English
Member of the K.U.Leuven Association
Mechelen University College
The Katholieke Hogeschool Mechelen -"Mechelen University College"- is a professional oriented higher education institution offering a wide range of bachelor degree programmes and is actively involved in research and consultancy
The Katholieke Hogeschool Mechelen has about 4400 students and offers 16 professional bachelor degree programmes, next to a whole series of vocational training programmes.
The university site forms one entity located at the town ring of Mechelen, near Mechelen city centre and the railway station.
Campus 'De Vest'
Mechelen University College trains nurses, communication specialists, teachers, interior designers, information managers, professionals for the world of tourism and industry... It has a varied programme emphasizing on the practical side. 'Knowledge is nothing without practice'.
The practical oriented minds of our graduates and their solid theoretical knowledge explain why 90 % of them found a job within a few months after they graduated.
Next to the educational activities, the KHMechelen is developing centres of expertise in several fields (public communication – Memori, intercultural communication – CIMIC, design, remedial teaching…). Within these centres, research and consultancy activities support the development of new ideas and create an innovative culture for our educational activities.
Practically oriented Education
At the KHMechelen, we offer first and foremost practically oriented education: theory is necessary, but always in order to support practical training. The KHMechelen creates modern learning environments for its students in which they can develop their talents under supervision.
At the end of their programmes, they will not only have the knowledge, but also the necessary competences a professional needs to have in the year 2008. Thus, most of the students find a job very quickly, often as an outcome of the contacts during their study period.
Mechelen University College has about 4,600 students and provides eleven bachelor or basic education courses of three years, in addition to thirteen advanced education courses and a number of post-university graduate training courses.
Teaching focused on students
One of the determining factors in the course of the further career of our graduates is the fact that they can rely on the learning attitudes which they acquired during their studies. That is why Mechelen University College provides a teaching environment based on orienting students towards cooperation, responsibility, creativity and problem-solving which all are skills absolutely required in today's professional world.
Students are allowed the possibility of developing an individualised learning system that is feasible and useful both where structure and content are concerned. The control on this learning system essentially remains in the hands of the students. This does not mean at all that our students are being left to their own devices as they may refer at all times to intensive coaching by their lecturers and student monitors (cf. below). Class groups are being kept to minimum numbers.
The infrastructure and the teaching means are up-to-date; self-study centres, computer and media premises, workshops, speciality rooms, training labs, a well-equiped library, language practise facilities, etc. Students are given their own email address and may surf the Internet.
Legal status
The Katholieke Hogeschool Mechelen (KHMechelen) is a recognized higher education institution belonging to the Flemish Community of the Kingdom of Belgium.
KHMechelen is mentioned in the list of the Flemish University Colleges (Hogescholen) in article 5, 19° of the Higher Education Act 4 April 2003 of the Flemish Community.
KHMechelen is a private state-recognized and state-financed higher education institution which programmes are accredited according to the Higher Education Act 4 April 2003.
KHMechelen is entitled to award recognized Flemish bachelor degrees. Holders of these degrees may claim academic and professional rights in Belgium.
Overview of the institution
Department of Business management and commercial sciences
- Bachelor of Business Management
- Bachelor of Communications Management
- Bachelor of Information Management and Information Systems
- Bachelor of Journalism
- Bachelor of Office Management
- Bachelor of Tourism and Recreation Management
- Advanced Bachelor of Applied Audiovisual Communication
- Advanced Bachelor of Intercultural Management
Department of Nursing and Teacher Education
- Bachelor of Nursing
- Bachelor of Education: Pre-School Education
- Bachelor of Education: Primary Education
- Bachelor of Education: Secundary Education
- Advanced Bachelor of Education: Special Needs Provision and Remedial Education
- Advanced Bachelor of Intensive and Emergency Care
Department of interior&design (download the departemental international brochure in pdf - 3MB)
- Bachelor of Interior Design
- Postgraduate in Furniture Design
- Postgraduate in international interior design
Master programmes in collaboration with other Flemish institutions:
- Master of Nursing and Obstetrics
- Master of Tourism
Centres of expertise and research:
- Media Expertise Centre (MEC)
- Centre for Intercultural Management and International Communication (CIMIC)
- Memori – research centre for public communication and e-government
- Centre for sustainable design
How to get there
How to get to Mechelen University College:
Brussels international Airport – take a train to Brussels North station – change to Mechelen: every train to Antwerp and Amsterdam stops in Mechelen (4 trains every hour – 25 minutes from Brussels to Mechelen).
Arriving in Mechelen – main railwaystation:
When leaving the station, turn right and keep walking parallel to the railway for 10 minutes. After crossing a pedestrian bridge, you will arrive at the Zandpoortvest. Mechelen University College campuses are located at both sides of this street.
Central services: Zandpoortvest 13
Campus Lucas Faydherbe (Interior & design): Zandpoortvest 16
Student Services: Zandpoortvest 17
International office: Zandpoortvest 31
Campus de Vest (teacher education, health care, business management): Zandpoortvest 60
Campus de Ham (Office management, Journalism, Communication): Raghenoplein 21bis [this is the first building on your right side]
Campus Kruidtuin (IT management, Tourism and leisure management): Lange Ridderstraat 44 [in the city park, on your left side]
Member of the K.U.Leuven Association
The K.U.Leuven Association is based on a structural cooperation between the K.U.Leuven and twelve other institutions of higher education (“hogescholen”). Its members have a total of 70,000 students in campuses in 23 towns and cities across Flanders, i.e. 44 percent of the total number of Flemish students in higher education.
The challenges higher education in Flanders faces, are very demanding. In order to ensure a long-term effect for their efforts, the members of the K.U.Leuven Association have opted in favour of a strong decisionmaking and executive structure.
The primary aims of the K.U.Leuven Association are:
- to offer a wide range of study and training
- to improve the quality of education
- to improve the quality of research by concentration and intensive cooperation.
KHM goes international
The Katholieke Hogeschool Mechelen wants to be a place where students and teachers can meet each other. Pre-eminently it is an intercultural institution, where diversity is an important aspect of daily life. In this way, understanding each other and living together are essential values for the Katholieke Hogeschool Mechelen. To promote the diversity and make human contacts possible, mobility is an essential aspect of internationalization for the KHMechelen. Students and teachers have the chance to broaden their view on diversity and increase their knowledge of other cultures. For the KHMechelen, it is essential to have mobility in two ways: whether it is due to incoming or outgoing mobility, the international experience is the central issue. So it is important for the KHMechelen to establish good contacts all over the world. The Katholieke Hogeschool Mechelen has currently contacts all over Europe, Thailand, RSA, Tanzania, Mexico, Australia, Suriname, Ecuador, Bolivia, Marocco, … .
The KHMechelen is actively involved in international projects; most of them are funded by the European Commission. As a recognized higher education institution, our Erasmus policy statement has been approved by the EC.
Though mobility is important, it is not the only way to internationalise our campuses and study programmes. Each year, KHMechelen welcomes about 45 international students and 25 colleagues from all over the world. Some of these international guests participate in central course on institutional level, “intercultural communication”, were students from different departments learn together with international students about difficulties in communication between persons from different backgrounds. The organization of this course is the responsibility of CIMIC. CIMIC is a Centre for International Management and Intercultural Communication. It is a centre of expertise of the KHMechelen, also responsible for the organization of the subsequent bachelor programme “Intercultural Management” (www.cimic.be ).
The organization of international initiatives and projects is the responsibility of a working group of staff members of different departments, coordinated by the international office (= institutional level).
Erasmus policy statement
The Mechelen University College is a university college with a focus on professional practice. The educational programmes offered are strongly student-oriented. The mission statement stresses the importance of the regional and global aspects of society and the professional contexts in which graduates will end up. The KHMechelen aims at an international and intercultural dimension in education, research and consultancy activities. The Mechelen University College stimulates and facilitates human encounters by bringing together different contexts. This way, educational and research activities are being enriched and the different persons involved develop their intercultural understanding. The overall goal is two-fold: to achieve high quality in education and research and to establish intercultural awareness through a professional training in an international perspective. The Mechelen University College is an active player in the Bologna Higher Education Area. The Bachelor Master structure is implemented and outcome-based curricula are developed. To realize these innovations, the Mechelen University College is part of national and transnational networks. These contacts create the opportunity to broaden expertise and enhance the development as a centre of knowledge.
The KHMechelen sets out the following priorities for 2007-2013:
- To enhance quality of international mobility by strong international partnerships
- To cooperate with partners outside of Europe to stimulate students and staff to think global
- To develop the intercultural competence among students and staff
- To ensure quality of the educational activities by international cooperation within the curricula
To realize these priorities, support from the European programmes is necessary. In particular the LLP is of a great support for the cooperation between the KHMechelen and its international partners.
The Erasmus activities will be communicated as the catalyst for internationalization at the KHMechelen. Focus will be on the communication via news messages and the internal (digital) network to point out the European attention for internationalization to students and staff. Different LLP mobility projects will be a major part of the international opportunities for students and staff.
Through the international activities, the KHMechelen pays attention to all persons involved. The institution is developing a policy on diversity to create real opportunities for everybody, also in internationalization. Concrete actions are being formulated and implemented to avoid discrimination. To ensure equal opportunities for all students, the KHMechelen cooperates with its student services “Studentenvoorzieningen vzw”.
The quality in academic mobility is mainly ensured by good and strong contacts between the KHMechelen and its partner institutions, most of which are member of the same international networks. During network meetings, agreements and expectations on mobility are set up and explicited.
Both for outgoing student mobility and outgoing staff mobility, a ‘mobility cycle’ has been developed: general information activities are followed by more specific information for interested persons. Afterwards mobile students and staff are supported during the preparation process of their international experience. Once back in the institution, they get the opportunity to share their experiences. This feedback is used in the preparation process of new candidates.
Student mobility activities are fully recognized as part of the curricula at the KHMechelen. To ensure quality in this process, the KHMechelen uses the European Credit Transfer System. Staff mobility activities are honoured as part of their assignment at the institution. Lecturers work in teams to cover absences and the international mobility is considered to be a part of the professional development of a lecturer.
The expertise of incoming staff is being integrated in courses in order to enrich the curriculum. Incoming students follow a study programme to obtain credits as part of their programme at their home institution. These students are being welcomed and supported by Student Services in order to feel home in Mechelen. They are being registered as a student of the Mechelen University College. They have access to all student facilities, e.g. housing service, e-learning platform and the library. Each student follows a Dutch language course in order to be able to participate in daily life.
The Mechelen University College is an institution for higher education that offers professional oriented bachelor degree programmes. Students are being educated in close cooperation with the labour market. Workplacement is a compulsory part of each degree programme. Students obtain credits after succeeding in the work placement.
To ensure the quality of student placements, regular contacts are established between the institution and the placement provider. Necessary documents for the guidance and evaluation of the students are provided by the institution. The KHMechelen recognizes the responsibility of the placement provider in the evaluation process as much as possible. The KHMechelen therefore creates a regular contact between the guiding lecturer and the placement provider.
The monitoring of the work placement is being done by the international coordinator and the placement counsellor of the study programme. They ensure the follow up of the placement and coaching of the student. Once returned, a reflection is made by the placement counsellor and the student to improve the conditions of the work placement.
Each student placement is backed up by an agreement between the student, the KHMechelen and the placement provider.
Through a network of companies and organizations, The Mechelen University College has the opportunity to offer placements to international students of the partner institutions. The KHMechelen organizes the student placement and takes care of the follow up of the student. The student has access to all facilities of the institution.
To ensure the practical focus of the degree programmes at the Mechelen University College, it is important for lecturers to have professional contacts with organizations on the labour market. Therefore, the KHMechelen stimulates mobility between the institution and companies and organizations. This way, practice is fully integrated in education.
