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Support for Refugees

WELDES

  • Access2University programme: Since the beginning of the 2017-18 academic year, UCLouvain has offered a programme that prepares refugees (as well as applicants for such status) to begin university study. See the programme’s webpage for more information.
     
  • ‘Tandem citoyen’ (‘Citizen tandem’) initiative: Supported by the UCLouvain Language Institute (Institut des Langues Vivantes, ILV), the "Tandem citoyen" initiative consists of forming tandems of host students and refugee students for the purpose of getting acquainted, exchanging ideas, learning about each other’s culture and increasing knowledge of the French language. Students living in the theme-based flats Migrakot and Kot Ardoise have been designated members of the first tandems.
     
  • Language courses: Refugees can access the online linguistic support (OLS) courses established by the European Commission for Erasmus exchange students. UCLouvain has 50 licences for refugees as well as licences for ‘operators’ (persons responsible for refugees). Moreover, the UCLouvain Language Institute has established a tutoring system specifically for refugees. > Contact
     
  • Academic courses:
    One-off classes. Refugees can enrol in three one-off classes for the purpose of acclimating to the Belgian higher education system. Tuition and administrative (enrolment) fees are waived. They are invited to first consult the relevant faculty to identify one-off courses and obtain faculty approval, then the Enrolment Office for enrolment.
    Course programmes. To enrol in a course programme, consult the procedure at the Enrolment Office website. The contact persons at the Enrolment Office are Laura Haineaux (Louvain-la-Neuve site) and Henriette Sandra Katanga (Brussels-Woluwe site). Refugee students can contact the UCLouvain Centre d'information et d'orientation (‘Information and Careers Centre’) for orientation guidance, the Lycée Martin V for guidance regarding ‘7e Spéciale Math’ or ‘Sciences’, and the Student Support Service for general support.

     

  • Continuing education: The University Institute for Continuing Education (IUFC) is opening its programmes to refugees. Applications are considered case-by-case. > Contact
     
  • Science4Refugees: Launched by the European Commission, the Science4Refugees initiative is intended to establish relationships between refugees with high-level scientific training and research institutions. The initiative draws on the Euraxess network, which promotes researcher mobility in 37 European countries. More specifically, the initiative uses the Euraxess platform, which includes postings of university and research institution employment opportunities. By joining Science4Refugees, UCLouvain posts job offers to which refugees and asylum applicants can apply. Such offers can be identified by the Science4Refugees logo. Interested supervisors can contact Sara Wilmet, Euraxess Jobs coordinator, in the Research Department. More information on Euraxess at UCLouvain.