Brussels, Belgium: EU Studies - Summer 2010
Program Handbook
Congratulations on being selected to participate in the EU Studies summer study abroad program in Brussels, Belgium!
This program is offered by International Academic Programs (IAP) at the University of Wisconsin-Madison in partnership with the University of Washington and in cooperation with the Institute for European Studies at the Universite Libre de Bruxelles. Throughout the course of your study abroad experience you will be communicating with both IAP and University of Washington staff. It is essential that you pay close attention to all information provided to you from both organizations. This IAP Program Handbook supplements handbook(s) or materials you receive from the University of Washington as well as the IAP Study Abroad Handbook and provides you with the most up-to-date information and advice available at the time of printing. Changes may occur before your departure or while you are abroad.
This program handbook contains the following information:
Contact Information 1
Program Dates 2
Preparations Before Leaving 2
Travel and Arrival Information 3
The Academic Program 3
Living Abroad 4
Student Testimonials 6
Contact Information
Mark Di Virgilio
EU Center of Excellence of Seattle
Ph: 206-616-2415
On-Site Contact Information
Dr. Nils Ringe
University of Wisconsin-Madison
Assistant Professor, Political Science
Dr. Peter Hobbing, former Principal Administrator
European Commission
Courses will be held at the Institut d’Etudes Europeennes on the ULB campus.
UW-Madison Information
International Academic Programs (IAP)
University of Wisconsin-Madison
261 Bascom Hall, 500 Lincoln Drive
Madison, WI 53706
Tel: 608-265-6329 Fax: 608-262-6998
Web: www.studyabroad.wisc.edu
Katie Saur
IAP Study Abroad Advisor
Tel: 608-890-0939
E-mail:
Emergency Contact Information
In case of an emergency, call the main IAP number (608) 265-6329 between 8 a.m.-4:30 p.m. Monday-Friday; after-hours or on weekends call the IAP staff on call at (608) 516-9440.
Embassy Registration
Program participants who are U.S. citizens must register at the U.S. Embassy before departure as this will help in case of a lost passport or other mishap. You can register on-line at <https://travelregistration.state.gov>. If you are not a U.S. citizen, register at your home country’s embassy or consulate.
U.S. Embassy
U.S. Embassy in Brussels
Regentlaan 27 Boulevard du Régent
B-1000 Brussels
Tel: 32-2-508-2111
Fax: 32-2-511-2725
Web: http://www.usembassy.be
Program Dates
July 12, 2010 Start of Program
August 13, 2010 End of Program
Preparations Before Leaving
Refer to the Pre-Departure Checklist on pages four and five of the IAP Study Abroad Handbook for essential information.
Passport
A passport is needed to travel to Belgium. Apply immediately for a passport if you do not already have one. Passport information and application forms can be found on the U.S. State Department website (http://travel.state.gov/passport). If you already have your passport, make sure it will be valid for at least six months beyond the length of your stay abroad.
Visa
U.S. citizens do not need a visa to visit Belgium, for stays up to 90 days. International students should check with the Belgian embassy for information on entry requirements.
Travel and Arrival Information
You are responsible for making your own travel arrangements. You are welcome, however, to arrange flights with other students on the program independently. More specific details on arrival dates/times will be provided by the University of Washington. Most transatlantic flights leave in the evening and arrive in the early morning hours. You should be able to find a direct flight from the US to Brussels.
You may consider using local travel agents to help you in finding available airplane tickets.
STA Travel
429 State St
Madison, WI 53703
Phone: (608)263-8810
Educational Travel Centre
438 N Frances St Ste 1
Madison, WI 53703-1084
Phone: (608)256-5551
Fax: / (608) 256-2042Specific information regarding arrival in Brussels and how to reach your housing at ULB will be provided by the University of Washington.
The Academic Program
These academic notes do not provide all the necessary academic information you will need for a successful study abroad experience. Instead, they are meant as a complement to the academic section of the IAP Study Abroad Handbook. If you have read both your general handbook and this program handbook and still have questions, please feel free to contact us at or (608) 265-6329.
ULB campus:
www.ulb.ac.be
Course Information
This five-week program (mid-July to mid-August) offers students a rigorous academic curriculum focusing on the emergence of a united Europe and to gain an understanding of the “real world” of EU institutions. Summer 2010 offerings are:
Current EU Policy Debates
3 credits for Political Science 690: Study Abroad Topics in Political Studies: Comparative Politics
Dr. Nils Ringe
University of Wisconsin-Madison
Assistant Professor, Political Science
EU Institutions: View from inside the Brussels Complex
3 credits for Political Science 401: Topics in Political Science
Dr. Peter Hobbing, former Principal Administrator
European Commission
EU Simulation
Your academic work for the simulation will be merged with the EU institutions coursework for one grade for Poli Sci 401 for 3 credits
Credits
Participants earn 6 UW-Madison credits total in Political Science 690 and 401.
Grades
Participants will receive one grade for the Current EU Policy Debates for Political Science 690. The grades for the EU Institutions and EU Simulation will be merged for the grade for Political Science 401.
Pass/Fail/Drop/Audit
Due to the length of this program, students are not able to take these courses for Pass/Fail credit. Please refer to the IAP Study Abroad Handbook for academic policies and grade conversion scales.
Living Abroad
Educate yourself about your host country. Read the Preparing to Live in Another Culture section of the IAP Study Abroad Handbook. Consult the following resources as well as travel books and program binders in the Study Abroad Resource Center (250 Bascom Hall). Remember- it won't be possible to prepare yourself completely. There will be situations you will not have anticipated and your flexibility will determine in great part the kind of experience you will have while abroad.
Websites of Interest:
UW-Madison - International Academic Programs:
http://www.studyabroad.wisc.edu
University of Washington program web site:
http://jsis.washington.edu/euc/brussels/
For more general orientation information, go to:
http://www.worldwide.edu
(Includes information on culture shock)
For State Department information, go to:
http://www.travel.state.gov
For the Center for Disease Control information:
http://www.cdc.gov
For Brussels Tourism:
http://www.brusselsinternational.be/wabxlint/visitor/index.jsp?lg=EN
For more information on Brussels:
http://www.xpats.com (resource for expatriates living in Brussels)
http://www.stib.irisnet.be (Brussels Public Transportation)
Belgium
The Kingdom of Belgium is located in Northwestern Europe and is bordered by the Netherlands, Luxembourg, Germany, France, and the North Sea. Belgium has a population of approximately 10.4 million people, with Europe’s second highest population density, after the Netherlands. There are three linguistic regions and federal regions with two official languages across the country. Flanders, in northern Belgium, is Dutch-speaking; French is spoken in Wallonia in the southern portion of the country. Brussels, the capital region, is legally bilingual, and a German-speaking minority exists in eastern Belgium. Brussels is the largest city and other major cities include Antwerp, Ghent, and Bruges. Belgium was one of the core founders of the European Union, and is a member of NATO. With a highly developed economy, Belgium has a per-capita GDP that ranks among the world’s highest. For more information on Belgium, visit the Department of State’s website and background notes, as well as wikipedia.com and various travel guides, such as Lonely Planet.
Brussels, Belgium
Brussels is the capital of Belgium and has a population of approximately one million. It is the heart of Europe and hosts the headquarters to both NATO and the European Union. Both the European Commission and the Council of the European Union are headquartered in Brussels, as well as a parliamentary chamber where committee meetings and sessions are held (other sessions are held in Strasbourg, and the administrative headquarters of Parliament are in Luxembourg). Brussels is officially bilingual and is the capital of both Flanders and Wallonia. Places of interest in Brussels include: the Grand Place (Grote Markt), the central market square; the Royal Palace of Laeken (the royal residence) and the Royal Palace of Belgium; and the Heysel Exhibition Park with the sculpture Atomium, remaining from the World’s Exhibition of 1958.
Housing
Students will be accommodated in single-room student dorms on the ULB Solbosch campus, in either the "residence Elio Conte" or "residence Lucia de Brouckere".
Both dorms are located close to the Institute for European Studies (IEE), where the program seminars will be held. The residences provide internet access, private bathrooms, private showers, plus a shared kitchen. Both dorms are conveniently located near mass transit and are just a short walking distance from numerous restaurants and shops.
ULB dorms pictures (residence Lucia de Brouckere): http://www.ulb.ac.be/services/etudiants/photos/index_3.html
Map: http://www.ulb.ac.be/docs/campus/sol_d31.html
Useful Travel Books:
Fodor’s Berkeley Budget Guides
Frommer’s Travel Guides
Let’s Go Europe
Michelin Guides
Rough Guide
The Lonely Planet
Also check the International Travel Health Guide by Stuart R. Rose, MD.
Communications
Your University of Washington pre-departure information will provide detailed information about communicating via phone, email, and mail when in Belgium.
When making calls, keep in mind time zone differences (www.timeanddate.com/worldclock). To make an international call to the United States, dial the access code for the country from which you are calling plus the United States country code (always “1”) followed by the appropriate U.S. area code and local number. To call internationally from the United States, dial “011”, the country code, city access code (if necessary) and the phone number . Country and city codes can be found online (www.timeanddate.com/worldclock/dialing.html). Some of above steps can vary if you are using a calling card.
Skype is a free, downloadable software application that allows users to make live video and voice calls over the internet. Skype users can also add money to their account and can then use the service to call land lines and cell phones internationally at very low rates. Additionally, Skype also provides an instant messaging function as well as file sharing.
To create a Skype account, users must download the application from www.skype.com and create a user name and password. Once the application is installed onto their computer, they can search for friends either by first and last name or using their friends' Skype usernames. Once a friend is added to a users contact list, they will be able to see whether that person is available to chat. If two users both have web-enabled video cameras for their computers, they will be able to chat face to face. For users without a web cam, a microphone is all that’s required for calls to another computer.
Student Testimnials
The testimonials below are from past participants; they reflect various students’ experiences and are included to provide different perspectives. IAP does not endorse any specific view expressed in this section.
The courses were very in-depth and the topics were broadly ranging. If there is something in particular you are interested in that involves the EU, there is a professor who either knows the answer or knows how to find it for you. The lecturers were as unique as the topics they covered. It was fun to get different takes on various aspects of the EU. Our lecturers were men, women, varied in age and nationality.
If you are at all interested in the EU, there’s really no better place to study it than in Brussels. Brussels is a really good central location to travel from. The students I spent my time with were all wonderful people. The fact that this program is kept at a small size makes it so much better. You will be surrounded by people who are insanely interested in the EU. They will help you learn with their insights and excitement.
An incredible opportunity to learn more about the EU in-depth!
Fun, interactive and informative
Amazing group of speakers…we were able to get a ‘real life’ perspective on the EU and ask very candid questions
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