Dondeyne House project

The Dondeyne House is not just a student residence. In the Dondeyne House students are encouraged to put their studies in a broad social-cultural context and to reflect critically on themselves, study and society. They participate in a so called 'house program': this means that they follow two seminars, participate in several social, cultural and spiritual/religious activities and twice a week put a hot meal on the table together with the other students.

House Program

Do you feel the need to ask questions about your study, yourself and society in an international environment? Do you want to know what other people from all over the world think about all these subjects? And do you like to turn your opinions and ideas into concrete actions? Then maybe our house and program is something for you!

Our ‘house program’ consists of community life, seminars, workshops and all kinds of activities. The program is based on three important pillars of our society: culture, social life and spirituality.

1. Community Life

Community life is stimulated by joint activities like cooking and celebrating but also by studying and retreat. There are different subgroups in the house which all have their own kitchen.

Kitchen
The kitchens are the heart of the Dondeynehuis. Here you cook together, deliberate, share your hopes, dreams and beliefs. This is the true school of life where you can learn for now, but also for later when you have a family or work in a company… Here you learn what it means to live together…

Celebrations
Halloween, Santa Claus, Christmas, all reasons are good as long as they contribute to an intense and warm community where every individual student can feel at home.

Studying
In the Dondeynehuis you study in your room or together at one large table. During the exams you’re never alone. Are you tired? Do you want to talk before or after a difficult exam? In the Dondeynehuis you will always find a listening ear.

Reflecting
From time to time you need to slow down. When you do this, you gain mental time for yourself and for other people. You don’t need a lot of preparation to do this. Just eating together, thinking and talking together about small and big questions while drinking a glass of beer or wine, these are all good circumstances to slow down. Once a year we retreat during a weekend by going to a quiet place, like for example the Old Abbey of Drongen (only in Dutch).

2. Seminars and workshops

Would you like to ask a professor what he/she really thinks? Would you like to tell him/her about your own ideas and opinions? In our seminars and workshops professors and guest speakers take you on a trip to learn about their discipline but also to give you the opportunity to ask hundreds of questions.

See the overview of seminars 2011-2012

3. Activities

At the start of the academic year we organize a week of initiation. During this week students can get to know each other, the house they will live in, the town where they will be staying during the year(s) to come.

We also compose workgroups for the different activities that are organized. A good example of this is the workgroup for culture.

Students and board consult together which kind of dance, theatre or music event will be attended. Most often an event is followed by a discussion in one of the cafés in Leuven or elsewhere in Flanders.