Whether you are arriving in Belgium or going on mobility abroad, connect with the Erasmus Student Network.
Find your ESN section!
If you already know where you will do your study exchange semester, we recommend you to check if there is a local ESN section in your host university. ESN is present in the biggest cities of Belgium and most major universities. Finding your section should be easily done with a quick Google or Instagram search!
If your host university doesn't have a local section, no need to panic. ;) You are always more than welcome to all ESN events organised in any Belgian city!
Whether you are considering an Erasmus+ study semester, an international traineeship, or short-term blended mobility, stepping abroad expands your academic horizons and builds lifelong intercultural competencies.
Key Considerations for Your Journey
Have you ever wanted to live abroad, experience another academic system, and learn a foreign language?
Have you thought about enriching your university degree and developing transferable skills valued by employers?
Are you motivated to collaborate and exchange ideas with peers from across Europe and the world?
Are you interested in completing a traineeship or research internship in an international setting?
Are you ready to step outside your comfort zone and build enduring self-reliance?
Studying abroad provides a transformative, enriching opportunity from both an academic and personal perspective. While navigating a new educational system, finding accommodation, and living in another country can bring real practical challenges, spending a semester or academic year in an international environment builds meaningful intercultural skills, strengthens language proficiency, and establishes enduring European friendships.
A mobility period is an opportunity to expand your perspectives, gain self-reliance, and develop intercultural competencies for your future path.
The Erasmus+ Programme
Although there are diverse bilateral and international pathways to study abroad, most Belgian university and college students participate in the European Union's flagship Erasmus+ programme.
The Erasmus Programme—originally an acronym for the European Community Action Scheme for Mobility of University Students—was founded in 1987 to facilitate academic exchanges across European higher education institutions. The programme also takes its name from Dutch Renaissance scholar and theologian Desiderius Erasmus of Rotterdam, who travelled and studied across Europe's major centres of learning.
Since 2014, diverse mobility actions across higher education, vocational traineeships, youth exchanges, and sports have been consolidated under the European Union's comprehensive Erasmus+ framework.
Getting in touch with ESN Abroad
When arriving at your exchange destination in Europe, your local ESN section will likely be your primary peer support network. That is also where you can pick up your local ESNcard. Check out the 510+ ESN sections across Europe! If there is no section at your exact host institution, you can often connect with a neighboring section in the same city or region.
Returning after your mobility
If you wish to remain connected to the international student community after returning to your home Belgian university, we warmly encourage you to join your local ESN section as a volunteer. Reach out to the section on your campus and discover how you can support the next cohort of incoming scholars!
