Vives students to receive Flemish, Walloon and French diploma

Summary

Students earning a Bachelor’s in business management at West Flanders university college Vives will take part in cross-border studying, earning degrees recognised by all of Belgium and France

EuroMetropool initiative

In September, the Vives University College, based in Kortrijk and with campuses across West Flanders, will launch a bilingual Bachelor degree in business management in Dutch and French. Graduates will further get three diplomas that are recognised in Flanders, Wallonia and France respectively – a first in Flanders.

In the first year, students receive courses in both Dutch and French. From the second year on, they have to go to one of the partner schools in Wallonia, France or Canada. The degree is part of the EuroMetropool  initiative – a collaboration among the cities of Kortrijk, Tournai and Lille. The three cities are working to create an EU cross-border district to improve co-operation between authorities.

Flanders’ chamber of commerce, Voka, welcomed the Vives initiative. “The knowledge of French in the border region with Wallonia and the North of France is an asset for companies, but unfortunately we see that the knowledge of French among Flemish students is decreasing,” said Veerle De Mey of Voka West Flanders. “Following the degree programme in Wallonia also provides extra advantages to students, since they are not only immersed in another language but also in another culture.” 

Photo courtesy Vives

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Voka

The Flemish Chamber of Commerce and Industry is the largest employers’ organisation in Flanders. It lobbies for and promotes the interests of the region’s entrepreneurs and companies.
Alliance - Voka was born in 2008 from an alliance between the Flemish Employers’ Association and eight regional chambers of commerce.
Broad portfolio - Voka hosts networking events, arranges trade missions abroad and offers seminars and training for entrepreneurs.
Internships - Each summer, Voka organises one-day internships for parliament members at local companies.
18 000

companies represented by Voka across Flanders and Brussels

8

regional chambers make up the association

2 000

chambers of commerce across Europe

  • Voka
  • Flanders Investment and Trade
  • Agentschap Ondernemen