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About Babylon

History

The introduction of the bachelor-master structure in Belgian universities in 2004 brought about quite a few changes at the Arts Faculty. The difference between studying Classical, Romance and Germanic languages was removed and as a new study program was born, a new student union followed: Babylon!

Now, who can proudly call themselves Babylonian? Babylon is the student union for all bachelor linguistics and literature students. Students striving to obtain a Master’s degree in linguistics and literature, a Master in linguistics, a Master in Western literature, a Master in cultural studies or a Master in business communication are members of Babylon as well.

Philologists, academics, linguists, people of letters and scientists, but above all: Babylonians.

Practical Information

Despite the fact that we share the fakbar Letteren (Arts faculty bar) (www.fakbar.be) with the other student unions of the faculty (these are Alfa (archeology), Eoos (oriental studies), Historia (history), Mecenas (art history) and Musicologica (musicology)), there are still the typical moments when Babylon serves at the bar.


These moments are: Monday afternoon/evening in turn
Every Wednesday evening
Every Friday afternoon

The Fak’s Opening hours:
Sunday evening: 9 PM – ?
Monday till Thursday: 1 PM – ?
Friday: 1 PM – 6 PM
Saturday: closed

Here’s some information about Babylon’s annual RAG WEEK. Every year Babylon organizes a week of deathly decay and unearthly pleasure, a week with plenty of parties and gallons of beer! Within the set framework of an overruling theme, different activities are planned every day. Furthermore there are often some gastronomically outstanding snacks for sale during the week. Rag Week is always announced in time, so depend on it: you’ll be there…

Any more practical questions? Let us know!

Our Shield

There’s a tower on the left-hand side of the shield; this is a reference to the tower of Babel and the confusion of tongues. According to Genesis, this is the origin of the diversity of human languages and, of course, of the different options for language students. The blue background and the white inside the tower make up the colors of our alma mater, K.U.Leuven.

The yellow on the right-hand side of the shield is the color of the Arts Faculty. The eight stars refer to the eight languages that are taught in our branch of study. The fountain pen and the quill on the banner refer to literature, in which, of course, we are deeply interested.

The monogram in the yellow circle in the middle consists of the letters G, R, and K, which symbolize the continuity with the past: the three student unions Germania, Romania and Klio, which, in 2004, formed Babylon.

KOCO International

HEY! Koco International is a new organisation of the Faculty of Arts! We are a cheerful group composed of Belgian students which all studied abroad in 2009-2010. Koco International will organize activities for international students as well as for Belgian students. Our goal is to let international students come in contact with Belgian students. Every year the students from abroad get in touch with many other foreign students, but they barely make Belgian friends. We hope we can change that!

Foreign students have told us that the Belgian students are a little bit ‘cool’, even though we’re helpful and friendly. Maybe we are reserved in the beginning, but that’s just at the surface. Once you really get in touch with the Belgian students, you’ll see we are just as crazy, horny, emotional, funny, hairy, muzzily en open minded as every other student in the world.

So if you would like to make some Belgian friends besides your Italian, Canadian, Japanese, Australian, Russian,… friends you’ll meet during your stay in Leuven, come to and be welcome at the activities of Koco International!

If you are interested, you can join us on Facebook at our Koco International fanpage! And for more information you can always send us an E-mail: koco.international@gmail.com.