My Exchange at KU Leuven – Law
As a law student the first part of planning was finding the list of exchange partner universities that UOA law students can attend – https://www.auckland.ac.nz/en/law/current-students/llb-information/opportunities/law-student-exchange.html
After that I needed to narrow down the list and look to see what the course offering was e.g. I’d have liked going to Keio University in Tokyo but they did not have a sufficient number of law courses in English. This stage is important for vetting potential universities. It would be good to know whether I could have done papers that are offered by the Law faculty of the host university even if they aren’t law papers per se. For example KU Leuven combines the law and criminology schools into one faculty – if I had my time again I’d have clarified earlier on whether I could take these criminology papers as it would greatly increase my course options and probably my enjoyment of the exchange as plenty of the law papers required prior knowledge which was not the case for criminology papers.
- Your feelings/first impressions when you arrived at your host university/city/country
The university is very beautiful and the international exchange team was exceptionally welcoming. You would definitely want to be present for the week of orientation as that is when they put on the most events to meet new people. It would be ideal to turn up a few days before the orientation week so that you’ve reset from jet lag and set yourself up for a good o-week.
- What your accommodation was like
I rented accommodation on the private market as I was on exchange with my girlfriend. It was newly renovated and was a good deal for two people (about $250 pw/pp) but I’d say that it would be better to do uni accommodation as that would be a better deal and probably more fun.
- What you thought of the courses/teaching at the host university
Teaching quality was high and felt similar to UOA. It’s the best uni in Belgium and one of the best in mainland Europe so we got lecturers that were regularly working as lawyers in the international criminal courts and court of justice which felt unique.
Generally most students I spoke to seem to consider KU Leuven a particularly hard university in terms of marking (I thought it was similar to UOA) and that the exam period was the hardest some had faced at uni. I found that the main issue was that there was more papers compared to UOA (6 or 7 to be considered full time) which meant that most of my time was spent studying and there wasn’t much free time.
- What the host city/country was like
Leuven is a fantastic student city, it’s highly livable, and the uni + city council regularly puts free events on – what more could you ask for? It’s pretty small though so if you’re coming for big city living choose somewhere else.
- What the cost of living was like compared to Auckland
It was roughly the same as I was sharing the cost of rent with my girlfriend and groceries are equivalent prices to Auckland. It’s really expensive to eat out though and the food is not as good as NZ.
- Extracurricular activities you took part in (travelling, clubs, sports, etc.)
Got to spend time in other cities in Belgium and visited Normandy, London and Amsterdam – Belgium is a great location, however, KU Leuven doesn’t make it easy to travel as you need to be studying a lot of the time.
Q&A
What were some of the highlights of the academic experience at your host university?
The opportunity to learn more about how the civil law legal system operates compared to a common law legal system.
Increasing my understanding of how the European Union interacts with the legal system of each country and what that means for different legal topics (in particular human rights).
Lastly, the opportunity to hear from the experiences of our lecturers who were providing advice on major cases before the ICC and ICJ or had worked in large international organizations.
Would you recommend any particular activity/activities unique to your host country or university?
You also cannot miss out on a Cantus which is an activity that involves drinking beer and singing traditional songs and is really common in Belgian fraternities but also in Germany and the Netherlands.
What are your top 3 tips for future students attending your host university or going on exchange to your host country?
Be prepared to study – KU Leuven is not an easy university (although it is very rewarding and I’ve enjoyed my classes) and most people that come here on exchange from elsewhere in Europe do so because it is a highly regarded university.
Get planning your trips as soon as possible as things do get significantly more expensive the closer you leave booking to your trip, even a month out, particularly for train journeys outside of the country.
Keep an eye out for Youth Holidays Train Cards in Belgium as they allow you unlimited train trips during the holiday periods for the price of a couple train journeys – a great way to explore the country relatively cheaply.
How much did you budget for your exchange? Was this enough? Were there any lessons learned that would help future students budget for their own exchange?
I budgeted about NZD $225 per week for my rent and $200 for groceries and other incidental expenses like the doctors or day trips – this was enough to live comfortably and do a day trip every second or third week. I’d say that you’d probably want a buffer of at minimum $50 per week in case you had accidental expenses or have savings.
Strangely eating out was also much more expensive than in New Zealand so after getting your fill of Belgian waffles and frites I’d avoid eating out too often.
What are your most significant takeaways from your experience abroad?
An experience that I’ve really enjoyed which has enhanced my studies and personal development. Would definitely do this again and would recommend to others if you’re prepared to study!
Final Comments
Applying for a visa to Belgium was probably the hardest part of this exchange (although the exams are a close second) and I would recommend figuring out how you are going to prove you have the financial means to the Belgian Embassy as early in your application process as possible as this part will most likely take the most time and was what delayed me getting my visa.
Also because French and Flemish (Dutch) are two of the official languages of the country you may see Leuven referred to as Louvain and vice-versa but do not get either of them confused with Louvain la neuve which is a totally different city!