University of Kent, Brussels School of International Studies

To visit the University of Kent - BSIS website, click here.

Study in Europe and Gain a Competitive Advantage

Roger Vickerman
Dean and Professor of European Economics
Brussels School of International Studies
University of Kent

The University of Kent's Brussels campus, home to the Brussels School of International Studies (BSIS), offers advanced programmes in international studies and provides students excellent opportunities for networking and professional advancement in the Capital of Europe. With some 220 students drawn from over 65 countries, this specialist postgraduate school prides itself on an unparalleled student experience, together with strong emphasis on the close interaction between faculty and students. With 93% of its graduates either in work or reading for a PhD, the formula seems to be working, and we raised this issue with Professor Roger Vickerman, the university campus' Dean.

Why do you think the Brussels School of International Studies offers students a unique learning experience, and what makes it stand out amongst its peers?

I think there are three key aspects to this. The first is that we offer a full UK accredited degree from an internationally respected UK university with all the advantages therein. Secondly, there is the interdisciplinary nature of the school. Five academic schools, from our main campus in Canterbury, offer courses in Brussels, each with its own rich academic heritage. Students have incredible choice and are able to design courses to suit their own particular goals. For example, as part of a politics degree you can take law, history, economics, or sociology courses. At Kent we appreciate that each student's needs are different, and this flexibility allows them to tailor their particular programme accordingly. Finally, studying in Brussels is an enormous advantage because it gives our students the opportunity to interact with practitioners in their chosen field, both in the classroom and at the multitude of conferences that take place here throughout the year. It provides students with the opportunity not only to look for work, but also to undertake internships at EU institutions and the thousands of companies and NGOs clustered around them. This mixture of academic learning and practical experience, I believe, gives our students the edge when entering the workplace.

There seems to be a particularly strong bond between staff and students at BSIS. Why is this the case?

Although we draw upon the rich resources of our partner universities in Brussels, the university's premises in Brussels are relatively small and intimate. Staff and students share many of the same facilities and are therefore in almost constant contact. If one adds to that the idea that both faculty and students are on a common academic journey - that the staff do not simply teach facts but instead inspire students to learn for themselves - I think you can see where this is leading. At the Brussels School we are looking to recruit students who think for themselves, are self-starters, and relish a challenge. Whilst we might set the agenda in terms of programmes and courses, it is the energy from our students that makes the school the success it is today. We are, as one alumnus once said, "founded on a set of complementary conversations - among different academic disciplines, among academics and practitioners, among students from all over the world, and especially between the faculty and students".

Brussels School of International Studies
University of Kent
www.kent.ac.uk/brussels
Email the school
202-657-6850
Skype: bsisbrussels

Jump to another Graduate School Forum: Focus on Faculty page:

• Association of Professional Schools of International Affairs (APSIA)
  

Focus on Faculty: An Introduction
Leigh Morris Sloane

• American University, School of International Service (SIS)

Collaborating on The Dragon’s Gift
Deborah Bräutigam

• Brandeis University, The Heller School for Social Policy and Management

Diplomacy and Development: It is a Career
Laurence R. Simon

• Columbia University, School of International and Public Affairs (SIPA)

Thinking Outside the Box… and Outside the Borders
Rodolfo de la Garza

• University of Denver, Josef Korbel School of International Studies

Graduate School Mentorship at the Josef Korbel
Jack Donnelly

• Florida International University, School of International and Public Affairs (SIPA)
  

Preparing Students for Global Careers in an International City
Mark B. Rosenberg

• The George Washington University, Elliott School of International Affairs

Examining Global Governors
Martha Finnemore

• The Johns Hopkins University, The Paul H. Nitze School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS)
  

One School, One Vision, Three Continents
David M. Lampton

• The New School, Graduate Program in International Affairs

Preparing Leaders for International Development
Sukiko Fukuda-Parr

• Pepperdine University, School of Public Policy

A Distinguished Approach to the Study of Public Policy
Robert Kaufman

• University of Pittsburgh, Graduate School of Public and International Affairs (GSPIA)

Students Take on Big Issues in Human Security at GSPIA
Taylor Seybolt

• Ritsumeikan University, Graduate School in International Relations

An Interdisciplinary Approach to the Study of International Relations in Asia
Sachio Nakato

• National University of Singapore, Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy

Leading in a New Age of Global Governance
Scott Fritzen

• University of Texas at Austin, Lyndon B. Johnson School of Public Affairs

LBJ Students Map Africa’s Vulnerability to Climate Change and Study
South African Governance Challenges in Cape Town
Josh Busby

Back to Sponsored Section Index