Oostende, Fr. Ostende, city (1991 pop. 68,500), West Flanders prov., W Belgium, on the North Sea. It is a major commercial and fishing port, connected by canals with Bruges and Ghent. Oostende is also an industrial and rail center, as well as a seaside resort. It has a ferry terminal that connects the city with England. Manufactures include processed food, ships, soap, tobacco, and chemicals. A port by the time of the First Crusade (11th cent.), Oostende was fortified (1583) by William the Silent and played a leading role in the Dutch struggle for independence. The city was taken (1604) by the Spaniards under Ambrogio Spinola after a three-year siege in which it was almost totally destroyed, was sacked again in 1745 by the French, and suffered heavy Allied bombardment in World War II. From the mid-19th cent. to World War I it was one of Europe's most fashionable social centers. The city is also known as Ostend.

The Katholieke Hogeschool Brugge-Oostende (Catholic College Bruges-Ostend) is a college in Belgium which was founded in the 1990s. It is the result of a merger between one college from Ostend and three colleges from Bruges.

In Ostend, there are curricula for bachelors and masters in engineering. The professional bachelors are on avionics, chemistry, electronics, ICT (education) and mechanics. The master programmes are on civil engineering, mechanics, electronics and ICT (education).

In Bruges, there are programmes in economics, healthcare and education. In a few years' time, a new campus should be finished, so that the three campuses in Bruges can move into one.

At the department of healthcare, there are programmes in midwifery, nursing, occupational therapy, speech therapy and audiology. At the department of education, there are programmes for a degree in nursery school teacher, primary school teacher and secondary school teacher. At the department of economics, there are programmes in management, hotel management and tourism.

As most Catholic colleges in Belgium, KHBO is also a member of the Association K.U.Leuven.

External links

• Website from the KHBO
• Website from the Association K.U.Leuven