Summer courses

The Flemish department of Education and Training awards each year subsidies to five summer courses, organised at the Flemish higher education institutions. The financial part of the programme is managed by VLUHR-i.

General description of the programme

The Flemish Ministry of Education and Training grants funding to five summer courses organised at Flemish higher education institutions. The funding programme is managed by VLUHR, the Flemish Higher Education Council.

The Flemish government provides funding of maximum € 15,000 per on-site summer course, per year and € 4,500 for a virtual summer course, per year and a maximum of € 15,000 for a hybrid summer course, per year. After the report of the first / second year, the higher education institution can, in the context of a new call, apply for an extension. A maximum of 3 years of funding can be requested for the same summer course.

The summer course programme aims to promote cooperation between Flemish higher education institutions and institutions in the European higher education area and beyond. The programme focuses on Flemish and foreign students and its set-up and organisation is compatible with initiatives in the framework of internationalisation@home and the acquisition of international and intercultural competences. The main goals of these international summer courses are:

  • promoting student mobility, including encouraging interaction between incoming students and Flanders' own students in order to acquire international and intercultural competences;
  • promoting staff mobility;
  • the formation of a truly international classroom with an international team of lecturers and students;
  • increasing the attractiveness of one's own higher education;
  • creating synergies and encouraging international cooperation between institutions;
  • revitalising campuses beyond the traditional semesters.

Modalities and criteria

  • Each Flemish university or university of applied sciences (and arts) can submit an application.
  • The higher education institution must provide co-financing of at least 50%. Co-financing may cover the following:
    • own resources (these may include staff costs);
    • registration fees;
    • compensation for guest speakers and experts.
      The use of the participant's own premises may not be counted as co-financing.
  • Funding can be used for
    • the payment of travel and accommodation costs of students and teachers;
    • the organisation of activities during the summer course;
    • operational costs within the framework of the preparation and implementation of the programme. Staff costs for the preparation and implementation of the summer course may amount to a maximum of 30% of the grant.
  • The funding cannot be used for:
    • remuneration of teachers / professors / guest speakers / experts;
    • overhead costs charged by the organising Flemish higher education institution.
  • The budget proposal is submitted through the appendix “budget”. Lines and columns may be added to the budget table in the excel document.
  • The Flemish Higher Education Council can request the documents to justify the funding.
  • The summer courses are organised in Flanders, at a Flemish university or university of applied sciences (and arts).
  • The summer courses take place during summer 2024.
  • The projects run for more than one year (ideally 3 years).
  • The summer course has a multidisciplinary approach which encourages the interaction between students from different disciplines.
  • The summer course should be organised in cooperation with at least one higher education institution from outside of Flanders.
  • Both Flemish and foreign lecturers/professors are involved in the summer course.
  • The summer course does not include conferences or research activities.
  • The participation of the students should preferably be recognised through the allocation of ECTS: for a 2-week summer course 3 ECTS can be allocated.
  • The activity plan should contain at least 10 consecutive working days, interrupted only by weekends or legal holidays. The duration of a virtual summer course must be at least 5 days and correspond to at least 3 ECTS. These days do not necessarily have to be consecutive. The duration of a hybrid summer course must a be at least 5 days on-site and at least 5 days online.
  • The ratio of staff to students must be such that active participation in the lessons is guaranteed.
  • The applicant higher education institution can opt for a virtual summer course for which a maximum funding of € 4,500 can be granted. In this case, the full amount can be spent on staff costs. 50% co-funding from the organising Flemish Higher Education Institution is still required.
  • Afterwards, a narrative and financial report is sent to the VLUHR:
    • Narrative report: How were the goals, modalities, criteria and priorities of the programme achieved?
    • Financial report: overview of the budget spent, including co-financing
    • Deadline: 1 December 2024.
  • For extension of the funding, the beneficiary Flemish higher education institution must submit a brief application for extension with a provisional programme and budget before 15th January 2025.

The application

The application file is written in Dutch or (partly) in English and sent in electronic format until March 1, 2024 to: alicia.decoster@vluhr.be

The application contains the following information (see also application form, in annex):

  • The description of the policy context regarding internationalisation in which the summer course is situated: reference to the higher education institution’s internal strategy or policy memorandum on internationalisation and a list of the intended internationalisation objectives;
  • description of the content of the summer course;
  • a list of the study areas and disciplines involved;
  • a short summary of the set-up, objectives and study area(s) in English;
  • the list of (higher education) institutions involved;
  • the duration of the programme;
  • the intended number of students;
  • the programme indicating the different modules, the names of the lecturers and the additional activities;
  • a short CV of the lecturers/professors involved;
  • the estimated budget;
  • the application is submitted via the central international office of the organising Flemish higher education institution.

Selections

The selection will be made by a Flemish selection committee on the basis of the following selection criteria:

  • the summer course is multidisciplinary;
  • the partnership is international: the team contains both Flemish and foreign lecturers / professors and there is a good mix of Flemish and international students;
  • the extent to which a real international classroom will be realised;
  • the budget has been set correctly and realistically.

When assessing the applications, priority will be given to summer courses paying attention to:

  • cooperation with (higher education) institutions / organisations / companies outside the EU;
  • cooperation with partners from the socio-economic sector, with the aim of developing opportunities for future internships;
  • cooperation between Flemish university(ies) and university (ies) of applied sciences (and arts);
  • the organisation of at least one teaching module/activity which concentrates on topics related to the Dutch language and Flemish culture (in the programme or in the organisation of extra-curricular activities);
  • the use of interactive work forms with active participation of students.

Timing

  • Launch of the call: December 2023
  • Submission of applications: until March 1, 2024
  • Selection: March 2024
  • Announcement of selection: April 2024 at the latest
  • Organisation of the summer course: summer 2024
  • Submission of final report: before December 1, 2024