Education and Study Fair

Belgian Student Platform has organized the third edition of the Education and Study Fair. This fair is an event that is realized in partnership with BS. Platform’s Flemish and Walloon local student associations.

The Education and Study Fair becomes each year a greater success. This year more than 500 students from both Flanders and Wallonia and 24 institutions represented by students visited the fair. The numerous students graduating from secondary school were able to meet their role models and ask questions about college life.

We also thought about the students who have no idea about their future studies. This year we made 5 tablets available, so the students could determine their field of interest on the basis of a broad questionnaire.

Besides the stands of the universities there were also workshops to visit. There were 3 different workshops both for French speaking as for Dutch speaking students. The first was organized in partnership with ‘Word leerkracht’. A graduate student and teacher shared their experiences about what the teaching profession is really like and which qualities a teacher should have. Another workshop informed about student facilities for students who don’t know what universities offer in terms of social services. Next, there was a workshop on social studies. Here the students were given the opportunity to ask questions about, for example the profession of a nurse.

The fair was honored by the visit of Brigitte Grouwels, Brussels Minister of Public Works. After a tour at the fair where the minister had the opportunity to talk to the students, she held a closing speech. Grouwels said, “It is amazing to see that college students have sacrificed a Saturday by means of helping these students”. The minister praised the organization and also other events realized by BS. Platform.

Besides Minister Brigitte Grouwels we were also visited by M. Raf Devos, cabinet employee of the Flemish Minister of Education, Pascal Smet. He announced that BS. Platform had succeeded in reaching a high number of foreign language students and that this could boost the success rate of first year students. He also expressed that BS. Platform could count on Pascal Smet’s support. The Education and Studuy fair was closed off with a performance of Hakims of Comedy.