Explore our University of Applied Sciences and Arts
during the HOGENT
Week Without Borders.
March, 23-27 2026
We are pleased to invite you to the HOGENT Week Without Borders in Ghent (Belgium) from 23 to 27 March 2026. During these days, our educational programmes and research centres will design experimental activities, that allow HOGENT students to engage with societal challenges in collaboration with partners from the field, the broader community and international organisations. We warmly encourage you to contribute to these activities.
During the Week Without Borders, you have the opportunity to explore HOGENT in all its facets and network with colleagues from HOGENT and abroad. Get to know the wide array of facilities we offer to both local and international students, gain insights in our approach to internationalisation, and discover the pivotal role sustainability plays in everything we do. Choose from a variety of campus tours to explore our cutting-edge resources in research, educational technology, and multimedia. Additionally, we aim to provide opportunities for networking and to introduce you to the charm and vibrancy of the wonderful city of Ghent.
Looking forward to welcoming you at HOGENT University of Applied Sciences and Arts!
Please check the programme below.
Practical info
Erasmus+
If you come with an Erasmus+ grant for training (STT), you can contact us via staffmob@hogent.be.
The contact person for Erasmus+ formalities is Katrien Van Acker.
Certificates of attendance (CoA) and other documents can be signed on Thursday, March 27 during lunchtime (12:00 – 13:30) at the lobby in building B.
Contact
If you have any further questions, please contact us via io@hogent.be.
Registrations
Register on Friday, March 7, the latest! Further updates regarding the programme & practical details (venue information, recommended hotels, Erasmus+ formalities, …) will be added in January.
Programme.
Wednesday 25 March
13:00 - 14:00
Registration & coffee.
14:15 - 14:30
Welcome at HOGENT.
We’ll kick off our partner programme with a warm welcome from our president, followed by a brief introduction to HOGENT.
14:30 - 16:00
International Expo
This is the first dynamic network event. During the international expo HOGENT-colleagues from all programmes showcase their international ambitions and realisations. Our strategic regions (U!REKA, Great Lakes Africa, and Ecuador-Peru) are also highlighted. At the same time, this exposition allows international guests to showcase their needs for future international collaboration by sharing exchange brochures or other promo material.
16:00 - 18:00
Visit to HOGENT brewery &
network reception.
Belgium, the land of beer… but did you know HOGENT even has its own brewery?
IBF (The Innovation Centre for Brewery & Fermentation) —run together by Ghent University and HOGENT—has been brewing up knowledge for years. We combine research and real-world support for everyone in the Belgian brewing sector, from small craft breweries to big players, malt houses, and suppliers. Discover our brewery and its complex process during a guided visit.
As the icing on the cake (or rather, the foam on the beer), we’ll wrap up the tour with a reception where – what did you expect – we will invite you to taste our homemade (non-alcoholic) beer!
Thursday 26 March
09:30 - 12:00
Morning sessions: pick & choose.
BIBLAB is one of HOGENT’s Makerspaces where students and lecturers can collaborate with maker tools such as 3D printers and laser cutters. At HELA, HOGENT’s Education Learning Academy, lecturers can experiment with innovative educational approaches, develop their digital skills, and explore or improve their teaching practice. During this tour, we will provide a brief overview of how both facilities operate and show you the different spaces. You will also discover our podcast studio and knowledge clip studio, and we will visit the professional recording studio.
During this tour, we will visit the IT Lab and the VIC (Virtual IT Company)—two educational initiatives within the Applied Computer Science programme at HOGENT. These voluntary initiatives support the department’s operations and objectives and offer students a space to experiment outside the curriculum and develop themselves. We will visit both settings and give a brief overview of how these initiatives work and what day-to-day life in them looks like.
This workshop explores how AI can be used creatively within a design process—especially in visual and creative fields. In this hands-on workshop, you’ll take part in a guided brainstorm and use AI tools to translate a short text into inspiring visual concepts and images. Expect a hands-on session with minimal theory and plenty of doing.
Participants have to bring their own laptop.
An interactive session in which participants are introduced to the HOGENT framework for language-aware teaching, our approach to professional development for lecturers, the development of tailor-made materials, and the integration of language competence into curricula. The session includes examples, interaction, and exercises (depending on the duration of the session), and provides space for exchange with international counterparts. We invite English-speaking and multilingual lecturers.
Together with staff members from our Research Affairs' Office we discuss strategies on how we can support researchers to take their research international. In this session we exchange ideas with all partners and share our own policy, specifically our 'DISCOVERY'-programme.
12:00 - 13:30
Lunch
13:30 - 16:00
Afternoon sessions: pick & choose
Curious to see where our students experiment with agriculture and agroecology? Want to find out how they master innovative cultivation techniques and learn to apply sustainable farming practices such as integrated pest management, precision agriculture, crop selection, climate adaptation, and fertilisation strategies? During this guided tour, you will discover HOGENT’s ‘Proefhoeve’ (experimental farm) and its trial fields.
FTILab+ is a leading space for innovation and INDUSTRIAL Manufacturing demonstration where imaginative solutions are created to empower the textile, fashion and other manufacturing industries to transform into circular, bio-based and digitised businesses.
During an outside walk, we will explore the variety of projects taking place within Living Lab. Living Lab is a project in which students, lecturers, and local residents work together to creatively shape the campus’s open spaces, which are being made accessible to the public. It offers educational programmes a unique opportunity to organise education in innovative ways and is currently embedded in programmes such as Social Work, Orthopedagogy, Real Estate, Landscape and Garden Architecture, and Agro- and Biotechnology. In addition, we will visit the Wood Research Lab of the Wood Technology programme. This laboratory supports education and applied research on wood and wood-based materials. Students use it in courses such as wood technology, materials, and finishing techniques. The lab is equipped to study physical and mechanical properties, finishing performance, and durability, including coating tests, microscopy for wood anatomy, and UV ageing for accelerated weathering. It plays a key role in linking scientific knowledge, hands-on learning, and practical applications in the wood sector.
A session on HOGENT’s approach to language support for students, including one-on-one guidance, workshops, writing days, and screening (screening is not yet implemented across HOGENT, but the session provides an overview of good practices), as well as how TaalBoost is embedded within the broader educational vision. There will be opportunities to showcase concrete materials, ask questions, and compare practices.
Together with staff members from our International Office and Student Housing department we discuss strategies on how we can make students from abroad feel most welcome at our home institution. In this session all partners can exchange their own experiences, and we will share our own initiatives like the student Welcome Day, inclusion measures...
18:00 - 19:00
Ghent City Centre Historical Boat Tour.
The medieval monuments and UNESCO-listed landmarks of Ghent are even more impressive when viewed from the water. On this tour, set sail along the River Leie on a scenic 40-minute cruise. Pass the Castle of Counts and the Butcher’s Hall, cruise past the Graslei port, and learn more about Ghent’s history and cultural heritage as you listen to the live on-board commentary.
We will gather at 6:00 p.m. at De Watertoerist on the Graslei in Ghent.
Stretch your sea legs: the view of Ghent from the water is absolutely charming!
Location on Google Maps: https://maps.app.goo.gl/UcXPQRHJckJo5daJA
19:30 - 22:30
International Days Dinner
As is tradition, we will wrap up this day with a pleasant dinner at restaurant De Abt at 7:30 p.m., where we can relax, catch up, and share the day’s insights in good company.
Friday 28 March
09:00 - 10:00
Farewell coffee (with Certificate of Attendance administration)
10:00 - 12:00
Staff Training sessions, organised by U!REKA. (Open for all staff)
In this workshop we invite participants to explore how AI can be meaningfully incorporated into the educational approach. Troughout the session we will map the impact of AI on every aspect of the component of the teaching process, such as evaluation, guidance, and learning activities. Starting with the definement of the preconditions, we reflect on how we can use it effectively.
Learning outcomes:
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Participants critically reflect on their educational approach (such as course objectives, teaching methods, evaluation, student support) in light of AI and decide whether to adapt them.
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Participants make a thoughtful choice about the extent to which they want to allow the use of AI.
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Participants make an informed decision about the extent to which AI use is permitted.
Trainers: Karen Baert and Maud Vanderbeck (Educational Development Department)
In this engaging workshop, you will explore the powerful features of Microsoft Forms, a tool that allows you to create surveys, quizzes, and polls with ease. Whether you’re gathering feedback from colleagues or collecting data from clients, Forms offers an intuitive, user-friendly platform to streamline your process.
You will learn to:
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Create and design surveys and quizzes: Build engaging forms from scratch or using templates
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Customize your forms with different question types, themes, and logic
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Analyze responses in real-time: Gain insights with automatic data collection and visualize results through charts and graphs
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Share and collaborate with others, allowing for seamless teamwork and feedback
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Integrate Forms with other Microsoft 365 tools, such as Excel and Power Automate, for advanced data management and automation
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Send personalized emails using Power Automate
Learning outcomes:
By the end of the workshop, you’ll have the skills to create efficient forms, collect meaningful data, analyze responses to drive decisions and send personalized emails, all while boosting productivity and collaboration in your workplace.
Trainer: Maarten Vervenne>/p>
More information will be provided later