CAD – College of Art & Design – Brussels

Mission Statement

The mission of the CAD is to provide educational opportunities that emphasize creative skills, critical thinking and practical knowledge that allow students to adjust through a lifetime of social, environmental and technological change. We recognize that education is vital in developing skills needed for a productive society and essential in promoting students from a variety of backgrounds, with a high sense of worth, values and ethical standards. The CAD is committed to offering quality education that meets the needs of its students by assisting each individual student in clarifying and pursuing one’s professional and educational goals. We encourage students to develop their own styles that blend their talents, technical skills and creative aspirations with professional knowledge.

International Role

Our students need to fulfill some of their numerous internships abroad (at least three months). Recent destinations include: Mexico, Hong Kong, Mumbai, Kuala Lumpur, London, Tokyo, Stockholm, Rio de Janeiro… Otherwise, the CAD welcomes students from University of Canberra for a semester. The CAD also organises one week-workshop exchanges with London College of Communication (LCC), ECV, ARIES, Politecnico di Milano, Shangai CumulusLab, and more to come. Our alumni work all around the world.

National Role

Our students participate each year in several national competitions. In this context, the CAD students won the Award Michael Leen – Creative Club of Belgium in 2012. A Pentawards was also awarded in a project for the company “BIC”. Recently, the campaign of the “Book Fair of Brussels” has been selected by a student of 3rd Advertising & Digital Design. In 2015, CAD Design students won the Rometti Award in Italy.

In addition, internships allow students to build professional relationships, often leading to an employment opportunity at the end of the course. The realization of all required prototypes also give the opportunity to the students to develop a network of suppliers that will be desirable in their professional lives. They have the experience to learn how to order, control, manage and work with different suppliers.

We conducted a survey about the graduates since 2000 and found that: 100% of the students work (except by personal choice) – 90% of the students have a job that is in line with their studies – 97% found employment in less than three months – 3% sought employment from 3 months to two years – 7% working by choice in a domain outside of their studies (fair trade, master mariner, diamond, film, flower shop, etc.) – 3% work in another area by necessity.

Main Focus

The CAD is committed to achieving excellence in delivering undergraduate and graduate educational programs for students of exceptional ability and creativity. While the CAD has already attained national professional distinction, it intends to rank among the very best in the international field. To realize its aspirations and fulfill its mandates, the CAD advances knowledge, provides outstanding and innovative instruction, and nourishes a climate of creative growth in three different sections of professional disciplinary fields.