If you’ve spent any time reading my blog, you’ve probably noticed how often I talk about Campus Stack. Whether it’s our weekly Cybernights, hosting movie nights, or putting together massive weekend LAN parties, Campus Stack is always at the center of the action.
But what exactly is Campus Stack?
Let’s clear up the biggest misconception right out of the gate: Campus Stack is not a traditional student club. Instead, it is a thriving, professional ecosystem and community built by IT students, for IT students, currently bringing together over 700 active members at Howest Campus Brugge Station.
Here is the story of how we built this community, how we operate, and where we are heading next.
Our Origins: Rising from the Ashes of the ‘Hackersden’
Before Campus Stack existed, our campus had a community known as the “Hackersden”. It was a great space, but when the original student founders graduated, the group unfortunately fizzled out.
Seeing a massive void left behind, three determined IT students stepped up in the summer of 2025. They took the spirit of the old Hackersden, spent months brainstorming, and officially launched Campus Stack. What started as an idea quickly exploded into a bustling hub as more enthusiastic students joined the team to create, organize, and attend events in record numbers.
Breaking the Stereotype: What We Do
The old cliché of the IT student hiding away in a dark basement without ever seeing the light of day is completely dead. At Campus Stack, we prove that every single week.
We run a diverse mix of activities divided into different pillars:
- The Technical Grinds: Every single Thursday evening we host our hallmark Cyber Nights, where students collaborate to solve intense Capture The Flag (CTF) challenges. We also host Dev Nights, where student teams gather to code and build the official Campus Stack website from scratch.
- The Social Scene: We believe that building community means knowing how to unwind. We regularly host relaxed movie nights and full-scale LAN parties driven heavily by ideas and feedback from our members.
- The Greater Tech Ecosystem: We actively encourage our community to step outside the campus bubble. We guide and prepare students for external events like the Cyber Security Challenge Belgium, the Howest Tech&Meet lectures, and massive industry events like the Hack The Future hackathon.
Driven by Discord
The heartbeat of our community lives online. Our Discord server serves as our central digital headquarters for our 700+ members.
To keep things organized yet collaborative, the server features dedicated channels for every specific IT track—including Cybersecurity, AI, Software Engineering, and Systems & Network Management. This allows students to easily connect with peers in their exact fields, while our general channels bring everyone together to share knowledge and socialize, creating the ultimate cross-disciplinary mix.
How We Are Organized
Pulling off this volume of activity takes a dedicated crew. Our internal structure keeps the engine running smoothly:
- Core Members: A dedicated leadership team that meets bi-weekly to map out our long-term strategy, plan upcoming events, and manage specific domains (like infrastructure, Cyber Nights, or Dev Nights).
- Supporting Members: Experienced students who want to contribute without the heavy burden of top-level responsibility. They provide crucial mentorship, help supervise our massive events, and bring fresh ideas to the table.
- The Howest IT Cluster: We are incredibly fortunate to have the full backing of the Howest IT faculty, who provide the physical space, resources, and institutional support needed to make our ideas a reality.
The Next Level: Bridging the Gap with the Corporate World
As Campus Stack continues to mature, we are actively looking toward the future. We want to ensure that when our 3rd-year students graduate, a new generation of leaders is ready to keep the community thriving for years to come.
Furthermore, we are expanding our collaborations with companies and industry professionals. For our students, interacting with experts gives them a realistic view of the industry, exposure to cutting-edge enterprise tech, and direct paths to stellar internships. For companies, it gives them an unmediated line to the brightest future IT talent in Belgium.
Whether it’s through guest lectures, company site visits, hands-on workshops, or activity sponsorship via event materials, prizes, or catering (we don’t accept financial funding!), we are building the ultimate bridge between the classroom and the industry.
Campus Stack is more than just a line on a resume; it’s where the IT professionals of tomorrow are learning to collaborate today.
Are you a student or an industry professional looking to get involved? Join our Discord server or reach out directly to see how we can collaborate on our upcoming Dev, Cyber, or social nights!