studyeurope - Council on International Educational Exchange

Brussels, BelgiumVesalius College at the Vrije Universiteit Brusselfall/spring/academic yearLOCATION In recent years, Brussels has emerged as the “Capital of Europe”in political and economic terms. Brussels is the headquarters of the EuropeanUnion and thus is at the forefront of European integration and European Unionpolicy. Brussels is also one of the most international cities in Europe; itsdiversity is reflected in its interesting neighborhoods, excellent restaurants,numerous cultural festivals, and various languages. While French is thedominant language, Dutch (Flemish) and English are widely spoken. In fact,because English is so widely spoken, Brussels does not necessarily providethe language immersion experience one might get studying in anotherless multilingual location; but for the same reason, many students feelquickly at home.The city, at first glimpse, seems a haphazard mixture of historic squaresinterspersed between grey concrete office blocks. But as one explores thecity, its many treasures are slowly revealed. Despite its cosmopolitan flavorand everything it has to offer, Brussels remains less expensive relative toother European capitals. Adding to its cosmopolitan flavor is the fact that asit lies at the heart of Europe. Paris, London, Cologne, and Amsterdam are allwithin 1.5 to 3 hours by high-speed train.HOST INSTITUTION Vesalius College, the international English-language Collegein Brussels, is a partner with the Dutch-speaking Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB).While it has an affiliation with VUB, Vesalius is a small, independent, academicinstitution. The VUB split in 1970 from the original Université Libre de Bruxelles(ULB), considered the premier French-speaking University in Belgium, thoughVesalius students can still take classes there.Vesalius College is located next to the VUB campus, in an area southeast of centralBrussels. Of the 350 or so students who attend Vesalius, approximately 30%are Belgian nationals, 10% are from the United States, and the remainder is frommore than 60 other countries led by Sweden, Norway, Italy, Bulgaria and Poland.The institution has an international feel given its student body, and, given theoverall size of the student population, class sizes are generally small.Dr. Michelangelo van Meerten, Resident DirectorDr. Michelangelo van Meerten holds a Ph.D. in economics from the University of Groningen in the Netherlands. He joined CIEE in 2001 as a professor of EuropeanIntegration for the CIEE Study Center and became the Resident Director in the fall of 2002. Dr. van Meerten has researched and lectured in the field of economicsand economic history in Groningen, the Netherlands; Leuven, Louvain-la-Neuve, and Brussels, Belgium; Krakow, Poland; and Barcelona and Madrid in Spain.Michelangelo speaks six Western European languages fluently and has traveled extensively in Europe. His interests and research areas include the history anddevelopment of the European continent, transport and communications, European integration, politics, film, and culture.message to studentsBrussels has been my home for the last 17 years. I consider myself a European citizen to the core. For me, Brussels is theperfect place to experience Europe. It is at the crossroads of the northern Anglo-Saxon and Germanic cultures and thesouthern Latin ones. Apart from its official status as the bilingual capital city of Belgium, it is in many respects the capitalof the European Union, hosting many European and international institutions. Brussels also houses a wide variety of communitiesfrom the Mediterranean area, Central and Eastern Europe, and Africa. It is a very multicultural city with many languagesand traditions living in harmony. One of the secrets of the city is its reputation for the quality of its gastronomy and culturalinstitutions. I’m looking forward to sharing the experience of discovering Brussels and Europe with you.The Resident Director, appointed by CIEE, supervises and administers the program. The Resident Director also assists studentswith academic, administrative, and day-to-day matters. CIEE students in Brussels are also assisted by Daniel Riley, Resident Coordinator.pg/12