OPENNESS

After having been the fief of Germanic, Spanish, Austrian, French and Dutch powers down the centuries, in 1830 Belgium was recognised as an independent state. Straddling the Latin and Germanic worlds, the country stands at the crossroads of several cultures. Stamped by a tradition of openness, its inhabitants’ mother tongue can be any of the three official languages: French, Dutch or German. It is hardly surprising therefore that Brussels, the capital of Belgium, should have been chosen as the capital of Europe. Today, it has grown into an extraordinary city, where the European institutions rub shoulders with the major international organisations.

From 1970 onwards, to cater for this diversity, Belgium adopted a federal structure, thus giving rise to three Regions (Brussels-Capital, Wallonia and Flanders) and three Communities (French-, Flemish- and German-speaking). The Regions reflect the national territorial division (federal) determined by the country’s geography whereas the Communities take into account the language spoken by the citizens. Of the many responsibilities entrusted to the Communities, one of the most important is Education and Fundamental Research.

Brussels Capital and Wallonia share a precious treasure : the French language, which is spoken officially by almost 200 million people over five continents. In addition to the language, Belgium’s four and a half million French-speakers share a common culture, education, way of life and respect for diversity.

As the birthplace of artists such as Magritte, Delvaux or Rops, writers such as Simenon, the jazzman Toots Thielemans, the cartoonist Hergé, great film-makers such as the Dardenne brothers, the classical musicians César Franck or Eugène Ysaÿe, not to mention the singer-songwriter Jacques Brel, the French Speaking Community of Belgium (also known as the Wallonia-Brussels Community) has forged its own remarkable cultural identity.

EXCELLENCE

The higher education network of the Wallonia-Brussels Community is comprised, on the one hand, of universities that are a staple on the international top institution lists, and, on the other hand, institutes of higher education.

The universities come under three university Academies (the Academy of Louvain, the Academy of Wallonia-Brussels, the Academy of Wallonia-Europe). In view of Belgium’s multicultural profile, it is no surprise that 20% of the students are foreigners (40% at doctorate level).

The universities have become quite a fixture in the top level European research landscape. Many research laboratories participate in the European networks of excellence in various fields such as life sciences, nanotechnologies, information technologies, etc. Moreover, the international surveys confirm the quality of their work at world-wide level.

The Wallonia-Brussels Community has also developed a very comprehensive non-university higher education network : the institutes of higher education. These focus on preparing students for specific professions or artistic careers. Foreign students account for 15% of enrolments for these programmes.

The universities and institutes of higher education have signed hundreds of cooperation agreements with foreign educational institutions.

To conclude, there is no denying that the Wallonia-Brussels Community is an educational hub at the heart of Europe, proud of its strong scientific tradition and bursting with projects for the future. Three reasons that will appeal to young people eager to build on their knowledge or to take their first steps in research.