On 6 May 2014, over 50 NSHSS scholars gathered at the Belgian Embassy in Washington, D.C. to learn more about studying in Brussels, the Capital of Europe.
Counselor Mr. William de Baets from the Belgian Embassy, kicked off the evening by letting us in on US-Belgian relations. Did you know that the US is the 5th largest export partner in Belgium and that Belgium is the 5th largest export partner in the US?
Ms. Willemijn Nieuwenhuys, Director of Student Recruitment at Vesalius College Brussels presented the college as a truly unique educational institution in Brussels and beyond – a transatlantic liberal arts-style college with an interdisciplinary perspective covering Business, Communications and International Affairs.
Vesalius College or “VeCo” is a small and intimate, yet a highly diverse international community. Ms. Nieuwenhuys shared that “among our student body, we count more than 60 nationalities. This allows students to broaden their global interests, language skills, and personal outlook. Because VeCo offers all its programmes in English, students from all continents are drawn to our College to complete their bachelor degree”.
The teaching style and classroom experience combine the best elements of American and European education systems and ensure that students tap into their full potential, find their passions and excel in both academic and personal fields. Classes are small and interactive, with dynamic class discussions and continuous assessment throughout the semester. Furthermore, each student is assigned to a professor, who acts as advisor and mentor and personally guides the student throughout the undergraduate degree.
Vesalius Alumnus, Robin Weis, currently working for the Austrian Embassy in DC, emphasized that in today’s world and global economy, young professionals need to set themselves apart from the competition. Simply having a bachelor’s degree is not enough. They need to prove that they have the added value that makes them the best candidate for a particular job or for a top graduate school. And they can do so by stepping out of their comfort zone, by studying abroad, acquiring a global perspective and doing lots of in internship. But students also need to be provided with an intimate and inspiring environment that can foster creativity, critical thinking and the ability to unleash one’s full potential.
Most importantly, at Vesalius College, students deliberately combine theory and conceptual thinking with ‘policy-oriented learning’. The College organizes many guest lectures and events with leading experts and policy-makers to give our students valuable insight into the practical aspects of their education, and to start networking at a fairly young age. VeCo students can also participate in the highly competitive internship progamme, through which they are encouraged to gain professional experience at organisations such as NATO, Mastercard and New Europe while earning academic credit. This will support them to make better-informed career choices and to set themselves apart from the competition once they graduate.
Ms. Nieuwenhuys concluded: “our main effort is to educate future global leaders and global minds. What our students, faculty and staff all have in common is our passion for learning about the world and working with people from different cultures. Education is so much richer and stimulating when different perspectives are represented.”
For more information about Vesalius College, please contact Ms. Willemijn Nieuwenhuys at wnieuwen@vub.ac.be or visit the website: www.vesalius.edu