Did YOU study abroad?! If so, where and what inspired you to go?
Julie: As part of an Erasmus exchange program, I went to study linguistics in Heidelberg, Germany. When I first visited Heidelberg, I was amazed by the warm atmosphere resulting from the conjunction of an old city and of a famed university. In a sense, I re-discovered there what I like in Brussels: being at the same time at the heart of history and in a lively city, walking past beautiful old houses and buildings while not feeling like in a dead museum. Not many places offer that kind of unique blend of historicity and liveliness.
What was your favorite traveling experience?
Julie: In the summer of 2008, I flew to the Balkans, in southeast Europe. At first, I must admit, I didn't see much sense in traveling through countries which had been devastated by an ethnic war in the 90s. We went there because my husband was completing a thesis about Bosnia. The first cities we went through, like Zagreb, felt cold, with a smell of sad old communism. And then I discovered Sarajevo. It was the first time that I witnessed such a peaceful blend of cultures. Muslims, Jews, Catholics, Orthodoxes, atheists, all walking through the streets, laughing together like there were no differences between them.
From that day on, and thinking about the war that had been tearing these people apart fifteen years earlier, I stopped seeing Belgium and its peaceful co-habitation of cultures, especially in Brussels, as something natural. Bosnia was the living proof that, from one day to the other, everything could change. What we have in Belgium should be treasured much more than we do!
Why is language learning and cultural immersion important to you?
Julie: I come from a place where the average John Doe only speaks French. Few people talk Flemish there and English is at best a vague reminiscence. The problem when you only speak one language is that you have no choice but to believe what other people tell you about what happens abroad or even, in Belgium, across the language border. And it then feels easy to blame strangers for anything and everything. Except that doesn't change anything. And just learning another language is only the first step.
Learning a language without knowing its culture is at best the occasion of conveying your own beliefs in another language. If you really want to understand how others think, you not only need to learn their language, but you need to live among them long enough. That's why I'm so fond of programs and institutions like Erasmus, Comenius or any exchange programs at Vesalius College. They really help make the world a better place.
What do you believe to be the biggest factor in being a successful company?
Julie: My study abroad program and my travels brought me autonomy and self-confidence, two relevant “skills” for any company. Also knowing another language and being familiar with different cultures opens and broadens your mind. Developing a critical mind, questioning oneself and developing new ideas are keys to success. As a future teacher, I wanted to deepen my knowledge of cultures and languages. The courses I took in Spanish, German and Slovene plus my travels helped me discover new linguistic and cultural mindsets. Some of them are radically different from the French language and from Belgium, which made me realize how much concepts that seemed natural to me could prove difficult for a foreigner.
These opportunities led me to think about new ways of teaching my language. This linguistic and cultural example can be applied to any business situation. With that in that mind, spending time in a European salad bowl like Brussels is a wonderful way to prepare for a successful and unique career.
What is the best story you've heard from a return student?
Julie: I remember a student who was very shy and not confident at all, especially when she had to speak French when the semester started. But over time, she opened up and I could hear her speaking solely in French. The following semester, I received a nice card from that student. She told me that she had decided to keep studying French at her home university and she wrote that the study abroad program helped her "confidence grow in ways previously unimaginable". In my mind, that is the whole point of a successful foreign experience, and I'm proud to have been part of that process as far as that student is concerned.