Com­mu­ni­ca­tion Management

In this course unit, you set up a communication agency with a few fellow students, of which you form the Management Team together and which will function as a real agency during the course unit The Agency. You decide together on the mission, vision, values, organizational culture, employer brand, etc. of your communication agency. You design a communication strategy with appropriate communication tools (at least a website) that appeals to potential applicants so that you can select and recruit the right employees (first and second year students). 

The following topics are covered: Employer branding and HR, Internal communication (change communication), Interpersonal skills, CSR, Content marketing, Storytelling, Conversation management. 

Evaluation: 70% portfolio, 30% written exam (tbc)

In this course module of 4 weeks “Communication & Innovation”, students learn to critically reflect on (technological) innovations that will have an impact on the future of communication. Based on an analysis of the concept of “technology,” students learn to think carefully about this impact and work with examples of emerging communication technologies, such as spatial computing, Augmented & Virtual Reality,... The main objective of this course is to learn about the technological developments - such as AI, VR & AR - that will have an impact on the future of communication and to better understand critical issues involved and employ them in their strategies. 

Following objectives will be achieved at beginners level: understand the possible future applications of those technologies and their ethical implications, use scientific materials to reflect on the technologies and their impact,  understand the basic principles of technology, understand the main theories and frameworks of philosophy of technology. 

Evaluation: 100% written exam

In this intensive 6 weeks project you act as manager of a communication agency composed of fellow students from lower study years. Together you will be briefed by a real client on a communication challenge they face. 

You develop your own vision and agreements on how your agency should run optimally. With your team you will tackle this challenge – coached by a lecturer - as a real communication agency would do: conduct the necessary research, draw conclusions, develop a realistic communication plan including budget. As management of your agency you are also responsible for team spirit and planning. 

Evaluation: Observation 60%, paper 20%, presentation (to client) 20%

In this course you will learn to build your own website using existing ‘content management systems’ (CMS), without any technical prior knowledge. You will discover how to build pages and optimise them for SEO. Your Outlook skills are taken to the next level by advanced calendar and task management. You will be introduced to analytics platforms such as Google, Meta, LinkedIn and TikTok Insights. You learn to interpret the data from these platforms and use it to make strategic decisions based on facts. You get those facts from the numbers. You will learn how to create advanced reports in Excel and use them to perform statistical analysis. You learn to integrate tools such as CMS, Outlook and analysis platforms for a seamless workflow. You will optimise processes, manage content strategi-cally and make data-driven choices that make a difference. 

Evaluation: Competence test 65% and workpiece 35%

In this course, you will actively follow socio-economic and political current events. Based on what appears in the media, you will engage in discussions with your lecturer and fellow students on current issues of national and/or international significance. You are expected to stay informed about ongoing developments related to the topics covered. 

In addition to keeping up with general news, you will also track developments within the communication field itself—such as social trends, media campaigns, innovations in media and marketing, and relevant awards and recognitions. The accompanying critical thinking sessions focus on developing your analytical and reasoning skills. You will learn to distinguish facts from opinions, to reason logically, and to recognize framing and media bias. You will critically assess digital sources and learn how to analyse visual material used in news reports. 

Particular attention is given to the responsible use and potential misuse of images and data in the media. You will also learn how to apply AI tools and digital research techniques to verify the credibility of journalistic and communication-related information. Finally, the course strengthens your ability to construct well-founded, rational arguments and to present your ideas in a professional and knowledgeable manner. 

Evaluation: workpiece 50%, written evaluation 50% (tbc)

In the Digital Content course, you'll learn what opportunities there are to manage and create content for online media. We look at the whole picture of Content Management: from planning over creation to the analysis of the results. Moreover, we cover the whole range of possible content types: text, image, audio and video, with the necessary tools to do so. 

Evaluation: 100% portfolio

In the Culture BXL Culture course, we explore the world of visual arts, architecture and performing arts. You will become familiar with the cultural offerings in Brussels. The history of the city of Brussels will also be covered. Through lectures, guest lectures, site visits and assignments, you will enrich your cultural knowledge. You will learn about information channels for staying informed about current cultural events, cultural trends and cultural policy. 

Evaluation: 100% portfolio with oral explanations.

Writing and speaking skills, e.g. arguing, summarizing and paraphrasing with focus on reaching the target group, giving feedback, doing short presentations, writing a paper based on desk and field research in English; Reading and listening skills: consulting, critically evaluating and applying English-language spoken and written sources of information. Vocabulary: General vocabulary with special attention to communication-related topics and topics related to the E.U., mainly in self-study. In terms of professional subject content is also offered the focus is on EU Communication. You acquire an understanding of the bottlenecks of public communication in the context of the European Union. Specifically, you examine the external communications of a European institution/organization through desk and field research. 

Evaluation: portfolio 70%, workpiece 30% (tbc)

The aim of the "Survival Dutch" course is to master the basics of the Dutch language, both written and spoken. Starting from everyday situations, you will learn the necessary grammar and vocabulary in order to function in a Dutch speaking environment.

We strongly recommend incoming students to participate in the Survival Dutch course, organized prior to the start of the semester.

With the internationalization of study programmes, more and more presentations are given in English. No matter how spectacular a project or its the findings, they only become relevant when they have been shared with others. A project is not finished until the results have been published or presented. In this course, we discuss general presentation techniques - e.g. how to use body language, the voice, and visual aids - and we give tips and hints on how to prepare and structure a presentation.

All humans have a capacity for foresight. We think ahead and anticipate, shaping our futures as well as our present in doing so. This course will introduce futures oriented thinking and research. It develops foresight competencies and sets occasions to practice skills for long term and strategic orientation under conditions of uncertainty and complexity.

We will take account of the historical and theoretical starting points of futures oriented disciplines to provide insight in the basic assumptions underlying systematic and rigorous futures work. We will look at cases of how individuals, groups, organisations, companies, and policy makers conduct forward-looking activities. We will see a selection of methods, tools and techniques that futurists use to assist individuals and groups of all kinds to anticipate the future.

This course will look at possible, probable, plausible and preferable futures and cover the six pillars of futures studies (mapping, anticipating, timing, deepening, creating and transforming the future). We will learn to use an understanding of demographic, social, technological, environmental, economic, political and other (global) forces of change in relevant strategic foresight.

This is a multi-disciplinary course that covers both theoretical foundations and practical applications. It introduces quantitative and qualitative research methods, including different forms of environmental scanning, alternative futures analysis, causal layered analysis, scenario building, visioning, experiential futures, design fiction and retro casting. Students will gain insight in how images of the future are shaped and used, develop hands-on experience with their own foresight projects and hone their observational, analytical, critical and creative skills.

Evaluation: 40% Workpiece + 60% Oral Examination (Indicative, to be confirmed)

Sustainability has been an important driver for some innovations in the last few decades. The future will bring more of these innovation paths driven by sustainability goals, and the circular economy is just getting up to speed at this moment: it will further determine more sustainable business operations in the future.

This course gives advanced insights in the evolution of sustainability paradigms and introduces practical ideas that have been developed in creating a more circular economic system. Students will get course modules on the following topics:

• General introduction and historical overview of the themes ‘Sustainability’ and ‘Circular Economy’.
• Sustainability policy and the translation to climate change and circular economy policies.
• A circular business approach illustrated through a number of innovations. 
• Practical approach and tools for sustainable business and circular economy activities:
  • Business model innovation – tools for closing and narrowing loops.
  • Product innovation level – Eco-design and Circular product design – strategies and methods. 
  • Supply chain innovation and networks – closing loops.
  • Consumer behaviour adaptation – narrowing loops.
• Sectoral cases (e.g. food sector, textile sector, building sector, chemical sector, etc.).
• Discussion on the positive (societal) impact of the circular economy. 
  The classes will, whenever possible, include guest speakers from a range of companies that are working on circular economy initiatives. These stakeholders provide invaluable insight and hands-on experience.  Classes will encompass several lectures (including guest speakers) and a few seminars to work on practical methods.

Evaluation: 100% Written digital examination

This study unit combines classes, workshops, and working on a real case. A practical case will guide the entire class, in recent years Godiva Chocolates, Delhaize retail stores, and Peritus Brands, have been utilized. The course is organised as follows:

• 7 theoretical lessons, 
• 1 practical case, 
• 2 fun Design Thinking related field events:
  • 2 days at the Dutch Design Week in Eindhoven, the Netherlands;
  • 2 day of FabLab training, to make your own prototypes.

You are taught the design thinking process, and how you arrive at the creation of prototypes from understanding and observing a problem.  In essence, the following flow will guide you through the course:

• The Design Thinking Process: What is Design Thinking & how does the process run?
• Empathise: Understand & Observe design research through different methods and techniques of user and customer research.
• Prototyping: An introduction into definition and application.
• Testing & Evaluating: Monitoring progress & Ideation.
• Translation of collected data into a business model.

Evaluation: 30% Workpiece + 70% Oral Examination (Indicative, to be confirmed)

Students gain knowledge and an understanding of the complexities of social and spatial justice through lectures, external activities and working lectures. This promotes their global citizenship and critical attitude towards social issues. In doing so, they explore themes from a rather theoretical point of view.

The course component focuses on developing transdisciplinary skills through hands-on activities and external visits or workshops. Students learn the added value of interdisciplinarity and how to collaborate on innovative solutions from different disciplines. They also explore the concept of transdisciplinarity and how it can be translated research-wise. Therefore it includes strengthening the research competences of (international) students from an interdisciplinary point of view.

Students gain practical experience through workplace learning and integrate together with fellow students their ‘transdisciplinary’ research in practice, supported by coaching and working lectures. This fosters their entrepreneurial spirit and ability to work in diverse teams and develop innovative solutions.

In the first part of the course, the focus is on different models of cross-cultural research that can be used when working with the manifestations of cultural differences. These models and their concepts are elaborated by using them to discuss differences between Belgium and other European cultures on the one hand, and between Belgium and African, Asian and Arabic cultures on the other hand. In the second part, the focus is on cultural differences relating to specific management contexts. Successively, we focus on human resources management (hiring, motivation, performance appraisal and feedback, rewarding, career counseling), negotiations, business ethics, conflict resolution and leadership, within the context of international management.

Course materials: Manual: Intercultural Skills for International Business and International Relations (Author: S. Paul Verluyten) + study material on Canvas (online school platform).