on an exchange. If you have a functional impairment, contact the International Office. In consultation with the learning track counsellor, we will look at your file and see what steps we can take. If you have been given individual measures, we ask the host institution to respect these as far as possible.

Even if you are not officially registered as a student with a functional impairment, you can still come to us. There are many possibilities for students with functional impairments. It is very important to contact the host institution early on to find out what facilities they can offer.

Some students are eligible for an extra scholarship for students with functional impairments. This grant can be applied for via the contact point Students & Functional Impairment (Aanspreekpunt Student en Functiebeperking) (in Dutch). They work closely with the International Office for this. It is important to apply for these grants in time.

It may be that you are struggling with a personal problem, either physical or psychological. Perhaps no one at the faculty is aware of this. Our experience shows that if an exceptional situation of any kind arises abroad, it is better that we are aware of your situation, so that we can respond in an appropriate and efficient manner. We are thinking of students with a medical problem, students going through a depression, students with a specific home situation, etc. This information will, of course, be treated confidentially.

How do you go about it?

At the faculty of Arts and Philosophy everyone gets the chance to go abroad. In November, an (online) information session is organised by each study programme. The students who are eligible for an exchange will receive an invitation e-mail for the online information sessions. 

FAQ

  • What should I do if I still need to take course units of the first (BA1) and second year (BA2) of the standard learning track during my stay abroad?
    You will have to follow the courses via Minerva. If you are not in the country during the normal exam period, you can request a different date for your exam based on your stay abroad.
  • Which course units can I replace during my stay abroad?
    You replace the course units of BA3 that fall in the period in which you are abroad. You cannot replace course units from Ba1 or Ba2. In some cases it is possible to replace a master's course unit.
  • Am I insured during my stay abroad? (in Dutch)
  • How do I arrange the administrative side of my stay? (in Dutch)
  • What can you do if you cannot financially manage the semester abroad?
    In certain situations, students may be eligible for financial assistance from Social Services. This service decides independently whether someone meets the conditions for a financial intervention. For more information on the conditions and procedures, please visit the website of Ghent University's Social Services. In order to be eligible for financial support, an extensive file needs to be compiled. It is therefore necessary to contact this service as soon as possible.

Contact persons for outgoing exchange students

Applied European Languages | Archaeology | Art History, Musicology and Theatre Studies | East European Languages and Cultures | History | Philosophy and Moral Sciences

An Desmet
an.desmet@ugent.be
+32 9 264 40 11
Blandijnberg 2 - Ground floor, room 100.041
by appointment

 

Applied Language Studies | Oriental Languages and Cultures (Arabic and Islamic Studies, China, India, Japan)

Isabelle Jacob

+32 9 264 98 96
Blandijnberg 2 - Ground floor, room 100.041
by appointment

 

African Languages and Cultures | Linguistics and Literature: two languages 

Katrien Rau

+32 9 264 94 52
Blandijnberg 2 - Ground floor, room 100.041
Monday, Wednesday and Thursday from 9:00 to 12:00 and Monday and Thursday from 14:00 to 16:00, or by appointment.

 

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