ANOTHER FRONTIER …thoughts on living and studying abroad

by Philippe Denis, on-site director of Semester Abroad at UCL

Hospitality, a vast heritage, picturesque land- and seascapes, … You have come to take these fine qualities, and many more, for granted in the South, which over the years have become a home away from home to me.

Yet, sometimes one should peer out beyond the horizon, behind the ever-shining Carolina sun.

What could you gain from venturing out ?
Some will look for new opportunities, others will go in search of the unknown, but all will undoubtedly return so much richer both as a person and a future professional.

French is a beautiful thing.
No tedious home learning will further your progress more than speaking it with natives for six months on end. Mastering the language opens the gates to another world, peopled with engineers, poets and friends you do not know yet. Just try thinking with different words. What a liberating experience it is !

As Americans, Europe may be your past; as citizens of the world, it could be your present and future … if you so wish. The EU has unquestionably become a fast-growing world leader, whose capital city happens to lie in Belgium, Brussels.

Your potential host country is conveniently nestled between France and Germany.
Paris, London, Amsterdam, Cologne … are but a short train ride away. Also within reach – and within your budget line - are cities erected before Christ, the Alps, the Fjords, la côte d’Azur …

Year in year out UCL, the Catholic University of Louvain, founded in 1425, has ranked among the world’s best universities. We welcome over 20,000 students of about 125 nationalities while keeping their individual needs in mind. The recently relocated new town (Louvain-la-Neuve) and pedestrian campus were also planned on a human scale.

Should you want to be one of those privileged people, my colleagues and I would see to it that Louvain-la-Neuve becomes a home away from home. A place you will grow into as well as a life-changing experience.

C’est la passion de nos deux langues et de nos deux cultures qui nous a poussés à offrir ce programme sur mesure aux étudiants de l’ Université de Clemson. Nous y croyions et espérons vous compter parmi nous en janvier.