A theme-based shared flat (called kot-à-projet or KàP in French) is a concept created by the University of Louvain (UCLouvain) which consists of between six and twelve students sharing a "kot" (student accommodation) and working together on a project. The project lasts for one academic year and can embrace cultural, social or humanitarian activities. There is a total of about 130 KàPs in Belgium gathering more than 1000 students.[1] Some KàPs have a room reserved for exchange students only.[2][3]
| Kot-à-projet | |
|---|---|
| Characteristics | |
| Type | Student Organization |
| Location | Belgium |
| Number of Kap's | About 130[1] |
| Capacity (each) | 6 to 12 persons |
| Created | 1972 |
| Founder | UCLouvain |
| Website | www |
| Kap's first started in Louvain-la-Neuve (there are almost 80 kap's now), also developed in Brussels, Namur, Mons and Liège | |
History
editTheme-based shared flats were already used in 1972 in Louvain-la-Neuve in Belgium. Louvain-la-Neuve, a university town, was built after unrest among Flemish and Dutch speaking students in the original Catholic University of Louvain in Leuven, present-day Flanders. During its creation, the city included the concept of kot-à-projet. In the beginning, these theme-based shared flats were recognized as "student organizations" and were inspired by the (mostly Christian) community houses which existed before the Dutch–French separation. Although mixed-sex accommodations remained officially banned, the university was allowed the theme-based shared flat's occupants to choose their flatmates. For this reason, the theme-based shared flats were the first mixed accommodation in Louvain-la-Neuve.
Organization
edit
Most KàPs are not legal associations, but they may organize a non-profit organization. The internal organization is adapted to student lifestyle. Depending on their academic careers, students will generally stay in the same theme-based flat for at most two or three years. Each year, this high turnover has to be compensated for by finding new people interested in taking the lead of the KàP. For this, existing members organize dinners to meet newcomers. Furthermore, to stay alive and continue to prove their utility, KàPs must defend their continued working each year to a commission. This commission is composed of UCLouvain officials and students, it examines the whole year covered by the KàPs, reads the file summary and plans for next year and then decides whether to give the KàPs an additional year on the campus.
Committee
editAll the KàPs are organized around a committee called "the organ". This committee has three main positions: the chair, who is responsible for the KàPs official representations and governs the commission in charge of listening to KàPs defense about their renewal; the treasurer, who receives subsidies from the university and from the municipality and is responsible for redistributing them to the different KàPs; and the external relations manager, who is responsible for coordinating contacts between the KàPs, the University and the City
Categorization of the projects
editThe different proposed projects of the KàPs are numerous but they can be categorized:
| Type | Description |
|---|---|
| Awareness projects | These projects defend humanitarian and ecological causes and fight against discrimination [4] |
| Student service projects | These projects provide for example the centralization of the purchasing of syllabus, the communication of information on the campus. |
| Cultural projects | These projects propose some excursion ( theater, museums, to discover film or comics,...), events,... |
| Catholic projects | Projects organizing parochial activities |
| Language projects | These project invite students to practice a foreign language outside the university context ( discussion table in a pub,...) |
Specificities of each city
editTheme-bases shared flat started in Louvain-la-Neuve but this concept has been expanded to Brussels, Liège, Namur and Mons. In total there are about 130 KàPs in Belgium.
Louvain-la-Neuve
editKàPs were invented in Louvain-la-Neuve and are hosted by the University of Louvain. The city holds over 75 KàPs, with more than 800 residents.[5][6][7][1]
Brussels
editThe medical campus of the University of Louvain, UCLouvain Brussels Woluwe, in the Brussels commune of Woluwe-Saint-Lambert, was also founded in the 1970s and started the implementation of KàPs in the Brussels region. UCLouvain holds over 15 KàPs in Brussels.[8]
Saint-Louis University, Brussels also organises kots-à-projet in its three residences in the city of Brussels and on the campus of the Université libre de Bruxelles.[9]
Namur
editAs a partner to UCLouvain, the University of Namur has developed 17 KàPs in its city of Namur.[10][11]
Mons
editKàPs started to develop in Mons in 2011, when the Catholic University of Mons (FUCaM) merged with the University of Louvain, creating the UCLouvain FUCaM Mons with four KàPs, known as 'Kots associatifs',[12] in 2019, and nine in 2022.[12]
Liège
editThe city of Liège is still developing the concept, where the University of Liège's student union started developing 4 KàPs, including FRISKOT which tackles food waste.[13][14]
References
edit- ^ a b c "Les kots-à-projets | Organe, collectif des kots-à-projet" [KAPs: Organe, the KAPs collective] (in French). July 19, 2016.
- ^ "KOT Erasmus". 2022.
- ^ "Erasmus: 5 choses à connaître avant de partir étudier à l'étranger!" [Erasmus: 5 things to know before leaving to study abroad]. MCE TV (in French). November 29, 2022.
- ^ "Vie sexuelle des étudiants : quelles initiatives sont mises en place sur les campus?" [Sex Lives of Students: Which Initiatives take place on Campus?]. La Libre.be.
- ^ "Le Guide des KAPs" [The KAPs Guide]. KAP 50 (in French). KAP UCLouvain: 1. 2022.
- ^ "Home". KapUCLouvain.be.
- ^ Flament, Jessica. "Du changement dans les kots-à-projet à Louvain-la-Neuve: voici les nouveaux venus et ceux qui disparaissent" [Change in the LLN KOTs: Here are the newcomers and those which are disappearing]. La Libre.be (in French).
- ^ "Kots-à-projets de Wolu" [KAPs of Woluwe]. organelew (in French).
- ^ "Vie étudiante - Kots à projets - Université Saint-Louis - Bruxelles" [Student Life - KAPs - Saint-Louis University, Brussels]. USaintLouis.be (in French).
- ^ "L'Àkap". www.akap-namur.be.
- ^ "L'Assemblée des kots à projet (AKàP) — Université de Namur" [The KAP Assembly (AKàP)]. UNamur.be (in French).
- ^ a b "Kots associatifs" (in French).
- ^ "KOT A PROJET | Jeunes FGTB Liège" [KAP: FGTB Young People Liège]. www.fgtb-liege.be (in French).
- ^ "Archives des kots à projet Liège" [KAPs Liège Archives] (in French).