Driving innovation and creativity through diversity: Belgium as a gateway to the world

Last 18th of September, at the Faura Audiovisual Room, Ateneo de Manila University’s Department of Philosophy, alongside the School of Humanities, held Belgium Beyond Waffles, Chocolates, and Fries: A Gateway to the World. After an audience with university officials, the speaker, His Excellency Michel Parys, ambassador of the Kingdom of Belgium to the Philippines, gave valuable insights into his native country of Belgium. Present were students and faculty from the Department of Philosophy and the European Studies Program of the university. 

It opened with an overview of the Kingdom of Belgium: size, population, GDP, economy, and geographical context. While discussing the country’s history, His Excellency mentioned that the diplomatic relationship between Belgium and the Philippines’ had remained strong and stable since they built their first consulate in 1837. The speaker then proceeded to talk about Wallonia, Brussels Capital, and Flanders—the country’s provinces, the three communities in each, and the diversity that unites Belgium because of these three.

What interested the student participants the most were the insights into the higher education of Belgium. Their schools offer classes in either French or Dutch while their Masters and PhD degrees are offered in English. His Excellency also mentioned that the Filipino scholars who study in Belgium are able to adapt to the environment well, making it a good experience on their end. 

There was also a dive into Belgium’s rich culture, from its world-famous gastronomy of beer, chocolates, waffles, and fries, to its influence in comics through Adventures of Tintin and contribution to the world of music through the saxophone and its inventor, Adolphe Sax. 

In essence, the talk was a discussion on how Belgium is currently opening and committing itself to innovation, partnership, and diversity—and their hope is to bring people of different backgrounds together for this goal. As stated in the video that closed the talk, “Belgium is a country where new ideas find fertile ground. Where partnerships drive innovation. And where diversity stimulates creativity.”