Karel de Grote Hogeschool (KDG)

The teachers are approachable. Antwerp is a diverse city with lots of nice galeries. The content of the courses are profound.

My experience at KdG (Campus Groenplaats) has been frustrating and disappointing.

During the 2025–2026 academic year, I encountered six separate study-progress obstacles. A core course was scheduled in the same semester as my mandatory internship, even though this conflict was known in advance, and my request to resolve it was ignored. I was also forced to redo parts of a French course that I had already passed because the school refused to recognise previously acquired competences.

On top of that, my request to replace the French elective with another relevant elective (such as geopolitics or international relations) was rejected without meaningful consideration. I also asked for a reasonable alternative to the mandatory internship due to personal and neurological difficulties in high-stimuli environments, but this was rigidly refused, with no flexibility shown.

There were also privacy concerns. I discovered that 47 GB of my personal files were stored in a hidden OneDrive folder without my knowledge. Although this was eventually resolved, it seriously undermined my trust. Finally, after months of delays with my study grant, KdG refused to provide even a partial advance, causing unnecessary financial strain and a force majeure situation that disrupted my study progress.

Overall, communication was cold, distant, and dismissive, and I felt that I was not taken into consideration as a student.

The detailed cases and documentation can be found here:
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1_SorwfziCbUKWYLDf8CWdXAiSoQOSO4l/view?usp=sharing

The courses are given at an advanced level.

As a student at KdG College, my experience with the administration/ombuds has been quite disappointing. I presented several issues that were either ignored or vaguely dismissed without real consideration or emphasis, even though I communicated respectfully and based my requests/complaints on academic and legal grounds and regulations.

One issue was a scheduling (mistake) where one of my major electives was placed in the wrong semester, overlapping with my internship period. Despite requesting correction of this (error), no one ever responded. I also asked to transfer part of my previous French exam grade, since I had already passed the written part, but this was vaguely rejected without any real explanation by ombuds and Exam Board.

Later, I requested to replace the French elective with another subject that fits better with my professional/academic goals. I already speak four languages, so I felt it was unnecessary to force me to repeat a language course that doesn’t add value to my studies or future. Again, the request was despotically dismissed without any flexibility.

Finally, I asked for an internship exemption because of personal and socio-economic issues I have been dealing with that make it difficult for me to function optimally in social or professional environments due to interpersonal barriers. I provided thorough explanation of my situation using strong legal grand and references, but the ombuds responded quite inconsiderately and vaguely, in very brief words, showing a lack of understanding or empathy. I did not even receive a reply when I contacted the direction about this.

Overall, I felt like I was not being taken seriously, as if talking to a wall with the ombuds, and indiscriminated (as someone with a non-European last name), and ignored. Instead of helping students overcome sincere obstacles, the college seems more focused on despotically sticking to its rules than on supporting students’ future success.