Ghent has also a rich academic history, with the University of Ghent (UG) founded in 1816. Throughout the years, the institution has remained true to its original philosophy of being a socially engaged and pluralistic educational system.

In its first year, UG had a student population of 190, spread over four faculties. Now, about 32,000 students study here, in 11 faculties spread all over the city. This makes Ghent the biggest student city of Flanders, just edging out the historically largest university town, Leuven.

The many research centres and laboratories put the UG on the international map, attracting every year nearly 3,000 international students, of which about 800 are on an Erasmus Exchange project.

The website of UG has a lot of advice for incoming international students, from how to use public transport to “how to act like a local”. For instance: “Ask somebody to teach you the correct Ghent pronunciation of vree wijs, goe bezig, beestig and de max. They all mean ‘nice’ but with some subtle differences.” (In fact, this piece of advice originally comes from Use-It Tourist Info for Young People, who co-produced this student guide.)

The helpful Erasmus Student Network (ESN) was founded in 1990 to support and develop student exchange all over Europe. They have a division in Ghent, which helps all Erasmus students make the best of their time in the city, which is the capital of the province of East Flanders. You can visit their office between 18.00 and 20.00. Becoming a member costs just €5, and in return you get invited to all their parties and events, enjoy discounts and consume drinks at promotional prices in the Erasmus pub The Porter House in Stalhofstraat.

ESN Ghent’s office is in “De Therminal”, Hoveniersberg 24

www.esngent.be

Bars, bars, bars

Beatriz Hernanz recently arrived in Ghent to begin law studies at the university. From Spain, she is one of the many international students to have a room in a “student house”. Like most of the Erasmus students, the 23-year-old spends a lot of time in The Porter House, which just happens to be in the same street as her room. “I’ve only just arrived, but I’ve already gone out a lot. I like places like The Porter House, Video and Charlatan,” she says. “I’m also trying to discover a lot of the city during the weekends because soon I’ll have to start studying!”

Ghent has a lot of bars (319 according to www.cafeplan.be). Many students like to go out in Overpoort, a street with bars on both sides, often linked to student groups or fraternities. Enjoy a night out in Bowling Overpoort or check the legendary Decadance for some serious beats. Overpoort also has a few pita bars and one very famous frietkot (french fry stand) to still your late-night cravings.

Thursday is the big bar night in Ghent; since most Flemish students go home on the weekends, nearly all student bars are closed then. So where do you go? “When you have your room in a student home, you never really feel alone,” explains Lizette Van Genugten from the Netherlands, who studied law in Ghent last year as an Erasmus exchange student. “We either went downtown – Charlatan was my absolute favourite – or held our own parties in our rooms,” she says. Then quickly adds: ““Of course, I also caught up on studying.”

And don’t forget Erasmus student organisation ESN, which often organises events or day trips to Brussels or Antwerp on weekends.

Ghent’s art schools also supply a steady stream of students who populate jazz bars. That’s where you’ll usually find Thomas O’Leary, an American PhD student in his second year doing research on embryonic stem cell derivation. “I like places like Hot Club de Gand, Hotsy Totsy and a few places around the Graslei. But I’m always trying out new cafés in search for a new favourite,” he says.

Being an international student implies being away from home. Beatriz already misses her friends and the Spanish sun, and Thomas misses his family and the option to shop on a Sunday. But sometimes it also works the other way around. Back in The Netherlands, Lizette missed international contacts so much, she decided to pause her studies for a year and join ESN Utrecht. As culture coordinator, she now organises all sorts of cultural activities for international students at the University of Utrecht.

For this week's Use-It map of Ghent, download the PDF or go to Use-It Ghent.