Idea and Inno­va­tion Management 

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)

Networking is a crucial skill and becomes ever more important. It all boils down to finding the right people quickly and efficiently and to finding a good approach to start the communication. The purpose of networking is to create opportunities to reach a personal or joint objective.

Students learn how to build an extensive network, how to make optimal use of networking opportunities, which networking activities are useful and which are not, how online tools (e.g. LinkedIn) can be optimised for networking. Successful networking is also synonym for an excellent follow-up strategy. How does one tackle that? Each student will have to apply and show their successful networking in the context of a specific case.

Evaluation: Continuous throughout the term (Indicative, to be confirmed)

Business Creativity is a journey into the heart of innovation. It helps students understand how creativity functions within organisations: not just as an individual talent, but as a strategic driver of growth and change. Through interactive sessions, students explore how curiosity, critical thinking, social intelligence and intrapreneurship come together to shape a creative mindset and skillset essential for future innovation leaders.

The course moves beyond theory by focusing on how to stimulate and embed creativity in real business contexts. Students learn to build psychologically safe environments, use co-creation and idea management techniques, and integrate creative thinking into daily routines and strategic processes. Guest lectures and workshops introduce a variety of frameworks, from AI-driven brainstorming, to Gamification, WINGS and The Creative Organisation Matrix, offering practical tools to apply in diverse settings.

As a final assignment, each student (individually or in pairs) develops and defends a concrete creative output — a tool, concept, method, or insight — that demonstrates both originality and impact. This hands-on approach ensures that by the end of the course, students not only understand what business creativity is, but have also experienced how to make it happen in organisations.

Evaluation: 100% Workpiece (creative output), which students defend in an oral presentation

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)

The innovation case project forms part of the Bachelor in Idea & Innovation Management and proceeds via a series of coaching sessions. It is a sub-topic of the broader subject and frames within the educational discourse, enhancing the programme’s vision of learning by doing. This class is the literal execution of a concrete innovation-related-project for a real client.  

This project demonstrates that you have acquired the necessary skill-set to tackle a real innovation problem (possibly within a team-context) and that you can support this with an independent piece of work.

Evaluation: 100% Final Report & Presentation (Indicative, to be confirmed)

We define Intercultural Skills as the awareness of and the understanding of the intercultural and international reality of our (professional) life in today’s globalised and multicultural society. Innovation usually thrives in an international context. This is why it is crucial to acquire skills in international business and in international relations. 
Students gain insights into various aspects of multiculturalism: time and space, verbal and non-verbal communication, etiquette, hierarchy, individualism, work and leisure, ethics, ... We learn how one can deal with this diversity and who needs to adjust to whom. 

By means of a case study, students will be working on various aspects of inter-culturalism. An important role of the young innovation professional is the one of ‘bridge-builder’: being someone who brings people from inside and outside the organisation together to start and accompany a process of co-creation or open innovation.

Evaluation: 100% Written Examination (indicative, to be confirmed)

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.

Language of instruction: English and Dutch.

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

[Course from the Communication Management programme]

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.

[Course from the Communication Management programme]

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).

[Course from Organisaton & Management programme]

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.