Group Courses
The Chinese language courses at VUB are based on the official HSK levels (the official Mandarin Chinese language test) with the official HSK textbooks and workbooks. The new semester starts on Monday 10 February 2025 and includes 12 weeks of courses plus an examination session. The courses are organised on the VUB Etterbeek campus and can be attended online as well through live stream. All course documents and study materials are also shared online by the teacher. This makes it possible to attend the classes both online and offline. Courses are offered on 5 different levels:
| Level | Time | Duration | Description | Type | Classroom | Teacher |
| HSK 1*** | Monday 18:00 - 20:00 | 2 hours / week | Beginner low (0 - 150 words) | continuing from previous semester | TBA | Maarten GERNAY |
| HSK 1 Fast-track | Thursday 18:30 - 21:30 | 3 hours / week | Beginner low (0 - 150 words) | New class | TBA | CHENG Zhao |
| HSK 2 | Wednesday 18:00 - 20:00 | 2 hours / week | Beginner high (150 - 300 words) | continuing from previous semester | TBA | Maarten GERNAY |
| HSK 3.2 | Tuesday 18:30 - 21:30 | 3 hours / week | Intermediate low (300 - 600 words) | continuing from previous semester | TBA | CHENG Zhao |
| HSK 4.1 | Wednesday 18:30 - 21:30 | 3 hours / week | Intermediate high (600 - 900 words) | continuing from previous semester | TBA | YAO Meng |
| HSK 5 | Thursday 18:30 - 20:30 | 2 hours / week | Advanced (1200 - 1800 words)* | continuing from previous semester | TBA | QI Zhengwen |
| Reading & Conversation** | Tuesday 18:30 - 20:30 | 2 hours / week | Advanced | new class | TBA | QI Zhengwen |
*for students starting in the HSK 5 course, a self-study course is available as well.
** new concept, see below
*** In case of high registration numbers in 1 class (30+ registrations), the HSK 1 course is split up into two class groups: an early group (17:00 - 19:00) and a late group (19:00 - 21:00). Both groups are organised on Monday. Registered students will be informed in time and can move freely between both groups.
Reading & Conversation
In this course format, the class content is no longer structured around the HSK levels. Instead, the focus lies on advanced reading (news articles, literature, etc.) and topical discussion. As such, the course is designed for students who want to improve or maintain a high level of reading and oral skills. The suggested level for entry is HSK 4 or higher. Moderate reading skills and conversational fluency are required. Contact us for more information or a placement test in case of doubt.
A second class may be organised depending on the number of registrations. In that case one course will be taught on campus, the other course exclusively online for the benefit of distance learners.
Tuition Fees
The courses are designed as a full year course trajectory, but are divided in a separate module for the autumn and spring semester. The tuition fee per semester is calculated below (in EUR):
| Teacher fee | VUB admin fee | Total | Reduced fee (VUB staff/students) | |
| 2 hour course | 135 | 45 | 180 | 120 |
| 3 hour course | 165 | 55 | 220 | 160 |
The duration of each course is decided by the teacher based on the weight of the official HSK curriculum. The fee is calculated automatically based on the course you select in the registration form (at the bottom of the page). Note that when you select the 'amount' for the correct module (2 or 3 hours course), you should fill in '1'. This stands for 1 course.
The purchase of course books is not included in the tuition fee. Textbooks and workbooks can be purchased on the online bookshop for the Chinese Language Evening Courses. Before purchasing any teaching materials, contact your teacher to inform about the required materials.
General Conditions
- Students can obtain a refund if they withdraw their enrolment within two weeks before the start of the lessons; a minimum of 21% of the tuition fee is withheld to cover administration costs.
- A minimum of five students is required to run a course. If less then five students enroll for a class, the VUB retains the right to cancel the course for the semesters at any time or postpone until more students enroll.
- Students with prior knowledge of Chinese can arrange an assessment test. Please contact us to schedule an appointment for the test.
- The purchase of course books and other didactic materials is not included in the tuition fee.
- If a series of classes for which you enrolled, is moved to another day, the tuition fee can be refunded upon request if the new course dates conflict with your schedule.
- A course consists of 12 weeks with contact hours (offline or online depending on circumstances) and one exam session.
Private Courses
If you are interested in private courses, please send an email to learningchinese@vub.be to arrange further. The standard tuition fee is 40 EUR per hour, but can be negotiated according to the number of courses, number of participants and other arrangements. Please pay the tuition fee within ten days after receiving the payment request.
Bookshop
Do you need a textbook or workbook for your language course at the VUB. Find and buy all you need at our online bookshop. If the book you are looking for is not available, send us an email to get more information. Always contact your teacher before continuing to the payment of the books.
Calligraphy
Apart from Chinese language courses, the Chinese Learning School at VUB also offers calligraphy courses. Interested? Find out more here.