Investing in the EU Benelux as a Gateway Postgraduate Programme

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Programme: Investing in the EU – Benelux as a gateway Postgraduate1

Courses ECTS2 SEM3

Compulsory (42 ECTS)European legal framework and European competition law 3 1

• Introduction of EU institution and legislative procedure• Introduction of main EU policies

(internal market and competition policy)Export Management 6 1

• Export framework & export management• Framework of export promotion agencies• Writing an export plan• Determining the export price• Legal Aspects of Export• Contracts and dispute settlement• International sales contract• INCOTERMS• International payment techniques• Export finance• Export insurance• Distribution channels• Customs• Export documents• VAT• Transport• Project market and opportunities offered by multilateral organizations (ADB, EIB...)

Supply & Risk Management within International Purchasing 3 1• Chinese reality framework for sourcing• Identification commodities & sourcing for China• Sourcing• China approach• Intercultural awareness and supplier relationship management

International trade policy, customs regulations and anti-dumping regulations 3 1• EU trade measures• Basic principles of Chinese customs and VAT regulations related to the export of goods• Customs planning in the EU• Basics of non-fiscal legislation related to the import in the EU• Importing in the EU and VAT

Legal aspects of starting up a business in the EU 3 1• Acquisition of a company

- Acquisition of shares of an existing company- Acquisition of assets constituting a business

• Starting a new company (Greenfield)Corporate law issues in Belgium, the Netherlands and Luxemburg 3 1

• Type of corporate entities, formation and registration• Capitalization requirements• Board composition and compensation• Management and powers of management• Yearly minimum requirement• Director’s liability• Take-over text

Investing in the EU: Banking and financial issues 3 1• Capital and venture capital• Borrowing from banks, from shareholders• Guarantees / Security interests• Repatriation of capital and profits; exchange regulations• Origin of money; money laundering issues

Employment law and social security – Differences in national systems 3 1• Employment contracts• Termination of employment contracts• Union representation – Works council• Collective labour relations• Social security• Work permits

Courses ECTS2 SEM3

Intellectual property rights 3 1• An introduction to industrial property law - Starting points - The Intellectual Property types• Protection (registration) at the national (Benelux) and the European level• Exploitation of industrial property rights - Licensing• Division of markets and the European Economic Area (EEA)• Industrial property and infringement - Dispute resolution

Investing in the EU: Environmental aspects 3 1• Introduction to Belgian regional environmental law• Administrative authorisations• Soil contamination• Hazardous products and substances• Waste• Water

General tax aspects and tax structure 3 1• Double taxation treaties with Hong Kong, Macao and China• Corporation versus branch structures• The impact of corporate EU tax directives• Applicable transfer pricing rules• Financing structures

Investment analysis and Plant location 3 1• Investment decision and value creation• Investment decision and management• Location decision methodology• Project definition• Critical factor analysis• Investment climate analysis• Financial decision methodology• Risk analysis

International investment financing and Project finance 3 1• Introduction: Origin, definition, why choose project finance• Parties to project financing: Structuring of the parties and their roles• Structuring the project vehicle: Special Purpose Vehicle (SPV)• Project finance documentation: Lending documents, security documents, shareholders documents, project documents• Project structures: BOT, BOD, BOOT, DBFOM, DBOM…• Sharing of risk: Identification and quantification or valuation of risks• Security for projects and insurance issues• Project finance projects: PPP or Public Private Partnership

Elective (18 ECTS) 3 1Professional experience: internship 18 2

Thesis 18 2

TOTAL ECTS 60

1 BICCS cannot be held responsible for changes in the programme due to unexpected circumstances.2 ECTS: European Credit Transfer and accumulation System3 SEM: Semester

INVESTING IN THE EU – BENELUX AS A GATEWAY POSTGRADUATE PROGRAMME

By offering the ‘Investing in the EU – Benelux as a gateway’ postgraduate programme, The Brussels Institute of Contemporary China Studies (BICCS) aims to thoroughly prepare bachelors, masters, researchers and employees for successfully managing inward investment projects in the EU. Participants will be taught all of the legal steps required, as well as being exposed to relevant financial and marketing topics.

Target groups

Bachelors (management, dispatching/transportation, logistics, communication, tourism …), masters (law, economics, political science, information technology, mathematics, chemistry …), engineers and professionals who wish to:• develop a career in the field of managing outward

investments to the EU;• establish their own businesses in the EU e.g., international

trading, research, consultancy.

Teaching staff

• Academics and practitioners, all of whom have a broad base of experience in matters related to investment in the EU and/or in China’s outbound foreign direct investments;

• The Loyens & Loeff Chair ‘Investing in Europe – Benelux as a gateway’ and the resulting cooperation with the Loyens & Loeff law firm guarantee practical input.

Added value

• Comprehensive programme. The ‘Investing in the EU – Benelux as a gateway’

postgraduate is a comprehensive programme which addresses all of the steps companies are required to undertake in order to invest in the EU.

• Versatile programme. The postgraduate aims at providing students with:

- a comprehensive picture of initiating and managing inward investments into the EU;

- the ability to engage in discussion with governments, bankers and lawyers;

- insight into proper EU-legislation;- insight into the relevant legislation in Belgium, the

Netherlands and Luxembourg;- basic knowledge of the related business jargon.

• We recognize the importance of research and professional experience. The second semester is fully dedicated to the student’s professional preferences. In order to make this possible, all compulsory courses are taught in the first semester and entail a certain degree of self-study.

Depending on the availability of trainee posts, students who wish to acquire professional experience may opt for a four-month internship. Students who are more research oriented may opt for a research project consisting of writing a thesis or one or more papers on any subject dealt with in the programme. The third option is following specialized elective courses.

Job prospects

Graduates are well-placed to initiate and/or manage outbound investments from their home countries into the EU.Graduates will be particularly sought after by:• companies that export to the EU and want to establish

distribution centres in the EU;• companies that want to gain market access to the EU by

means of mergers and acquisitions;• companies setting up an EU location for their R&D unit,

after-sales service department, marketing department, design department.

Furthermore, graduates, as self-employed business people, will be able to establish their own enterprises, such as international trading or sourcing companies.

Programme schedule

The postgraduate consists of two semesters and is completed in one academic year.

Classes take place:• from Monday through Friday,• for an average of 11 hours a week• during the day.A detailed time schedule will be given to the participants.

Language

All courses are taught in English.

Location

Vrije Universiteit BrusselCampus EtterbeekPleinlaan 2B-1050 BrusselsBelgiumEuropeRoute description and a map of the campus are available at:www.vub.ac.be/campuses

PRACTICAL INFORMATION

Admission requirements

• University degree (master’s or bachelor’s).• A good command of English is required www.vub.ac.be/en/apply• Procedure for Chinese students: All students from the

P.R. China must obtain a certificate of academic screening issued by the Academic Evaluation Centre (APS) of the German Embassy in Beijing before being allowed to enrol in any institution of higher education, language course or other preparatory course in Flanders (Belgium).

Please note that the APS certificate is also required for obtaining a student visa to Belgium. Students planning to study in Flanders are advised to contact the Academic Evaluation Centre in Beijing, e-mail: info@aps.org.cn as soon as possible in order to make the necessary appoint-ments required before applying for a visa. More informa-tion on APS can be found at their website www.aps.org.cn.

Price

Full-time programmePrice: 5.500 EUR.

Separate coursesPrice: 400 EUR fixed fee, plus 85 EUR per ECTS.

Certification

A post-academic certificate, bearing the name of the postgraduate course and signed by the Vrije Universiteit Brussel, will be granted by the Brussels Institute of Contemporary China Studies, after successfully finishing the complete programme.

Application procedure

You can register by filling out the online application formavailable on www.vub.ac.be/en/apply.Students who require a visa must apply before the 16th ofJune. Students who do not require a visa must apply beforethe 1st of September.More information on:www.vub.ac.be/biccs

“The business training courses of BICCS are based, to an important extent, on a multitude of experiences—a guarantee for keeping track of the business reality.”Anita Meyer - Managing Directoram&pm relocation

“When this program was started some years ago, the outbound investments of China and India were only in their preliminary stages. Since then, the trend of outbound investments by both countries has grown. So has the programme. It has developed into a well-attended and interactive way to bring to the students an understanding of the

legal and administrative environment for investments in Europe. It also contributes to a better understanding of the diversity to be dealt with. It is a good preparation and a valuable experience for all who are interested in participating in direct foreign investment.”Roel NieuwdorpLawyer

“BICCS gives Chinese students the opportunity to learn about our European economic system, where we do business within a saturated market. BICCS gives students the opportunity to discuss relevant topics in an open environment. The students are encouraged to discuss and to give their personal views on specific matters. This prepares them

to work in an international environment where it is expected that they have their own ideas and can discuss values.These experiences prepare them to work in management jobs in an international environment.”Christine Van Velthoven,Managing Director, CPM nv

“It’s well-known that China’s economy is growing at an incredible speed. In such circumstances, many enterprises in China are looking for a way to balance their development by expanding outside. There are lots of famous brands in China, but just a few of them are known abroad.

On the contrary, NIKE, ADIDAS, HUGO BOSS and LOUIS VUITTON are well-known by almost all Chinese people. With the domestic market expanding and under control, Chinese brand owners experience the desire to acquire a piece of the global market. LENOVO and HAIER are both good examples of this.

The EU became China’s second biggest trade partner in 2005. There are quite a few convenient regulations within the EU, such as the single market, the Schengen Agreement and the single currency, among others. Therefore having the EU as a Chinese investment destination is understandable and practical. That’s why I chose “Investing in the EU” as my postgraduate programme.

By following the programme, I became familiar with European laws in the fields of corporation, tax, Intellectual Property, labour and environment, among others, which allowed me to better understand the European regulations and cultures. The export management courses made me aware of export procedures. The marketing course enriched my limited knowledge and opened my mind to the business field, as did other courses which I can’t mention here due to limited space. With all of the knowledge I gained, I had the chance to do my internship in PROFIDYN, an excellent consultancy company.

Thanks to those who gave me such great help in this programme. I’m sure that my career life will shape up nicely on the path that the programme has paved for me.”WANG Leina, Graduate of ‘Investing in the EU – Benelux as a gateway’

The Brussels Institute of Contemporary China Studies, BICCS for short, is a cooperation between the Vrije Universiteit Brussel and leading Chinese universities. It aims at being a leading European centre for the multidisciplinary study of contemporary China. Courses of high academic quality are enriched by input from practitioners to ensure hands-on transfer of knowledge.

More information about BICCS and its postgraduate programmes:

[W] www.vub.ac.be/biccs [E] bda@vub.ac.be[T]+32 (0)2 614 80 84Vrije Universiteit BrusselBICCSPleinlaan 2B-1050 BrusselsBelgiumEurope

Loyens & Loeff Chair,Investing in Europe - Benelux as a gateway

The Loyens & Loeff Chair aims at making foreign investors acquainted with the issue of investing in Europe, more specifically in the Benelux as a gateway to Europe. The relevant bodies of information and research concern those topics of importance for non-European prospective investors. The goal is to make bringing investments to Europe a real success.

Therefore, BICCS and Loyens & Loeff jointly contribute their expertise in order to offer hands-on knowledge for the various aspects of an international investment project. This knowledge transfer, combined with network events and the possibility of an internship, turn the Chair and the Investing in the EU postgraduate programme into a unique opportunity.

In short, the Loyens & Loeff Chair represents a profound, multidisciplinary hands-on programme to intensively prepare students for the concrete implementation of investment projects in Europe.

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