Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB)

During my first semester, I was experiencing the VUB for approximately 2 months. Everything else we did was from home, so online lectures and for that, I can say that VUB has done a great job. It is a big university with a lot of international students especially in my class with fifty percent of students coming from abroad. I really like VUB and in the future, I hope to spend more time on the campus and less at home.

Im a belgian citizen and I've already studied in other belgian institutions before. The huge problem with the VUB is the philosophy of the University, like many belgian Universities such as ULB-KUL-UCL. 

Around Brussels, universities are historicaly divided between christian (KUL-UCL) and liberal cultures (VUB-ULB). The two cultures were originally opposed but today are very similar. Both cultures are characterized by an elitist entre-soi and very violent methods of indoctrination called "student baptism". 

The entre-soi and subsequent reproduction of elites is the same as in most universities and is not in itself shocking. For example, it was explained to us in the first class that since we were there we were already highly educated and that some of the issues we were going to study did not concern us as citizens, while we were talking about the misinformation of the far right.

Baptisms represent the bulk of campus associational life and are overrepresented among both institutions and students. The purpose of these baptisms is to haze students using social coercion, group effect, alcohol abuse, moral and often sexual harassment in order to create cohesion and make room for ideas imposed by the university culture in the manner of military hazing. There will obviously be a split and exclusion between baptized and non-baptized students, depending on the faculty.

The imposed ideas are based on a so-called "critical spirit and free examination" which produces effects totally opposite to those sought since the students who come out of it do not question this process (indeed, it still exists) and are imbued with a sense of belonging that goes beyond the ideas. These baptisms also promote rather bourgeois and right-wing liberal/Christian ideas depending on the university, leaving room for racist drifts elsewhere. In 2021 a  senegalese student died during these baptisms and he is not the first one to die in Belgium. 

So, if you plan to only study there and are not very sensitive to social issues, this should not bother you. If you are going to be involved in student life, especially if you are a woman, be extremely careful and keep a distance from what you are going to see and experience because it is quite surreal. If you are looking for evidence of what I am saying, just type the words "abus" and "baptême" in french or "studentendoop" and "misbruik/mishandeling"  into the google search bar. 

It should also be noted that with the Metoo wave, thousands of women have denounced the sexual abuse in these baptisms that glorify an alcoholism that takes away self-control and rape culture.

The university's administrative institutions are not very responsive and not at all understanding.

The staff is cooperative and highly educated. The research topics going on in the University is active and gives a good exposure to the current market and industrial problems. 
The administration is well managed. There is a option to choose the housing within campus which is actually very good and also cheap compared outside to Brussels.

VUB is one of the best educational institution in the country.
Lecturers give easy to understand lectures
VUB is a very diversified institution which provide conducive environment for International students. I strongly recommend VUB to International students coming to Belgium to study.

This programme is great for those who are into Politics/Communications/Sociology. It's entirely in English, super international vibe, professors are nice, but the university is struggling with administrative issues (e.g. visas, emails, exchanges...), you have to be very patient.