Why this policy?

The rise of Artificial Intelligence (AI) has brought new possibilities and challenges for higher education institutions worldwide – holding immense potential for academic work processes while requiring guidance and regulation at the same time. First and foremost, academic integrity is central to your studies at the College of Europe. It means your work reflects your own intellectual effort and creativity, sources are acknowledged, and results are reproducible, reliable, and trustworthy.

Until the academic year 2024/25, generative use of AI was considered collusion and prohibited, with very few exceptions. In 2025, a cross-departmental working group developed a new framework, approved by the Academic Council on 14 May 2025.

Key principle: Learning outcomes come first

Every course is built around intended learning outcomes, that is, what a student is expected to have achieved upon completion of all deliverables. If AI use prevents you from achieving the intended outcomes of an assignment, it is not conducive to the successful completion of the course. If AI effectively supports your learning, it offers – within the permitted scope – new, valuable possibilities.

Non‑generative use of AI vs. generative use of AI

At the College, we differentiate between non‑generative use of AI and generative use of AI. We do this to acknowledge that many standard tools our students have used for years are now AI‑powered.

• Non‑generative use → common support function, but no creation, machine translation, or revision of original content (e.g. spellcheckers/grammar checkers, reference managers, search engines). Such AI use is allowed.
• Generative use → use of (prompt‑based) tools to create, analyse, revise or adapt content. Allowed only within the ‘category’ specified by your professor (explained below).

Four categories of generative AI use

Each outline and ECTS card of a course indicates which category of generative use of AI applies – either for all assignments of the course or with a differentiation per assignment. For the restricted, bounded and open category, you must transparently declare which types of genAI use you relied on.

Declarations and disclosure

Based on Art. 38 of the Study Regulations, for each assignment (individual work, group work and the Master's thesis):

• You must confirm compliance with the rules via a Declaration of Honour.
• If AI use has been acknowledged in the Declaration of Honour, it must be indicated in the AI Disclosure Form – within the permitted scope for an assignment/course.

Note: At the College, we do not treat AI tools in themselves like a source. There is per se no requirement to list AI use in the bibliography. If there is a specific AI process which considerably contributed to a section of your work, you may document/explain this in a footnote.

If we have a suspicion that you disrespected the rules...

• You will always be invited to a hearing with a panel consisting at least of a professor and an Academic Assistant (in line with Art. 41 of the Study Regulation). You will be presented with the evidence and have the possibility to provide further explanations on your AI use and possible omissions.
• Decisions on possible sanctions are taken at departmental level or – in particular for very severe or repeated cases – at Academic Council level.
• Sanctions, if applied, are progressive and proportionate. In severe or repeated cases, the mark for the assignment or the course as a whole may be reduced to 0. In case of systematic academic misconduct, the Study Regulations also allow for expulsion from your programme.

Plagiarism, falsification of data, etc. are sanctioned independently and additionally to any sanction for unauthorised AI use. You remain responsible for all parts of your submitted assignment.

Support & resources

• Professors and Academic Assistants of your department → first point of contact when unsure.
• Library → resources on AI tools and their use in academia (cf. intranet).
• Skills Centre (Bruges campus) → workshops and training on AI (coming).

Key takeaways

• The College's AI rules are based on a learning outcomes‑based framework.
• Professors decide on the category of permitted generative AI use per assignment/course. By default, the use of AI for the Master's thesis is restricted, and prohibited in final exams.
• Acknowledgement and transparency are key. You are always heard before any sanction.
• Above all: the framework is here to guide your learning process and strengthen your academic integrity and help you achieve the knowledge, skills and competences that you came to acquire at the College of Europe and that will subsequently help you in your professional career.