News Center



Home News Center News

A Review of the Belgian Cultural Exchange

Apr 18-2013   



 

By Lu Yingzhe

On October 25th 2009, from morning until evening, the Office of International Relations of Peking University and the International Program Department of BiMBA jointly hosted a series of exchange activities featuring "Belgian culture" as the theme. The event attracted a large and enthusiastic participation from students, including BiMBA students, graduate students from China Center for Economic Research  (CCER) at Peking University, those of dual-degree programs and from other departments of the university. The activities proved to be a resounding success on the campus.

Peking University International Culture Festival held in the morning is a large-scale international cultural exchange activity sponsored by the Office of International Relations of Peking University. The event has been successfully held for 6 times since it was staged for the first time in 2004, and now it has become an eye-catching highlight of the campus. Each year the cultural week attracts massive participation. Themed in exotic flavors and featuring unique cultural characteristics of different countries, the event greatly promotes cultural exchanges between international students and Chinese ones at Peking University. With great support from the Belgian embassy in China this year, the International Project Department of BiMBA carefully designed and decorated a Belgian booth, which drew a lot of attention during the event, with students entranced by the unique and glamorous culture of Belgium, a country widely hailed as "the heart of Europe".

The cultural exchange activity featuring Belgium lasted well into the night. At 6:30 sharp, the "Belgium Cultural and Business Corner" was kicked off at Zhi Fuxuan Hall, Langrun Garden. During the activity the participants were offered the chance to taste the most authentic Belgian food, which were provided by Morel’s, a famous western restaurant in Beijing. In addition, the guests also enjoyed all kinds of beer and snacks best known in Belgium. Hearing the light-hearted and joyful Belgian music and tasting the delicious western dishes, the students present literally enjoyed a "massage" on their ears, eyes and taste buds. For many BiMBA students it was their first time to taste Belgian food, and they all profusely praised the chef for his masterful culinary skills.

 

According to Professor Bruce Sterning, BiMBA International Dean from Vlerick, since 2008 when BiMBA began cooperating with Vlerick Leuven Gent Management School, the number one business school in Belgium and one of the best in Europe, faculty and students of BiMBA have become increasingly internationalized. Students, especially Chinese ones, showing more and more interest in politics, economy and culture of Belgium. Taking the opportunity of the Peking University International Culture Festival this year, BiMBA consolidated its successful experiences of hosting several times of International Forum and Networking Night (IFNN) and its rich resources of international students, and offered more students at Peking University the opportunity to get to know Belgian culture more closely and to personally experience the unique Belgian Charm.

 

Mr. Bart Pennewaert, the Economic Counsellor at the Belgian embassy in China, visited Langrun garden specifically to tell the BiMBA students a rarely known story that occurred in the history of exchanges between China and Belgium. The female protagonist of the story is an ordinary yet great Chinese woman by the name of Qian Xiuling. Her deeds have moved quite many Belgian people and she was fondly called by them "the Chinese mom of Belgium". During the hellish years of war, cherishing a dream of becoming China's Madame Curie, she traveled tens of thousands of miles to Belgium to study chemistry at Ghent University, the best Belgian university. She later met in the country her future husband, a young man of Greek and Russian decent, and married him. Out of a strong sense of justice and great humanitarian spirit, she risked her life and helped more than 100 Belgian democratic personages successfully escape Nazi oppression. In recognition of her outstanding achievement, the Belgian government awarded her the "Hero of the State" medal. In commemoration of Qian's gallantry, citizens of Ecaussinnes City, located in southern Belgium, named a street after her: "Ms. Qian Street." Now a legend of exchange between China and Belgium, Ms Qian's story also moved many BiMBA students present. Later, Counsellor Pennewaert also introduced the students to some other stories featuring economic, cultural and labour exchanges between the two countries, which further enhanced their understanding of the country of Belgium.

 

Look, a smurf! The smart-looking and vivacious Belgian cartoon character can evoke many people's childhood memories. Some BiMBA students became children again at the sight of the "smurf", a man dressed up in costume, and enthusiastically approached the figure to shake hands and take pictures with him, immersed in the recalling of the good old days of their childhood. Many cartoons featuring various themes could be found hanging on the corridor columns in the lobby of Zhi Fuxuan Hall. Inspiring a strong sense of Belgian cartoon culture, these carefully chosen pictures had tempted many a BiMBA student to stop in their tracks and appreciate these unique works of art.

According to a staff with the Tourist Office for Flanders, Belgium, in addition to the internationally renowned beer and food industry, Belgium's cartoon industry also enjoys high reputation, even winning the country the coveted title of "kingdom of cartoons". To put the number of professionals in the industry in Belgium into perspective, nearly 1 of every 3 cartoon artists is Belgium. Among the Belgian cartoon artists best known here in China are the creators of The Adventures Of Tintin And The Smurfs. Take a stroll in the streets of Belgium, and you will delightfully discover that there are more than 40 massive walls with cartoons around the country, as well as all kinds of cartoon-themed book stores and gift stores. Some of the main streets in the country were also named after famous cartoon characters, which clearly show the side of the Belgian that is demonstrative of their childlike innocence and inclination as well as the ability to enjoy life.

 


Xie Yi from BiMBA International Program Department moderated the Q&A session with flawlessly fluent English. BiMBA students and many from other universities as well as some international ones of various nationalities raised one question of interest after another to the officials from Belgian embassy and other Belgian guests from the Chamber of Commerce of Netherlands and CCTV international channel. The witty answers from Counsellor Bart Pennewaert won rounds of uproarious applause. Sandy Sonnwille, an international student of BiMBA from Belgium, also expressed his interest and love for Chinese culture. The working personnel with the Tourist Office for Flanders also introduced many worthy tourist destinations in Belgium, which aroused great interest of the students.

A particular question raised by a student piqued the audiences' interest. It went like this: “Mr. Bart Pennewaert, would you please kindly tell us how to tell Belgian people from other Europeans? Or to put it another way, what are their exclusive temperament and character?” After a brief reflection, Mr. Pennewaert answered: " The birth of the country of Belgium, historically speaking, is more of an accident, or rather, a miracle. We used to be colonized by those neighbouring superpowers, such as Germany, France and Russian etc, so we learned to be tolerant, practical-minded and philosophical. And that may be why we boast a large number of cartoon artists and such a sophisticated cartoon industry. We like to enjoy life, taste delicious food and we also work hard, and try to claim our own positions under the thumb of others."

 


His words, while a bit sentimental, nonetheless revealed the character of the Belgians and even the country as a whole. Indeed, because of its unique geographic position and other reasons, Belgium is no stranger  to bullying and colonization by powerful nations, which in a perverse way helps the Belgians cultivate a unique ability to tolerate and adapt, to keep a low profile and act practically, to attach great importance to life quality and to resolve emotional distress. Maybe it's just the cultural diversity forced upon them and the political tension that help Belgium achieve the state of composure and tolerance worthy of the capital of EU. Though it would be inappropriate to mechanically employ the famous line of Lao Tzu which goes "In calamity lies fortune, in fortune lurks calamity" to explain today's Belgium, upon close reflection, we can still draw some valuable lessons from the way Belgium grew and positioned itself over its history.

Through this international cultural exchange activity, BiMBA students all gained a deeper and better understanding of Belgium. The activity also served as a platform for communication between international students and Chinese ones. It finally came to an end while most of the students were still immersed in the enthusiastic and friendly atmosphere of Belgian culture. Comfortingly, there will be more similar activities coming up in the days to come and students’ participation is again greatly welcomed.

A Review of the Belgian Cultural Exchange

Apr 18-2013   



 

By Lu Yingzhe

On October 25th 2009, from morning until evening, the Office of International Relations of Peking University and the International Program Department of BiMBA jointly hosted a series of exchange activities featuring "Belgian culture" as the theme. The event attracted a large and enthusiastic participation from students, including BiMBA students, graduate students from China Center for Economic Research  (CCER) at Peking University, those of dual-degree programs and from other departments of the university. The activities proved to be a resounding success on the campus.

Peking University International Culture Festival held in the morning is a large-scale international cultural exchange activity sponsored by the Office of International Relations of Peking University. The event has been successfully held for 6 times since it was staged for the first time in 2004, and now it has become an eye-catching highlight of the campus. Each year the cultural week attracts massive participation. Themed in exotic flavors and featuring unique cultural characteristics of different countries, the event greatly promotes cultural exchanges between international students and Chinese ones at Peking University. With great support from the Belgian embassy in China this year, the International Project Department of BiMBA carefully designed and decorated a Belgian booth, which drew a lot of attention during the event, with students entranced by the unique and glamorous culture of Belgium, a country widely hailed as "the heart of Europe".

The cultural exchange activity featuring Belgium lasted well into the night. At 6:30 sharp, the "Belgium Cultural and Business Corner" was kicked off at Zhi Fuxuan Hall, Langrun Garden. During the activity the participants were offered the chance to taste the most authentic Belgian food, which were provided by Morel’s, a famous western restaurant in Beijing. In addition, the guests also enjoyed all kinds of beer and snacks best known in Belgium. Hearing the light-hearted and joyful Belgian music and tasting the delicious western dishes, the students present literally enjoyed a "massage" on their ears, eyes and taste buds. For many BiMBA students it was their first time to taste Belgian food, and they all profusely praised the chef for his masterful culinary skills.

 

According to Professor Bruce Sterning, BiMBA International Dean from Vlerick, since 2008 when BiMBA began cooperating with Vlerick Leuven Gent Management School, the number one business school in Belgium and one of the best in Europe, faculty and students of BiMBA have become increasingly internationalized. Students, especially Chinese ones, showing more and more interest in politics, economy and culture of Belgium. Taking the opportunity of the Peking University International Culture Festival this year, BiMBA consolidated its successful experiences of hosting several times of International Forum and Networking Night (IFNN) and its rich resources of international students, and offered more students at Peking University the opportunity to get to know Belgian culture more closely and to personally experience the unique Belgian Charm.

 

Mr. Bart Pennewaert, the Economic Counsellor at the Belgian embassy in China, visited Langrun garden specifically to tell the BiMBA students a rarely known story that occurred in the history of exchanges between China and Belgium. The female protagonist of the story is an ordinary yet great Chinese woman by the name of Qian Xiuling. Her deeds have moved quite many Belgian people and she was fondly called by them "the Chinese mom of Belgium". During the hellish years of war, cherishing a dream of becoming China's Madame Curie, she traveled tens of thousands of miles to Belgium to study chemistry at Ghent University, the best Belgian university. She later met in the country her future husband, a young man of Greek and Russian decent, and married him. Out of a strong sense of justice and great humanitarian spirit, she risked her life and helped more than 100 Belgian democratic personages successfully escape Nazi oppression. In recognition of her outstanding achievement, the Belgian government awarded her the "Hero of the State" medal. In commemoration of Qian's gallantry, citizens of Ecaussinnes City, located in southern Belgium, named a street after her: "Ms. Qian Street." Now a legend of exchange between China and Belgium, Ms Qian's story also moved many BiMBA students present. Later, Counsellor Pennewaert also introduced the students to some other stories featuring economic, cultural and labour exchanges between the two countries, which further enhanced their understanding of the country of Belgium.

 

Look, a smurf! The smart-looking and vivacious Belgian cartoon character can evoke many people's childhood memories. Some BiMBA students became children again at the sight of the "smurf", a man dressed up in costume, and enthusiastically approached the figure to shake hands and take pictures with him, immersed in the recalling of the good old days of their childhood. Many cartoons featuring various themes could be found hanging on the corridor columns in the lobby of Zhi Fuxuan Hall. Inspiring a strong sense of Belgian cartoon culture, these carefully chosen pictures had tempted many a BiMBA student to stop in their tracks and appreciate these unique works of art.

According to a staff with the Tourist Office for Flanders, Belgium, in addition to the internationally renowned beer and food industry, Belgium's cartoon industry also enjoys high reputation, even winning the country the coveted title of "kingdom of cartoons". To put the number of professionals in the industry in Belgium into perspective, nearly 1 of every 3 cartoon artists is Belgium. Among the Belgian cartoon artists best known here in China are the creators of The Adventures Of Tintin And The Smurfs. Take a stroll in the streets of Belgium, and you will delightfully discover that there are more than 40 massive walls with cartoons around the country, as well as all kinds of cartoon-themed book stores and gift stores. Some of the main streets in the country were also named after famous cartoon characters, which clearly show the side of the Belgian that is demonstrative of their childlike innocence and inclination as well as the ability to enjoy life.

 


Xie Yi from BiMBA International Program Department moderated the Q&A session with flawlessly fluent English. BiMBA students and many from other universities as well as some international ones of various nationalities raised one question of interest after another to the officials from Belgian embassy and other Belgian guests from the Chamber of Commerce of Netherlands and CCTV international channel. The witty answers from Counsellor Bart Pennewaert won rounds of uproarious applause. Sandy Sonnwille, an international student of BiMBA from Belgium, also expressed his interest and love for Chinese culture. The working personnel with the Tourist Office for Flanders also introduced many worthy tourist destinations in Belgium, which aroused great interest of the students.

A particular question raised by a student piqued the audiences' interest. It went like this: “Mr. Bart Pennewaert, would you please kindly tell us how to tell Belgian people from other Europeans? Or to put it another way, what are their exclusive temperament and character?” After a brief reflection, Mr. Pennewaert answered: " The birth of the country of Belgium, historically speaking, is more of an accident, or rather, a miracle. We used to be colonized by those neighbouring superpowers, such as Germany, France and Russian etc, so we learned to be tolerant, practical-minded and philosophical. And that may be why we boast a large number of cartoon artists and such a sophisticated cartoon industry. We like to enjoy life, taste delicious food and we also work hard, and try to claim our own positions under the thumb of others."

 


His words, while a bit sentimental, nonetheless revealed the character of the Belgians and even the country as a whole. Indeed, because of its unique geographic position and other reasons, Belgium is no stranger  to bullying and colonization by powerful nations, which in a perverse way helps the Belgians cultivate a unique ability to tolerate and adapt, to keep a low profile and act practically, to attach great importance to life quality and to resolve emotional distress. Maybe it's just the cultural diversity forced upon them and the political tension that help Belgium achieve the state of composure and tolerance worthy of the capital of EU. Though it would be inappropriate to mechanically employ the famous line of Lao Tzu which goes "In calamity lies fortune, in fortune lurks calamity" to explain today's Belgium, upon close reflection, we can still draw some valuable lessons from the way Belgium grew and positioned itself over its history.

Through this international cultural exchange activity, BiMBA students all gained a deeper and better understanding of Belgium. The activity also served as a platform for communication between international students and Chinese ones. It finally came to an end while most of the students were still immersed in the enthusiastic and friendly atmosphere of Belgian culture. Comfortingly, there will be more similar activities coming up in the days to come and students’ participation is again greatly welcomed.