We're off to a great start!

The first few days of the Brussels program have been off to a “rocky” start — the streets of Brussels are paved with cobblestone, and we’ve been doing a lot of walking!

It certainly requires a lot of energy and commitment to get the most out of a program like the 2019 CIEE World Government Program. As I program leader, I’ve been grateful to have this opportunity to lead such a dynamic and diverse group of youngsters here in Bruxelles — just three days in, the collective inquisitiveness and motivation of this program’s students have already forced me to question some of my own assumptions about the world in which we live. There are some great thinkers in our group, and there are many more conversations to be had.

Today, program participants had their first day of class with their instructor. I was able to observe their first session along with some other CIEE on-site staff members and was impressed by the array of profound questions they posed both to the instructor and amongst themselves. The in-class instruction and activities planned outside of class work synergistically to help students reinforce previous knowledge and synthesize new information in tangible ways.

 

After class and lunch at Place du Luxembourg, the students began to assess the functions of the European Union by examining some of the most prominent and powerful governing institutions in Europe (and arguably in the world) on a guided Parlamentarium and EU Area tour. Students were given a bit of free time after the tour to take care of some basic shopping/ ATM withdrawals before having dinner at Le Temps Danse. It seems like the jet lag is wearing off a bit and everyone is ready for another fulfilling day tomorrow — you’ll be hearing from us soon!