Basic Information

Belgium is situated in Western Europe. It is bound by France, Germany, Luxembourg, the Netherlands and the North Sea. The country’s topography is that of a large fertile low-lying plain. The capital of the country is Brussels. The population of the country is 10.8 million. There are two main language communities in Belgium: the Dutch-speaking Flemings in the north, and the French-speaking Walloons in the south. Brussels is officially bilingual. A third language community of German-speakers is located in the eastern part of Belgium.

Often called the Essence of Europe, Belgium is both multicultural and multilingual. Flanders in the north, a flatland criss-crossed by canals, is proud of its medieval art cities, Antwerp, Bruges and Ghent. To the south in Wallonia, you will find the rolling hills of the Ardennes, countless castles, and the cities of Charleroi, Liege, Mons, Namur, and Tournai. The city of Brussels is one of the world’s great cosmopolitan capitals, home to both the European Union and NATO, as well as a wealth of international trade and finance companies.

The Higher Education System

In Belgium, the communities are responsible for making decisions on services for individuals, such as education. The Flemish Community is therefore responsible for education in the Dutch-speaking part of the country, whilst the Federation Wallonia-Brussels, is the governing authority for the French-speaking part of Belgium.

The colleges of higher education and universities have introduced the bachelor-master structure. Higher education organized according to the bachelor-master structure is still divided into two types of education: higher professional education and academic education. Higher professional education is restricted to bachelor courses and is only provided at university colleges. Academic education consists of bachelor courses and master courses. Academic education is provided at universities and at university colleges.

Scholarships

There are many Scholarships options available for student looking at studying in Belgium. Like any place Scholarships will be determined multiple factors primarily your own merit. Different types of scholarship options are available in different universities, depending on the place and where you intend to apply and study in Belgium

Scholarships are also offered by two Belgian communities: the Federation Wallonia-Brussels and the Flemish Community.

The Flanders Agency for Mobility and Cooperation in Higher Education (Flamenco), is a non-profit organization with a mission to contribute to the internationalization of Flanders’ higher education. One of its projects is Study in Flanders. For information on scholarships, we strongly recommend you to reach our counselor who would assist you to find all the information on available scholarships in Belgium.

WBI (Wallonia-Brussels International): “the Scholarships for Excellence programme” is exclusively designed to candidates who wish to specialize with a doctorate or post-doctorate study or perform doctorate or post-doctorate research. Wallonia-Brussels Campus is a public agency, operating under the oversight of the administrations in charge of foreign affairs (WBI) and education within the Federation Wallonia Brussels, and is committed to promote French-speaking Belgium’s higher education programs throughout the world.

For scholarship opportunities, please visit our office or contact our office. Our aim is to make it easier for those interested in studying in Belgium as well as those providing assistance and advice in ESC’s office to find details of existing grant programmes and to guarantee that the information about these programmes is always up to date.