- BeBotics

Thank you for printing this information brochure. However, since it provides better reading and gives you an always-updated version, we
advise you to visit us online: https://my.vub.ac.be/phd/network
The Ultimate Ph.D. Guide
made for and by Ph.D. students of the IR and WE faculties of
the VUB.
1. Introduction
What is the NSE PHD network and what is this brochure?
The Ultimate PhD Guide guides new and current PhD candidates from the NSE doctoral school through the maze of excellent
information that can be found online and at various other organizations. The creation of the guide is one of the three objectives of
the NSE PhD Network, an organization formed by and for PhD candidates from the Faculty of engineering (IR) and the Faculty of
Science and Bio-Engineering Sciences (WE). The organization is part of the NSE Doctoral school and has the following three
objectives :
1. To enhance social contact between the PhD candidates of the different departments of WE and IR. To do this, we
organize social events that allow PhD candidates to get to know each other better. The dates of these activities can be
found on our webpage1.
2. To help new PhD candidates with general questions they might have about pursuing a PhD degree at the VUB. To
that end, a booklet has been created, which you are reading now. The aim is to address the most frequently asked
questions. Additional questions are more than welcome by e-mail to [email protected] or on our our facebook
page2.
3. To inform Master Degree students about the PhD program. To that end, current and former PhD candidates will speak
about their experiences. The dates of these information sessions can be found on our site and on our facebook page
We look forward meeting you at our events!
In this brochure, the following items will be discussed:
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Where to go?
Regulations you'll need to know as a Ph.D. student
Belgium
Brussels
The university itself
Registration procedures
Funding possibilities
Travel grants
Joint Ph.D.
Where to go with personal problems?
Education opportunities
Important trivialities
Our internal structure
1. https://my.vub.ac.be/phd/network
2. https://www.facebook.com/groups/339925702830393/
2. Where to go Let us guide you
Introduction
The NSE PhD Network attempts to guide new and current PhD candidates from the NSE doctoral school through the maze of
excellent information that can be found online and at various other organizations.
A good starting point is the My VUB PhD webpage1. In the remainder of this guide various links to this portal page will be
mentioned as a reference. We prevent you from being totally lost, by giving you a first insight in the main instances you should
know as a PhD Student in the faculty of IR and WE.
Faculty of Sciences (WE) and Faculty of Engineering (IR)
The scientific follow-up of the PhD is guaranteed by the faculties. For faculty specific questions you can contact the IR or WE
secretariat. Respective contact details can be found at IR webpage2 and the WE webpage3.
The Faculty PhD Committee (FDOC) is responsible for the admission requirements, predoctoral exams and midterm reports. The
midterm reports need to be submitted to the secretariat yearly.
Doctoral school (DS) of Natural Sciences and (Bioscience) Engineering (NSE)
The doctoral schools at the VUB support the PhD researchers by organizing activities related to general scientific and transferable
skills. This separation of responsibilities guarantees that there is no conflict of interest between the scientific research and the
transferable skills. More information can be found on the NSE webpage4. The NSE DS provides different calls for language
vouchers for to increase the level of writing of publications, publishing your thesis as a monograph, organizing and anouncing
activities and providing travel grants. The doctoral school offers language support for publications. All info can be found at the
NSE webpage5. For those who finalized their PhD thesis, the doctoral school offers grants for publishing their thesis as a
monograph, all information can be found here6.
Central PhD office
The Central PhD office helps PhD candidates to start, conduct and complete a PhD project covering following aspects
Administrative aspects of a PhD
Shape VUB policy concerning PhD's
Offering workshops aimed at developing skills
Furthering co-operation with other institutions
All information can be found on their webpage7.
The student administration center (SAC)
The SAC is responsible for the enrolment of VUB students in general. Also PhD students should complete their enrolment via
SAC. Their English website8 provides detailed information regarding student cards, attestations and certificates, tuition fees, etc.
The VUB personnel department
The personnel department assigns a personal file manager to each PhD candidate during your registration at the personnel
department. All contact information can be found here9
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http://my.vub.ac.be/en/phd
http://my.vub.ac.be/en/IR/contact
http://we.vub.ac.be/english/secretary.html
http://my.vub.ac.be/phd/nse
http://my.vub.ac.be/phd/support/languagevouchers
http://my.vub.ac.be/phd/support/publishing
http://my.vub.ac.be/en/phd/docbe
https://my.vub.ac.be/en/student-administration
http://www.vub.ac.be/english/infofor/newemployees/contact.html
3. Regulations What you should know as a Ph.D. candidate
In this section we summarize the regulations that you should be aware of as a PhD candidate and the conditions that must be
satisfied to get a PhD degree at the Vrije Universiteit Brussel. Nevertheless, it is a good idea to go through the complete version1.
A PhD study at the Vrije Universiteit Brussel is typically four years and is funded. Several types of funding are possible as
discussed in chapter 8. In general PhD candidates are requested to fulfil education assignments. Which task you must fulfil
depends on your type of funding and your department. You can find more details about a joint PhD in chapter 11.
Registration at the VUB
You have to make sure that you are registered as a PhD candidate at the VUB. Registration needs to be repeated every academic
year in which the PhD is being prepared including the academic year in which the PhD examination takes place. The registration
fee however only must be paid twice. Once during the first year of your PhD and once during the year of your PhD defense.
Currently (web 2014) the registration fee for PhD candidates is €290,2.
Yearly rogress report
Each year you must submit a progress report to the secretariat of the faculty before the first of May. This report contains four
parts:
1. an overview of activities dating from the end of April of the previous academic year until the end of April of the current
academic year
2. a plan of the PhD process for the upcoming academic year
3. an indication of problems encountered: a description of past or possible future problems and the manner in which they
were or could be dealt with
4. a report by the supervisor outlining the PhD candidate’s activities
A template of the follow-up report can be found online. You can also always contact the secretariat of your faculty to receive the
most recent version. In the near future this report will have to be submitted via the Campus Lifecycle tool CALI2.
Doctoral Training Programme
The Doctoral Training Programme presents PhD students with a structural framework for acquiring and developing skills which
will support their research as well as their teaching abilities, but which will also prove valuable outside their discipline and the
academic environment. All information can be found on the following webpage?.3
All education and research activities are grouped within 1 single cluster of a total of 30 credits. By writing and successfully
defending your doctoral thesis you demonstrate that you posess the skills of an independent researcher and therefore you are
granted a total of another 30 credits (=cluster 2).
PhD students who have obtained at least 30 credits and who have successfully defended their doctoral thesis, receive a Doctoral
Training Programme Certificate (Getuigschrift van de Doctoraatsopleiding) in addition to their doctoral diploma. PhD students who
did not obtain 30 credits and/or have not successfully defended their doctoral thesis may apply for an official document, an
Attestation (Attest van gevolgde activiteiten), listing the activities attended as part of the Doctoral Training Programme.
The PhD examination
When you wish to take the PhD examination, you first have to register for the academic year in which you wish to take the exam.
Next your supervisor proposes a jury that has to be approved by the Facultaire Doctoraatscommisie. Next you have to send a
written request to the Dean (of your faculty) co-signed by your supervisor(s). This request must state the title of the PhD thesis.
You have to enclose, together with the request, a number of copies of his/her thesis equal to the number of members of the
doctoral jury plus three additional copies to be handed in at the faculty secretariat.
You also have to submit an electronic version of your PhD thesis. The PhD thesis must be written and defended in Dutch or in
English and it is not allowed to simply bundle your publications. There are 2 defenses: a private one and a public one. After you
have submitted the PhD thesis, you must defend the thesis in a private session for a jury that consist out of at least 3 members of
the VUB and 2 external members.
After this internal defense, there is a public defense. The public defense will take no less than one hour and no more than two
hours. It will include a brief summary of the PhD thesis intended for the examination jury and the lay audience, followed by a
discussion. Both the examination jury and the audience may question the PhD candidate, who will then proceed to defend his/her
PhD thesis.
Valorization
In addition to supplying education and research, the university has a third, valuable role in society, namely rendering a social and
scientific service. The objective is to channel knowledge developed within the university into society. The VUB owns and co-owns
more than 100 patent families. This patents and knowledge are managed by the VUB's Technology Transfer Interface (TTI). Full
details can be found on the TTI webpage4. TTI manages the intellectual property (IP), takes care of contractual agreements with
existing companies, licensing and the establishment of university spin-offs. Additional information can be found here5.
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https://my.vub.ac.be/sites/default/files/phd/en/centralphdregulations.pdf
https://aanmelden.cumulus.vub.ac.be/aaws/index.php?lang=en_BE
http://my.vub.ac.be/en/phd/doctoral-training-programme
http://vubtechtransfer.be/
https://my.vub.ac.be/en/phd/techtransfer
4. Belgium? Belgique? België? Belgien?
Belgium is one of the most underrated, least known and little explored nations in Europe. Surrounded by France, Britain and
Germany, Belgium has spent much of its history being fought over and dominated by its neighbors. Only in the 19th century did it
gain independence and has emerged as a distinct separate identity.
Belgium is flat in the north, hilly in the south and in the northwest corner of the country there is a small coastal strip. Belgium
consists of three regions: Brussels, the bilingual capital where French and Dutch are joint official languages; Flanders, the Dutchspeaking North; and Wallonia, the French-speaking South.
The climate is moderate, with drastic seasonal changes. In the summer, temperatures are usually somewhere between 20°C
(68°F) and 30°C (86°F), and between minus 10° (14°F) and plus 10° (50°F) in the winter. It usually rains a lot, no matter what
season it is. The weather can be very unstable especially in the spring and the autumn.
Belgium’s well-known specialties include its mouth-watering chocolates, a long brewing tradition with a wide range of local beers,
many of which are unique, and of course mussels served with French fries.
If you want to read more about Belgium, please consult the website1.
1. http://www.visitbelgium.com/
5. Brussel? Bruxelles? Brussel? Brüssel?
The heart of Europe
Geographically, Brussels lies in the heart of Belgium. The city is bilingual, but predominantly French speaking. Nevertheless
Brussels is completely surrounded by the Flemish region. The bilingual aspect of Brussels is very obvious: all streets have French
and Dutch names. As a city, it is the capital of Belgium, where the King resides, and where the federal parliament and government
have their seat.
Brussels is also called "the Capital of Europe" as it is well known to host a number of European institutions. In 1958 it was chosen
as the headquarters of the European Union. This involves a lot of European administrators living in Brussels.
With 159 embassies and 2500 diplomats, Brussels ranks second in the world in terms of diplomatic representations. Thus, the
importance of Brussels is not just confined to European affairs. It is home to more than 120 international governmental
organizations with the most famous one being NATO.
The city has such a wide impact on the world at large that it has become an extremely attractive place for doing business. This is
the reason why about 1400 international non-governmental organizations are situated in Brussels. Situated at the heart of Europe,
Brussels is open to the world. With nearly one third of its inhabitants being foreigners or of foreign origin, you will see that
Brussels is a place where not only the different cultures of Belgium, but also the cultures of the world meet.
Additional information from the can be found on on the official webpage1. The VUB also dedicated a webpage2 specifically to how
it is to study in Brussels.
1. http://www.brussels.be/artdet.cfm?id=4000&
2. http://www.vub.ac.be/english/infofor/prospectivestudents/studyinginbrussels.html
6. Vrije Universiteit Brussel VUB
VUB stands for Vrije Universiteit Brussel, which translates to English as: the free university of Brussels. Free refers to the
pluralistic nature of the University, since it is open to all students on the basis of equality regardless of their ideological, political,
cultural or social background
The VUB is the Dutch-speaking sister university of the French-speaking ULB Université libre de Bruxelles).
The VUB has 8 faculties:
Faculty of Law and Criminology (RE)
Faculty of Economic and Social Sciences and Solvay Business School (ES)
Faculty of Psychology and Educational Sciences (PE)
Faculty of Science and Bio-Engineering Sciences (WE)
Faculty of Medicine and Pharmacy (GF)
Faculty of Arts and Philosophy (LW)
Faculty of Engineering (IR)
Faculty of Physical Education and Physiotherapy (LK)
The Vrije Universiteit Brussel is located at 3 campuses. Detailed information of each of these campuses can be found here1. Most
activities of the IR and WE faculty are at the Campus Etterbeek. Exceptions to this rule are the INDI department and the TONA
department, which are also located at campus Kaai. Furthermore, there is the B-PHOT-lab in Gooik as well.
Campus Jette: Aka the ‘medical’ campus. Houses the Faculty of Medicine and Pharmacy. The University Hospital and
the forest of Laarbeek are just a stone's throw away.
Campus Etterbeek: The largest campus of VUB in the greenery with a restaurant, sports facilities and lots of meeting
places.
Campus Kaai: The place to be to study Engineering Technology and have fun in the FabLab Brussel.
The faculty of Engineering of the VUB is closely related to the one of the ULB since they jointly offer fully English-thaught Master
Programmes in Engineering. This corporation is called BRUFACE, which stands for Brussels Faculty of Engineering. Additional
information can be found at the official webpage2.
1. http://www.vub.ac.be/en/campuses
2. http://www.bruface.eu/EN/
7. Ph.D. registration Getting started
Your PhD registration starts online and ends by signing your contract. The most important steps are summarized in this section.
More detailed information can be found here1 and here2.
Register online via CALI
You can do this via the CALI website3.
Next you have to log in or create an account using the online application tool.
When you are logged in, you have to follow all steps to register. Note that there is a filter at the tab ‘Program Request’,
which you have to change to " Show the complete list of VUB courses. I register on the basis of admission by file." such
that you are able to indicate 'training level' 'PhD'.
There is a checklist of all documents that need to be uploaded. The list of required documents can be found on the VUB
website1. The document 'Application for Registration as a Doctoral Student' needs to be signed by the dean of your
faculty and your supervisor.
Deliver these documents to the secretary of your faculty
PhD Scholarship (Doctoraatsbeurs)
Certificate of Master of Science Degree
Curriculum Vitae
1. http://www.vub.ac.be/en/phd/enrolment
2. https://my.vub.ac.be/en/student-administration
3. https://aanmelden.cumulus.vub.ac.be/aaws/index.php?VUBid=1
8. Ph.D. Funding Where to get your money?
So you decided a PhD is your cup of tea. You found a research proposal you feel motivated for, and found a supervisor that feels
the same way. You're all set? Not entirely. Most PhD candidates in Flanders get funded for their years of research. There are three
types of funding you can receive for your PhD:
As an employee of the university: you are an assistant (referred to as AAP);
You submitted a research proposal to a funding agency, got accepted and received a grant;
You can get funding through a research project of the Research Council (OZR) or through a research project of your
supervisor.
For more details of each of the three options consult your supervisor or the R&D department. Additional information can also be
found at the my VUB funding webpage1. For some research grants, especially for those in collaboration with industry such as the
IWT Baekeland mandates2, you are obliged to contact the technology transfer interface to guide you to draft agreements, to write
a (potential) business plan, etc. More information on the TTI webpage3.
AAP
As Assisting Academic Personnel or AAP, you will combine research for your PhD (60% of your time) with assisting the Professors
in your department with teaching assignments (40% of your time). AAP vacancies can be found on http://vub.talentfinder.be4 .
Traditionally an AAP mandate is 6 years, opposed to the typical 4 years for a BAP. Recently, this AAP is officially shortened to 4
years in the faculty of engineering. Depending on your supervisor, she/he can grant you 1 or 2 additional years to complete your
PhD. Be aware that those extensions are not guaranteed though.
BAP
BAP stands for Bijzonder Academisch Personeel, freely translated as Particular Academic Personnel. If your PhD is funded by a
funding agency, you are registered as BAP. The Vrije Universiteit Brussel is a Flemish University and in Flanders there are two
institutes that provide the majority of the PhD grants, namely IWT5 and FWO6 It is important to note that the candidates must
belong to one of the member states of the European Union. The complete details can be found on the respective websites. Below
you find the info to get started. Please consult the table of the R&D department7 that indicates the submission deadlines of a large
variety of funding possibilities.
IWT is the government institution for Innovation by Science and Technology.
The preferred research proposals are focused on strategic basic research that can generate an impact on the Flemish industry
and employment in the near future. A grant is 4 years in total, with an intermediate evaluation after 2 years. The procedure to
obtain an IWT grant is twofold. First, you submit a research proposal to their calls, according to their specific guidelines. Next, in
case your proposal is in accordance with their minimum standards, you are invited to defend your project in front of a jury of
experts. The defense consists of a 1 minute introduction presentation, followed by a 20 minute Q&A round. You are graded on
your personal capacities, your project proposal, and the potential for the Flemish industry. All details with regard to the application
procedure are nicely summarized on their website8. Be aware to follow all guidelines with regard to your research proposal, since
you must meet all conditions. You can only apply twice for an IWT grant, moreover the allowed research activities before your
application are limited. Please consult the IWT guidelines (2014)9 on their website carefully.
The Research Foundation - Flanders (FWO)
is an independent agency that stimulates and supports ground breaking fundamental research in all areas of science at the
universities in the Flemish Community, including associated research institutes. The Research Foundation Flanders (FWO) grants
4 year Fellowships. The FWO funds excellent and promising researchers as well as Research projects following an inter university
competition and an evaluation by national and international experts. The only criterion is the outstanding quality of the researcher
and the research proposal, regardless of scientific discipline, host institution, gender, politics or religious persuasion. It is
important to note that your application must excel with regard to your research proposal and your profile as a researcher. Your
grades from both bachelor and master will be examined, as well as your publication list if any. Furthermore, your research
proposal should be fundamental in nature and push the limits of the state of the art. The application date is February 1st (if
Saturday or Sunday, moved to the following Monday at 17.00h). Second year master students can already apply during their last
semester. Full details can be found on the FWO webpage10 This website also includes specific collaborations with other institutes
or companies.
The Brussels institute for research and innovation Innoviris
also grants PhD funds. For specific guidelines please visit their website11 (unfortunately not in English yet). They provide funding
for a traditional PhD, as well as a PhD in partial collaboration with a company.
Besides the Flemish funding channels, it is also possible to start a joint-PhD (or cotutelle) with the Université Libre de Bruxelles
(ULB). Besides the enrichment of a PhD between 2 departments, you also have additional funding options from Wallonia. The
main funding institute is the Scientific Research Fund - F.R.S. - FNRS. Their website12 is in French but they have well documented
calls and regulations in English (click here13). All information regarding the joint-PhD can be found in chapter 10 and also on the
vub webpage14.
If the IWT, FWO or Innoviris don’t really match your profile, there is no reason to panic. There are dozens of institutes that can
fund your PhD. Many of them are specified in a particular field. Your supervisor and the R&D department is probably the best
source of information to find the institute that fits your proposal best.
Good to know
Once you received a grant, you will officially start working for the funding institute (exception for Innoviris grant), which means you
are officially not a university employee anymore. You are not entitled for a staff card anymore, but can request a volunteering
employee card at the personnel department. The IWT does not pay commuter travel. The FWO does but you have to request a
refund yourself.
With a PhD grant you are still considered student for the tax service. For your medical insurance company you are considered as
an employee though. IWT and FWO do not provide hospitalization insurance, so you have to take care of this yourself. The VUB
on the other hand does this for its employees.
Your paycheck will be different depending on your statute. Furthermore, IWT does not give holiday and end of the year bonuses,
while FWO does. Nevertheless it is important to realize that each paid PhD student in Flanders earns (almost) the same on a
yearly basis.
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http://www.vub.ac.be/en/phd/funding
http://www.iwt.be/subsidies/baekeland-mandaten
http://www.vubtechtransfer.be/
http://vub.talentfinder.be/en/vacatures/g/academisch-personeel/index.aspx
http://www.iwt.be/english/welcome
http://www.fwo.be/en
http://vubtechtransfer.be/medialibrary/Overzicht%20financieringskanalen.pdf
http://www.iwt.be/english/funding/subsidy/sb
http://www.iwt.be/sites/default/files/subsidies/documenten/SB_handbook_doctoral_grants_2014.1_jun2014.pdf
http://www.fwo.be/en/fellowships-funding/phd-fellowships/phd-fellowship/regulations-for-phd-fellowship/
http://www.innoviris.be/nl
http://www.fnrs.be/
http://www2.frs-fnrs.be/index.php/appels-reglements
https://my.vub.ac.be/en/phd/joint-phd
9. Travel grants Expand your research network
When you want to attend a conference, workshop, summer school or stay abroad you can apply for a travel grant to have your
costs (partially) reimbursed. There are two possible options
Doctoral School travel grant
The Doctoral Schools of the VUB provide travel grants for their members to allow them to attend events for PhD students outside
Belgium. Through this grant system, the Doctoral Schools wish to support the PhD-related training of their members and to
stimulate the addition of an international dimension to their formation. Please find all information here1.
The PhD events that qualify for these grants need to meet certain criteria summarized on their website. If accepted, the Doctoral
Schools will provide grants with a maximum of € 750 which can be used for paying travel costs, accommodation costs and/or
event registration fees, as long as these expenses are directly related to the PhD event.
The selection procedure ranks the applications as follows:
PhD events for starting PhD researchers (1st & 2nd year PhD students) without an international publication (and thus not
able to apply for FWO funding).
Applicants that have already been granted FWO funding. Costs, not included in the FWO grant, can be covered by the
Doctoral School Travel Grant.
Applicants who applied for FWO funding but have not been accepted.
Others not covered by the above criteria.
FWO travel grant
FWO funds stays abroad for short period2 and long period3. The information for both is provided by FWO at their webpage4.
When you meet the FWO criteria it is important to apply always for an FWO travel grant before applying for a Doctoral School
travel grant.
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https://my.vub.ac.be/en/phd/support/travel-grants
http://www.fwo.be/en/fellowships-funding/international-mobility/outgoing/travel-grant-for-a-short-stay-abroad/
http://www.fwo.be/en/fellowships-funding/international-mobility/outgoing/travel-grant-for-a-long-stay-abroad/
http://www.fwo.be/
10. Joint Ph.D. Partner up
A joint PhD, known as a ‘gezamenlijk doctoraat’ in Dutch and a ‘cotutelle de thèse’ in French, stands for a doctoral thesis
researched, written and defended under the joint responsibility of two partner institutions. In concrete terms this means cooperation between the Vrije Universiteit Brussel and another domestic or foreign institution either within or outside Europe.
The terms of such co-operation are laid down for each PhD candidate individually in a contract signed by the rectors of the two
institutions, both co-supervisors and the PhD candidate.
It is a prerequisite for a joint PhD that the PhD candidate has completed a minimum of six months of his or her doctoral research
work at the partner institution during one or several periods.
If you are interested in starting a Joint PhD you can find more information in the following sections. For more details go to
my.vub.ac.be/en/phd/joint-phd1.
How is the contract for a joint PhD drawn up?
Always contact the Central PhD Office when you are considering starting a Joint PhD.
Agreements negotiated and/or signed without the Central PhD Office's knowledge and approval are not accepted. Start the
procedure at least 1 year before the defence.
Incoming PhD candidates preferably use the model agreement provided by the VUB. Fill out the template as much as possible
and send it to the partner institution for validation. If any changes are required, notify the Central PhD Office. The final version
needs to be approved by the Central PhD Office before it can be signed.
Outgoing PhD candidates can use the documents provided by the guest institution. VUB's documents can also be used, e.g. if
the partner institution does not have a model agreement of their own. Send the proposal to the Central PhD Office.
What are the enrolment procedures for a joint PhD?
The PhD candidate must be enrolled as such at both institutions. This means that he/she is required to enroll at both institutions
from the academic year in which the contract takes effect up to and including the academic year in which the final PhD
examination takes place (without interruptions). So also in the period or years during which an incoming PhD student is not
present at the VUB he/she will need to be enrolled at the VUB as a PhD student.
A joint PhD candidate is - just like any other PhD candidate - bound to the VUB regulations. This means that he/she needs the
authorisation of the university to start a PhD at the VUB and therefore needs to make an official request.
1. https://my.vub.ac.be/en/phd/joint-phd
11. Help?! Where to go with personal problems?
If you are discouraged or having remarks and complaints relating to difficulties involving the supervisor(s), there are people at the
VUB whom help you with these problems.
Ombudsperson
If you are having remarks and complaints relating to difficulties involving the supervisor(s) during the preparation and the
execution of their PhD research can be addressed to the Ombudsperson for PhD candidates.
At the request of the PhD candidate, the Ombudsperson may operate as a mediator between the PhD candidate and the
supervisor(s), chair person of the (Interdisciplinary) PhD Progress Monitoring commission, the Dean and members of the
academic staff. The goal of the Ombudsperson is to arrive at a friendly settlement of complaints.
All remarks and complaints are recorded by the Ombudsperson for PhD candidates in a confidential file.
The Ombudsperson for PhD candidates decides, in consultation with the PhD candidate, how they will proceed after the first
meeting initiated by the student. After the first meeting, the necessity of a further procedure will be considered. When a complaint
is confirmed in writing, there will always be a written follow-up.
The Ombudsperson for this year is Prof. Dr. Jan Danckaert 1 . And his substitute is Prof. Dr. Karin Vanderkerken 2. You can find
more information about the ombudsperson at my.vub.ac.be/en/phd/ombudsperson3. The IR faculty additionally provides a faculty
specific ombudsperson.
Student psychologist
If you are having problems with motivation, concentration or stress; if you are facing a lack of self-confidence or if you are
discouraged, you can always contact the student psychologist. You can contact them via the SBC (Studie Begeleiding Centrum
or study guidance/counseling office). You can find them in Building Y, room 0.15a or call them at 02.629 23 06 or send an email to
[email protected]. More information can be found at the Dutch Website5 and brief English website6.
CAW: Centrum voor Algemeen Welzijn (CAW)/Centre for general wellbeing
The centre of general well-being or CAW provides psychosocial counseling, legal advice and assistance, and mediation in divorce
cases. Consultations for psychosocial counseling and legal advice are free. For mediation in divorce cases the rate is calculated
according to your income. For gynaecological consultancies you can contact Dr. Van Herck at the VUB medical service in building
Y. You can find them in Building Y3 or call them at 02.629 23 45 or send an email to [email protected]. Find more
information here8.
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mailto:[email protected]
mailto:[email protected]
https://my.vub.ac.be/en/phd/ombudsperson
mailto:[email protected]
https://my.vub.ac.be/studiebegeleiding
http://www.vub.ac.be/english/infofor/prospectivestudents/healthcentre.html#UDGGZ
file:///Users/hans/Dropbox/NSE%20PhD%20Network/2-Start-up/Booklet/v2%20HTMLbooklet/Booklet/[email protected]
8. http://www.vub.ac.be/sjerp/CAW_Team_Begeleiding.html
12. Educate yourself Doctoral school and language courses
As a PhD candidate you can also train other skills outside your research. The doctoral schools at the VUB organize activities
related to general scientific and transferable skills. Besides that you can also take language courses at various centers for adult
education at the university campus.
The Doctoral School
The Doctoral Training Programme of the VUB is organised by the three Doctoral Schools. These interdisciplinary and interfaculty
Schools support PhD candidates, stimulate the quality of doctoral research at the VUB and help promote junior researchers.
The Doctoral Schools aim to provide a distinctive framework for the Doctoral Training Programme and, in so doing, increase the
visibility of doctoral research and enhance its image, both within and outside the academic world.
The doctoral school provides the possibility to register for any regular course units from Bachelor's, Master's or Advanced
Master's Programmes from the VUB course, even outside the faculty where you conduct your PhD, if the content is relevant for
your PhD. Additionally, it is also possible to follow regular course units at the University of Ghent (free of charge unless it concerns
a programme for which increased tuition fees are asked for courses) or other institutions. VUB students are hence allowed to
follow courses at UGent and vice-versa. As described here 1, VUB PhD students need to register as a guest student at UGent via
this link2.
CVO Language Courses
The Brussels Education Centre (CVO) of the Brussels Chamber of Commerce and Industry organizes high-quality language
courses for adults on the campus of the Vrije Universiteit Brussel. Each year more than 5.000 students enroll in various levels of
the Dutch, French, German, English, Spanish and Italian courses. Linguistic competence is highly valued in the European
business world and opens doors to a wide range of careers. Therefore, a team of experienced teachers offers clear, wellstructured courses, supplemented with up-to-date textbooks and other didactic materials. Appropriate attention is paid to the
four language skills: speaking, reading, listening and writing. Special classes for writing and reading are organized and blended
learning programs for higher levels are highly successful. The most accurate and up-to-date information is available only at the
C.V.O. B.E.C. administrative office in building D, room 1.33. The costs of the lessons can be found on their site3. You can also
send them an email4.
Candidates are exempt (fully/partially) from the enrolment fee (not the costs of the course material) when they belong to the
categories also listed on their site5. For Brussels residents (19 municipalities) who can present a valid document (e.g. E-id,
residence permit) the Dutch classes Levels 1 & 2 are free of charge (excl. books). Students and personel can also follow language
courses, at reduced prices6 at ACTO.
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6.
https://my.vub.ac.be/faq/hoe-moet-ik-mij-inschrijven-voor-reguliere-opleidingsonderdelen-en-doctoral-school-activiteiten
http://www.ugent.be/nl/studeren/inschrijven/gaststudent/visitingstudent.pdf
http://cvo-bec.net/site/?p=117⧵&lang=en
http://cvo-bec.net/site/?p=140⧵&lang=en
http://cvo-bec.net/site/?p=235⧵&{}lang=en
https://my.vub.ac.be/en/acto/english-acto-home
13. The important trivialities
In order to make your stay in Brussels as convenient as possible, and to avoid transistion hassles when moving towards our city,
the VUB provides useful documentation1 for a range of topics:
Transport
2
Housing
3
Insurance
4
Living costs
5
Shopping
6
How to get to Belgium, Brussels and the university?
The public transportation in Brussels is well established, including trains, busses, trams and metros.
by plane
If you come to Belgium by plane, you will arrive either at Brussels Airport in Zaventem, about half an hour from
the centre of Brussels, or at the Charleroi Bruxelles-Sud airport, about one hour away from Brussels. You can
be asked to state proof of the purpose of your journey when you enter our country.
...
from
Brussels
The best way to get to the city centre of Brussels is by bus. STIB-MIVB provides a relatively fast connection
called the Airport Line. A ticket (bought at a vending machine outside the bus!) is approx. 4 euros. Once in the
city centre, connections are available through the rest of the STIB-MIVB public transport network. All
7
Airport
Zaventem
information can be found on the stib-mivb website7. Right underneath the airport a train station is located.
The train is a convenient way to travel long distance in Belgium. Tickets can be bought at the counter of
vending machines. All information to plan your travel by train can be found here8.
...
from
Brussels
South
Charleroi
Airport
From Brussels South Charleroi Airport, you can take the bus to Brussels Zuid/Midi train station (± 45 minutes)
for approx. 14 euros, which runs every 30 minutes. You can also take one of the taxi vans to Brussels
Zuid/Midi train station for a similar price. All info on www.charleroi-airport.com9.
By Train
The Belgian Railway Company is called NMBS. All information to plan your travel by train can be found here8.
The station Etterbeek 10 is closest to the University.
...
from
Brussels
Zuid/Midi
Take tram 3 destination Churchill or tram 7 destination Heizel. The name of the tram stop is VUB.
...
from
Brussels
Noord/Nord
Take tram 25 destination Boondaal. The name of the tram stop is ⧵emph{VUB}.
By Bus
You can also travel to Brussels by bus or coach. This however is a very slow and tedious way of traveling,
unless you enjoy the view. You can take a look at eurolines.be11 for all details.
All information regarding your healthcare and insurance is well documented on the following three webpages by VUB:
Health & Wellbeing15
Health insurance16
Health care17
It is important to estimate the financial means that will be required for each academic year. The following webpage18 for
prospective students provides a first estimation of your living costs.
It is estimated that besides VUB-tuition fee you should provide at least 900,- EUR a month. Although they have signed a
document in which they solemnly declare to have sufficient financial means, some students still come to the Vrije Universiteit
Brussel without being able to support themselves financially. Please note that the Vrije Universiteit Brussel will decline any claim
for financial support in any form.
Most shops are open from 09.00 to 18.00 o'clock, but this varies according to the type of business. Bakeries and snack bars
open at around 07.00 while clothes shops open at around 10.00. Banks, public o​ces, shops and the University itself are closed on
several public holidays which can be found on the following webpage19. Note that sometimes after public holidays, banks close
for another day.
The supermarkets that you can find in Brussels are mainly: Carrefour/GB, Colruyt, Delhaize, Lidl and Aldi. Most of them have their
own in-house products and these tend to be cheaper. Some estimated prices of basic products (,- EUR):
Bread (0.6 kg): 1.85
Bananas (1 kg): 1.10
Milk (1 l): 0.60
Sugar (1 kg): 0.90
Rice (1 kg): 2.50
Beer in pub (25 cl): 1.80
The main fruit and vegetable markets are:
Ixelles ponds (daily except Monday): large market on weekends at Av. Gnral de Gaulle
Place du Chtelain (Ixelles) (every Wednesday from 14.00 to 20.00)
Place Jourdan (during weekend, the market is larger on Sunday)
Market Place Jette (every Sunday morning)
Gare du Midi (very large cheap market on Sunday; beware of pick pockets!)
Most large clothing chains have stores in Brussels. They are located around the City Centre, Rue Neuve, home to City 2 (Metro
Rogier or De Brouck​ere), or at Porte de Namur and Chausse d'Ixelles (bus 71). You will find H&M, Zara, C&A, Springfield, etc.
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18.
19.
http://my.vub.ac.be/en/stay-brussels
file:///Users/hans/Dropbox/NSE%20PhD%20Network/2-Start-up/Booklet/v2%20HTML-booklet/Booklet/index.html#transport
file:///Users/hans/Dropbox/NSE%20PhD%20Network/2-Start-up/Booklet/v2%20HTML-booklet/Booklet/index.html#housing
file:///Users/hans/Dropbox/NSE%20PhD%20Network/2-Start-up/Booklet/v2%20HTML-booklet/Booklet/index.html#insurance
file:///Users/hans/Dropbox/NSE%20PhD%20Network/2-Start-up/Booklet/v2%20HTML-booklet/Booklet/index.html#livingcosts
file:///Users/hans/Dropbox/NSE%20PhD%20Network/2-Start-up/Booklet/v2%20HTML-booklet/Booklet/index.html#shopping
https://www.stib-mivb.be/airport-line.html?l=en
http://www.belgianrail.be/en
http://www.charleroi-airport.com/en/brussels-south-charleroi-airport/
http://www.belgianrail.be/nl/stations-en-trein/zoek-een-station/2/etterbeek.aspx
http://www.eurolines.be/
http://brik.be/node/3049
http://www.u-residence.be/en/
https://my.vub.ac.be/en/how-look-student-housing-city
https://my.vub.ac.be/en/health-wellbeing
http://www.vub.ac.be/english/infofor/prospectivestudents/preparing/health.html
https://my.vub.ac.be/sites/default/files/nieuws/users/jtersago/infofile_healthcare.pdf
http://www.vub.ac.be/english/infofor/prospectivestudents/suffin.html
http://www.officeholidays.com/
14. Our internal structure.
The Network consist of three task groups with specific responsibilities, that are managed by two responsible persons (“the
managers”). If you want to join the NSE PhD Network team, contact (one of) the managers of public relations
Social events
This group is responsible for the organization of social events.
Manager:
Sandra
and
Daily operations
Jens
The Facebook, e-mail and other daily services are monitored by this group. They also announce coming events and other
announcements in general.
Manager:
Liesbeth
and
Matthias
Public relations
This group links the NSE PhD network with other groups and organisations at the VUB.
Managers:
Gerrit
and
Hilke
Every PhD candidate from WE and IR is welcome to participate in the NSE PhD Network. If anyone is willing to help with the
organization of social events or to help new PhD candidates, please send an e-mail to [email protected].
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3.
4.
5.
6.
mailto:[email protected]
mailto:[email protected]
mailto:[email protected]
mailto:[email protected]
mailto:[email protected]
mailto:[email protected]
© NSE-PhD network 2014