Karel de Grote Hogeschool
Exchange programme
- English-taught exchange programme in Antwerp, home to Europe’s second largest port and leading logistics hub.
- Explore every link in the global supply chain: from import/export and transport to warehousing, ports and logistics.
- Learn how to balance efficiency, customer demands and sustainability in a post-pandemic, fast-changing world.
- Gain insights into international business law, sales strategy, networking and innovation.
- Apply your knowledge in real-life supply chain cases and simulations.
- Connect and collaborate with classmates from across the globe.
Interested in a full bachelor programme? Discover our bachelor in Global Supply Chain Management.
More questions?
incoming.mit@kdg.be
What does this course contain?
Course in brief
In this exchange programme you combine theory with hands-on practice in one of the world’s leading logistics hubs. You will:
- Gain a solid foundation in supply chain management: forecasting, procurement, inventory, warehousing, transport and port logistics.
- Learn how to navigate import and export management, including Incoterms®, trade documents and international payment systems.
- Explore international business law, covering contracts, intellectual property, competition law and data protection.
- Develop skills in innovation and change, preparing for the challenges of a VUCA world.
- Address sustainability in logistics and transport, from carbon footprint calculations to reverse logistics.
- Choose electives such as AI in practice, sales strategy, storytelling, or networking and lobbying to tailor your programme.
- Apply your knowledge in real-life cases and simulations connected to global trade and supply chain challenges.
Course overview
You can register for a minimum of 20 credits and a maximum of 33 credits per semester.
Mandatory courses
Import and Export Management
(
3 credits
)
- Terms of delivery: Incoterms®
- Instruments of payments
- Payment of short term transactions
- Documents in international trade
- Financing of international transactions
International Business Law
(
5 credits
)
- Legal and Illegal Advertising
- Company Structures
- Intellectual Property Rights: Trademarks, Design Rights, Patents and Copyright
- International Sales Contracts
- Other contracts: Licensing and Franchising, Agents and Distributors
- Competition Law
- General Data Protection Regulation (including Consumer Protection)
Innovation and Change
(
3 credits
)
The advancement of technology and AI, climate crisis and Covid-19 have created an unpredictable and uncertain environment across business industries and society. Our VUCA world calls for a new approach to drive innovation and change, for organisations to remain competitive and relevant.
This course will help you gain insights about the importance of innovation today. We will focus on the following areas:
- Learning about change management and organisational change theories, tools and techniques
- Exploring the stages of the change process and the impact of change on the business environment
- Understanding the principles of Lean Change Management
- Analysing change in context: reasons of failure of no longer existing companies and companies being threatened now
- Discussing industry disruptions, megatrends, cross-industry evolutions and innovation principles & themes that companies need to stay relevant in the current environment and ensure the ongoing success of change
- Introducing Innovation Strategy frameworks for long-term relevance and success
- Applying and evaluating Innovation Strategy tools to set up a portfolio of innovative ideas for different business cases
Supply Chain Management
(
5 credits
)
An introduction to SCM
- SC Forecasting
- SC Inventory management
- SC Procurement
- SC operations (incl MRP & MPS)
- SC strategy & planning (S&OP, MRP2 and IBP)
- SC consolidated exercise in Excel (inventory, forecast, mrp)
- SC sustainability and reverse logistics
- SC collaboration & resilience
- SC technology & innovation
- SC performance mgmt & scenario planning
- SC warehousing
- In depth review different roles in SCM: sales&marketing, logistics, manufacturing, purchasing & finance
Case
- Sales & Operations Planning case with challenges (questions) on: sales&marketing, finance, purchasing, operations and logistics
Geopolitics
(
3 credits
)
This is where geography meets strategy. Explore the impact of geopolitics on globalized business and supply chains. What interests (e.a. natural resources) determine global politics? What are the current and future geopolitical challenges of an international supply chain and what consequences will they have on global business?
Understanding and facing these challenges is key to supply chain flows.
Learn how to measure potential factors such as political instability, societal polarisation and environmental concerns.
Transport Management
(
3 credits
)
Course content:
- Recap introduction transportation year1 (modes…)
- Global vs local transportation
- Transportation process
- Transportation roles&responsibilities
- Global rules & regulations, compliance
- Transport documents
- Transport cost insight (fixed, variable, price settings…)
- Sustainable transportation incl carbon footprint calculation
- New technologies in transport mgmt.
- E-commerce, last mile, uberisation
- Disruption, pandemic
Case content:
- Evaluate the different transportation modes based on distance, cost, sustainability, risk, service... and make a proposal you will report in a paper and presentation.
Maritime and Port Logistics
(
3 credits
)
- Introduction to maritime and port logistics
- Cargoes and ships
- Shipping lines
- Ports and terminals
Electives
Sales Strategy
(
3 credits
)
- Part One: Sales perspective
- Part Two: Sales practice
- Part Three: Sales environment
- Part Four: Sales management
AI in Practice
(
3 credits
)
No previous knowledge or credits required. However, this course is theoretically and practically demanding; deep engagement with the course materials and assignment is a must.
Non-exhaustive list of topics:
- Introduction to AI
- Prompt engeneering
- Different AI models and tools in practice
- AI business opportunities
- Ethical considerations and legal framework
Language course (optional)
Dutch Foreign Language for Beginners
(
3 credits
)
This course will help you to develop your skills in Dutch, the language spoken in the Netherlands and in Flanders. The learning objective is to reach level A1 of the CEFR for languages: understand and use familiar everyday basic phrases, introduce yourself and others, interact in a simple way provided the other person talks slowly and clearly and is prepared to help. However, students who are fluent in German tend to learn Dutch very fast and can reach an A2 level in one semester and will have the chance to do so. You’ll learn about the culture of Antwerp and Belgium, you’ll recognize grammatical structures (A1) and use them (A2), you’ll develop your vocabulary, listening and speaking skills and you can choose between a more interactive and fun approach or a more classical approach focusing on grammar and vocabulary.
Mandatory courses
Import and Export Management
(
3 credits
)
- Terms of delivery: Incoterms®
- Instruments of payments
- Payment of short term transactions
- Documents in international trade
- Financing of international transactions
International Business Law
(
5 credits
)
- Legal and Illegal Advertising
- Company Structures
- Intellectual Property Rights: Trademarks, Design Rights, Patents and Copyright
- International Sales Contracts
- Other contracts: Licensing and Franchising, Agents and Distributors
- Competition Law
- General Data Protection Regulation (including Consumer Protection)
Innovation and Change
(
3 credits
)
The advancement of technology and AI, climate crisis and Covid-19 have created an unpredictable and uncertain environment across business industries and society. Our VUCA world calls for a new approach to drive innovation and change, for organisations to remain competitive and relevant.
This course will help you gain insights about the importance of innovation today. We will focus on the following areas:
- Learning about change management and organisational change theories, tools and techniques
- Exploring the stages of the change process and the impact of change on the business environment
- Understanding the principles of Lean Change Management
- Analysing change in context: reasons of failure of no longer existing companies and companies being threatened now
- Discussing industry disruptions, megatrends, cross-industry evolutions and innovation principles & themes that companies need to stay relevant in the current environment and ensure the ongoing success of change
- Introducing Innovation Strategy frameworks for long-term relevance and success
- Applying and evaluating Innovation Strategy tools to set up a portfolio of innovative ideas for different business cases
Global Customs Procedures
(
3 credits
)
1. Introduction
- Customs policy as an international trade policy instrument
- Customs unions
- Free trade areas
- Free trade agreements
- Third countries
2. Discover the World Customs Organization & World Trade Organization
3. Classification of goods
- Harmonised System (HS) and nomenclature
- Determination of HS codes
- Classification of goods in customs tariffs
4. Origin of goods
- Liberalization and expansion of world trade
- Preferential and non-preferential origin of goods
5. Valuation of goods
- Determination customs value of goods
- Methods of determination
6. Customs declaration process & bringing goods into the customs territory
7. Overview of special customs procedures
Geopolitics
(
3 credits
)
This is where geography meets strategy. Explore the impact of geopolitics on globalized business and supply chains. What interests (e.a. natural resources) determine global politics? What are the current and future geopolitical challenges of an international supply chain and what consequences will they have on global business?
Understanding and facing these challenges is key to supply chain flows.
Learn how to measure potential factors such as political instability, societal polarisation and environmental concerns.
Quantitative Business Techniques
(
5 credits
)
- A selection of these topics will be covered:
- Market analysis
- Assessment of market size and calculation of potential market
- Growth-Share matrices and portfolio models (BCG, GE)
- Segmentation
- Segmentation methods and criteria.
- Segmenting based on Indices (Category Development Index, Brand Opportunity Index), consumerpanels and by means of databases.
- Analysis of a business plan
- Statistics:
- How to use regression analysis
- And how to use historic data and results to forecast sales budgets (trend impact analysis)
- Solver Add-on in Excel
- Use Solver to determine optimal sales team size
- Use solver to find optimum in production planning and inventory
- Digital Metrics: Evaluation of online marketing campaigns
- CPC, CPM, CTR, ROI
- Evaluation of campaigns on websites and emailmarketing campaigns
- Break-even calculations
- Break-even point, BE-point with expected revenues
- BE-calculations to decide upon:
- EOQ
- To outsource or insource (Production, Logistics & warehousing, Sales (wholesale & distribution),…)
- Make or buy decisions
- Profitability calculations
- NPV, IR, ROI
- Margin chains - contribution margin – markup/down
- Costing Calculation methods
- Integral /Full Costing
- Direct Costing
- Differential Costing - Incremental Costing
- TCO –Total Cost of Ownership
- Market Research - Data Analysis
- How to perform a Market Research
- Data Analysis by means of pivot tables, Looker Data Studio, PowerBI
Air Freight Logistics
(
3 credits
)
Air Freight Logistics is a key part of the Global Transport Process. You get an overview of the different aspects of airfreight end the role in supply chain management. Topics include the major air transport routes, airports, airfreight load devices, airfreight cost calculation, innovation and shipping documents. You will get insight into pharma and healthcare as key user of air freight.
Sales Strategy
(
3 credits
)
- Part One: Sales perspective
- Part Two: Sales practice
- Part Three: Sales environment
- Part Four: Sales management
Language course (optional)
Dutch Foreign Language for Beginners
(
3 credits
)
This course will help you to develop your skills in Dutch, the language spoken in the Netherlands and in Flanders. The learning objective is to reach level A1 of the CEFR for languages: understand and use familiar everyday basic phrases, introduce yourself and others, interact in a simple way provided the other person talks slowly and clearly and is prepared to help. However, students who are fluent in German tend to learn Dutch very fast and can reach an A2 level in one semester and will have the chance to do so. You’ll learn about the culture of Antwerp and Belgium, you’ll recognize grammatical structures (A1) and use them (A2), you’ll develop your vocabulary, listening and speaking skills and you can choose between a more interactive and fun approach or a more classical approach focusing on grammar and vocabulary.
Exams and re-sits
- Regular exams take place on campus in Antwerp.
- Resits are scheduled between 18 August and 3 September.
- Written resit exams are held on campus, oral resit exams and assignments can be done remotely.
When?
Autumn Semester 2026
- Welcoming Days: 16 (evening) – 17 – 18 September
- Course modules term 1: 21 September – 30 October
- Deadline changes: To be decided
- Half term holidays (1 week): 2 November – 6 November
- Examinations: 9 November – 13 November
- Course modules term 2: 16 November – 8 January (!)
- Farewell event: To be decided
- Seasonal holidays (2 weeks): 21 December – 3 January
- Examinations: 11 January – 29 January
- End of semester: 29 January
- Resit: 18 August – 3 September (written exams are held on campus, oral exams and assignments can be done remotely)
Spring Semester 2027
- Welcoming Days: To be decided
- Course modules term 3: 15 february – 26 March
- Deadline changes: To be decided
- Seasonal holidays (2 weeks): 29 March – 11 April
- Examinations: 12 – 16 April
- Course modules term 4: 19 April – 28 May
- Farewell event: To be decided
- Study week (no classes): 31 May – 6 June
- Examinations: 7 June – 25 June
- End of semester: 25 June
- Resit: 18 August – 3 September (written exams are held on campus, oral exams and assignments can be done remotely)
Welcoming days
- Autumn 2026: 16 (evening)-17-18 September 2026
- Spring 2027: To be decided
Joining the Welcoming days is mandatory and key to a successful exchange.
What to expect?
- We will introduce you to campus life, explain your daily routine and show you more of Antwerp.
- Get to know your way around all things KdG.
- Meet your classmates and potential new best friends.
- Start to feel at home and comfortable for your first KdG classes.
Detailed program will be shared via e-mail.
Study in Antwerp, Belgium
- Home to around 50,000 students and more than 170 nationalities.
- Antwerp is a safe, diverse and welcoming international student city.
- Situated on the River Scheldt, this mini metropolis is a gateway to the world.
- A perfectly located economic hub steeped in history, and always evolving.
- Brussels, Amsterdam, Paris and London all within easy reach.
Want to get a taste of student life at KdG? Follow us on Instagram!
Your main campus
- Your main campus is our Groenplaats campus in the heart of Antwerp, overlooking the the main square and cathedral, and near the Meir shopping street.
- You will occassionally have classes at one of our other campuses: Stadswaag, Pothoek, or Zuid.
- Study in the library, get together for group work, or relax in the coffeebar in any of the KdG campuses.
- Excellent bus and tram links make getting around easy. Antwerpen-Centraal station is close by, connecting you to Brussels, Amsterdam, Paris, and London.
Campus Groenplaats
Nationalestraat 5
2000 ANTWERP
+32 3 613 16 00
info.mit@kdg.be
Practical information
Student onboarding (all the essential information you need)
Guidance and support
- You are not alone. KdG staff are here to support you with your studies.
- Students with special needs can apply for individual measures, which are set down in an 'Individual Learning Certificate' (ILC). The granting of these allows for certain concessions in your education and evaluation.
- Your mental wellbeing is important for us. More about guidance and support at KdG.
Apply
Who can apply?
- We welcome all incoming students in Business Administration and Commercial Sciences & Management warmly and look forward to having you join us.
- Some more specialised courses require preliminary knowledge or skills in International Business Management.
- Only students selected in the framework of an Interinstitutional Agreement can be accepted.
English language requirements
- English level B2 recommended for active participation in courses.
- Limited English proficiency may increase the risk of failing assignments and exams; responsibility of the sending institution.
- Optional language lessons available on your own expense at the language center of the University of Antwerp (Linguapolis). Applications and fees are to be arranged directly with Linguapolis.
How to apply?
- Ask your home institution to communicate your nomination to our international incoming coordinator via our nomination form. You can request the link via incoming.mit@kdg.be.
- When you are accepted, you will receive an e-mail confirming your nomination and a link to our online registration and course selection.
- When your courses have been approved by KdG, you will receive the link to Mobility Online where you can complete the rest of your application.
Deadlines
- 1st semester (Autumn semester):
- Nomination deadline: 1 May
- Application deadline: 30 June
- 2nd semester (Spring semester):
- Nomination deadline: 1 November
- Application deadline: 22 December