Flemish professors and students are enclosed in their own academic environment. Like Bert, LOKO International’s coordinator, said in Veto last month; the fact that Flemish students stay at home can be culturally explained. Let us now focus on Flemish culture from an academic perspective: How do the Flemish look at our study period? What constitutes a perfect study program?

For those who believe that an education at K.U.Leuven is the best you can have, Erasmus today is no option. International officers are trying to reach the utopia of a worldwide similar quality program, but that is almost impossible with the differences in culture over the world. It is time to revitalize our programs and instate an appreciation of other cultures. The person that believes that all expertise is found solely at our university is naïve and arrogant at the same time.

For example, a normal education trail is loaded with a selected number of courses that should make one become a real expert in a specific domain. Do the courses selected by our professors form the only good package to become that expert? I don’t think so. At the same time, it is wrong to believe that after finishing and receiving your degree you are an all-round expert.

Nevertheless, this is the spirit created by some professors and students that hangs above our university. Erasmus, for example, is no good because courses don’t overlap. But is that the point of Erasmus? If courses would be the same and the reason to go on Erasmus is education, what would be the surplus value than in that?

The critical student is curious about what is going on in the world besides his finite studies. He knows that to become an expert, you need experiences. In fact, going abroad is an easy and honest way to get those experiences. For example, a medical student can read a hundred articles about the misery in Congo, but needs only one visit to know about the real situation. And he becomes a completely motivated doctor.

International experiences answer important questions necessary for future life and work. What am I learning and what are they learning at the other side of the world? What can we learn from each other, what can we do better in Belgium? Or how can we help developing countries? We have to realise that our future colleagues at work live over the whole world. How can we understand their thoughts and actions if we only understand our own culture? All international experiences, including Erasmus, bring us in contact with other cultures and let us think about them and ourselves in another context.

WEALTHY BELGIUM

Belgium is a prosperous country, and that could give us the incorrect impression that we don’t have to be familiar with what is going on in the world. That’s exactly what is happening now. We feel safe and have nothing to complain about. Without realising it, we have become too lazy to concern ourselves with the struggles of other lives in the world, and we are not confronted with them.

But be aware of globalisation. It forces us to stay alert and continuously innovate our systems as well. Since broad knowledge is the key to progress and innovation, we have to continue travelling. Besides international experiences, also reading, cultural activities, etc. are important ways to expand our knowledge. And we need this knowledge to make a better Belgium, a better world. If not for this, what else are we studying for? |