With a surface area of 30,500 km² and a population of 10,446,000, Belgium is one of the smallest member states in the EU. However, it has a GDP of EUR 288.09 billion (in 2004) and is one of the ten largest trading nations in the world. It primarily owes its comparably large economic might to its central location and the high productivity of its work force.
Belgium is the world leader in terms of export per capita. Belgium, which accounts for less than 0.2 percent of the world population and has a market share of 3.4 percent of exports and three percent of imports, is ranked tenth for international trade in goods. Approximately 20 percent of Belgium’s export is comprised of consumer goods. Intermediate goods account for about 60 percent. These are mainly machines and equipment, accounting for over 28 percent of exports, and chemical and allied products accounting for almost 22 percent. Belgium is the world's largest exporter of diamonds and carpets and is the second largest exporter of plant fibers, chocolate and margarine. It is the world number three for glass exports and ranks fourth for the export of eggs, non alcoholic drinks and cars. The high productivity of Belgian workers plays a vital role in the good performance of the Belgian economy.
Belgium consists of three linguistic communities; the Flemish; French and German speaking communities, and three regions: the Flemish; Walloon and Brussels Capital region.
These communities and regions can be associated respectively with Flanders (in the north); Wallonia (in the south); and Brussels located in Flanders. The Flemish Community comprises the Dutch-speaking area as well as the Dutch-speakers or Flemish living in Brussels. The French Community of Belgium or the Community Wallonia-Brussels comprises both the Francophone part of the country as well as the French-speaking or Francophone citizens living in Brussels.
The Community matters are education, cultural matters, social affairs and language use, solely in the area of education. The legal provisions relating to the education system differ in each of the Communities.
The political responsibility for organising education lies with the Flemish Parliament, the Flemish government and the Flemish Minister of Education and Training (Frank Vandenbroucke); the Ministry of the French Community for Education and Scientific Research (Mrs. Marie Arena is the Minister-President in charge of compulsory education and social promotion and Mrs. Marie-Dominique Simonet is the minister for higher education, scientific research and international relations); the Ministry of the Deutschsprachige Gemeinschaft with Mr. Olivier Paasch as Minister for Education and Scientific Research.
The capital Brussels, 80-85 percent French-speaking, occupies an international position with the existence of a large number of important European and International Institutions.
Brussels is also the capital of Europe, the site of the headquarters of the European Commission, the Council of Ministers and the European Parliament. Other major international organizations, such as NATO, are also located in Brussels. As a result, Brussels is the number two city in the world (after Washington) in terms of its number of accredited journalists, and fourth in terms of the number of international meetings and seminars held there.
More than eight percent of residents in Belgium are foreign nationals. The percentage of foreign residents is largely due to Belgium’s small size and open borders, with a commitment to the idea of the free movement of people, goods and services, and its intense economic activity is growing both in western Europe and globally.
Belgium is subject to considerable migratory flows, many of which are facilitated. This also explains why many Dutch, German, Luxembourg and French nationals live in the border regions. Additionally, many foreigners have come from further regions and are living in Belgium, possibly with a view to staying permanently. These people have also become a significant component in the demographic, cultural and economic structure of the country.
Within the federal state of Belgium the educational system is well developed. School attendance is compulsory from the age of six to 18. For those aged 16 to 18, at least part-time education is compulsory. Children are accepted in after-school clubs from 2.5 yrs old. Although nursery school attendance is not compulsory, more than 90 percent of all children go to school. Secondary education is free of charge.
In Belgium, the three communities have obtained autonomy on a number of important issues, with education as the major issue. As a consequence, competence for education lies with the Communities. The Flemish, French as well as the German-speaking community have their own educational system.
Flanders is a small region with a large school population. ‘Basisonderwijs’ comprises both nursery (236.671 children) and primary education (426.567 children). While nursery education is not compulsory, almost all children in Flanders receive it.
Secondary education (444.714 children) is divided in a first stage (core curriculum) and a second stage with four different education forms (general, technical, arts and vocational). Tertiary education radically changed in Flanders after the higher education reform of 2003: bachelor-master structure, co-operation between a university and one or more higher education colleges, accreditation of training programmes. Higher education consists in colleges of higher education (100.178) and university education (56.839). For nursery, primary and secondary education, the school year starts on 1 September and ends on 30 June. In tertiary education, the academic year starts between 1 September and 1 October. Since 2005-2006, instead of one academic year coinciding with one year of study, students can choose for the existing programme of 60 credits per academic year or for a flexible combination of course with less than 60 credits per year.
In Flemish higher education the registrations at hoge scholen keep increasing with a slight increase at universities. In 2004-2005 101.185 students enrolled for hoge scholen and 57.005 for universities.
In the French community in 2004/05, 48.5 percent of pupils and normal secondary education attended a public-sector school, while 51.5 percent attended a grant-aided private school, which received the major part of its financial allocation from the Community. The private sector is very small. The annual study grant varies from EUR 315 to EUR 41.20. In academic year 2005-2006, 137.875 students enrolled in higher education from the French community.
With the exception of private schools, the education system comprises three major categories of education institution; (official) public education institutions organised, managed and wholly financed by the French community; (official) public education institutions subsidises by the French Community but managed by the provincial or municipal authorities and ‘free’ denominational or non-denominational education institutions subsidised by the French Community.
In the German speaking community in 2005/06, almost 70 percent of pupils in primary and secondary education attended public-sector schools, while 30 percent attended grant-aided private catholic schools. There is no private sector in its strictest sense. The Autonome Hochschule, the one single higher education institution with the German speaking community was created in the line with the implementation of the Bologna process, and a Bachelor structure will be delivered for the first time at the end of the academic year 2007/08 to students who enrolled in 2005/06. University education and other forms of higher education or long-term studies are not provided in this region. The great majority of people who study at this level do so in the French Community or in Germany.
The French Community of Belgium comprises more higher education institutions than the Flemish Community. However, in an education market point of view, Flanders can be seen as a strategic location regards the number of international education activities organised in several Flemish universities (Infosessions on studying abroad at KuLeuven, Ghent University conferences and seminars on internationalisation, etc).
Besides this, more and more masters are taught in English. Flanders is well known to international students for the combined masters Dutch-English, as well as for the masters courses taught in English: to give an example, Brussels Free University (VUB) offers 130 study programmes among 25 taught in English.
On the contrary, the French Community does not comprise any recognised institutions offering study programmes taught in English. However, the French Community and Flemish Community both cooperate with UK Universities, among other things, for the exchange of students in the context of Erasmus.
Some universities and other institutions in Belgium (mostly in Brussels and Flanders) offer study programmes taught in English. 280 Belgians studied in the UK in 2004/05 among which 250 were Visiting and Exchange students. The most popular subjects chosen by Belgians in the UK are: Combined courses; English Studies; Academic studies in education; European Languages, Literature and related subjects; Business, Law and Management studies.
Brussels is the regional hub for the West Europe North America Region: Belgium, France, Germany, Netherlands, Italy, Spain, Portugal, Switzerland, Ireland, Malta, USA and Canada. The region comprises six of the G8 countries and in EU/US terms accounts for the largest bilateral trade relationship in the world. It includes countries of paramount importance to UK foreign policy objectives. All have highly developed and sophisticated economies with well-resourced cultural, educational and scientific infrastructures and consumer-focused populations. Many face common social and demographic pressures (ageing populations, large-scale migration from countries outside the region). Brussels also has an important role as a cross-regional intelligence hub, and links British Council operations in all the EU member states as well as keeping a watching brief on EU issues for offices in the Euromed and Accession countries.
By 2010 we aim to be seen in Europe and North America as an outward facing organisation with a strong commitment to mutuality, diversity and the genuine sharing of ideas and experiences.
We will build trust and credibility between the UK and the region by developing and supporting networks of young policy makers and decision makers in key areas where the UK is recognised as having an intelligent and influential voice – in education, multiculturalism, the arts, science, the environment and society. We will work closely with stakeholders and partners to demonstrate the creative energies of the UK and the rich diversity of its countries.
Key facts about the British Council Brussels:
- Established in 1944. Also responsible for Luxembourg
- 1 Centre in the European Quarter of Brussels. Contact points in Brussels.
- Regional Director West Europe and North America / Director Brussels: Stephan Roman. Deputy Director: Nigel Bellingham
- There are 22 country-appointed staff, and three UK-appointed staff. We employ 11 teachers, of which three are on UK contracts.
- We manage 0 client-funded contracts and administer 0 Chevening awards on behalf of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO). However, the Brussels office plays an important role in supporting colleagues globally by providing information on service contract and other funding opportunities from the European Commission. See note on the Business Development Unit (BDU) in the section on key partners, sponsors and clients below
Because of Brussels key location of European institutions, it is also a place of key decision makers and opinion formers – politicians, officials, parliamentarians, journalists, business people, think tanks - influencing the major political, social, economic and cultural issues affecting the future of Europe. Numerous networks of interest have their centre here. Many among our target audiences are highly mobile, and have existing relationships with the British Council in their countries of origin which we aim to sustain during their time in Brussels. There is a very strong demand among this international community for high-level professional skills in English, for access to UK education and training opportunities, and for engagement with the UK on key issues affecting Europe.
For 2006 and beyond we will continue to develop projects on themes relevant in both the UK and wider Europe, further strengthening our role as a pan-European hub for British Council projects in Governance.
In line with the British Council’s new focus on working regionally, we will be collaborating more closely with colleagues across Europe to ensure a two way flow of ideas and programmes between the Brussels office and the rest of the region. This means that projects developed in other countries, for example the Diversity in Education project from Spain and Italy or the Cities of the Future project originally developed in Spain, will include a major event in Brussels in order to engage European influencers and policy makers with these projects.
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