brussels school of international studies · welcome 57 come and visit us if you are able to travel...

University of Kent, Brussels, Boulevard Louis Schmidt 2a, 1040 Brussels, Belgium

T: +32 2 641 1721 F: +32 2 641 1720E: [email protected] www.kent.ac.uk/brussels D

PC 124591 07/17 PUB793

Graduatestudy

BRUSSELSSCHOOL OFINTERNATIONALSTUDIES

The UK’s European university

WELCOME

57

COME AND VISIT US

If you are able to travel to Brussels, we encourage you to visit our school.Our staff members are happy to meet with you, give you a tour of the facilities,answer any queries you may have and, when possible, arrange a meeting witha member of academic staff.

If you wish to visit the Brussels School ofInternational Studies (BSIS), please contact ouradmissions staff (see Contacting Admissions onthe opposite page for details) to arrange anappointment.

Our facilities are located on the second floor ofBoulevard Louis Schmidt 2a, just across the roadfrom the campus of the Vrije Universiteit Brusseland opposite the Arsenal tram stop. When visitingus, please ring the bell marked ‘Kent’ to the rightof the door near the elevators. BSIS staff will openthe doors for you, allowing access to the elevators.

Travelling to the Brussels School of International Studies

By airThe nearest major airport to BSIS is BrusselsAirport Zavantem (BRU), which has excellenttransport links to Brussels. If you take the directtrain from the Airport to Etterbeek station, we arelocated 800 metres away. Alternatively, take theairport bus (Number 12 or 21), alight at Diamant,take tram 7 or 25 and alight at Arsenal.

By railThe Etterbeek train station is 800 metres from BSISand provides regular connections with Schuman,Brussels North and Brussels Midi stations.

By roadBSIS is situated at Boulevard Louis Schmidt2a on the corner of Waversesteenweg (Chausséede Wavre).

By tramTake the 7 or 25 and alight at the Arsenal stop,from which BSIS is situated across the road.

By metroBSIS is a short walk from the Pétillon Metro station.

By busTake bus 34 from Porte de Namur or Trône andalight at the Arsenal stop.

Mapwww.kent.ac.uk/maps/brussels

www.kent.ac.uk/brussels

Canterbury

Brussels

Paris

London

Medway

Tonbridge

EurostarFerry

Gatwick

Heathrow

Orly

Charles de Gaulle

France

S

United Kingdom

Belgium

C

This brochure was produced in July 2017. The Universityof Kent makes every effort to ensure that the informationcontained in its publicity materials is fair and accurate andto provide educational services as described. However, thecourses, services and other matters may be subject tochange. For the most up-to-date information,see www.kent.ac.uk/ug and for full details of our termsand conditions, see www.kent.ac.uk/termsandconditions

For the University to operate efficiently, it needs to processinformation about you for administrative, academic and healthand safety reasons. Any offer we make to you is subject to yourconsent to process such information and is a requirement inorder for you to be registered as a student. All students mustagree to abide by the University rules and regulations at:www.kent.ac.uk/regulations

ONLINE VIDEOSTo find out what our students think, see our online videos at www.kent.ac.uk/brussels/about/faq.html

Kent is known as the UK’s European university, with sevenlocations across Europe and strong links with prestigiousEuropean institutions.

Situated in the ‘capital of Europe’, the Brussels Schoolof International Studies is one of Kent’s four specialistpostgraduate centres in major European capitals.We offer Master’s and PhD programmes led by world-leading academics in international studies from top-rankingschools across the University. Experienced practitionersregularly contribute to our courses and we are able to offerour students valuable work experience through a rangeof internship opportunities.

As Dean for Europe, I am responsible for the overallstrategic vision of Kent’s European centres and I am proud to welcome you to the Brussels School ofInternational Studies.

Professor Jeremy CarretteDean for Europe, University of Kent

The Brussels School of International Studies is a uniquepostgraduate centre in which students from all over theworld come to study advanced international affairs.

We welcome students from 45 countries across the globe andour staff represent 12 different nationalities, creating a trulyinternational academic community. We take advantageof our location in Brussels, the diplomatic capital andpolicymaking centre of Europe and host city to the EuropeanUnion, NATO and many other international organisations,and encourage our students to interact and make valuableconnections with these institutions. The School is groundedin an interdisciplinary spirit, creating synergies betweensubjects in law, politics and international relations.

Our teaching philosophy is highly interactive, based onactive participation, and I am delighted to welcome youto this vibrant postgraduate learning environment, whereyou will enter into debate and become a critical thinker,rather than a passive consumer of knowledge.

Dr Amanda Klekowski von KoppenfelsAcademic Director, Brussels School of International Studies

1www.kent.ac.uk/brussels

CONTENTS

The University of Kent/Where the worldmeets Europe 2

Why come to the Brussels School of International Studies?Advanced international studies 4Academic excellence 6Brussels: the ‘capital of Europe’ 8Collaborative, interdisciplinary approach 10Excellent facilities 12A global community 14Impressive career prospects 16

Academic schools and programmes 18Academic schools 19Taught degree programmes 21EU External Relations MAInternational Conflict and Security MAInternational Development MAInternational MigrationMAInternational Political EconomyMAInternational Relations MAPolitical Strategy and CommunicationMAHuman Rights Law LLMInternational Law LLMTwo Capitals

Taught modules 27Research degree programmes 28Comparative Politics PhDInternational Conflict Analysis PhD

International Relations PhDPolitical and Social Thought PhDLaw PhD

Short courses 29Staff profiles 30

Studying at the Brussels School of International Studies 33About the Brussels School of International Studies 34

Studying in Brussels 35Structure of the academic year 36Incoming student support services 38Relocating to Brussels 39Career opportunities 41Graduate profiles 42

Resources and facilities 45Academic facilities and learning resources 46Leisure facilities and support services 48Student activities 49

Fees and funding 51Tuition fees and financial support 52

How to apply 54Entry requirements and applications 55Come and visit us 57

2 University of Kent / Brussels School of International Studies

THE UNIVERSITY OF KENT/WHERETHE WORLD MEETS EUROPE

BrusselsAdvanced international studies in the ‘capital of Europe’. Kent is the only UKuniversity to have a centre in Brussels, where we offer postgraduate degrees ininternational studies. Brussels is home to the main institutions of the EuropeanUnion, as well as organisations such as NATO, NGOs and think tanks, and staff

The UK’s European universityThe University of Kent is known as the ‘UK’s European university’. TheUniversity was established in Canterbury, the UK’s closest city to mainlandEurope; we have partnerships with top-ranked institutions across Europe andbeyond; most of our degrees offer the opportunity to study or work in Europe;and our global reputation means we attract large numbers of staff andstudents from around the world, creating a truly international community.

Since ancient times, Kent has been the UK’s gateway to Europe; its proximityto the continent has meant that almost all visitors to Britain travelled throughthe county. But it was St Augustine, who introduced Christianity and foundedthe first school in Britain in the 6th century, that established Canterbury as a

from many of these institutions contribute to the teaching at our centre.Studying in Brussels offers opportunities to network, with many studentssecuring internships and careers within prestigious organisations.

city of destination and a seat of learning. As the pilgrimage route, the ViaFrancigena, linked the medieval centres of knowledge from Canterbury toRome, so the University of Kent has continued these traditions of knowledgecreation and dissemination by establishing centres of learning across thecontinent in Brussels, Paris, Rome and Athens.

Kent’s European centres offer programmes that capitalise on the historic,social, political and cultural resources in these exceptional sites, whichencourages students and staff alike to expand their knowledge and theirprofessional networks through direct contact and exposure to sourcematerials and expert knowledge.


CanterburyOur campus in Canterbury offers first-class study resources set among greenand tranquil open spaces, as well as cafés, bars and entertainment venues,top-quality sports facilities and residential student accommodation. Less thanan hour by train from London; within two hours, you can be in Parisor Brussels.

AthensOur Heritage Management programme combines professional training withthe study of archaeology and business, and is offered at the archaeologicalsite of Eleusina, just 30km from one of the world’s most ancient cities.

ParisKent’s Paris School of Arts and Culture offers interdisciplinary postgraduateprogrammes in the arts and humanities. Your studies are enhanced by thecultural, linguistic and experiential immersion in this historic city at the heartof European culture.

MedwayProfessionally focused programmes supported by state-of-the-art facilities inrenovated listed buildings at The Historic Dockyard Chatham. This stunningwaterfront location is close to London and has easy transport links to Europe.

RomeCanterbury and Rome have been linked since the Middle Ages by thepilgrimage route Via Francigena. The study of history, art and archaeologyis offered in this centre of classical antiquity.

TonbridgeWell-structured and ambitious short courses and postgraduate tasterprogrammes, underpinned by flexible, high-quality teaching in a supportiveenvironment are offered on a part-time basis. The centre also providescontinuing professional development courses.

ADVANCEDINTERNATIONALSTUDIESTheUniversity of Kent’s Brussels School ofInternational Studies is a specialist postgraduatecentre, which offers advanced English language-baseddegrees covering the spectrum of international affairs. Our strong links with Brussels-based organisations greatly enhance the teaching on our programmesand you benefit from many opportunities for research, internships and future employment by studyingin Europe’s centre.

The School promotes a culture of flexibility that enables you to choose a single taught programme orcombine two fields of study in line with your interests, leading to a tailored Master’s degree that reflectsboth disciplines. You can also study on a full-time or part-time basis, completing your programme in anintensive 12 months or over several years. We offer course start dates in January and September, aswell as short course opportunities.

University of Kent / Brussels School of International Studies 4

ACADEMICEXCELLENCEKent is one of the UK’s leading universities.All our academic schools produce research ofinternational standing and our research activitiesand collaborations with outside organisations createknowledge that is highly influential in many areas.Our programmes in Brussels are informed by this commitment to research excellence, drawingon the expertise of leading academics in international studies from across the University. Rigorousteaching and experienced research degree supervision is complemented by input from externalpractitioners from Brussels-based organisations, who contribute to courses in their field or areregularly invited to deliver guest lectures. This means you are able to develop skills and knowledgerelevant to contemporary issues.



BRUSSELS: THE‘CAPITAL OF EUROPE’Home to the main institutions of the European Unionand numerous European and international organisations,such as think tanks, lobby groups, NGOs andmultinationalcompanies, Brussels is at the heart of Europe.As a student of the Brussels School of International Studies, you can earn a degree from a renowned Britishuniversity while enjoying unparalleled opportunities for networking, academic development and professionaladvancement facilitated by the School’s excellent location in the ‘capital of Europe’.

Our students benefit from access to numerous archives, conferences, scholars, experts and practitioners whothrive in the institutions of this world centre of international affairs. In addition, you have the chance to developyour language skills while exploring the historical and cultural highlights the city has to offer. Brussels is alsoideally located for easy access to other major European cities.

COLLABORATIVE,INTERDISCIPLINARYAPPROACHAt the Brussels School of International Studies, we revelin diversity, applying insight from a wide spectrum ofknowledge to specific problems. We host three academic schools of the University of Kent and we allow you to specialise in one programmewhile informing your personal approach to international studies with courses spanning such disciplines aspolitical science, law, sociology, history and economics.

We strongly believe that teaching and learning should be a collaboration. The School represents not onlya partnership of staff and students and of faculty from different disciplines, but also a collaboration amongprofessional academics and academics who are practitioners in the institutions of global governance. Thisprovides you with a holistic view of your subject and an interdisciplinary approach to international studies.

www.kent.ac.uk/brussels 11

EXCELLENTFACILITIESThe facilities and learning resources available inBrussels enable you to achieve your full potentialand gain the most from your studies.We have our own purpose-designed facilities, including academic offices, a student common roomand teaching rooms, as well as access to IT facilities, reference books and journals. Students atthe Brussels School of International Studies are able to utilise campus facilities of our partneruniversities, Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB) and the Université Libre de Bruxelles (ULB), givingyou access to a wide choice of libraries, sports and leisure facilities, and language classes.

In addition, you have ready access to numerous general and specialist public and private librariessuitable for postgraduate study. There are also many opportunities for students to interact with theinternational institutions in Brussels, through guest lectures, workshops, conferences, policy reviewcommittees and specially arranged tours.


AGLOBALCOMMUNITYOur international reputation means thatwe attract staff and students from aroundthe world, creating a cosmopolitan atmosphereand an inspiring student experience.The composition of our staff and student body in Brussels is overwhelmingly international.Our faculty is drawn from nearly every continent and our students represent 55 differentnationalities. This diverse academic community creates a stimulating intellectual and socialenvironment, giving you the chance to hear the perspectives of many different nationalitiesand to develop a truly global approach to your studies.


IMPRESSIVECAREER PROSPECTSWhatever your career goal, a postgraduate qualificationfrom the University of Kent equips you with animpressive portfolio of skills, specialist knowledge andpractical experience to help you succeed in a competitivejob market.

Students in Brussels do extremely well in terms of entering their chosen careers shortly after graduation.Possible options include working for EU institutions, NGOs, the diplomatic services, the United Nationsor in fields related to public policy, public relations, international commerce, finance, government and law.

The University is dedicated to helping students develop transferable skills through their studies and wehave our own careers adviser in Brussels who can provide advice tailored to the needs of each student.The Brussels School of International Studies has also developed strong links with the Brusselscommunity, which means many of our students are able to improve their professional skills andgain real-world experience through a range of internships and voluntary work opportunities.


18

19 / Academic schools21 / Taught degree programmes27 / Taught modules

28 / Research degree programmes29 / Short courses30 / Staff profiles

ACADEMIC SCHOOLSAND PROGRAMMESIn this section

University of Kent / Brussels School of International Studies

19

ACADEMIC SCHOOLS

The Brussels School of International Studies (BSIS) hosts three academicschools of the University of Kent to facilitate collaborative teaching andresearch. This means students on our programmes benefit from a stimulatingand truly interdisciplinary approach to their studies.

School of Politics and InternationalRelationsKent’s School of Politics and International Relationsis one of the most dynamic places to study politicsand international relations. We combine high-qualityteaching with cutting-edge research in a supportiveenvironment that welcomes students from all overthe world. All programmes are informed by thelatest research and scholarship, and are taught byacademic staff who have internationally recognisedexpertise in their field.

Academic excellenceThe School has a good track record ofresearch excellence. In the most recentResearch Excellence Framework, politics andinternational studies at Kent was ranked 15th inthe UK for research power; 96% of the researchsubmitted was judged to be of international quality.

Staff generate a vibrant research culture,which has led the School to achieve internationalexcellence in many areas of the discipline. Leadingprofessional journals such as Global Society areedited or co-edited in the School. The strengthof the School’s research culture is reflected in thenumerous books and articles published and in theexistence of three core research groups: Conflict,Security and Human Rights; Comparative Politics;and Political and Social Thought. The School is alsohome to four research centres: the Conflict AnalysisResearch Centre (CARC); the Centre for CriticalThought (CCT); the Centre for Federal Studies(CFS); and the Global Europe Centre (GEC).

The School is internationally renowned for itsexpertise in international conflict analysis and hasbuilt on this reputation, developing its knowledgeand elaborating its capacity for research, teachingand consultancy. Members of academic staff havebeen involved in the hallmark ‘Problem-solvingWorkshops’ in a variety of conflicts, includingCyprus, Moldova, Northern Ireland and SouthAfrica. The School’s Conflict Analysis ResearchCentre brings together academics and studentsfrom UK universities and abroad who areparticularly concerned with studies of internationalmediation and act as facilitators in inter-communaland international conflicts.

Programmes of studyThe School has been offering the MA inInternational Relations since 1978, making itone of the oldest in the UK. The MA programmesin the area of international conflict analysis are

consistently ranked among the best worldwide.The School now offers Master’s degrees inInternational Political Economy, Political Strategyand Communication, EU External Relations,and International Migration. These are specialitydegrees of BSIS, which have been designedto incorporate theory and practice in aninterdisciplinary approach, as well as to takeadvantage of our excellent location in Europe’scapital. The teaching in Brussels is conductedin English by members of staff from Kent; staffof international reputation at two other Europeanuniversities, the KU Leuven and the Universityof Bamberg; or members of Brussels institutions,such as NATO and the Council of the EuropeanUnion.

Our programmes are interdisciplinary, andyou have the opportunity to combine your chosendegree with a secondary specialisation from oneof the other degrees offered at BSIS, allowingyou to study one subject in the context of another.For more information, see p21.

Kent Law SchoolKent Law School is a centre of world-class criticallegal research, offering a variety of innovative andinterdisciplinary taught and research degrees withan international and contemporary focus.

Academic excellenceBased on our results in the most recent ResearchExcellence Framework, law at Kent was ranked 8thin the UK for research intensity by the Times HigherEducation. Kent Law School has a long traditionof critical and socio-legal approaches to lawand, in the field of international law, this researchis concentrated in the dynamic Centre for CriticalInternational Law (CeCIL).

Kent Law School is dedicated to high-quality andinnovative teaching. At postgraduate level, this isevidenced by the interdisciplinary nature of ourteaching and research, with students in Brusselsregularly benefiting from the knowledge of keypolitical policymakers, complementing theirknowledge and understanding of internationallaw and human rights law. Students at Kent areimmersed in a supportive and active cultureof critical research, developing their intellectualand legal knowledge and insight.

Programmes of studyThe Law School has been offering postgraduatetaught programmes for many years in subjects


RAPHAEL WOLFFPhD INTERNATIONALRELATIONS

Student profile

What are you researching? My research focuses on the possibility ofusing the notion of legitimacy as a tool forradical critique of contemporary securitydynamics and politics. This means I amlooking at the different ways in whichthe issue is brought up in discussionsof security policy and to what effect,in particular in the EU.

Being in Brussels to carry out myresearch offers me the opportunityto see the intricate mechanics of EUdecision-making up close. This has beenthe main reason for coming to BSIS.

What have you particularly enjoyedabout studying at BSIS?The University of Kent’s Brussels Schoolof International Studies is a small-scalecentre with an intimate atmosphere. Thisgives ample opportunity to interact withthe staff and fellow students. So, there isalways someone to discuss your researchwith. Moreover, the wide variety of topicsthat people work on make for veryproductive and illuminating discussions.

Academic excellenceAll teaching is research-led and the Schoolhas received consistently high ratings in nationalsurveys for both teaching and research. Based onour results in the most recent Research ExcellenceFramework, economics and econometrics at Kentwas ranked 21st in the UK for research intensity bythe Times Higher Education; 84% of the researchsubmitted was judged to be of international quality.In the national Postgraduate Research ExperienceSurvey, the School scored highly, with 100%satisfaction expressed in the quality of supervisionand the research community.

Economics staff have an international reputationin their field – staff members serve as academicadvisers and experts to international agenciesincluding the World Bank, the EuropeanCommission and the Organisation for EconomicCo-operation and Development (OECD).

Staff publish widely on a comprehensive range oftopics. The School has its own Discussion papersseries, which gives staff an opportunity to publishwork in progress, sometimes in conjunction withresearch students. Many of these papers are laterpublished as journal articles.

Programmes of studyThe School of Economics offers modules inInternational and Development Economics at BSIS.This enables you to enhance your chosen MA orLLM degree with Economic aspects.

such as international commercial law, Europeanlaw, medical law, criminal justice and environmentallaw.

At BSIS, we offer the following two LLMs: HumanRights Law and International Law. These LLMs canbe taken as a standalone degree, or you can studyInternational Law or Human Rights Law in thecontext of another subject offered at the School,such as migration, conflict or political economy(see p21). At BSIS, International Law is taughtthrough case studies in which extra-legalperspectives are always relevant, with an emphasison contemporary international problems. The LawSchool also offers modules within a broad rangeof areas including Trade Law, European UnionLaw, Migration Law, Law of Armed Conflict andDiplomatic Law (among others).

Excellent legal resourcesOur electronic law library, and the databases towhich students have access within it, is one of themost extensive in the UK. You are able to researchhistorical and contemporary developments in thecase law and related academic discourse, and aregiven training by our Law Librarian to ensure thatyou are a proficient and efficient legal researcher.

School of EconomicsThe School of Economics is dedicated toexcellence in both teaching and research, andoffers degree programmes covering all aspectsof the subject.


ROOS VAN DENBOGAARDMA INTERNATIONALMIGRATION

Student profile

What attracted you to BSIS? I chose BSIS for a few reasons. Firstly, thelocation: studying International Migrationin Brussels gives you the opportunityto get in touch with a large variety ofdifferent organisations and institutionsworking on the subject of migration.Secondly, it is a smaller-sized school,so you get to know your fellow studentsand teachers, which is a niceenvironment to study in. And lastly,because of the diverse group ofstudents, which is especially interestingif you are studying a subject such asInternational Migration.

Did you gain any industryexperience ?Yes, during my second term I did aninternship at the EU Rights Clinic aspart of the EU Migration Law module.The internship gave me the opportunity toput into practice the knowledge I gainedfrom the module. The internship requiresyou to join meetings once a week andprepare some work at home for theduration of one term. This experiencehas definitely been an asset to mysecond term at BSIS.

Any advice for those thinking abouttaking this course?The MA International Migration is definitelyworth considering for those interested instudying migration in a holistic mannerwhile living in an international, dynamicenvironment. Being in Brussels whilestudying enables you to combine classeswith interesting visits and events takingplace in the city on a regular basis.


programmes listed above. You may choose asingle programme of study or opt to combinetwo subjects, focusing on a primary area of interestwhile exploring a secondary subject. You could,for example, read for an LLM in InternationalLaw with International Migration or an MA inInternational Development with InternationalConflict and Security.

When making your application, you should choosea single programme of study in the area thatinterests you most from the above list; you will thenhave the opportunity to choose a secondary areaof specialisation when you enrol at BSIS. Forfurther information on application procedures,see p55.

Programme structureOur taught Master’s programmes are offered inboth a standard 90 ECTS credit format (whichcomprises six taught modules from your chosenprogramme’s pathway plus a dissertation over 12months full-time) and an extended 120 ECTS creditformat (which comprises nine taught modules plusa dissertation over 18 months full-time). Standardtaught programmes are also offered on a part-timebasis over two years.

Taught programmes• EU External Relations MA• International Conflict and Security MA• International Development MA• International Migration MA• International Political Economy MA• International Relations MA• Political Strategy and Communication MA• Human Rights Law LLM• International Law LLM• Two Capitals

An interdisciplinary approachBSIS offers a truly interdisciplinary approachto international studies, allowing you to broadenand deepen your knowledge while enhancingyour career profile.

Not only does each degree pathway contain a widechoice of modules among its required subjects,but programmes also provide the opportunity toenrol on optional modules extending across suchdisciplines as political science, law, sociology,history and economics.

Focusing on different aspects of internationalstudies, you select your area of study from the

If you are taking a standard taught programmeand wish to include a secondary area of focus,you choose three modules from the pathway ofyour chosen MA/LLM programme and then twomodules from the secondary area, plus onefurther module from the full list of modules offeredat BSIS. For the extended programme, you choosefour modules from the pathway of your chosenMA/LLM programme and then four modulesfrom the secondary area, plus one further modulefrom the full list of modules offered at BSIS.

All students, irrespective of taught programmeformat, duration and start date, take an additionalcompulsory dissertation module, Fundamentals,Dissertation and Research in their first and finalterms. For more information on how the academicyear is structured at BSIS, see p36.

EU External Relations MAAttendance: One year full-time (90 ECTS credits),18 months full-time (120 ECTS credits), or twoyears part-time (90 ECTS credits).Start: September or January.Fees: See p52.Entry requirements: A first or upper second classhonours degree in a relevant subject or equivalent(see p55).

In a rapidly changing world, the European Union(EU) is a key actor. As the largest economy, it isthe first trading partner for many countries aroundthe world. But by developing its own foreign anddefence policy, it equally seeks to become acrucial diplomatic player. This MA programmeresponds to an increasing need to study the EU’sexternal relations at an advanced level. The EU isstudied in its different dimensions, such as foreignpolicy, security and external relations law, and alsofrom an outsider’s perspective in a context ofglobal change and regional instability.

The programme draws heavily on the presenceof the EU and other institutions in the proximityof BSIS and builds on the tradition of inviting high-level diplomats to share their views with students.Key modules are taught by leading experts in thefield from both BSIS and the University of Kent’sCanterbury campus.

By taking an interdisciplinary and critical look atthe EU’s international role, this MA programmeprovides good preparation for careers in diplomacy,research and employment in diverse organisationsthat deal with the external dimension of the EU.

Course content• EU International Relations Law • European Foreign and Security Policy • Fundamentals, Dissertation and Research

The Brussels School of International Studies (BSIS) offers a range of taughtprogrammes in international studies so you can choose the degree thatreflects your interests. Below is an explanation of what the different degreeprogrammes offer.

TAUGHTDEGREEPROGRAMMES

21

CONTINUED OVERLEAF

Course content• Conflict and Security• Theories of Conflict and Violence• Fundamentals, Dissertation and Research• One module chosen from: Critical Approaches to

Security; Histories of International Conflict; Lawof Armed Conflict; Negotiation and Mediation

• Three optional modules chosen from the full listof modules offered at BSIS

• Dissertation

AssessmentAssessment is by coursework plus the dissertation.

International Development MAAttendance: One year full-time (90 ECTS credits),18 months full-time (120 ECTS credits), or twoyears part-time (90 ECTS credits).Start: September or January.Fees: See p52.Entry requirements: A first or upper second classhonours degree in a relevant subject or equivalent(see p55).

International development is an exciting fieldof study at the forefront of international affairs,exploring questions of poverty, inequality, socialorder and global justice. The MA in InternationalDevelopment is a unique interdisciplinaryprogramme taught by academics, practitionersand policymakers to enable you to understandthe multifaceted political, economic and legalprocesses that shape development. BSIS is anattractive home for development studies not justbecause of its experience and expertise ininternational studies, but also because of itslocation in Brussels; the site of various developmentinstitutions and agencies at the core of the field.

The MA in International Development seeksto contribute to a critical understanding ofcontemporary issues in development and providespractical tools for a future engagement. It considerstheoretical, practical and ethical issues byinterrogating development discourses, objectives

• One module chosen from: EU Politics andGovernance; Europe and Global Change;Foreign Policy Analysis; International RelationsTheory


• Dissertation


International Conflict and Security MAAttendance: One year full-time (90 ECTS credits),18 months full-time (120 ECTS credits), or twoyears part-time (90 ECTS credits).Start: September or January.Fees: See p52.Entry requirements: A first or upper second classhonours degree in a relevant subject or equivalent(see p55).

Understanding the complex factors of modernconflict and security issues, and fashioningeffective and legitimate responses to the majorarmed conflicts active today is a major challengefor the international community. The MA inInternational Conflict and Security at BSIS isstructured to introduce you to the key conceptsand theories necessary to understand the featuresof contemporary international conflict and securityissues. At the same time, it gives you theopportunity, through practical and case-study-driven modules, to learn about conflict preventionand settlement as well as the appropriate ways ofmanaging conflicts peacefully through negotiationand mediation. The programme also providesyou with a training specific to working in the fieldof conflict analysis, such as preparing reportson specific conflicts or security issues, draftingrecommendations for policymakers or mediatingbetween conflicting parties.

The programme is also available as a two-yearMaster’s with the first year spent in Brussels andthe second year in Canterbury.


and effects, and by seeking to understand formsof inclusion/exclusion and intervention in societies.Issues covered include economic development,poverty eradication, legal empowerment, public-private partnerships, social entrepreneurship, tradeand privatisation, informal economies and finance,and technological initiatives. It also provides youwith an interdisciplinary approach to developmentto allow you to specialise in your field of interest,such as development economics, developmentand migration, development and conflict, or humanrights.

BSIS attracts an exceptionally diverse and activestudent body that shares an enthusiasm forengagement in global affairs. Our students comefrom Europe, Africa, Asia and the Americas; manyhave spent extended periods abroad and/or workedfor development institutions. An important forum isthe International Development Group, which meetsregularly to discuss personal experiences, debateissues in development, invite guest speakers,attend conferences and workshops, and alsoorganise conferences.

The programme is suitable for students seeking tounderstand the field of international developmentas well as for practitioners who have substantiveexperience. It provides conceptual tools andpractical skills for a variety of careers ininternational affairs.

After their studies at BSIS, our students engagein careers in international affairs, includinginternational organisations, NGOs, internationalbusiness and research institutions across the globe.

Course content• Development: Theory and Practice• The Politics of International Development• Fundamentals, Dissertation and Research• One module chosen from: Development

Economics; Gender and Conflicts; Law andDevelopment; Migration and Development;State, Market and Society


• Dissertation


International Migration MAAttendance: One year full-time (90 ECTS credits),18 months full-time (120 ECTS credits), or twoyears part-time (90 ECTS credits).Start: September or January.Fees: See p52.Entry requirements: A first or upper second classhonours degree in a relevant subject or equivalent(see p55).

Migrants: the motor of development in a country,or a drain on the economy? A source of vibrantcultural contributions or a threat to local culture?Can a migrant be politically active in his or hercountry of origin, and also be integrated in hisor her host country? How can states bestprotect migrants’ human rights, including thoseof trafficking victims, while maintaining control

International Political Economy MAAttendance: One year full-time (90 ECTS credits),18 months full-time (120 ECTS credits), or twoyears part-time (90 ECTS credits).Start: September or January.Fees: See p52.Entry requirements: A first or upper second classhonours degree in a relevant subject or equivalent(see p55).

The global economy is contested social andpolitical terrain – more than ever before in history.From the economic ‘cold war’ between the US andChina, social movements opposing globalisation,the turmoil of stock markets across the world to thestand-off between the needs for economic growth,the preservation of the environment and socialjustice, questions of international political economyare high on the political agenda. Core issuesconcerning the relationship between the state,market and society – the ways in which differentsocial and economic priorities are managedthrough policies – have become part of aworldwide debate.

Understanding the emergence of the new globalsocial and economic order is crucial for anyonewho wishes to become involved in today’s politicsat national or international level. Our MA programmein International Political Economy draws on the‘political sociology of world society’ approach,which informs much work in international relationsat Kent and at BSIS, to offer a highly integratedinterdisciplinary perspective on the global economy.You also have the advantage of being able to selectfrom module options offered in related fields, suchas international relations, EU external relations andmigration studies. The programme provides abalance between technical understanding, policyrelevance and historical (and philosophical)context, building close links between politicalpractice and academic analysis. You thereforeacquire the knowledge, conceptual tools andanalytical skills appropriate for the development ofcareers in international organisations, governmentaland non-governmental organisations in the fields ofinternational trade and finance, political lobbyingand advocacy firms, and international business.

We work in co-operation with Brussels-basedinternational institutions, such as the Economicsand Security Committee of NATO ParliamentaryAssembly, the European Commission and the officeof the United Nations Development Programme.Officials from these institutions involve our studentsin their work or serve the programme as lecturers.

Course content• International Political Economy• State, Market and Society• Fundamentals, Dissertation and Research• One module chosen from: Corporate

Governance; International EconomicRegulation; International Economics;The Politics of International Development


• Dissertation


over their borders? What can states legitimately ask of newcomers in terms of integration? Whatrole can migrants or refugees play in helping todevelop, or rebuild, their home country after aconflict, natural disaster or independence?

In the MA in International Migration, you ask allof these questions and more. You examine thesequestions from different actor perspectives andfrom different disciplinary perspectives. Boththeoretical and policy perspectives are studied inorder to gain an in-depth, analytical understandingof the issues. Using this approach, you study awide variety of topics on migration and integrationto offer a more comprehensive understandingof the phenomenon of migration and its role insocieties today.

The defining feature of the MA programme is itsinterdisciplinary character. You gain an in-depthunderstanding of the broader field of migrationwhile being able to specialise in a particularmigration issue (for instance, human trafficking,asylum or forced migration, or integration andcitizenship, or the transnational engagement of amigrant group in its home country) and to examinethe links between migration and fields ranging fromdevelopment economics and conflict analysis tohuman rights law or international migration law.

BSIS is an ideal location for studies in internationalmigration. BSIS has an international student body,with around 45 nationalities represented among its220 postgraduate students. There are numerousmigration-related policy briefings and conferences– for instance, at think tanks or the EuropeanParliament. Brussels is also characterised bynumerous migration-related NGOs, interest groupsand international organisations’ EU liaison offices.

The programme is suitable either for studentswho have recently completed their undergraduatestudies or those who have some experienceworking with migrants/refugees or on migrationor related issues.

Course content• Migration: Conflict, the State and Human Rights• Theories of Migration, Integration and

Citizenship• Fundamentals, Dissertation and Research• One module chosen from: Critical International

Migration Law; Gender in Conflicts, HumanSecurity in Forced Migration; Identity, the Stateand Belonging; Migration and Development;Security and Liberties


• Dissertation



CODY GLEASONMA INTERNATIONALDEVELOPMENT

Student profile

What attracted you to BSIS? The programme of study offered hereaccurately reflects what I want to do inlife. I’ve travelled extensively, advocatedfor people in my daily life and want toenhance my skills by entering the fieldof international development. Kent offerscourses directly in line with these goals.Also, I was interested in the internationalenvironment at the University as well asthe range of courses offered.

How does postgraduate study differ from undergraduate study? Postgraduate study gives you thespace and opportunity to enhance yourknowledge of a subject. You can focus inon your area of interest, and align it withyour future career path.

How do you think your studies atKent will affect your employmentprospects? Getting a Master’s at Kent has beenindispensable to my future career goals.I want to work abroad in an internationalorganisation. Kent provides the rightenvironment, where cultural awarenessis as important as a knowledge of worldaffairs.

What advice would you offer to potential students of BSIS?My greatest two pieces of advice wouldbe the importance of self-motivation –find what you love, read and learn asmuch about it as possible. Secondly, ifyou know what you’d like to do in thefuture, Kent can provide those resourcesfor you, so use them.

CONTINUED OVERLEAF

Political Strategy and CommunicationMAAttendance: One year full-time (90 ECTS credits),18 months full-time (120 ECTS credits), or twoyears part-time (90 ECTS credits).Start: September or January.Fees: See p52.Entry requirements: A first or upper second classhonours degree in a relevant subject or equivalent(see p55).

Politics is the art of expanding the rangeof the possible – via apt strategy and skilfulcommunication. Brussels has emerged as thelargest centre for international media, measuredin the number of foreign correspondents. It is alsohome to thousands of political lobbyists, publicrelations specialists, political strategists andcorporate communications advisers.

Taught by highly research-active academics andexperienced practitioners, this MA covers all theleading vocational aspects of the academic studyof politics and international relations: politicalcommunication, political leadership, strategy,crisis management, political branding and publicrelations. You have access to modules on political,legal and social aspects of the EU, internationalorganisations and NGO activity. You study witha cosmopolitan body of academics, practitionersand fellow students. The programme offers youan excellent learning experience based on small-group teaching, enhancing your employabilityand helping to further your career ambitions.

Course content• Political Communication• Political Strategy• Fundamentals, Dissertation and Research• One module chosen from: Critical Approaches

to Security; Foreign Policy Analysis; InternationalDiplomatic Law; Negotiation and Mediation


• Dissertation


International Relations MAAttendance: One year full-time (90 ECTS credits),18 months full-time (120 ECTS credits), or twoyears part-time (90 ECTS credits).Start: September or January. Fees: See p52.Entry requirements: A first or upper second classhonours degree in a relevant subject or equivalent(see p55).

Day after day, we experience what it means tolive in an internationalising world. Grasping itsessence, however, is anything but evident.The MA in International Relations tries to graspthe complexity of international processes andto offer the necessary tools to understand itsdifferent dimensions (political, legal, economic)and the role of various actors (states, internationalorganisations, business). The programme is builton the interaction of theory (how we approachthe world), method (how we explore the world)and substance (what we know about the world).You can choose modules from a wide variety ofoptions, allowing you to assemble your personalprogramme, tailored to your interests andbackground.

The programme builds on the long tradition ofthe University of Kent as a leading university inthe field of international relations. By offering anMA in International Relations in Brussels, we placethis expertise in the unique context of a Europeanand international capital, host to the EU and NATO.More than a context, this aspect of Brussels ashotspot of international policymaking is activelyintegrated into the programme and reflected inthe large number of high-profile diplomats andpolicymakers lecturing at BSIS.

Students on this programme can opt to spenda term studying at the University’s Canterburycampus. The programme is also available asa two-year Master’s with the first year spent inBrussels and the second year in Canterbury.

Course content• International Relations Theory• Fundamentals, Dissertation and Research• One module chosen from: Foreign Policy

Analysis; Global Governance and InternationalOrganisation; International Economics;International Political Economy; Legal Aspectsof Contemporary International Problems

• Four optional modules chosen from the full list of modules offered at BSIS

• Dissertation



SABRINAIANNAZZONE MA INTERNATIONALCONFLICT ANDSECURITY

Student profile

Why did you choose to study here? I was working at the European Parliamentwhen I decided to continue my studies.My main criteria of selection were thepossibility to stay in touch with myprofessional network in Brussels and thepersonal will to gain further knowledge ina well-known school and from highlyqualified academic staff. I also wanted togain more experience in writing researchand policy papers in English on a varietyof topics and to benefit from excellentresearch centres. Furthermore, theJanuary intake allowed me to completemy work experience. BSIS at theUniversity of Kent seemed to bethe perfect match!

What skills have you gained to makeyourself more employable?By the end of my study programme,I will have acquired desirable skills thatare necessary to work in a competitiveand international job market such as theone in Brussels. Specifically, I refer toanalytical and writing skills, advancedresearch methodology, live case studies,communication and mediation skills. WhatI have found particularly advantageous isdrafting papers that might be a promising‘business card’ for potential employerslater.

What are your future plans?I am already making applications to workin the European Institutions and NATO.In the shorter term, I am designing myprofile in order to work either in researchinstitutes for foreign and security policiesor in EU public affairs agencies andcompanies.

“The Brussels campus givesstudents a unique opportunityto live and study in the heartof Europe, surrounded byinternational organisations,NGOs and lobbying groups.The programmes allow anin-depth study of the fieldsof international relations, lawandmigration in a city wheredecisions are being made thatshape our world, within a schoolthat understands them.”

Niels MalskærDanishMA International Relations

Human Rights Law LLMAttendance: One year full-time (90 ECTS credits),18 months full-time (120 ECTS credits), or twoyears part-time (90 ECTS credits).Start: September or January. Fees: See p52.Entry requirements: A first or upper secondclass honours degree in law, political science,international relations, sociology, history, genderstudies or any social science or humanities subject(see p55). We also consider applications on thebasis of relevant work experience.

Taught in the critical tradition of Kent Law School,this LLM examines the theory and practice ofhuman rights law, international criminal law,humanitarian law, transitional justice, migrationlaw and other fields in the context of differentpolicy areas and various academic disciplines.It is particularly suited to those who currently work(or hope to work) in international organisations,NGOs, international law firms and foreign affairsdepartments.

Kent Law School is a top 10 UK law schoolrenowned for its critical style of teaching, whereyou learn more than just the black-letter law: we want you to understand how different legalregimes came about and how they may beinterpreted, challenged or possibly changed. Thisis complemented by the real-world advantage ofstudying for your LLM in the ‘capital of Europe’;mere hours from the International Court of Justicein The Hague, the Court of Justice of the EuropeanUnion in Luxembourg, and the European Courtof Human Rights in Strasbourg.

The CIA launches drones to ‘legally’ kill Al-Qaidaleaders. An arbitrator rules that anti-smokingpolicies infringe a bilateral investment treaty.A father is suddenly detained at the airport as hisname appears on a no-fly list. After recent decadesof rule of law promotion, the need to ‘legally’ harm,detain, profit or pollute has transformed how policymoves are now performed and contested on theworld stage. This has elevated the significanceof international legal rules for a range ofgovernmental, corporate and societal actors,which all compete to devise legal norms,characterisations and strategies to address globalpolitical and economic problems. International lawhas therefore become a central domain of struggleacross a variety of pressing policy challenges,ranging from robotised military strategies, territorialclaims spurred by climate change, or the globalprojection of EU rules, to transnational blacklists.

Our LLM in International Law provides aprogramme of study that responds to increasingcomplexity in the international legal order; whereinternational law evolves through transformationssuch as global counter-terrorism, global valuechains, and foreign investment arbitration. Ouracademic staff are at the forefront of teaching,research and practice in international law, and ourLLM modules encompass subfields that range fromEU law, public international law, the law of the sea,and the law of armed conflict, to trade andinvestment law.

Course content• International Human Rights Law • Fundamentals, Dissertation and Research• Up to three modules from those offered by

Kent Law School in Brussels, including: EUConstitutional and Institutional Law; EuropeanUnion Migration Law; International DiplomaticLaw; International Economic Law; InternationalHumanitarian Law and International CriminalLaw; International Law of the Sea; InternationalMigration Law; International Relations forLawyers; Law and Development; Law of ArmedConflict; Transitional Justice and Rule of LawProgramming

• Two optional modules chosen from the full list of modules offered at BSIS

• Dissertation


International Law LLMAttendance: One year full-time (90 ECTS credits),18 months full-time (120 ECTS credits), or twoyears part-time (90 ECTS credits).Start: September or January.Fees: See p52.Entry requirements: A first or upper secondclass honours degree in law, political science,international relations, sociology, history, genderstudies or a related subject (see p55). We alsoconsider applications on the basis of relevantwork experience.


“The LLM in InternationalLaw offers a comprehensivespecialisation in internationallaw, firmly rooted in thetraditions of the internationallyrenowned Kent Law Schooland BSIS. The approach tolaw as a social science does notpreclude the teaching skills andknowledge necessary to becomea good lawyer – quite thecontrary. We believe that goodlawyers are critical lawyers,and this degree offers studentsthe chance to become both.”

Professor Harm SchepelProfessor of Economic Law

CONTINUED OVERLEAF


Course content• Legal Aspects of Contemporary International

Problems• Fundamentals, Dissertation and Research• Up to three modules from those offered by

Kent Law School in Brussels, including: EUConstitutional and Institutional Law; EuropeanUnion Migration Law; International DiplomaticLaw; International Economic Law; InternationalHumanitarian Law and International CriminalLaw; International Law of the Sea; InternationalMigration Law; Law of Armed Conflict;Transitional Justice and Rule of LawProgramming

• Two optional modules chosen from the full list of modules offered at BSIS

• Dissertation


Two Capitals Attendance: Two years full-time (120 ECTS credits).Start: September or January. Fees: See p52.Entry requirements: A first or upper second classhonours degree or equivalent (see p55).

The University of Kent’s Two Capitals exchangegives you a unique opportunity to learn aboutinternational affairs in a global context. You spendone year at BSIS before moving to, for example,Washington, DC or Beijing for your second year.On successful completion, you are awarded twoMaster’s degrees: one from the University of Kentand the other from the relevant partner institution.

Your chosen University of Kent MA consists of ninetaught courses, six of which are taken in Brusselsand three of which are transferred from the partnerinstitution, and a dissertation.

You are initially enrolled on one of the MAprogrammes here at BSIS. You are expectedto have completed the taught courses of yourchosen programme and have achieved anaverage of a Merit before applying for one of theexchanges as part of the Two Capitals experience.A decision on whether you may transfer to TwoCapitals will be made in May for those studentswho started their Master’s in the previousSeptember.

For further information about the programme,please contact the Admissions Officer [email protected]

TAISUKE SUZUKILLM INTERNATIONALLAW WITHINTERNATIONALRELATIONS

Student profile

Why did you choose to study atBSIS? Being located in Brussels gives us anumber of opportunities to experienceinternships in the European Parliament,NATO or a variety of NGOs alongsideour course. As there are many networkingevents conducted by BSIS, we caneasily meet and talk with experts whoare working in those organisations. Inaddition, since I have planned to searchfor a job in Europe after graduation,I consider BSIS as an ideal starting pointas it provides practical knowledge andaccess to a lot of international institutionsand NGOs related to human rightslocated throughout Europe.

What attracted you to this course? At BSIS I felt this programme wascharacterised by diversity, not only in thecontent of the programme but also in thenationalities of the academic staff andstudents. I feel having studied with peoplefrom many different countries gave methe opportunity to learn and think aboutissues from a variety of perspectives,which is particularly important in thearea of human rights study.

What advice would you offer to potential students of BSIS?Studying at BSIS will be a greatexperience. Even though classes cansometimes be quite challenging, theacademic support helps you succeed.In addition, like-minded people from allover the world become your friends andbroaden your horizons with new ideas,thoughts and feelings you never thoughtyou would have.

“Studying InternationalRelations with InternationalLaw at the BSIS in Brussels,I developed a deep interestin Europe–Asia relationsand possibilities for futurecoexistence, coevolution andco-operation of the two globalactors. At the end of myacademic experience in Brussels,I was offered a place in theacademic exchange programmebetween BSIS and CFAU(China Foreign AffairsUniversity). This allowed meto spend a semester in Beijing,focusing on Chinese foreignpolicy, contemporary diplomacyand the bottomless wealth ofChinese culture, heritage andtradition.

The programme gave me a once-in-a-lifetime crash course in themetropolis of a growing globalpower and exponentiallyincreased my understandingof the truly globalised worldwe live in.”

Sabina CarliSlovenianMA International Relations

A TOP UKUNIVERSITYKent is a leading university andis ranked 22nd in the UK in TheGuardian University Guide 2018.


Identity, the State and BelongingConvenor: Dr Amanda Klekowski von Koppenfels

International Diplomatic LawConvenor: Dr John Heieck

International Economic LawConvenor: Dr Chris Downes

International Economic RegulationConvenor: Damjan Kukovec

International EconomicsConvenor: Dr Peter Claeys

International Humanitarian Law and InternationalCriminal LawConvenor: Professor Yutaka Arai

International Human Rights LawConvenor: Professor Yutaka Arai

International Law of the SeaConvenor: Professor Erik Franckx

International Political EconomyConvenor: Dr Albena Azmanova

International Relations TheoryConvenor: Dr Bojan Savic

International Trade LawConvenor: Dr Chris Downes

Law and DevelopmentConvenor: Professor Harm Schepel

Law of Armed ConflictConvenor: Professor Yutaka Arai

Legal Aspects of Contemporary InternationalProblemsConvenor: Dr Sara Kendall

Migration: Conflict, the State and Human RightsConvenor: Dr Amanda Klekowski von Koppenfels

Negotiation and MediationConvenor: Dr Juan Diaz

African PoliticsConvenor: Dr Yvan Guichaoua

Conflict and SecurityConvenor: Dr Maria Mälksoo

Corporate GovernanceConvenor: Paige Morrow

Critical Approaches to SecurityConvenor: Dr Maria Mälksoo

Critical International Migration LawConvenor: Sian Lewis-Anthony

Development EconomicsConvenor: Professor Phillip Verwimp

Development: Theory and PracticeConvenor: Dr Yvan Guichaoua

EU Politics and GovernanceConvenor: Dr Vjosa Musliu

Europe and Global ChangeConvenor: Dr Tom Casier

European Foreign and Security Policy in the21st CenturyConvenor: Professor Richard Whitman

European Union Migration LawConvenor: Mr Anthony Valcke

EU International Relations LawConvenor: Laurens Ankersmit

Foreign Policy AnalysisConvenor: Dr Maria Mälksoo

Fundamentals, Dissertation and Research(jointly convened by BSIS staff)

Gender in Conflicts, Migration and Development Convenor: TBC

Global Governance and International OrganisationConvenor: Dr Kolja Raube

Histories of International ConflictConvenor: Dr Anna Bara

Human Security in Forced MigrationConvenor: Dr Amanda Klekowski von Koppenfels

Political CommunicationConvenor: Dr Albena Azmanova

Political StrategyConvenor: Dr Bojan Savic

Politics in the Middle EastConvenor: Dr Joost Hiltermann

The Politics of International DevelopmentConvenor: Dr Bojan Savic

Power, Interests and Identity in the Asia-PacificConvenor: Dr Elena Atanassova-Cornelis

Public International LawConvenor: Dr John Heieck

Public Policy Analysis(offered by the Vrije Universiteit Brussel and taughtby Mihnea Tanasescu)

Russia in International AffairsConvenor: Dr Tom Casier

State, Market and SocietyConvenor: Dr Albena Azmanova

Theories of Conflict and ViolenceConvenor: Dr Yvan Guichaoua

Theories of Migration, Integration and CitizenshipConvenor: Dr Amanda Klekowski von Koppenfels

Transitional Justice and Rule of Law ProgrammingConvenor: Dr Valerie Arnould

US Foreign PolicyConvenor: Dr Bojan Savic

Please note: the above module list is not fixedas new modules are always in developmentand choices are updated yearly. Please seewww.kent.ac.uk/brussels for the most up-to-dateinformation.

Below is a selection of the modules currently offered on the taughtpostgraduate programmes.

TAUGHTMODULES

27

28

RESEARCHDEGREEPROGRAMMES

Our cosmopolitan environment, interdisciplinary approach and firmtheoretical grounding make the Brussels School of International Studies(BSIS) an ideal place to undertake a PhD degree by research and thesis.

of expertise and provide advice on further trainingopportunities. You will have regular meetings withyour supervisor for informal discussion as well asformal feedback on your work.

Your supervisory committeeAll research students are assigned a supervisorycommittee composed of a main supervisor andother members of academic staff. This systemenables you to gain formal access to a broaderlevel of knowledge and support. All candidatesfor research degrees are expected to present workto their supervisory committee at regular intervals.Members of the supervisory committee providefull feedback on the material presented and ensureresearch supervision of the highest standard.

Academic progressYour progress is carefully monitored by thesupervisory committee to ensure that you arewell supported and on track to produce a thesisof value to the academic community. Records offormal supervisory meetings are maintained andyou will be reviewed at key stages of your degree,including induction, probation, annual andsubmission reviews.

Research training seminars PhD candidates are expected to attend theresearch training seminars, which provide theopportunity for postgraduate students to meetfellow students and staff members to exchangenew ideas and discuss work in progress. Theseare formal seminars run mainly by students withstaff participation. Each term, every PhD studentis required to present a piece of work which mightbe a research outline, the results of a bibliographicsearch or a field trip report. The seminar providescandidates with experience of presenting theirideas, defending points and gaining a wide rangeof feedback on their work.

Along with other similar experiences, such aspresenting papers at conferences, the seminarhelps to prepare you for the viva voce (oral)examination, where you defend your thesis infront of a panel of examiners. This viva takesplace following the submission of your thesisand represents a key part of the PhD assessmentprocess.

Developing skillsWithin your academic programme, you gainspecialist knowledge in your field and developyour research and analytical skills to the highestlevel. In addition, all research students have accessto transferable skills training co-ordinated by KentGraduate School. All new PhD students completea skills review, which they are required to completeonline following attendance at an introductoryworkshop provided in Brussels by GraduateSchool staff members.

The Researcher Development Programme iscomprised of a suite of online training workshops,and PhD students also have the opportunity to visitthe Canterbury campus to attend workshops thattake place there.

Transferable skills training enhances your careerprospects by helping you to develop a range ofskills in communication, teamwork, researchmanagement, career management and personaleffectiveness. The skills training offered at Kent isin line with the requirements laid down by the UKResearch Councils and is compliant with theResearcher Development Framework.

For further information, seewww.kent.ac.uk/graduateschool/skills

Entry requirementsApplicants to PhD programmes must have at leasta Master’s-level degree. For further information ongeneral entry requirements and the applicationprocess, see p55.

Programmes• Comparative Politics PhD• International Conflict Analysis PhD• International Relations PhD• Political and Social Thought PhD• Law PhD

Studying for a research degreeA PhD, also known as a doctorate, is awardedfor a substantial piece of supervised researchthat is worthy of publication and makes an originalcontribution to knowledge in a particular field.A PhD is a requirement for a career as anacademic or researcher. In addition, it has becomea qualification valued by many employers whorecognise the skills and commitment a PhDrequires. Research students benefit from havinga supervisory committee, including a mainsupervisor, to guide and support their research.

Your supervisorYour main supervisor will have experience relatedto your chosen field of research. His/her role isto oversee your progress, give you advice andfeedback on your work, share any special areas


29

SHORT COURSES

workshop which gives an insight into a rangeof employment opportunities, as well as thetransferable skills which are attractive to potentialemployers. To mark the end of the Summer Schoolin Brussels, there is a formal dinner to congratulatestudents for successfully completing theprogramme.

This summer school is an excellent opportunityto sample teaching at BSIS and how studentsintegrate into the international environment ofBrussels. It is primarily aimed at undergraduatestudents and those preparing to begin a Master’sdegree.

Further informationIf you are interested in any of these courses,please contact Admissions by email [email protected]

Short Courses programmeThis programme enables you to take only themodule, or modules, that are of most interest toyou, or of most direct relevance to your work orcareer. You may choose from any of the modulesoffered at the School at any given time, and receivea certificate of completion for that module. Thecourse fee is on a pro-rata basis (the normalprogramme fee, divided by seven).

Taking a number of these courses allows you toaccumulate sufficient credit to be awarded a formalqualification such as the Postgraduate Certificate,Postgraduate Diploma or even, in exceptionalcircumstances, the Master’s (LLM or MA) inthe specialism you have chosen.

AssessmentStudents following these courses mustdemonstrate, through the normal assessmentprocedures for each module, successful masteryof the learning outcomes for each module.Assessment methods vary between modules –some are assessed entirely on the basis ofcoursework and research papers; others througha mixture of papers and a final examination.

To be awarded credit for the module, you mustachieve the minimum pass grade. The eventualaward of any qualification will be made accordingto the normal assessment conventions. You mustalso ensure, in consultation with your individualsupervisor, that you have taken the appropriaterange of compulsory and optional modules tosatisfy the programme requirements.

Summer coursesEvery year, we host a summer school at BSIS witha theme of ‘Europe and the World’. This buildsupon the academic strengths of the BrusselsSchool of International Studies. Within thiscontext, various sub-themes are covered, includingmigration, the European Union’s (EU) relationshipwith emerging powers such as China, and the EU’sresponse to the global economic crisis.

Over a period of two weeks, you participate in aseries of guest lectures, seminars and debatesdelivered by academics, policymakers, diplomatsand European civil servants. The summer schoolallows you to discover how the European Unionfunctions, with a particular focus on how it acts asa global organisation and the challenges it facesin today’s world. You also benefit from a careers


“Taking a module in publicpolicy allowed me to enhancemy knowledge and skills whileworking full-time. The flexibilityof the programme was idealfor this.”

Torsten HolbekAssociate Director, Kreab Gavin Anderson

We understand that many people who are working in the various institutions,organisations and government departments in Brussels are not able to committo even a part-time programme of study. With this in mind, the School runs anumber of short courses and summer school programmes.

30

STAFF PROFILES

Brussels School of International Studies is proud to count among itsdistinguished faculty members those featured over the following pages. Tobrowse the profiles of staff in full, please visit www.kent.ac.uk/brussels/staff

Change of International Humanitarian Law, and itsInteraction with International Human Rights Law(Martinus Nijhoff, 2009).

Dr Albena Azmanova

PhD (The New School for Social Research,New York) Originally from Bulgaria, Dr Azmanova participatedin the organisation of the anti-communist studentrevolts in 1989. She completed her doctoral workin political science in New York, for which she wonthe Hannah Arendt prize of the New School. Shehas specialised in EU law at the Institut des HautesEtudes Européennes in Strasbourg and has taughtmodern political theory in New York (the NewSchool), Paris (Sciences Po) and Brussels(Vesalius College). Her research and teachingfocus on political transitions, social justice,the metamorphosis of capitalism and thetransformation of the left-right ideological divide.In parallel to her academic activities, Dr Azmanovahas worked as political consultant to internationalinstitutions, such as the Council of Europe, theUnited Nations, the European Commission andthe European Parliament.

Key publicationsThe Scandal of Reason: A Critical Theory ofPolitical Judgment (Columbia University Press,2012); ‘Against the Politics of Fear: On Deliberation,Inclusion and the Political Economy of Trust’,Philosophy and Social Criticism, vol 37, 4 (2011);‘Capitalism Reorganized: Social Justice After Neo-liberalism’, Constellations: An International Journalof Critical and Democratic Theory, vol 17, 3 (2010).

Dr Tom Casier

PhD (KU Leuven)Tom Casier is a Reader in International Relationsand holds a Jean Monnet Chair. He is DeputyDirector of the Global Europe Centre, a researchcentre at Kent. He is also Visiting Professor at theUniversity of Leuven (KU Leuven), where helectures on political developments in Centraland Eastern Europe.

Dr Casier obtained his PhD in Political Science fromthe University of Leuven with a dissertation on thetransformation process in Central and EasternEurope. From 1990 to 1999, he worked at theUniversity of Leuven, first as a Researcher of theBelgian National Fund for Scientific Research, lateras Post-Doctoral Researcher and as Co-ordinatorof European Studies. In the following years, heworked as Lecturer at EIPA (European Institute

of Public Administration) in Maastricht and atEHSAL/HUB in Brussels. From 2003 to 2007,he was Assistant Professor at the University ofMaastricht, where he was also founding Directorof the MA in European Studies.

His research interests include EU–Russia relations,Russian foreign policy, energy and EuropeanNeighbourhood Policy/Eastern Partnership.

Key publications‘From logic of competition to conflict:understanding the dynamics of EU–Russiarelations’, Contemporary Politics, vol 22, 3 (2016);‘Great game or great confusion? The geopoliticalunderstanding of EU–Russia energy relations’Geopolitics, vol 21, 4, (2016); ‘The EU–RussiaStrategic Partnership: Challenging the NormativeArgument’, Europe–Asia Studies, vol 65, 7 (2013);‘The EU’s Two-Track Approach to DemocracyPromotion: The Case of the Ukraine’,Democratization, vol 18, 4 (2011); ‘To Adopt orNot to Adopt: Explaining Selective Rule TransferUnder the European Neighbourhood Policy’,Journal of European Integration, vol 33, 1 (2011);‘The Rise of Energy to the Top of the EU–RussiaAgenda: From Interdependence to Dependence?’Geopolitics, vol 16, 3 (2011).

Dr Yvan Guichaoua

BA, MSc (Lille), PhD (EHESS)Dr Yvan Guichaoua is Lecturer in InternationalConflict Analysis. He joined BSIS fromthe University of East Anglia and is a formerteaching fellow at Yale University and researchofficer at the University of Oxford. He hasspecialised in the dynamics of insurgencyformation, rebel governance and state responsesin Nigeria, Côte d’Ivoire, Mali and Niger.

Since 2007, Yvan’s work has focused on recurringTuareg rebellions in Niger and Mali and the riseof Jihadism in the Sahel. It pays close attentionto the complex interactions between violententrepreneurs, low-level combatants and civilianpopulations shaping the success or failure ofirregular armed groups as well as the formsof violence they perpetrate.

Yvan engages regularly with the policymakingcommunity (International Crisis Group, World Bank)and is frequently consulted by the media on theSahelian crisis.

Key publications‘Tuareg Militancy and the Sahelian Shock Wavesof the Libya Revolution’ in Cole and McQuinn,The Libyan Revolution and its Aftermath (OxfordUniversity Press, 2014); ‘Group Formation,Identities and Violent Mobilization: Evidencefrom Nigeria and Niger’ in Justino, Bruck and

Professor Yutaka Arai

LLB, LLM (Keio), LLM, PhD (Cambridge)Professor Arai is Professor of Public InternationalLaw and International Human Rights Law at theUniversity of Kent. Professor Arai’s LLB and firstLLM were awarded by Keio University, after whichhe studied at the University of Cambridge wherehe was awarded an LLM in International Law andthen a PhD for his research on the jurisprudenceof the European Convention on Human Rights.

Professor Arai has published widely in internationallaw journals and has been particularly concernedwith international humanitarian law (IHL) andinternational human rights law. His currentresearch includes the drafting records of theGeneva Conventions of 1949 and its two AdditionalProtocols of 1977, as well as legal philosophicalanalyses of IHL. His working languages areEnglish, French and Japanese while he has areading knowledge of German and Spanish forresearch purposes, and basic reading knowledgeof Chinese.

Key publicationsHis recent writings include: ‘Excessive CollateralCivilian Casualties and Military Necessity: AwkwardCrossroads in International Humanitarian LawBetween State Responsibility and IndividualCriminal Liability’ in C Chinkin and F Baetens (eds),Sovereignty, Statehood and State Responsibility(Cambridge University Press, 2015); ‘Human Rightsand Humanitarian Law – Diagnosis of the ComplexInterplay’ in Mihr and Gibney (eds), The SAGEHandbook of Human Rights (Sage, 2014); Chapteron Article 10: Freedom of Expression in Harris etal, Law of the European Convention on HumanRights, 3rd Edition (Oxford University Press, 2014);‘A Battle over Elasticity – Interpreting the Conceptof “Concrete and Direct Military AdvantageAnticipated” under International HumanitarianLaw’ in Y Haeck et al (eds), The Realisation ofHuman Rights: When Theory Meets Practice(Intersentia/Hart, 2014); ‘The Margin ofAppreciation Doctrine – A Theoretical Analysis ofStrasbourg’s Variable Geometry’ in A Follesdal et al(eds), Constituting Europe: The European Court ofHuman Rights in a National, European and GlobalContext (Cambridge University Press, 2013);‘Proportionality’ in S Shelton (ed), The OxfordHandbook of International Human Rights Law(Oxford University Press, 2013); ‘Preoccupiedwith Occupation: Critical Examinations of theHistorical Development of the Law of Occupation’,International Review of the Red Cross, vol 94, 885(2012); The Law of Occupation: Continuity and


of migrants in their host countries. Current researchexplores these issues through a focus on UScitizens as migrants.

She was Visiting Scholar at the Center for EuropeanStudies at Harvard University in 2012-13 and aVisiting Professor of Migration and Integration atthe Department of Political Science, University ofVienna (Politics of Inclusion and Exclusion researchgroup) in autumn 2009. She has consulted for theInternational Organization for Migration, amongothers. Prior to coming to BSIS, Dr Klekowski vonKoppenfels was Research Officer at theInternational Organization for Migration in Geneva,where her research focus was on the trafficking ofhuman beings for sexual exploitation. She has alsotaught in the Research Group for Migration at theInstitute for Political Science at the University ofMünster (Germany).

Dr Klekowski von Koppenfels continues researchon Aussiedler migration to Germany as well asmaintaining an interest in the topic of humantrafficking. She is also interested in the interactionbetween formal and substantive citizenship andthe interaction between integration andtransnationalism. She has conducted bothqualitative and quantitative research.

Key publications‘Gastarbeiter Migration Revisited: ConsolidatingGermany’s Position as an Immigration Country’ inLafleur and Stanek (eds), South–North Migrationof EU Citizens in Times of Crisis (Springer Open,2016); ‘“Gotta Go Visit Family”: Reconsideringthe Relationship Between Tourism andTransnationalism’, Population, Space and Place(2015); Migrants or Expatriates? Americans inEurope (Palgrave Macmillan, 2014); ‘Migrationvon AussiedlerInnen: Wandel der politischenPerspektive’ in Menzel and Engel (eds), Rueckkehrin die Fremde (Frank & Timme, 2014); ‘“TheDistance Between Us”: A Comparative Examinationof the Technical, Spatial and Temporal Dimensionsof the Transnational Social Relationships of HighlySkilled Migrants’, Global Networks, vol 15, 2 (2014);‘Testing for Integration and Belonging or a NewBarrier to Entry? Citizenship Tests in the UnitedStates and Germany’ in Atac and Rosenberger(eds), Politik der Inklusion und Exklusion (V&Runipress, 2013); ‘From Germans to Migrants:Aussiedler Migration to Germany’ in Tsuda (ed),Diasporic Homecomings (Stanford UniversityPress, 2009).

Dr Maria Mälksoo

PhD (Cambridge)Dr Maria Mälksoo is Senior Lecturer in InternationalSecurity at the Brussels School of InternationalStudies, University of Kent where she currentlyconvenes the MA programme in International

Key publicationsEverything Within Their Power: The P5’s Dutyto Prevent Genocide (forthcoming); The Duty toPrevent War Crimes: Transforming Russia's VetoPower in the Security Council? (forthcoming);‘The Responsibility Not to Veto Revisited: How theDuty to Prevent Genocide as a Jus Cogens NormImposes a Legal Duty Not to Veto on the FivePermanent Members of the Security Council’in R Barnes and V Tzevelekos (eds.), BeyondResponsibility to Protect: Generating Changein International Law (28 March 2016).

Dr Amanda Klekowski vonKoppenfels

AB (Harvard), MAGES and PhD(Georgetown)Dr Klekowski von Koppenfels is Academic Directorof the Brussels School of International Studies.Her broad research interests are in the area ofthe interactions of transnational engagement ofmigrants with their home countries and, secondly,with citizenship. The first includes the politicalengagement of migrants in their countries oforigin, whether in an understanding of migranttransnational engagement or diasporaengagement. The second includes citizenshipstatus, both acquisition and loss, and theimplications of that status for migrants, both indestination and origin countries. Her researchinterests also include the political participation

Verwimp, A Micro-level Perspective on theDynamics of Conflict, Violence and Development(Oxford University Press, 2013); ‘Recruitment inNon-state Armed Groups’ in Brown and Langer,Elgar Handbook of Civil War and Fragile States,(Edward Elgar, 2013); The DevelopmentalChallenges of Mining and Oil (Palgrave, 2012;co-editor); Understanding Collective PoliticalViolence (Palgrave, 2011; co-editor).

Dr John Heieck

LLM (Leiden), PhD (Kent)Dr John Heieck is the Lecturer in PublicInternational Law and International DiplomaticLaw at the University of Kent, Brussels Schoolof International Studies (BSIS). He also convenesseveral workshops in the Fundamentals ofDissertation Research programme at BSIS. Inaddition, John helps co-ordinate activities of theUniversity of Kent Law School’s Centre for CriticalInternational Law (CeCIL) in Brussels.

John holds a PhD in International Law from theUniversity of Kent, Brussels School of InternationalStudies; an LLM in Public International Law fromthe Leiden University School of Law; a Juris Doctorin Trial and Appellate Advocacy from the CreightonUniversity School of Law; and a Bachelor of Artsin English Literature from the University of NotreDame. He is also a licensed attorney in the stateof Nebraska, USA.



Conflict and Security. She earned her PhD inInternational Studies from the University ofCambridge with a dissertation on the Polishand Baltic post-Cold War politics of becomingEuropean. During 2010-16, she worked asSenior Researcher in International Relationsat the University of Tartu in her native Estonia.She has been a visiting fellow at the Centre forInternational Studies, London School of Economicsand Political Science (2015), Kone FoundationFellow at the Helsinki Collegium for AdvancedStudies (2012), Mobilitas post-doctoral fellow at the Institute of Government and Politics, Universityof Tartu (2010-14), and a member of the HERA-funded international collaborative project Memoryat War: Cultural Dynamics in Russia, Poland, andUkraine (2010-13). She has policy experience fromthe Estonian Ministry of Defence, InternationalCentre for Defence Studies in Tallinn, and theOffice of the President of Estonia.

Key publicationsThe Politics of Becoming European: A Studyof Polish and Baltic Post-Cold War SecurityImaginaries (London: Routledge, 2010);Remembering Katyn (co-author; Cambridge:Polity, 2012). Her research on memory andsecurity politics and IR theory has been publishedin Contemporary Security Policy; InternationalPolitical Sociology; Review of InternationalStudies; European Journal of InternationalRelations; Security Dialogue; Communist and Post-Communist Studies; and in various edited volumes.

Professor Harm Schepel

Drs (Amsterdam), LLM (Oñati), PhD (EUIFlorence)Harm Schepel is Professor of Economic Law atKent Law School and Director of Law programmesat the Brussels School of International Studies.

His research addresses the legal institutionalisationof capitalism on different levels of governance. Thegeneral area includes fields such as internationaltrade and investment law; law and development;corporate governance; the law of the Europeaninternal market; comparative and Europeancompetition law; and the regulation of privategovernance regimes.

He has held visiting research positions at theUniversity of Amsterdam and Columbia LawSchool, and has taught, among other places,at the Catholic University of Portugal, the Universityof Palermo, Maastricht University, and the EUIAcademy of European Law. He is an editor ofthe European Law Journal.

Professor Schepel holds a degree in InternationalLegal Studies from the University of Amsterdam,and an LLM magna cum laude from theInternational Institute for the Sociology of Lawin Oñati, Spain. His doctorate degree is fromthe European University Institute, Florence, wherehis dissertation was awarded the EUI Alumni Prizefor the Institute’s best interdisciplinary thesis oncomparative and European issues. His monographThe Constitution of Private Governance (HartPublishing, 2005) was a runner-up for the 2005Peter Birks Prize for Outstanding Legal Scholarship,awarded by the Society of Legal Scholars. Prior tojoining Kent Law School in 2000, he was attached

to the Zentrum für Europäische Rechtspolitik at theUniversity of Bremen, Germany and held a MarieCurie Fellowship at the ULB’s Centre de ThéoriePolitique.

Key publications‘Of Capitalist Nostalgia and Financialisation:Shareholder Primacy in the Court of Justice’in C Joerges and C Glinski (eds), The EuropeanCrisis and the Transformation of TransnationalGovernance: Authoritarian Managerialism versusDemocratic Governance (Hart Publishing, 2014);‘Freedom of Contract in Free Movement Law:Balancing Rights and Principles in European Publicand Private Law’, European Review of Private Law,vol 21, 5/6 (2013); ‘Constitutionalising the Market,Marketising the Constitution, and to Tell theDifference: On the Horizontal Application of theFree Movement Provisions in EU Law’, EuropeanLaw Journal, vol 18, 2 (2012); State and Marketin European Union Law (co-author; CambridgeUniversity Press, 2009); The Constitution ofPrivate Governance (Hart Publishing, 2005).

Dr Bojan Savic

MA (Maastricht), PhD (Kent)Bojan Savic joined the Brussels School ofInternational Studies as Lecturer in InternationalRelations from Elon University, North Carolina.

Bojan received his PhD from the University of Kentat Brussels in 2012 and MA degrees in EuropeanStudies (University of Maastricht, 2007) andInternational Relations (European Institute, Nice,2008) before joining Virginia Tech’s National CapitalRegion campus in Alexandria, VA as a postdoctoralresearcher. His MA and PhD research focused onthe formal modeling of intra-alliance relations,culminating with a doctoral dissertation on post-Cold War transformations of NATO’s civilian andmilitary structures. His postdoctoral research hascombined insights from Critical Security Studies,Critical Geopolitics and International Development.

Key publications‘Where is Serbia? Traditions of Spatial Identity andState Positioning in Serbian Geopolitical Culture’,Geopolitics (online); ‘Relinquishing and Governingthe Volatile: The Many Afghanistans and CriticalResearch Agendas of NATO’s Governance’, GlobalDiscourse: An Interdisciplinary Journal of CurrentAffairs; ‘How to Persuade Government Officials toGrant Interviews and Share Information for YourResearch’, PS: Political Science and Politics.

Professor Roger Vickerman

MA (Cambridge), DPhil (Sussex), Dr h.c.,AcSS, FRSA, FCILTEducated at the universities of Cambridge andSussex, and holder of an Honorary Doctoratefrom the Philipps-Universität, Marburg, ProfessorVickerman is an Academician of the Academyof Social Sciences, a Fellow of the Royal Societyof Arts and a Chartered Fellow of the CharteredInstitute of Logistics and Transport.

His research focuses on the relationship betweentransport (especially infrastructure), regionaldevelopment and integration in the EuropeanUnion. He is particularly known for his studies

on major infrastructure projects, particularly theEU’s Trans-European Networks. He is currentlyworking on questions relating to public–privatepartnerships, regulation in transport and theex-post analysis of ERDF and Cohesion Fundexpenditure on transport. He is a member ofthe Economic Advisory Panel to HS2 Ltd, whichadvises the UK government on the developmentof high-speed rail. He has served as a memberof the Standing Advisory Committee on TrunkRoad Assessment (SACTRA), as an adviser toCommittees of both the House of Commons andHouse of Lords in the UK Parliament and acted asa consultant to the European Commission, variousUK government departments, and regional andlocal government authorities.

Key publicationsHe is the author of six books (including thetextbook Principles of Transport Economics,with Emile Quinet) and over 150 chapters, journalarticles and reports. He sits on the editorial boardsof several journals in both transport and regionalscience and is Editor-in-Chief of Transport Policy.

Professor Richard Whitman

BA (Oxford Brookes), MA (UEA), PhD(Westminster), AcSSProfessor Whitman is Director of the Global EuropeCentre, an Associate Fellow at Chatham House(formerly known as the Royal Institute ofInternational Affairs) and an Academic Fellow atthe European Policy Centre. He regularly writesand researches for think tanks and his most recentpublication for Chatham House is A DiplomaticEntrepreneur: Making the Most of the EuropeanExternal Action Service (2011).

He was Professor of Politics at the University ofBath (2006-11), Senior Fellow, Europe (April 2006-April 2007) and Head of the European Programmeat Chatham House (April 2004 to April 2006). Priorto arrival at Chatham House, he was Professor ofEuropean Studies at the University of Westminster,where he was also Director of the Centre for theStudy of Democracy from 2001-03.

Richard Whitman is a contributor to leadingjournals, and has presented many papersand keynote addresses. His current researchinterests include the external relations and foreign,security and defence policies of the EU, and thegovernance and future priorities of the EU.

He is on the editorial boards of European Securityand Studia Diplomatica. Professor Whitman is aregular media commentator, working with print andbroadcast media at home and overseas. He hasbeen interviewed widely on Europe and Europeanintegration. Recent coverage has included BBCradio and television, CNN, Bloomberg, CNBC,Newsweek, Reuters, the International HeraldTribune and The Wall Street Journal.

Professor Whitman was elected an Academicianof the Academy of Social Sciences in October2007 and from 2009-12 the elected Chair of theUniversity Association for Contemporary EuropeanStudies (UACES).

STUDYING AT THEBRUSSELS SCHOOLOF INTERNATIONALSTUDIES

34 / About the Brussels School of International Studies

35 / Studying in Brussels36 / Structure of the academic year

38 / Incoming student supportservices

39 / Relocating to Brussels41 / Career opportunities42 / Graduate profiles

In this section


34

ABOUT THE BRUSSELS SCHOOLOF INTERNATIONAL STUDIES

Kent is the only UK university witha centre in Brussels. The University’sBrussels School of InternationalStudies (BSIS) is a specialistpostgraduate school offeringinterdisciplinary teaching andresearch opportunities in thearea of international affairs.

Modern city locationThe University has its own purpose-designedcentre close to the centre of Brussels. Facilitiesinclude academic offices, a student common room,a range of seminar rooms and lecture spaces, aswell as access to IT facilities, reference books anda journals collection. We offer students 24-hoursecure access to the site and dedicated privatework spaces.

The premises are located close to the campusesof our partner universities, Vrije Universiteit Brussel(VUB) and the Université Libre de Bruxelles (ULB).BSIS students have access to the facilities on thesecampuses, including libraries, public computers,bars, cafés and sports facilities (see pp46-48 formore details).

University of KentThe University of Kent was granted its RoyalCharter in 1965 and has subsequently achievedprominence as one of Britain’s most innovativeand research-intensive universities, with particularstrengths in (among many other subjects)international relations and law.

The University’s biggest campus is located inthe historic city of Canterbury, easily reachedfrom Brussels by train, and is organised aroundsix ‘colleges’. If you are pursuing a postgraduatedegree at the University, you will automaticallybecome a member of Woolf College, Kent’spostgraduate-only college. BSIS students alsobenefit from the support of the Graduate School,which is dedicated to enhancing postgraduate

activity at Kent. The Graduate School co-ordinatesa comprehensive programme of transferable skillstraining and provides many opportunities forpostgraduate students from all Kent’s locationsto meet and socialise.

Brussels students have full use of the facilitiesin Kent – including the outstanding TemplemanLibrary – and many choose to travel there tomake use of Kent’s facilities for their research,for conferences and also for our annual football(soccer) match between the two campuses.

AccreditationAll degrees and certificates awarded for studyon any programme at BSIS are awarded bythe University of Kent and are conferred by theUniversity at its normal Congregation ceremoniesheld in Canterbury Cathedral.

The delivery of programmes, in the UK and atthe University of Kent centre in Brussels, remainssubject to routine audits by the UK QualityAssurance Agency to ensure the highestnational and international standards.

Master’s degrees obtained from Kent are suitablefor entry to the PhD programmes in the UK or theUS (provided the candidate has performed to anappropriate level). The Master’s degrees obtainedat BSIS are of the highest standard, comparableto any obtained in the US or UK.

Interdisciplinary studyDrawing on the expertise of the Universityof Kent’s School of Politics and InternationalRelations, Kent Law School and the School ofEconomics, BSIS offers a truly interdisciplinaryapproach to international studies. Not only doeseach taught degree pathway contain a widechoice of modules among its required subjects,but programmes also provide the opportunity toenrol on optional modules extending across suchdisciplines as political science, law, sociology,history and economics.

You also have the option to choose a single taughtprogramme of study or combine this degree witha secondary area of specialisation, enabling youto study one subject in the context of another.

For more information about the academic schoolsthat offer programmes in Brussels, see p19.

International profileThe variety of programmes available at BSIS,ranging from international migration and conflictstudies to law and international relations, iscomplemented by the diversity of the studentbody, with some 250 students drawn from over55 countries. This lends an enormous amount ofperspective and richness to the student experience.

We also have excellent links with manyorganisations based in Brussels, which greatlyenhances the teaching on our courses and youropportunities for research, internships and futureemployment (see p41).

Expert teachingThe University of Kent particularly prides itselfon rigorous teaching, informed by world-classresearch. This tradition continues in Brussels andis enhanced by the specialised and interdisciplinarynature of the studies offered here.

In addition to Kent’s permanent faculty members,BSIS is able to exploit its ideal position in the‘capital of Europe’ by employing practitionersworking at the cutting edge of their respectivefields to share their up-to-the-minute perspective,knowledge and expertise with our students.


“My time at BSIS wasinvaluable, giving methe opportunity to becomeinvolved in the areas thatinterested me. If you wantto study international issues, doing so in Brussels givesyou a clear advantage.”

Melika Zhar BritishMA International Relations

35

STUDYING IN BRUSSELS

One of the main advantages for any student at the University of Kent’sBrussels School of International Studies is the ability to study in Brussels,the ‘capital of Europe’. The School is located close to the heart of Brussels,the political and diplomatic power centre of the continent.

next to ours. For more information, please visithttps://my.vub.ac.be/en/acto/english-acto-home

As a community with many expatriates (about athird of the city’s total population), Brussels is filledwith speakers of many languages and there area number of private schools and agencies offeringlanguage courses.

Superb locationThe Brussels School is a 15-minute drive from thecity centre and there are excellent metro, bus andtram links which make travel around the city easy.Brussels is also located close enough to manyEuropean cities to allow convenient travel for dayand weekend excursions. Destinations such asLondon, Paris, Amsterdam and Cologne are allaround two hours away by high-speed train.

Cultural capitalBrussels also offers a huge range of cultural sitesand activities, including interesting architecture,music and film festivals, exhibitions ranging fromcontemporary art to medieval crafts, and a greatnumber of cafés, restaurants and bars serving upboth international and traditional Belgian fare. Thereis no shortage of places to sample the world-classchocolates and hundreds of varieties of beers forwhich Belgium is renowned. Brussels is also anexcellent place to shop, offering everything fromlarge gallery shopping centres to local weeklymarkets.

As well as being a regional, federal and Europeancapital with its own offerings, such as museums(more than 80), galleries, theatres and exhibitions,Brussels is ideally positioned to reach Europe’sother popular cultural and historical landmarks.

We also organise annual field trips for our studentsto locations of historic and political importance,such as Waterloo, Normandy, the InternationalCriminal Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia inThe Hague and the International Organizationfor Migration in Geneva.

Access to international institutionsBrussels is not only home to the Europeaninstitutions – including the European Commission,European Council and European Parliament – butit also hosts NATO, the Supreme Headquarters ofthe Allied Powers of Europe (in nearby Mons),nearly 700 multinational corporations and over1,000 international organisations. These institutionsmake Brussels the hub of one of the largest andmost diverse diplomatic communities in the world,and ensure that the Brussels policy environmentand political culture is enriched by a profusion ofNGOs, think tanks, interest groups and the world’slargest international press corps.

During your studies in Brussels, you interactwith these international institutions through guestlectures, workshops, policy review committees,and specially arranged tours. In addition, wehost seminars, conferences and high-level guestspeakers, which draw on Brussels’ role as thepolicymaking centre of Europe and one of theworld’s diplomatic focal points. These events,combined with those hosted by other institutionsin Brussels, give you an unparalleled opportunityto explore both Europe and the wider foreignpolicy world.

In addition, current and former students have heldinternships and jobs at all major EU institutions,NATO, Hill and Knowlton, Ogilvy & Mather,Weber Shandwick and the American Chamberof Commerce in Brussels. Following their studies,our alumni have found employment in Brussels ininternational companies and organisations, suchas the International Crisis Group, Care International,Europe Analytica, the EastWest Institute, theInternational Organization for Migration, theCentre for European Policy Studies, and CorporateSocial Responsibility Europe. For further informationon internships and employment opportunities,see p41.

Excellent language-learningopportunitiesThe possibility of learning new languages duringyour postgraduate studies can be essential forbuilding a future career in international affairs. In acosmopolitan city such as Brussels, there are manyopportunities for language learning. A private tutoroffers French classes at the School, which areorganised according to student ability.

For more formal language classes, in French, Dutchor many other languages, you can choose to studyat our partner institution the VUB, whose campus is


dissertation and discern the appropriatemethodology and conceptual framework that flowsfrom that choice of argument. This allows you toconduct independent research and scholarshipat the level appropriate for a graduate school inall of the taught fields of study.

120 ECTS credit option (extended programme)All taught Master’s programmes are also offeredin a 120 ECTS credit format, which comprises ninetaught modules plus a dissertation over 18 months.

The extended programme allows you to study yoursubject in greater detail, with the opportunity tochoose a wider range of modules, You also havethe chance to spend one term at the Canterburycampus. The programme is ideal for students whorequire extra credits or would like to have more timeto pursue an internship.

For some programmes, a two-year Master’s withthe first year spent in Brussels and the second yearin Canterbury is also available (see under Mobilityof study location on the opposite page). For furtherdetails, please contact Admissions [email protected]

Hours of studyAll taught Master’s programmes consist of a totalof 1,800 hours of study. Each module represents180 hours of study. You have classroom contactwith each of your teachers (in lecture/seminarformat) for at least two hours a week for eachcourse. A further 13 hours of private study isrequired for each module each week. You spendthe balance of the hours attending a range ofacademic activities and working on yourdissertation.

Mode of study

Full-timeThe majority of students reading for the MA orLLM programmes at BSIS are full-time students.As a full-time student, your programme will last for12 months, carrying a total of 90 ECTS (EuropeanCredit Transfer System) credits. You select threemodules per term from your programme’s pathway.You also attend the preparatory Fundamentals,Dissertation and Research lectures and seminars– these provide the necessary foundation and toolsto enable you to construct a line of enquiry, createa research design, understand the different kindsof arguments you can make when writing a


The teaching year comprises two 12-week teaching terms and one six-weekteaching term. Teaching term dates are harmonised across the University’sdifferent locations which facilitates the movement of staff and studentsbetween the two locations.

STRUCTURE OF THEACADEMIC YEAR

36

Term dates

2017/18Term 1 Mon 25 Sep – Fri 15 Dec 2017Term 2 Mon 15 Jan – Fri 6 Apr 2018Term 3 Mon 7 May – Fri 15 Jun 2018



Part-timePart-time study is currently only open to those whohold EU citizenship. There is considerable flexibilityin teaching arrangements to accommodate theneeds of students who wish to combineemployment or other commitments with a part-timedegree programme. Part-time students completethe normal curriculum of six modules over a periodof 24 months, in a sequence to be arranged inconsultation with their programme convenor.Fundamentals, Dissertation and Research is takenduring the second year of study; the dissertationis submitted at the end of this second year, whichpermits part-time students two summer recessesin which to complete it.

As most modules consist of a one-hour lectureand a one-hour seminar each week, in additionto the reading and preparation which is done onan individual basis, part-time students are ableto consolidate substantially the amount of timethey spend on site. Many of the University’smodules are offered in the evenings, with aone-hour lecture followed by a one-hour seminar,enabling part-time students who are studyingand working concurrently to fit the programmeconveniently into their schedules.

Date of entry

Taught programmesAll students may begin the MA and LLMprogrammes in either September or January.Although the majority begin their programmesin September, some students may wish to take afew months away from their studies between thecompletion of their undergraduate degree and thecommencement of postgraduate studies, in whichcase beginning in January is a practical alternative.Part-time students may also find it convenient tohave the opportunity to begin in January.

Applicants considering a January start should notethat both the rhythm of the academic year and theoverall duration of the programme is different fromthat of students who opt to begin in September.However, students who begin in January have moreopportunity to undertake an internship over thesummer recess without pressure of otherprogramme commitments.

Law (the three programmes that are also offeredat the Canterbury campus) may choose to spenda term in Canterbury. Likewise, a student fromCanterbury may choose to spend a term inBrussels while, for example, pursuing an internship.

Students enrolled on the extended programmehave the opportunity to spend an entire year inBrussels and then spend a term studying at theCanterbury campus. The option to spend a term inCanterbury is also available on most of our degreeprogrammes.

For further information regarding mobilityof study location, please contact Admissionsat [email protected]

FLEXIBLE STUDYTeaching at our Brussels School isdesigned to be flexible, allowing youto balance your studies with othercommitments. Our programmes are offeredon a full or part-time basis, with start datesin January and September, and you nowhave the opportunity to combine two areasof study in one degree. We have alsorecently developed a programme of shortcourses and summer schools (see p29).


For students who begin in September, the 12-monthprogramme is organised as shown in Table 1,above. Part-time students beginning in Septemberwould follow the programme outlined in Table 2,above.

By contrast, for a student who begins in January,the programme extends to 18 months in order toaccommodate the examination cycle. You mustsit the examinations as a precondition for beingpermitted to progress to the dissertation. Theprogramme for January entry is shown in Table3, above.

If you choose to begin the programme in January,you should also note that for the purposes of somescholarships and loan schemes, the period ofregistration will be from January to June, followedby an unregistered period from June to September,followed by a second period of registration fromSeptember to April. Applicants should note thatthe months in which they are unregistered maybe unsupported by their financial aid.

Research programmesResearch students may begin their programmeat the start of any month by mutual agreement.

Mobility of study locationThe harmonised structure of the teaching yearmeans that students reading for either the MAin International Relations, the MA in InternationalConflict and Security, or the LLM in Human Rights

37

Table 1: Full-time September students

Term 1: Sep-Dec • Three modules • Guest seminars • WorkshopsTerm 2: Jan-Apr • Three modules • Guest seminars • Workshops • Student conferenceTerm 3: May-Jun • Examinations • Dissertation supervisionSummer recess • Dissertation writing

• Submission of dissertationSeptember • Examiners meeting and formal completion of the programme

Table 2: Part-time academic cycle

Year 1 Year 2Term 1: Sep-Dec • One module or two modules • Remaining one or two modulesTerm 2: Jan-Apr • One module or two modules • Remaining one or two modulesTerm 3: May-Jun • Examinations • Examinations

• Initial dissertation preparation • Dissertation supervisionSummer recess • Initial dissertation preparation • Dissertation writing and submission

Table 3: Full-time January students

Term 1: Jan-Apr • Three modules plus other academic activitiesTerm 2: May-Jun • Dissertation supervision plus other academic activitiesSummer recess • Students may work on the dissertation, or undertake summer internshipTerm 3: Sep-Dec • Three modules plus other academic activitiesJanuary • ExaminationsApril • Submission of dissertationJune • Examiners meeting and formal completion of the programme


Incoming student list-serveThe incoming student list-serve is an automaticelectronic mailing list, created for each incomingclass in order to disseminate useful information,facilitate contact between students and providea forum for asking general questions. Informationon accommodation, student visas, health insurance,enrolment, Welcome Week and many other topicsuseful in preparing for the move to Brussels is sentregularly through the list-serve. Notices of flat-shares and apartments for rent in Brussels arealso sent to incoming students through the list-serve. In addition, the list-serve enables you tointroduce yourself to your future classmates inorder to get to know them before the start ofterm and to arrange flat-shares.

Facebook groupEach year, we set up a closed Facebook groupfor all new applicants to BSIS. The group providesa good opportunity to learn more about Brussels,get to know your classmates ahead of the newterm and start your accommodation search. Youwill receive an invite to join the group once youhave been made an offer of a place to study atBSIS.

BSIS Survival GuideThe BSIS Survival Guide has been createdby the BSIS Graduate Student Union (BGSU)(see p50) and Admissions staff to provide asmuch information as possible to assist you inthe relocation process and to help you settle inBrussels as quickly as possible. The Guide isavailable to download several months before thestart of your studies to give you time to consultit while preparing for the move to Brussels.

The Guide is highly practical and informative,covering such topics as health insurance, thesearch for accommodation, transport in Brussels,registration at the local commune, medical facilitiesand banking. It also includes campus maps ofour two partner universities, the Vrije UniversiteitBrussel and the Université Libre de Bruxelles, aswell as English translations of the most commonlyused terms when searching for accommodation.

Current Student Liaison ProgrammeIt is often helpful for postgraduate study to gain theperspective of a current BSIS student. The CurrentStudent Liaison Programme connects you withcurrent students who have gone through theprocess and have volunteered to share tips andinsight. Incoming students have often found ituseful to correspond with someone following theirprogramme, someone with a similar undergraduatedegree, or someone from their home country.

Welcome WeekTo help you settle in Brussels as quickly aspossible and prepare you for academic studyat the University, a programme of administrative,academic, practical and social orientation events isheld the week before the start of term. Participationin Welcome Week enables you to start theacademic year smoothly and effectively, andprovides you with the required practical andacademic tools to begin your programme inthe best conditions.

Suggested reading listTo allow you to familiarise yourself with theessential texts for any programme of internationalstudies, a suggested reading list is sent to you inthe months before the term begins, also throughthe list-serve. The list contains core readings inthe fields of international relations and internationallaw, which are relevant to all of the programmesoffered at BSIS; some may also be part of thesyllabus of certain modules.

This list proves especially useful if you havenot studied international relations as part of yourundergraduate degree, or if it has been severalyears since you studied the subject.

Tuition payment handbookPlanning finances early is always a good idea.To allow you to plan for the payment of your tuition,a tuition payment handbook is sent through thelist-serve, which outlines the methods and modesof payment available. You may choose from oneof several payment plans so that you know inadvance when each payment instalment is due.

We recognise that preparing forpostgraduate study in anothercountry – as is the case for the greatmajority of our students – can be bothexciting and daunting. With this inmind, we provide incoming studentswith many support services andresources in order to answerquestions, address concerns and makethe transition to Brussels and yourstudies with us as smooth as possible.

INCOMING STUDENTSUPPORT SERVICES

38

Transport linksBrussels has an excellent public transport system,which makes it easy to get around the city quickly.Buses, trams and metros run on a regular scheduleand are generally very reliable.

To ride the bus, tram or metro, you need topurchase a ticket. Single ‘jump’ tickets can bepurchased on any bus or tram. When riding themetro, you can purchase a single ‘jump’ ticket inthe station where you take the metro, either fromthe ticket windows or from the automated machines(which have an English language option). Monthlyand annual passes can also be purchased at areduced cost.

Brussels also offers connections to many Europeandestinations via the Eurostar, Thalys, TGV andInterCity Express (ICE) train services. There aredirect trains to cities such as Amsterdam, Paris,London, Cologne, Frankfurt, Lyon and Marseilles.

Air travel in and out of Brussels also makes traveleasy. Most international flights go through Brussels-National at Zaventem, easily accessible by theAirport-Express bus or by one of the trains thatstop in Gare Centrale and Gare du Midi (bothof which are on a metro line). Low-cost carriershave made Brussels South Charleroi Airport a hub.

Living costsIn planning for study in Brussels, it is useful tohave a guide to approximate living costs. Luckily,Brussels is still a relatively easy city to live in on abudget. You should be able to live within the limitsset out in the table below, but some students mayspend more or less than indicated.

The prices tend to be reasonable due to this largeavailability. Studio apartments with all chargesincluded (water, electricity, gas, tenant charges)can be found for around €600-750 per month,and a one-bedroom all-included for around€650-900 per month. Most students choose toshare an apartment and this will cost approximately€380-550 per month, including utilities. Noticesof available apartments, many of which are beingvacated by outgoing BSIS students, are also sentthrough the list-serve, or online via the secureFacebook group, which is set up each year forincoming students (see opposite page), or via ourhousing blog, which includes a long list of optionswith trusted landlords.

You can usually locate an apartment within a fewdays of arrival. One of the best ways to do so isto walk around a neighbourhood that you likeand write the phone numbers of listings postedon doors of buildings. This is quite a commonpractice in Belgium, and students find that themajority of people speak at least some English.As the University of Kent’s facilities in Brusselsare conveniently located close to the studentdistrict between the Vrije Universiteit Brussel andthe Université Libre de Bruxelles campuses, muchof the housing within a short walking distance ofthe University is designed for students in layoutand price.

Average costs per week From To

Accommodation (including utilities) €81.00 €196.00Study costs Books and materials €5.00 €20.00Essential living costs Food €35.00 €65.00

Clothes (essential replacements) and laundry €6.00 €25.00Personal items (including toiletries) €5.00 €15.00

Socialising costs Socialising (including sport) €25.00 €70.00Phone €7.00 €20.00Travel (local) €0.00 €10.00Unexpected costs (including health or dental care) €10.00 €20.00

Total €174.00 €441.00


Below, you will find information on several keypractical issues that international students shouldconsider when planning for their studies with us.

Visas and residencyIf you are not a resident of the EU or of a Schengencountry, you will require a visa to study in Belgium.There are several exceptions to this requirement(ie dual nationality, diplomatic passport, etc).Prospective students who are unsure if they willrequire a visa are asked to check with their localBelgian consulate or embassy. American studentsshould be aware that a visa application will requirean FBI background check; as this will add extratime to the process, it is important to apply early.See Belgium’s Federal Public Service website:http://diplomatie.belgium.be/en for visa-relatedand other useful information. During the applicationprocess, the admissions team will provide detailedhelp with the practicalities of the visa applicationprocess, but the Belgian Embassy is the best firstpoint of contact.

AccommodationBrussels offers many options for students lookingto secure low-cost accommodation and is one ofthe most affordable capitals in Western Europe.One element that makes the search for housingeasier is the flexibility of the Brussels housingmarket. As there are many students and peopleworking as stagiaires at the European Parliament,NATO and other institutions, there are usuallypeople leaving their apartments who are lookingfor others to take over their leases.

The majority of students studying at the Brussels School of InternationalStudies come from outside Belgium. While studying abroad – and especiallystudying international affairs abroad – provides a unique and horizon-broadening experience, we recognise that the prospect of taking care ofpractical issues such as visas, accommodation and transport can be a littledaunting.

RELOCATING TOBRUSSELS

39

“BSIS staff’s genuine interestin my personal progress as anapplicant and as an incomingstudent made me feel welcomeand confirmedmy decision toattend. I now see that the effortand accessibility that I firstexperienced via email is real,live and ongoing.”

Sarah SommerGermanMA International Relations

CONTINUED OVERLEAF


Timeline Full year in Brussels

Between October andApril

Submit application; make sure you supply all the necessary supportingdocuments. We aim to respond to applications within ten working days.

As soon as you have met the terms of any conditional offer, please informus. International students, see below*.

Explore funding opportunities, such as the BSIS Scholarship fund, to findout what support is available for your studies.

May Most scholarships have deadlines around May, although some may belater.

Join the incoming students’ Facebook group, meet fellow students andstart researching life in Brussels.

Before June 30 Non-EU students should have applied for their visa by this time via theBelgian Embassy.

July/August Begin accommodation search.

September Module selection for autumn term.

Induction and registration; register for language classes.

October Library inductions.

Module selection for spring term.

December End-of-term module evaluations.

January Spring term begins.

March Dissertation proposal submitted.

April End-of-term module evaluations.

May Summer term; dissertation research and preparation begins.

September Submit dissertation.

November Degree result announced.

Graduation in Canterbury Cathedral.

*International student visa applications: if youhave been given an unconditional offer, or whenyou have met the conditions of your conditionaloffer, you should apply for your visa. To apply foryour Belgian visa, go to the Belgian consulate that serves your jurisdiction. To apply for your UKvisa, you will need a Confirmation of AcceptanceStudies (CAS) number, which the University of Kentwill email to you once you have accepted our offerand no more than three months before the startof your course. For details, see www.kent.ac.uk/studentimmigration/applying-for-a-visa

TimelineThe timeline, right, gives you a brief rundown ofwhat you need to do and when you need to do itfrom the application process to graduation. It alsooutlines how your programme is structured. Pleasenote, we are happy to accept applications for ourprogrammes at any time, but we would stronglyrecommend that you apply at least three monthsin advance of your start date.

For further details, please seewww.kent.ac.uk/brussels


CAREEROPPORTUNITIES

At the University of Kent, we are committed to enhancing the employabilityof all our students, equipping you with the right skills to successfully enterthe competitive world of work.

By studying in Brussels’ richly internationalenvironment, you are able to enhance your culturalawareness as well as acquire additional languageskills, which are invaluable assets for manyemployers.

Transferable skills trainingTransferable skills are those which, once learned,can be used in different contexts. They include ITand information management skills, interpersonalskills, teamworking and leadership skills, and anunderstanding of business and commerce.

An increasing number of employers have identifiedthe importance of these skills as a complementto academic knowledge. At BSIS, we help you togain these skills through your academic studiesand also through participation in University-wideinitiatives, such as Kent Graduate School’sResearcher Development Programme (see p28).

Internships in BrusselsWe have fostered excellent relations withthe Brussels community, which creates manyopportunities for students to pursue internships.Through agreements with prestigious employers,the University is able to offer around 20-30 high-quality internships per year that are dedicatedexclusively to our Brussels students. In addition,BSIS students and alumni comprise a tightly knitnetwork through which internship opportunitiespass frequently.

Some of these internships are paid (non-EUstudents have the right in Belgium to apply fora work permit allowing them to work 20 hours aweek) and others are voluntary. These internshipsoffer great exposure, the chance to build a networkand the opportunity to collect primary material foryour dissertation.

Careers adviceThe School has a dedicated careers adviser whoprovides advice and coaching services to studentsthrough workshops, seminars and individualmeetings. Working with our careers adviser duringthe academic year will maximise your potential toidentify and obtain employment after graduation,in Brussels or elsewhere.

Many of the organisations and their humanresources personnel here in Brussels are familiarwith the University, which can be beneficial in theapplication process. There is also a large numberof alumni still in Brussels, who often send noticesof positions through the list-serve network to whichall current BSIS students are subscribed.

The BSIS Alumni NetworkBSIS students and alumni have created a livelyand thriving network that communicates on manylevels to keep alumni in touch with each other,with the University, with current students and withdevelopments in the many fields of internationalaffairs studied at the School. This work includesco-ordinating reunions and receptions throughoutthe world (with a particularly active chapter inWashington, DC), maintaining a website andrunning an active email list of opportunitiesand ideas.

Building on this success, the Alumni Forum hasbeen established, which meets four times a yearto bring together alumni and students to discusscurrent affairs. Alumni have also agreed to becontacted by students to share their experiencesin their respective fields and to help where possiblewith internships and employment.

Further informationFor more information on the careers help weprovide at the University of Kent, visit ourEmployability web page at www.kent.ac.uk/employability

The location of our Brussels centre in ‘the capitalof Europe’, our multidisciplinary approach, ourstandard of academic excellence and theunparalleled internationalism of our student bodyprovide you with a unique educational and lifeexperience, opening up numerous career pathswithin the international arena.

Graduate destinationsKent has an excellent record for employment: 98%of our postgraduate students who graduated in2016 found a job or further study opportunity withinsix months. Graduates of the Brussels School ofInternational Studies enjoy a very high successrate in pursuing their chosen careers shortly aftergraduation. Some who undertake internshipsduring their studies are offered contractsimmediately after graduation and opt to remain inBrussels. Others have joined their home country’sdiplomatic service, entered internationalorganisations, or have chosen to undertake a‘stage’ at the European Commission or anotherEU institution.

Many of our students, however, venture furtherafield. Recent BSIS graduates, for example, havehelped to set up elections in Afghanistan; othershave monitored elections in Iraq, throughout theBalkans and in Africa. A large number of BSISgraduates have either joined or have themselvesstarted NGOs and charities focused on these orother regions. Others have returned home well-equipped to pursue careers in internationalcommerce, finance, government and law.

For all these reasons, the BSIS alumni baseextends from the United Nations to BP, fromthe US Department of Homeland Security tothe International Criminal Tribunal for the formerYugoslavia (ICTY) at The Hague, spanning avariety of activities and professions. Recentgraduates have found careers in organisationssuch as Greenpeace, Oxfam, NATO, the UKForeign Office and the European Parliament.

Benefits of advanced studyEmployers recognise that a postgraduatequalification demonstrates a wide range of skills.During your studies at BSIS, you acquire a highlevel of academic knowledge and specialist skillswithin your subject area. We also help you todevelop general skills that are essential to theworld of postgraduate employment, such as theability to adapt to challenges, analyse complexreal-world problems and develop original ideas.

“BSIS is a perfect place to starta career if you want the rightcombination of academic rigourand professional opportunity.My network at the Schoolhelped me get a ‘stage’ withthe European EnvironmentalBureau and I now work inWashington, DC on globalwarming policy for anAmsterdam-based NGO –I wouldn’t have secured thisposition were it not for myexperience at BSIS.”

Kyle AshAmericanLLM International Law with International Relations, nowSenior Legislative Representative, Greenpeace USA


GRADUATE PROFILES

Moritz Pieper graduated fromKent with a PhD in InternationalRelations and now works as aLecturer in International Relationsat the University of Salford.

What attracted you to Kent and to thisparticular programme?

I already knew Kent from my Master’s degree(International Relations Double Award betweenCanterbury and the Higher School of Economicsin Moscow). My decision to go to Brussels for myPhD was primarily motivated by the presence ofmy supervisor there. In addition, being on thedoorstep of many embassies, think tanks andresearch institutes was also critical for my PhDresearch in international relations.

How were your studies? What did you find particularly inspiring or interesting?

For my Master’s I studied International Relationsin Euroatlantic and Eurasian Communities. Formy PhD project at BSIS, I researched Chinese,Russian and Turkish foreign policies towards theIranian nuclear programme. My dissertation hasbeen published by Routledge (Hegemony andResistance around the Iranian Nuclear Programme:Analysing Chinese, Russian and Turkish ForeignPolicies, 2017).

I have benefited from the advice from lecturers whoare often internationally recognised experts in theirrespective fields, and have enjoyed the experienceof learning from diverse educational backgroundsin China, Russia, Turkey and Europe, as a result ofmy PhD-related travels.

Was the course flexible enough to allowyou to pursue your own passions?

I spent two months in China on fieldwork for myPhD and travelled back home by the land routevia Mongolia and Russia. As a by-product of thatjourney, I published a travel writing book in 2016(Vom Gelben Meer bis zum Atlantik: Eine Reisemit der Transsibirischen Eisenbahn). Kent enabledme to pursue my travel and writing passions, asa result of which I was able to explore differentpublishing media and reach out to differentaudiences. Such first-hand experiences areinvaluable and can determine job and life choices,so I am very grateful for this opportunity. Withoutthe financial support I received from Kent in theform of a doctoral scholarship, my PhD studieswould not have been possible, and I am thankfulfor this privilege.

How do you think your course haschanged you?

I was fortunate to have been surrounded by manyfantastic fellow students and colleagues who haveenhanced my research experience in many ways.

Throughout my time at Kent, I have travelled aroundthe globe – from Turkey, Russia and the UnitedStates, to China and all over Europe. Thisprogramme has changed me as a person becauseI did not travel alone: my PhD programme turnedacademic interactions into friendships for a lifetime,and I was continually encouraged and supportedby my supervisors and mentors, some of whomhave become friends during this process. I maynot have become wiser, but I recognise that bigprojects (such as undertaking a PhD) are alwaysmore enjoyable with a network of many supportivefriends – which I have found at Kent.

How did you enjoy your time at Kent ingeneral?

I enjoyed my time in Canterbury as a Master’sstudent, touring the iconic English pubs in thisquaint city, as much as I have enjoyed my time atBSIS with the beautiful cities of Leuven and Gentreachable within a 30-minute train ride. Brusselshas lots to offer, too; from great bars, museumsand exhibitions to perfect travel connections toGermany, France and the UK.

In what way has your degree helped youfind work/further study?

I have gone into academia and have startedto work as a lecturer in international relations –something that would not have been possiblewithout my doctoral studies at Kent, or indeedwithout the advice and support of my supervisorsand mentors there.

I like the intersection between academic researchand policy-relevant input. The benefits between theacademy and decision-makers should be mutual:international relations research depends on inputfrom the policy communities, and if we can feedback some of our findings into the latter, we are notonly answerable to a handful of peers, but acquirea wider societal relevance beyond that ‘ivory tower’.Political scientists these days have to transcenddisciplinary divides and act as ‘public intellectuals’to shape an informed public debate on the issuesthat matter. This does not make us less ‘academic’,but requires us to be able to speak to differentaudiences.

What would you recommend aboutstudying at Kent?

Kent is a strong research university, isinternationally well connected and is perfectlylocated, with European centres in Brussels,Paris, Rome and Athens. It is a great place tostudy International Relations in the heart of Europe.


Elena Seiffert graduated fromKent with an MA in InternationalMigration Studies and now worksat the UNRefugee Agency.

What attracted you to studying at Kent?I chose to study at Kent because it offered aninterdisciplinary programme specific to my areaof interest, International Migration Studies. Itallowed me to approach my area of study througha variety of different perspectives.

What did you particularly enjoy?I enjoyed the opportunity to spend so much timelearning about a subject which interested me somuch. I found my Forced Migration Studies courseto be particularly inspiring thanks to the professor,who had extensive experience in this domain.Through this course we also had the opportunityto travel to Geneva to meet with representatives ofvarious organisations working in migrant issues.

I also very much enjoyed living in Brussels wherethere were numerous opportunities to engage withorganisations working with migrants within the city.

What about the teaching?We had some excellent and engaging professorsat Kent. I was particularly inspired by my professorfor Theories of Conflict and Violence who hadextensive field experience and great passionfor her work which came out in her teaching.

How would you describe your fellowstudents?There was a good group of fellow students. Inparticular, I enjoyed getting to know students withsimilar interests to my own and a variety of differentexperiences and backgrounds through theMigration Forum.

What did you gain from the course?It helped me to develop my critical and analyticalthinking. I find that I often think back to what Ilearned in several of my courses at Kent in differentsituations – both professionally and in my daily life.

What careers advice did you receive atKent?We had career advice forums/workshops, whichwere helpful. I kept my notes from these afterwardsand refer to them when writing cover letters,updating my resume, or preparing for new jobinterviews.

In what way has your degree helped youfind work?The degree has helped me to view my work inmigration with an analytical lens, and to think morein-depth about issues. I am currently working forthe Resettlement Unit at the UN Refugee Agency,and plan to continue in this field.

What would you recommend aboutstudying at BSIS?I would recommend Kent (BSIS) for its location, asBrussels is a diverse and interesting city, with manyvolunteer and internship opportunities. I would alsohave to say the academic staff; they were verypassionate about their area of study and hadextensive experience in their field.

Dario Sabbioni graduated from Kentwith an MA in Political Strategy andCommunication and is now aDiplomat with the Italian Ministryof Foreign Affairs and InternationalCooperation in Rome.

What attracted you to this particularprogramme?I chose this Master’s programme as I wanted to get a degree which could get me the skills to enterthe job market in the capital of Europe. Studying in Brussels, with the countless events in theinstitutions and the many training opportunitiesoffered by the School, definitely made it the bestchoice.

How were your studies?It was very easy to find my way through my studies,because I was helped by the academic staff todevelop my own path and research interests. Ifocused on the issue of EU public communication:how to engage people in the EU public sphere,how to make them aware of the European project,how to better communicate the results andachievements of European integration. In theend, choosing my area of study was mucheasier than expected.

What about the teaching?Teaching at Kent was completely different fromeverything I had experienced before in the Italianeducational system. Interactive classes, constant

dialogue with teachers and fellow students, greatopportunities for networking and, most importantly,the feeling of being an active part of the learningprocess.

Was the course flexible enough to allowyou to pursue your own passions?I had the time to enjoy the vibrant cultural life ofthe city, to create my own network of practitionersin the institutions, which then helped me to finda traineeship in Brussels. Being able to balancethe studies and the social life was one of the keyelements that in the end allowed me to be fullysatisfied with my time at BSIS.

What careers advice did you receive atKent?We had very interesting career workshops withElizabeth van den Bergh, who is an expert traineron career coaching. Since the job market inBrussels is pretty narrow, and mostly focused onpublic affairs and more ‘institutional’ jobs, it is veryeasy to create your own career path. Talking withthe right people, with extensive experience in EUaffairs, was the best advice for my career.

What did you gain from the course?I gained a hands-on experience of EU politics,which is exactly what I was aiming for. The realmof EU politics is a complex environment and theonly way to be successful is to understand itprofoundly. Before my BSIS experience, I was ‘lost’in front of the many acronyms, public figures and

institutional mechanisms. At the end of the course,I was able to grasp the complex interrelationsbetween the many different players.

How did you enjoy your time at Kent ingeneral? I had a great deal of fun with colleagues and otherexpats working/studying in Brussels. We createda small community of people living together in thesurroundings of the BSIS, which made it possiblefor us to study together and to share also our freetime.

What advice can you offer potentialstudents of BSIS?In today’s world we need to adapt to the differentaspects of social and political life. My awarenessand experience of this was definitely heightenedby my course at Kent. Studying at BSIS, youwill get the best teaching experience the rightopportunities to develop the best career possible.


Sarah Somer graduated fromKent with an MA in InternationalRelations. She is now a SeniorProgramme Manager for theEuropean Programme forIntegration and Migration.

What attracted you to Kent and to thisparticular programme?

I decided to study for the International RelationsMA at BSIS for multiple reasons. Firstly, thestructure of the course allowed for a lot of flexibilityand the possibility to include modules from otherinternational programmes such as InternationalMigration; this was key to my decision. I knew Iwanted to approach my studies from a specificangle, based on my interests, and found thisopenness at BSIS.

The location in Brussels provided a uniqueopportunity for me to explore work in the ‘capitalof Europe’, as my main focus was EU politics.I have always been most interested in applyingwhat I learn in theory and knew that studying alonewould not give me the complete picture I looked for.

Finally, I had a great interest in studying at aBritish university again because of the open,independent study approach that they provide.

How were your studies?

I enjoyed my studies a lot and often found it toughto choose from the variety of modules offered.Most of the modules I picked were actually notpart of the International Relations programme.I particularly enjoyed the law courses, migrationand negotiation, and mediation which all inspiredme for when writing my thesis.

What did you think of the teaching atKent?

All teachers were very approachable and wellorganised. The invited guest speakers broughta fresh perspective and more job-specificviewpoint into the debates. It was also great tohave exchanges with teachers from Canterburyas well, which encouraged exchanges with theprogramme based there.

Was the course flexible enough to allowyou to pursue your own passions?

The IR programme is particularly flexible in itsformat.I would have appreciated a bit moreflexibility for those of us who worked alongside ourstudies. It was very challenging for me to juggle thetwo at times and I would have liked more freedomregarding lecture times and assignment deadlines.

How would you describe your fellowstudents?

BSIS is like a family and this feeling was there fromthe very beginning. My fellow students came fromall over the world, with very different backgroundsbut all with similar interests. Coming together inBrussels with the same motivations created a

strong bond that continued beyond the time of ourstudies. The learning atmosphere was always openand accepting, both in and out of the classroom.

How do you think your course haschanged you? What did you gain from it?

I believe that my studies at Kent have made memore open to a more diverse set of opinions andencouraged me to pursue my own interests insteadof following strict curricula. I have developed muchmore confidence in myself and my thoughts.

What about the social life?

The social life connected to studying at BSISsignificantly contributed to the positive experience.Fellow students, but also teachers, formed afamily-like environment that was supportive asmuch as entertaining. The sports and social eventsorganised by the University could have been morediverse but then BSIS is a small entity in Brussels.

What careers advice did you receiveat Kent?

The careers advice provided during our studieswas eye-opening to me as I had never receivedsimilar training before. As a consequence, Ibecame much more confident in applying forpositions but also, I really benefited from tipsregarding network building and in recognisinggood job profiles. It was very helpful to have thissupport from the very start of our studies so asto be encouraged to prepare early for the highlycompetitive job market in Brussels. This experiencehas also helped me in in hiring staff for myorganisation.

In what way has your degree helped youfind work?

The Brussels location certainly helped me getinto the Brussels job market but the modulesthemselves, particularly those on migration andinternational law, were extremely useful. Havingdeveloped a diverse profile thanks to the flexibilityof my programme, together with the opportunityfor specialisation, gave me just what I needed formy first job application – which was successful!I am still working for the same organisation fouryears later. In the future, I see myself using theknowledge I gained in this job for policy makingeither at EU or member state level.

What would you recommend aboutstudying at BSIS?

I do believe that the Brussels School ofInternational Studies at Kent provides a uniquestudy experience all around; from the teaching, tothe fellow students, to the location. An opportunityto go beyond an academic qualification and to beprepared for work in your fields of study isinvaluable.


RESOURCES AND FACILITIES

46 / Academic facilities and learningresources

48 / Leisure facilities and supportservices

49 / Student activitiesIn this section

“I’ve found the electronic andphysical scholarly resourcesavailable in Brussels to beworld class.”

Milo JonesAmericanPhD International Relations


By studying here – the headquarters of theEuropean Union and NATO, as well as hundredsof NGOs – you have access to numerous archives,scholars, experts, practitioners and conferencesthat thrive among the institutions of this city. As astudent at our Brussels centre, you have access toat least ten nearby general and specialist university,government and private libraries suitable forpostgraduate study. All of these libraries havesubstantial holdings in English, and an up-to-dateresearch guide on making use of them is providedwhen you register for your degree. This guide alsodetails the extensive online services to which youhave access via Kent and our partner universities,the Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB) and theUniversité Libre de Bruxelles (ULB).

University library facilitiesOur Brussels students have access to facilitieson the main VUB/ULB campuses. Although theseBrussels universities share a large campus area,they are distinct institutions, so there are twolibraries, two computing centres and two ofmost other student services.

The ULB Library catalogue, CIBLE, can beconsulted online at www.bib.ulb.ac.be The ULBLibrary consists of four main libraries and anumber of specialised libraries around thecampus. The libraries of most interest are the

You can also take advantage of specialisedlibraries in Canterbury and London (easily reachedby train) for research work, or for the preparationof your dissertation. As a student at BSIS, you areregistered as a student of the University of Kent,which gives you access to the facilities at thecampus in Canterbury, where the TemplemanLibrary has strong holdings in the area of politicsand international relations and mediation.

There are many regional and specialist librariesin London and other centres which all membersof the School of Politics and International Relationscan use, subject to conditions, such as theChatham House library at the Royal Institute ofInternational Affairs in London. The School hasproduced a library guide that provides both afull introduction to international relations resourcesat the University’s main library and a substantial listof library resources in London for students ofinternational relations.

law library, the library for human sciences andthe library at the Institute for European Studies.Approximately two million books and journalsare housed in these libraries.

The VUB Library catalogue is available online atwww.vub.ac.be/BIBLIO/index_en.html The Librarycontains some 400,000 volumes. Most of thesecan be found at the central library; the remainderis decentralised in various departments andfaculties around the university.

Other libraries and researchresourcesThere are many libraries relevant to internationalrelations only a short metro ride from our Brusselscentre. Among these are: the Central Library of theEuropean Commission, the Library of the Embassyof the United States of America and the Library ofthe Catholic University of Brussels. You can alsomake use of the Royal Library and the Library ofthe Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Belgium, botheasily accessible in central Brussels.

You are encouraged to join local think tankssuch as the Royal Institute for InternationalRelations of Belgium, Friends of Europe, the Centrefor European Policy Studies (CEPS) and Bruegel,and regularly attend their meetings to complementyour research.

For anyone pursuing an advanced degree in one of the many fields ofinternational affairs or international law, the opportunities for academicdevelopment and achievement in Brussels are unparalleled.

ACADEMIC FACILITIES ANDLEARNING RESOURCES

46

“The resources available bothat the School and at the nearbypartner universities provedexcellent tools for my studiesand for enhancing my skillsin academic research.”

Daniel TrupBritishLLM International Law with International Relations, nowworks for the Specialist Prosecutor’s Office of Kosovo


• LexisNexis, which contains UK case law andlegislation, and a full-text journal retrieval system

• Westlaw, which contains UK case law andlegislation

• Lawtel, which includes Human Rights Interactive,full-text legislation, case law and transcripts

• Current Legal Information for current lawdatabases and a journals index

• Index to Legal Periodicals• Zetoc, which provides online search of contents

pages of some 20,000 journals held in theBritish Library

• Clover Newspaper Index, with an index toarticles published in newspapers since 1987.

Further informationFor more information on the facilities at BSIS,see www.kent.ac.uk/brussels

For more information on the VUB and ULB,including their extensive learning resources,go to www.vub.ac.be or www.ulb.ac.be

There is also a modest number of books held onour Brussels premises to augment the books thatcan be found in the local libraries, the catalogueof which is available online.

Electronic information servicesThe University of Kent’s Templeman Libraryholds an extensive and rapidly increasing range ofelectronic sources available to students, includingonline databases (Web of Science, Social ScienceCitation Index, International Bibliography for theSocial Sciences, UnCover) and full-text journalservices (Academic Press, Wiley-Blackwell,Cambridge University Press, Taylor & Francis,Kluwer Academic Publishers and Oxford UniversityPress), all of which can be accessed remotely fromBrussels.

You also have access to the Electronic Law Library,which is an award-winning portal constructed bythe law librarian at the University of Kent. It offers:• full-text access to articles of some 1,000 law

journals• Justis, which contains law reports, including

reports on human rights• Butterworths, which includes Halsbury’s Law

Direct, Legislation Direct, All England Directand Law Direct

47


Arts and cultureBrussels is a vibrant city which attracts a diverseand young population. Tthe art scene is developingrapidly and there is a wealth of cultural events tokeep you occupied throughout the year. There isalways something going on in the city and thesurreal nature of the Belgian psyche is evidentin the murals, festivals and activities.

Sports facilitiesThe sports facilities on the VUB campus include:a 25-metre swimming pool; a football pitch, rugbypitch and athletics track; sports halls for indoorsoccer, basketball, badminton and tennis; a martialarts hall, squash courts and a climbing wall.

There is also a fitness centre on the VUB campus,which is run by the company Basic Fit. Its facilitiesinclude a modern gym and cardio area, relaxationareas, a solarium and a dance studio.

Health centreBoth the VUB and ULB have a medical serviceon campus, providing preventive, emergencyand general health care.

For more information about the VUB MedicalOffice, please see www.vub.ac.be/english/infofor/prospectivestudents/healthcentre.html

The ULB Medical Service can be contactedby telephone on 02 650 29 29.

Legal adviceThe Brussels Commissioner Office(www.commissioner.brussels) can advise on arange of legal questions, from rental contracts tofamily allowances and taxation. This service is freeof charge for all international residents in Brussels.

Disability support Disability support is provided by the Universityof Kent’s Student Support and Wellbeing teams,based on the Canterbury campus, in co-ordinationwith the VUB’s services. For more information,contact [email protected]

Advice and supportUniversity is a place of study, but it should also bea place where you feel at home. BSIS staff provideongoing advice and support during your studiesas well as useful information on accommodation,student visas, enrolment, orientation and practicaltips on preparing for your arrival in Brussels.All new students are encouraged to attend aWelcome Week before their studies begin.See pp38-39 for more information.

Students in Brussels also have access to a widerange of additional support services availableat the VUB and ULB.

Student counsellingThe Student Wellbeing Team in Canterburyoffer a wide range of support services acrossall University sites. You can contact them by [email protected] or via the internal Kent phonesystem from BSIS. The team are able to provideadvice and contacts locally in Brussels for anyissues that cannot be solved remotely.

As a student of the Brussels School of International Studies (BSIS), youbenefit from access to a range of cultural activities, leisure and sportsfacilities, and personal support services during your time in Brussels.

LEISURE FACILITIES AND SUPPORT SERVICES

48

“The staff in Brussels arealways available if you haveany concerns or problems.That’s a very big plus forthe School.”

Claudia NocenteItalianMA International Conflict and Security

CONTINUED OVERLEAF


Guest lecturesBSIS invites practitioners from the Brusselscommunity to give guest lectures several timesa month. These lectures are an important partof the programme for several reasons. Eventsof international significance occur throughout theacademic year that could not possibly have beenanticipated in advance and so are not includedin the teaching curriculum. Guest lectures offera forum in which these events can be discussed.A range of different politicians, diplomats,journalists and others are able to discuss in deptha wide range of specialist issues, often illuminatingissues with much greater clarity than the media.The insights of such practitioners often helpstaff to identify for students those features ofinternational relations which are embedded withincurrent events, forging an excellent link betweentheory and practice.

A guest lecture committee works in conjunctionwith BSIS administration to select speakers forpresentations. These lectures are an excellent wayof hearing the perspectives of those working in thefield on current issues. BSIS is proud and gratefulto have hosted, among many others: • Howard Chase (former Director of European

Government Affairs, BP)• Martti Koskenniemi (international lawyer and

Finnish diplomat• Ambassador Vladimir Chizhov (Permanent

Representative of the Russian Federationto the European Union)

On the following pages, there are details of someof the many initiatives that have been foundedby past students of the Brussels School ofInternational Studies and that still thrive today.

Brussels Journal of InternationalStudiesThe Brussels Journal of International Studiesis run by the students and the faculty, and wasfounded in 2003. Its mandate is to establish aplatform for discussion in the field of internationalstudies for students, alumni and associates ofBSIS.

Published articles are in-depth, high-qualitycontributions to the disciplines of all programmesoffered at BSIS. Submissions are open to allcurrent and graduate students of BSIS, aswell as scholars related to the School.

The diversity of the BSIS scholars and theirtopics is reflected in the journal. Edited by currentstudents who are selected each year by the Boardof Editors, the journal is published annually inan electronic version and is available atwww.kent.ac.uk/brussels/journal.html

• Senator Alain Destexhe (Vice Presidentof the Committee on Foreign Affairs)

• Gareth Evans (President Emeritusof the International Crisis Group)

• Professor Igor Ivanov (former Russian ForeignMinister)

• General Sir Mike Jackson (former Head ofthe British Army)

• Judith Kumin (Representative of the UNHCRin Brussels)

• Edward Mortimer (formerly of the ExecutiveOffice of UN Secretary-General)

• Mehmet Ogütçü (former Director of InternationalCommunications, BG Holding Group)

• Ambassador Vladimir Rakhmanin (DeputySecretary General, Energy Charter Secretariat)

• Dmitry Rogozin (Deputy Prime Minister ofRussia)

• Dr Jamie Shea (Deputy Assistant SecretaryGeneral, Emerging Security ChallengesDivision, NATO)

• Ambassador Oda Helen Sletnes (PermanentRepresentative of Norway to the EuropeanUnion)

• Steffan Weber (Secretary General,EU-Arctic Forum)

• Aidan White (former Secretary General ofthe International Federation of Journalists)

• Sir David Warren (former UK Ambassadorto Japan)

• Ambassador Kostiantyn Yelisieiev (PermanentRepresentative of Ukraine to the EuropeanUnion).

In addition to your academic work, there are many opportunities for you to get involved in student activities outside the classroom.

STUDENT ACTIVITIES

49

“When deciding where toundertake myMaster’s degree, I asked myself where I couldmaximise my time, dedicationand efforts. The answer waseasy – Brussels! I chose BSISbecause it provides studentswith the opportunity to studyinternational law withinternational relations not onlyin the ‘capital of Europe’ but inan institution that enables youto learn far beyond the textbook.”

Sue BasuCanadianLLM International Law with International Relations


BSIS Graduate Student Union(BGSU)The BSIS Graduate Student Union(BGSU) is a self-governing body of studentmembers whose aim is to promote theinterests and welfare of students at BSISand to represent the interests and concernsof its members to the academic andadministrative staff. Through the BGSU,you have access to a wide range ofbenefits, including guest lectures,discounts, social and athletic events,networking events and more.

Representatives are elected at the start ofeach term, with positions rotating so thatsome new representatives are elected inSeptember and some in January. Theelected body of the BGSU consists ofa President, Vice-President, Secretary,Treasurer, Social Secretary, SportsRepresentative, Welfare Officer and onerepresentative from each BSIS programme.

International Justice forumInternational Justice (IJ) is a research-orientedworking group that focuses on the concept ofjustice and the application of justice within theinternational arena. It was formed to study both thetheoretical concept of justice and how the conceptof justice is utilised within the international systemby both state and non-state players.

Members of the international justice groupexamine theory, delving into case studies suchas German genocides and the Nuremberg Trials,Rwanda and Burundi history and the interrelatedgenocides, atrocities and truth commissions inCambodia, the Japanese American migrationhistory and the Second World War internments,as well as concepts such as environmental justice,child soldiers, and the North–South divide. Plannedevents include viewings of documentaries, suchas Ghosts of Rwanda, S21: The Khmer RougeKilling Machine and Auschwitz – Inside the NaziState. There are also organised field trips – forexample, IJ has visited Auschwitz and The Haguein recent years.

Migration Studies ForumThe mission of the Migration Studies Forum isto take the topic of international migration outsidethe classroom. Members have attended eventsheld at the European Commission, the UN, theCentre for European Policy Studies and theCervantes Cultural Centre. The Migration StudiesForum has also organised a visit to the offices ofthe International Organization for Migration in orderto discuss several key programmes with staff there.The Forum is open to any student interested ininternational migration.

Strategic Affairs ForumThe Strategic Affairs Forum is a discussion groupfor a broad range of issues, such as geopolitics,terrorism, military matters and global economicissues, among others. Our goal is to have livelydiscussion on relevant issues that have a long-termimpact on global events.

The Forum is not restrictive and all studentsinterested in the discussion topics are welcometo participate. At the end of each meeting, thereis a small social event, so that discussion cancontinue and other topics can be addressed.

International DinnerAt BSIS, an annual formal High Table Dinner isheld to mark the end of the teaching year, to whicha guest is invited. The guest is normally a diplomat,politician or senior member of an internationalorganisation. A committee of students choosesthe venue and plans the event, often organisingthe evening around a particular internationaltheme. The Dinner is always well attended bystudents, staff, alumni and their guests, and isone of the most anticipated events of the year.

Environmental ForumThe Environmental Forum (EF) was establishedin 2006 by a group of students interested indoing their part to educate and advocate forenvironmental rights. EF’s mission is to helpcreate awareness within the BSIS communityabout environmental concerns and publiciseongoing events, within Brussels and beyond,which relate to the environment. EF producesan e-newsletter EnviroMENTAL, which includesa campus focus, tips on a more environmentallysustainable lifestyle, recent relevant articles andupcoming events. Events have included screeningsof the documentary film An Inconvenient Truth anda fair trade coffee and tea day.

Meetings are an open forum for discussionabout environmental issues and a chance tobrainstorm new initiatives. EF looks forward tocontinuing to challenge peers and faculty to makeenvironmentally friendly choices, and to creatingpartnerships within the VUB and ULB to supportin-house initiatives.

“For me, studying at BSISwas very rewarding andhas prepared me well for thechallenges that I currently facein my career. I am nowworkingas a foreign service officer forCitizenship and ImmigrationCanada and am awaitingnotification of my firstinternational posting.”

Hugo GenestCanadianMA International Conflict and Security


FEES ANDFUNDING

52 / Tuition fees andfinancial supportIn this section

Brussels School of International Studies tuition fees

Course Award Fee (€)

Taught programmesFull-time 90 ECTS MA/LLM 17,960Full-time 120 ECTS MA/LLM 25,560

Research programmesFull-time PhD 9,420Part-time PhD 4,710

Please note that the Two Capitals and the part-time programmes (two years) are subject to a different fee structure.For further information, please contact Admissions on [email protected]


Fees are correct for 2018/19 and represent thecost of one year of study only; fees for 2019/20will increase year on year by no more than RPI+3% in each academic year of study exceptwhere regulated. Where fees are regulated(such as by the Department of Education orResearch Councils UK), they will be increased byan amount up to the permitted increase. For themost up-to-date information on tuition fees, seewww.kent.ac.uk/brussels/studying/fees

University of Kent, BrusselsscholarshipsEach year, BSIS awards over €110,000 worth ofscholarships to its postgraduate taught (MA/LLM)and research (PhD) students. In each case, theScholarship Board is looking for the very best andbrightest students, but also those who show thegreatest potential. For further information, seewww.kent.ac.uk/brussels/studying/fees/scholarships.html

Payment of tuition feesBSIS students have several options for payment.Tuition fees paid in full at registration attract a 2%discount. BSIS also makes available two structuredtuition fee payment plans, which are interest-freeand allow students to spread their fee paymentsover the duration of their studies. Students sign upfor a selected payment plan and hand this plan tothe BSIS Finance Officer during Orientation Week.

The annual tuition fees for 2018/19 are listed below. Brussels Schoolof International Studies programmes are charged in euros rather thansterling and there is only one fee regardless of student origin.

TUITION FEES ANDFINANCIAL SUPPORT

52

“It was a privilege to be awardedone of the BSIS scholarships,which enabled me to undertakemy Master’s degree andsubsequently experience all thefantastic opportunities the city of Brussels provides for politicsstudents.”

Dario SabbioniItalianMA Political Strategy and Communication


Fulbright Commission awardsThe Fulbright Commission has awardsavailable for US citizens who wish to undertakepostgraduate study at the University of Kent.For further information, seewww.kent.ac.uk/scholarships/postgraduate/international/fulbright_commission.html

Canada Student LoansStudents from Canada may be interested tonote that we accept Canada Student Loans. Forfurther information, please contact our ForeignLoans Unit at [email protected]

Students from developing countriesOverseas Bursary CommitteeThe Overseas Bursary Committee is normallyable to offer one or more awards each year tooverseas students who are unable to completetheir education in their own countries because ofreligious, political, social or cultural persecution.For further information, see www.kent.ac.uk/brussels/studying/fees/dev-countries.html

Additional sources of fundingJean Monnet Scholarship SchemeWe have been welcoming students from Turkeyon the Jean Monnet Scholarship Scheme for manyyears. The scholarship covers tuition fees and livingcosts, and is awarded competitively.

Financial supportGeneral schemes administered by the University ofKent are outlined below. Please note that studentsare eligible to apply for US Federal and CanadianGovernment Student Loans, Fulbright and JeanMonnet Scholarships, and a variety of EU stateeducation funding initiatives. BSIS is also aparticipating member of the Erasmus ExchangeScheme and Erasmus+ loan scheme. In addition,students legally registered in Belgium are eligiblefor a work permit allowing them to work for up to20 hours a week.

UK and EU studentsProfessional and Career Development LoansProfessional and Career Development Loans arecommercial bank loans that students can use tohelp pay for work-related learning. To be eligible,you must be an applicant to an approvedprogramme of study and have been resident in theUK for at least three years. For further information,see www.gov.uk/career-development-loans

US and Canadian studentsUS Federal and private loansUS students are eligible for Federal or private loanswhen attending the University of Kent. Candidatesshould contact our Foreign Loans Unit [email protected] before applying.

There are also funding opportunities for studentsfrom Scandinavia, Germany and Italy; these canbe found at www.kent.ac.uk/brussels/studying/fees/finance-aid.html

European CommissionThe European Commission has launched a pilotproject in which it offers scholarships for studentsfrom Russia and the European Neighbourhoodcountries intending to enrol for an MA programmeon the European Union. For further information,see www.kent.ac.uk/brussels/studying/fees/additional.html

Further informationFor more up-to-date and detailed informationon the financial awards listed here, seewww.kent.ac.uk/scholarships/postgraduate

53

HOW TO APPLY


55 / Entry requirements and applications57 / Come and visit usIn this section

55

ENTRY REQUIREMENTS AND APPLICATIONS

Below, you will find information on entry requirements and applicationprocedures for all our postgraduate degree programmes in Brussels.

conditional upon receipt of the official transcriptwith an acceptable result (see under Entryrequirements, left).

Two letters of referenceFor online applications, email addresses ofreferees must be provided as referees will beasked to submit references via our secure website.References must be originals and must be inEnglish. Photocopies and translations will beaccepted only if they have been certified as truecopies by the issuing authority or by a certifiedtranslator. Referees listed on applications madeonline will receive an automated email requestinga reference. Email addresses must be official.

Letters of reference should be from those whohave known you in an academic capacity andare familiar with your academic abilities. Ideally,a reference letter will discuss: how well and inwhat capacity the referee knows you; a statementon your academic performance and how thisreflects your potential; your ability to work withothers, particularly in a multicultural environment;and your potential to make a contribution tointernational affairs.

The University recognises that many applicantsare mid-career professionals for whom it may besome years since they studied at a university andthat such applicants may experience difficultiesin obtaining academic references. In such cases,letters of reference from employers may beaccepted, provided the referees are supervisorsor others in positions more senior than you.

Evidence of English language abilityWhere English is not your normal working or mothertongue, evidence of competence in written andspoken English must be included (see underEntry requirements, left, for acceptable evidence).

Research proposalIf you are applying for a PhD programme, it isstrongly recommended that you contact BSIS inthe first instance so that you have an opportunityto discuss your study plans with a member ofacademic staff.

You should then submit a brief research proposalof approximately 3,000 words, outlining theresearch project you wish to undertake. The topicof the proposal is assessed for its content and itsmerit, but also within the context of the supervisoryskills available within the University. While there is awide range of expertise available, it is sometimesthe case that an applicant’s proposal falls outsidethe range of specific subject knowledge in theUniversity, or that the member of staff withexpertise in the applicant’s chosen research fieldhas already taken on the maximum number of PhDcandidates he or she may supervise.

Applying to the Brussels Schoolof International StudiesYou may apply for any of our taught or researchdegree programmes at www.kent.ac.uk/brussels/studying/admissions

If you wish to pursue a secondary specialisationalongside your chosen taught degree, you shouldinitially apply for a single programme of study inthe area that interests you most. You will then havethe opportunity to choose a secondary area ofstudy through the modules you select once youhave enrolled at BSIS.

If you are interested in taking part in the TwoCapitals experience, you should initially apply forone of the following programmes: MA InternationalRelations, MA International Conflict and Security,MA EU External Relations, MA InternationalDevelopment or MA International Political Economy.You are expected to have completed the taughtmodules of your chosen programme and haveachieved an average of a Merit before applying forone of the exchanges as part of the Two Capitalsprogramme. A decision on whether you maytransfer to the Two Capitals programme will bemade in May for those students who started theirMaster’s in the previous September.

There is no requirement to inform us of yourinterest in pursuing either the secondaryspecialisation option or the Two Capitalsprogramme prior to joining the School.

Entry requirementsAll applicants for the MA and LLM programmesat BSIS must possess a Bachelor’s degree orequivalent. Applicants to the PhD programmesmust have at least a Master’s-level degree. TheBachelor’s degree should normally be at leastequivalent to an upper second class honoursdegree from the British system (or at least a 3.0GPA under the American system). We accept awide range of qualifications and you can findthe general entry requirements for somecountries on the University’s main websitewww.kent.ac.uk/internationalstudent/countriesIf your country is not listed or you need furtherclarification, please contact the School directlyat [email protected]

Suitable first degrees include: Anthropology,Economics, History, International Relations, Law,Political Science, Psychology and Sociology. Weencourage diversity and the many insights intothe disciplines that those with other academicbackgrounds can bring. We also recognise that

those with different specialisations often becomeinvolved in international affairs through the courseof their careers and wish to gain insight andexperience through academic study.

English language requirementsThe University of Kent requires all non-nativespeakers of English to reach a minimum standardof proficiency in written and spoken English beforebeginning a postgraduate degree.

The minimum English language test scores arelisted below:• a British Council International English Language

Test (IELTS) with a score of 6.5 overall, including6.0 in reading and writing and 5.5 in listeningand speaking

• a Pearson Test of English (Academic) witha score of 62 overall (including 60 in all foursubtests).

Please note that the minimum English languagetest scores for LLM programmes offered by KentLaw School in Brussels are slightly higher.

Only English language tests taken up to amaximum of two years prior to the date ofregistration will be accepted for admission to theUniversity. Exceptions are sometimes made forstudents who have completed their undergraduateeducation entirely in English.

Application materialsThere is no application fee. A complete applicationwill consist of the following:

The application formYou can apply for any of the programmesby completing the online application form atwww.kent.ac.uk/brussels/studying/admissionsWhen applying, please be sure to select Brussels,as the application is used for all programmes andcampuses of the University of Kent.

An official university transcriptYou do not need to wait until your final transcriptis issued before applying to the University. TheUniversity recognises that making appropriatearrangements to study in a different country takestime and preparation, and we hope to provide youwith an indication of your chances of acceptanceas early as possible. You are therefore encouragedto send an unofficial copy of the transcript,showing the courses and grades awarded to date.This will give admissions staff an early indicationof your abilities and, on this basis, we may decideto make a conditional offer to you; such an offer is


CONTINUED OVERLEAF

“One of the best things aboutBSIS is the easy access tostaff – their friendliness andaccessibility are major plusesto studying here.”

Chris HeimAmericanMA International Relations

Contacting AdmissionsFor any application or admissions queries,or for further information about BSIS and ourprogrammes, please contact our AdmissionsOfficer at:E: [email protected] address: bsisbrusselsT: +32 2 641 1721

Please note that the above telephone number willbe answered from 10:00 to 17:00 Brussels time.

The formal offer will be made by the AdmissionsOfficer in Brussels and your offer pack will beposted to you.

Admissions attempts to keep you informed ofthe status of your application throughout theadmissions process. It is strongly recommendedthat as soon as you have received your offer, youcontact your local Belgian consulate or embassyabout obtaining a student visa as this process canbe lengthy.

Once you have been offered a place at theUniversity, your email address is placed on amailing list enabling you to get in touch withother students, as well as receive advice fromthe Admissions staff on accommodation, livingin Brussels and the Belgian visa process. You arealso able to enrol online, set up a University of Kentemail account and access course reading materialonline.

For more information on the process of preparingfor the move to Brussels and the start of yourstudies once you have been accepted, pleasesee our Incoming Student Support Servicessection on p38.

Personal statementYou are encouraged to send a letter of introductionwith the application to provide information aboutyourself that you feel is relevant to your applicationand that the Admissions Board should take intoconsideration. Letters of introduction normallyinclude: relevant academic or professionalexperience, your career goals and personalobjectives, reasons for wishing to undertake theprogramme of study and reasons why you wish to study at BSIS. You may also submit a curriculumvitae with the application if you wish. Both thepersonal statement and curriculum vitae should be uploaded during the application submission.

Application proceduresWe work on a rolling admissions basis, andapplications must be submitted by 31 July at thelatest (for a September start) and 30 November(for a January start). You are strongly encouragedto apply as soon as possible, especially if youwill require a visa to study in Belgium, or hope toapply for scholarships/funding. You are welcometo upload your supporting materials onto thesecure online application form. If your applicationis successful, you should then bring original copiesof these documents with you when you enrol at thestart of term.

University of Kent / Brussels School of International Studies56

WELCOME

57

COME AND VISIT US

If you are able to travel to Brussels, we encourage you to visit our school.Our staff members are happy to meet with you, give you a tour of the facilities,answer any queries you may have and, when possible, arrange a meeting witha member of academic staff.

If you wish to visit the Brussels School ofInternational Studies (BSIS), please contact ouradmissions staff (see Contacting Admissions onthe opposite page for details) to arrange anappointment.

Our facilities are located on the second floor ofBoulevard Louis Schmidt 2a, just across the roadfrom the campus of the Vrije Universiteit Brusseland opposite the Arsenal tram stop. When visitingus, please ring the bell marked ‘Kent’ to the rightof the door near the elevators. BSIS staff will openthe doors for you, allowing access to the elevators.

Travelling to the Brussels School of International Studies

By airThe nearest major airport to BSIS is BrusselsAirport Zavantem (BRU), which has excellenttransport links to Brussels. If you take the directtrain from the Airport to Etterbeek station, we arelocated 800 metres away. Alternatively, take theairport bus (Number 12 or 21), alight at Diamant,take tram 7 or 25 and alight at Arsenal.

By railThe Etterbeek train station is 800 metres from BSISand provides regular connections with Schuman,Brussels North and Brussels Midi stations.

By roadBSIS is situated at Boulevard Louis Schmidt2a on the corner of Waversesteenweg (Chausséede Wavre).

By tramTake the 7 or 25 and alight at the Arsenal stop,from which BSIS is situated across the road.

By metroBSIS is a short walk from the Pétillon Metro station.

By busTake bus 34 from Porte de Namur or Trône andalight at the Arsenal stop.

Mapwww.kent.ac.uk/maps/brussels


Canterbury

Brussels

Paris

London

Medway

Tonbridge

EurostarFerry

Gatwick

Heathrow

Orly

Charles de Gaulle

France

S

United Kingdom

Belgium

C

This brochure was produced in July 2017. The Universityof Kent makes every effort to ensure that the informationcontained in its publicity materials is fair and accurate andto provide educational services as described. However, thecourses, services and other matters may be subject tochange. For the most up-to-date information,see www.kent.ac.uk/ug and for full details of our termsand conditions, see www.kent.ac.uk/termsandconditions

For the University to operate efficiently, it needs to processinformation about you for administrative, academic and healthand safety reasons. Any offer we make to you is subject to yourconsent to process such information and is a requirement inorder for you to be registered as a student. All students mustagree to abide by the University rules and regulations at:www.kent.ac.uk/regulations

ONLINE VIDEOSTo find out what our students think, see our online videos at www.kent.ac.uk/brussels/about/faq.html

Kent is known as the UK’s European university, with sevenlocations across Europe and strong links with prestigiousEuropean institutions.

Situated in the ‘capital of Europe’, the Brussels Schoolof International Studies is one of Kent’s four specialistpostgraduate centres in major European capitals.We offer Master’s and PhD programmes led by world-leading academics in international studies from top-rankingschools across the University. Experienced practitionersregularly contribute to our courses and we are able to offerour students valuable work experience through a rangeof internship opportunities.

As Dean for Europe, I am responsible for the overallstrategic vision of Kent’s European centres and I am proud to welcome you to the Brussels School ofInternational Studies.

Professor Jeremy CarretteDean for Europe, University of Kent

The Brussels School of International Studies is a uniquepostgraduate centre in which students from all over theworld come to study advanced international affairs.

We welcome students from 45 countries across the globe andour staff represent 12 different nationalities, creating a trulyinternational academic community. We take advantageof our location in Brussels, the diplomatic capital andpolicymaking centre of Europe and host city to the EuropeanUnion, NATO and many other international organisations,and encourage our students to interact and make valuableconnections with these institutions. The School is groundedin an interdisciplinary spirit, creating synergies betweensubjects in law, politics and international relations.

Our teaching philosophy is highly interactive, based onactive participation, and I am delighted to welcome youto this vibrant postgraduate learning environment, whereyou will enter into debate and become a critical thinker,rather than a passive consumer of knowledge.

Dr Amanda Klekowski von KoppenfelsAcademic Director, Brussels School of International Studies

University of Kent, Brussels, Boulevard Louis Schmidt 2a, 1040 Brussels, Belgium

T: +32 2 641 1721 F: +32 2 641 1720E: [email protected] www.kent.ac.uk/brussels D

PC 124591 07/17 PUB793

Graduatestudy

BRUSSELSSCHOOL OFINTERNATIONALSTUDIES

brussels school of international studies · welcome 57 come and visit us if you are able to travel...

Documents