After your studies

Do you want to stay in Belgium after you graduate? Yes, you can! You can apply for an orientation year and extend your stay in Belgium with 12 months to find a job or start your own business. Find out how it works below. Looking for inspiration? Watch the video clips and check what our international alumni say about their career in one of the strong sectors of the Flemish economy.

ORIENTATION YEAR

Do you wish to find a job or start your own business in Belgium after graduation?

From 15 August 2021 onwards, you can apply for a residence permit as a graduate in an orientation year.

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MEET MADELI FROM SOUTH-AFRICA 🇿🇦

Madeli studied visual arts, specialising in jewellery design at PXL university of applied sciences and arts in Hasselt.

She found a lot of inspiration during her internship in Antwerp, the city of diamonds.

Watch the video and discover which opportunities Madeli got in Belgium and Europe.

MEET ISHAN FROM INDIA 🇮🇳

Before Ishan decided to study in Flanders, he worked on an oil tanker for over 10 years. For his work he visited the port of Antwerp multiple times.

He was always fascinated by the Port of Antwerp because it is very big and has a large petrochemical cluster. Therefore he was thinking about working at the port of Antwerp someday.

To be able to fulfill this dream he decided to study Maritime and Air Transport Management, a joint programme organized by the University of Antwerp and the Antwerp Management School.

Watch the video to discover which opportunities Ishan got in Belgium.

MEET ADRIANA FROM ECUADOR 🇪🇨

Adriana is a chemical engineer and studied a master in Environmental Sanitation at Ghent University.

After her studies she decided to do a PhD as a researcher in biofuels at Ghent University. At the same time she has a start-up in Ecuador called ‘Terracoco’. This organization focusses on reusing coconut waste in Ecuador.

Watch the video and discover which opportunities Adriana got in Belgium and Europe.

MEET FON FROM CAMEROON 🇨🇲

Fon is a transportation planner and studied Transportation Sciences and Management at Hasselt University.

After his studies he decided to follow a second Masters programme to further develop his knowledge about management. He combines his studies with a job at Tailormade Logistics in Genk.

Watch the video and discover which opportunities Fon got in Belgium.

MEET CHÂU FROM VIETNAM 🇻🇳

Châu studied Game Graphic Production at Howest University of Applied Sciences in Kortrijk and works at Larian Studios in Ghent.

During the last year of her studies, she did an internship at Larian Studios which gave her a lot of insight in the industry.

Watch the video and discover which opportunities Châu got in Belgium.

MEET HAMZA FROM SYRIA 🇸🇾

Hamza is a refugee from Syria. He studied International Business Management at KdG University of Applied Sciences in Antwerp and works in football statistics in the Belgian Pro League.

Hamza arrived in Belgium as a refugee without a degree and without any knowledge of the Dutch language. However he managed to get a degree and chase his dreams of working in the Football business.

Watch the video and discover which opportunities Hamza got in Belgium.

MEET MARTYNA FROM POLAND 🇵🇱

Martyna studied Biomedical studies at KU Leuven. After her studies she decided to follow a PhD as a researcher on transplantation at the Rega Institute.

In Poland, there weren’t many options to study Biomedicine or do research after her studies. Therefore, one of Martyna’s Polish professors recommended KU Leuven as a study destination for a masters programme in Biomedical studies.

Watch the video and discover which opportunities Martyna got in Belgium.


Curious about which international programmes you can study in Flanders? Find out on our programme-page.