Wondering if business could be the right next step for you? Join Vlerick’s Summer School to find out.
Over five days of hands-on learning at our Ghent campus, you’ll get a real taste of what business is like. You’ll work on real cases, discover new frameworks, explore tools, including AI, and learn from world-class faculty, entrepreneurs and business leaders.
You’ll leave with new skills, more confidence and an enhanced CV – along with new connections, the experience and the energy to make a clear decision about your next steps.
Detailed programme
Choose the edition that’s right for you
- 6–10 July 2026: Use your summer break to explore your options.
- 14–18 September 2026: Focus your thinking before the next academic year.
Places on the programme are limited because we want to make sure all participants get maximum value from it. We’ll be welcoming a maximum of 40 participants to each edition of this highly interactive experience.
What the week looks like: Each day blends interactive teaching with highly practical team exercises. You’ll participate in challenges and connect the dots as you go, learning to present your thinking clearly. You’ll also take part in a company visit, to see real business in action.
At Vlerick’s Summer School, you’ll…
- Think like an entrepreneur: Become an innovator. Learn to spot opportunities. Develop a real business idea – and pitch it to a top entrepreneur or investor.
- Understand finance fundamentals (FAST Simulation Game): Take part in FAST. It’s our award-winning, deeply engaging way to learn key finance and accounting principles and concepts.
- Dive into negotiation: Develop the mindset and tools to succeed in negotiations. Through role play, you’ll learn to prepare, create value and manage emotion in business discussions.
- Discover your interaction style: Explore the strengths and pitfalls of your preferred way of interacting with others. Learn how to adapt your communication style to influence behaviour and increase your impact.
- Explore GenAI for business:This hands-on exercise goes beyond ChatGPT. You’ll learn how GenAI can help automate processes and enhance human intelligence. And you’ll build your own functional GenAI solution – with no coding experience needed!
- Discover strategy and competitive thinking: Explore how companies position themselves in their market and drive performance. You’ll analyse a real-world inspired situation – and turn your insights into an evidence-based recommendation.
- Learn about marketing and customer focus: Find out how organisations choose target audiences, shape value propositions and test what resonates. You’ll work on a mini go-to-market challenge and translate customer insight into action.
- And throughout the week… We’ll start with a welcome dinner so you can get to know your peers - and you’ll have opportunities to make contacts over daily lunches. You’ll connect what you learn to the real business world with guest speakers and a company visit*. And at the end of the week, you’ll receive a Vlerick certificate.
* We’ll confirm company and speaker details closer to the date.
Why this programme
- Experience the business world through hands-on activities and real-world cases
- Understand the fundamentals of business
- Explore practical business tools that support decision-making
- Get a real feel for what business school is like – and if it’s right for you
- Build a network of like-minded peers who all want to grow their knowledge
- Gain a certificate of completion to strengthen your CV
Who should attend
If you’re a Bachelor or Master student curious about the world of business and management – this programme is for you. You don’t need a background in business or economics, just a passion for learning.
Practical info
- Length: 5 days (Monday–Friday), 9am–4pm, including a welcome dinner on Monday
- Location: Ghent campus
- Language: English
Fees and financing
- €1,390 – including sandwich lunch each day.
Get in touch!
