They work for and with international students. This year Jannes Motmans is the International Coordinator and Marie Tuley is International Officer. You can find their office in Pangaea. For this issue they interviewed each other.

Jannes - Why did you apply for LOKO international officer?

Marie: I saw the advert and the job immediately appealed to me. Having previously been an international student myself I feel I can relate to the content of the job. Contact with different cultures is incredibly enriching. I previously studied CADES (Cultures and Development Studies) here at K.U.Leuven and this has further fuelled my desire to work for inter-cultural relations. I really appreciate the cultural and social aspects and the space to use my own creative skills.

Jannes - You originate from the UK and at the same time you speak several other languages... So I assume you like travelling? Is there one specific country you'd like to visit?

Marie: I would love to go to India because a lot of my friends have been there, and because of their stories, I am inspired to go there too. Other than that, despite having studied quite a lot about Africa, I have never been to an African country and I certainly would love to. I think it's very important to appreciate and respect the local culture, people and environment.

Jannes - In your job, are there any specific things you would like to focus on?

Marie: I will aim to work on real cultural awareness, interaction leading to deeper understanding and mutual respect between Flemish and international students. As always we will also try to promote Erasmus. Having participated in the scheme myself, I believe in its ability to broaden horizons, make you more independent and a more open and well-rounded person.

Jannes - If I'm not mistaken, you've already been living in Belgium for 3 years. What do you like so much about Belgium?

Marie: I like the feeling that I'm in the middle of Europe. In the UK we often speak of 'Europe' as if its something separate from ourselves! Yet I have always felt, or wanted to feel, European. Don't get me wrong, I do miss things about the UK - the humour, people's openness, and friends and family of course! - but I have always had the desire to live abroad. I like the feeling of the unfamiliar. I relished the chance to learn another language (Dutch). I feel like I'm constantly learning and being confronted with a slightly different culture from my own. In terms of more specific things I like - Flemish cities, café culture, music festivals, Belgian beer, chocolate, going out till crazy hours, and the general feeling of freedom in Belgium compared to the UK.

Jannes - If you had 1 minute to describe yourself, what is the most important thing that the international students need to know about the new International Officer?

Marie: That I'm a really open-minded, approachable and friendly person who's always willing to help. I sympathise with international students. I arrived here and did not understand a word of the language, was confronted with a bureaucratic administrative system, and was suffering from some cultural shocks! I am really hard-working, dedicated and full of enthusiasm and am passionate about a lot of things. I believe that we are all global citizens and have a duty to each other and to our planet. I believe small actions can lead to big changes.

Marie - Jannes, you've lived in Leuven for 5 years. What would you recommend to new students?

Jannes: Leuven itself is a nice, open city with a great atmosphere. What most students don't know, is that there is more than the city alone. For example, Oud Heverlee has a great forest and several small lakes, named "Zoete Waters". A lovely place to visit sometimes!

Marie - What do you think are the main obstacles facing international students in Leuven?

Jannes: There are several obstacles such as housing and bureaucracy. The housing problem is a general problem: not only international students face the shortage of rooms in Leuven. It is a known structural problem often addressed by the university and by LOKO. Measures are already taken, but these results will only be seen next year.

Marie - In your experience what is the current level of interaction between Flemish and international students?

Jannes: The interaction between Flemish and International students is also one of the working points for LOKO, the student body councils, the city of Leuven and the university. It is often the case that the interaction takes place in classes or in Pangaea. It would be great to inspire all parties to organise events accessible and known to all students in Leuven.

Marie - In my experience international students are not often aware of the existence of LOKO. Do you think that international students are fairly represented in/by LOKO?

Jannes: It is a general problem that LOKO is unknown to students. Each year again, LOKO tries to work on this. LOKO International has the same problem. We have to profile ourselves as the representatives of the international students. However, this is only possible if international students are represented in LOKO International. Therefore we'll try to focus on involving the international student associations (ISA) in our work meetings. We hope to make a first step towards giving the international students a voice in the university its policy.

Marie - Do you believe that the voice of the international students is strong enough within the K.U.Leuven itself?

Jannes: International students are not yet heard enough. Of course, they can vent their concerns to the student council of their faculty and to LOKO International. However, I wonder how many complaints reach us. That is also one of the reasons why we'll try to involve the ISAs. Secondly, we should also try to profile ourselves as the perfect point for international students to address complaints.

Marie - There are an increasing number of courses offered in English at the K.U. Leuven. Does this threaten the Dutch language in any way?

Jannes: Delicate topic! There is a really strict language legislation in Flanders to protect the Dutch language. However, from my point of view, there is no threat. The fact is that Dutch is just not an international language. We're living in a globalising world and if we want to compete with the rest of the world, we should not limit our chances by maintaining a strict legislation.

• http://international.loko.be/