Responsible Use of AI at the College of Europe

Responsible Use of AI at the College of Europe

Guidance for students

Formal basis: Art. 38–40 of the Study Regulations (link)

Latest update: 6 October 2025

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.

The new framework puts the course‑specific learning outcomes at the centre, distinguishes different categories of AI use, and provides guidance for students and professors under a common umbrella framework for all academic departments.

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.

Prohibited

No generative use of AI at any stage.

Example: essay requiring your independent engagement with material, reflection and reasoning from A‑Z.

Restricted

Generative use of AI only allowed at foundational stages of your work process (e.g. brainstorming, planning of structure, literature screening).

Example: AI helps you to get an overview of a topic based on your first ideas or narrow down the research question for a research paper.

Bounded

Generative use of AI is allowed also at advanced stages of your work process (e.g. feedback on argumentation, contributions to the analysis of text/data, readability/flow of the text). The final text must be written by yourself; copying AI‑generated text or using machine translation remains prohibited.

Example: AI helps you compare official documents or delivers feedback on your policy recommendations.

Open

Generative use of AI is permitted at all stages of your work process, provided you transparently declare all aspects of your AI use.

Example: AI drafts or re-writes your text with a series of prompts or machine‑translates parts of your final submission.

Special rules

  • Master’s thesis → By default, restricted use applies across all departments.
  • Exams → By default, AI use is strictly prohibited in written and oral exams. Please see the Dispositions particulières (Bruges/Tirana) for specifications for digital written exams.

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.

© College of Europe – AI Policy 2025

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