General information :
Name and address of the Higher Education Institution
Haute Ecole Libre de Bruxelles – Ilya Prigogine is located on 3 campuses :
> Health and social Departments : 808, route de Lennik, P and R buildings, 1070 Brussels
> Communication and Audiovisual (COMAV) : Boulevard Reyers 52 (box BRR 101) 1044 Brussels
> Technologies and Economics department : Campus de la Plaine – Bâtiment HA – ULB (CP 220/01) Boulevard du Triomphe Accès 2 – 1050 Bruxelles
Description of the institution
HELB is a Higher Education Institution. It is a « Free » University College fully located in Brussels. Free meaning « independant », not organised but recognised by the State. The HELB cherishes, as a non-denominational school, values as :
> Objectivity and intellectual honesty
> Spirit of tolerance, diversity
> Freedom of consciousness and expression
> Intellectual autonomy
Ilya Prigogine is a Belgian Nobel prize in Chemistry (1977) and a former teacher at ULB, our related university.
Academic authorities
The administration of our University College is implemented according to the Laws of Higher Education (French-speaking community’s ministry). The formal head of the University College is the governing board, who is the official employer and is responsible for our HEI. The operational management is trusted to the Director-President. She/He implements the resolutions of the laws and the decisions of the governing board.
The director-President heads a directors’ board which is composed of the departments’ heads.
Academic calendar
Each academic year is divided in two semesters :
Autumn semester begins in mid-September and contains 13 weeks of pedagogical activities (until the end of December). There is a two-week winter break around Christmas and New Year. January is the evaluation period.
Spring semester starts at the beginning of February and contains 13 weeks of pedagogical activities (until the end of May). There is a two-week spring break around Easter. June is the evaluation period.
The last two weeks of August and the first of September is the retake period.
List of programmes offered
Admission requirements, including language policy and registration procedures
Home students may enrol if they have a secondary degree and if they fulfil specific conditions (see page https://www.helb-prigogine.be/inscription-general/ )
The international incoming students are required to apply one semester before arriving (autumn : before 15th May; Spring : before 15th November). They have to fill in a form which is available on our website. Within the frame of existing agreements between two HEI, students’ applications are accepted. If there is no agreement between the sending and the receiving institutions, please contact : international@helb-prigogine.be
ECTS credit allocation policy (institutional credit framework)
HELB applies EU rules: 60 ECTS credits are allowed for the workload of a full-time academic year which is approximately 1800 hours whereby one credit matches with 25 to 30 hours of work per week. Normally 30 ECTS credits are allowed per semester.
Arrangements for academic guidance
An academic reference person to international exchange (both student experiences and teaching assignments) is assigned by the related Department. They give support, lead and monitor the student during his/her period of study. The courses that the student will attend each semester and any change in the student’s program (learning agreement) is approved by them, taking into consideration his/her academic development.
Resources and services:
Student affairs Office
The International Relations Office deals with welcoming international incoming students and staff.
Accommodation/housing : Please check the following link https://www.helb-prigogine.be/life-in-brussels/
Meals : on the Erasmus campus, a student restaurant is available but on the other campuses, there are no intern meal facilities, except microwave ovens, which are available.
Cost of living : see : https://www.helb-prigogine.be/life-in-brussels/
Financial support for students : The incoming students are integrated as local students during their stay at HELB and do have the same rights, meaning for instance no additional costs but don’t get any specific financial support if we bear in mind they don’t have any fee.
Medical facilities see : https://www.helb-prigogine.be/life-in-brussels/
Insurance : The insurance cover remains the same as for the local students during their stay at HELB but the sending institution remains responsible for subscribing to a general insurance for their outgoing students, as written in the Erasmus Charter.
Facilities for students with disabilities and special needs
Our three campuses are accessible for wheelchair students.
From an official request, the Inclusive Education Unit can provide accompanying measures. They should be contacted prior to arrival (3 months) to ensure a good response to the peculiar situation of each student.
Learning facilities
Libraries of the institution are free of access for international students.
Each incoming student receives a student card, an institutional mail address and a free access to the online platform of learning management system.
International mobility possibilities
We receive application forms from international students twice a year, as indicated before, in order to plan the exchange during the next semester.
Practical information for incoming mobile students
All kinds of information related to an academic experience (including courses and/or placement) at HELB should be addressed to the following email : international@helb-prigogine.be
Language courses
At the beginning of each semester, HELB organises a French intensive two-week period course to give support to the incoming students from various University Colleges in Brussels.
The main goals are to enable the students to learn the language by practice and get to know their peers in a new environment.
Work placement possibilities
In most of our curricula, placements or internships are an essential part of the student learning process. For that reason, we’re able to receive incoming students only for placements or – if the timetable enables it – a combination of placement and courses, depending on the availability of our internships’ network.
Sports and leisure facilities
International students may get access to ULB sports facilities at the same conditions as home students (50€ fee for the whole academic year)
Incoming students
HELB’s IRO organises twice a year (beginning of each semester) a social activity with all incoming students to make sure all the conditions are fulfilled for them (accommodation, academic life,…) during their stay in Brussels.
Student associations
A student council exists, consisting of elected students. They represent students in official meetings with teaching staff and academic authorities.
Other students’ club exist, mainly focused on the social aspects and folklore life.