The Carnivalesque and Belgian Modernism

Category: Americans in Belgium

Posted on in 2022, Americans in Belgium, Belgium

The Carnivalesque and Belgian Modernism

Hannah Rose Blakeley was a 2022-2023 Fulbright Student Researcher in Belgium, where she conducted art historical research at Ghent University for her doctoral dissertation, “The Carnivalesque in Belgian Modernism.” Hannah Rose’s project investigates the ways in which two Belgian artists, James Ensor and Léon Spilliaert, employ local Carnival traditions and motifs in their work to grapple with themes of political upheaval, social transgression, and modern identity. We sat down with Hannah Rose to ask her about her time in Belgium and the advice she would give to a prospective applicant. Q: “What inspired you to come to Belgium for your research, and to apply to the Fulbright Program?” “The Fulbright Program enabled me to conduct on-site research essential for my dissertation, given that much of Ensor’s and Spilliaert’s work is largely inaccessible outside of Belgium. Fulbright provided me the opportunity to repeatedly see these artists’ works in person and to establish an international community of specialists in my field. The […]

by Fulbright
Posted on in 2022, Americans in Belgium

In Search of Hawaiʻi in Antwerp

During the 2022-23 academic year, Rickey Larkin received a grant through the Fulbright U.S. Student Program to conduct research on the linguistic landscapes of poke restaurants in Belgium at the Universiteit Antwerpen. We sat down with Rickey to ask him about his time in Antwerp. Q: “What inspired you to use poke as your object of study? How did that lead you to Belgium?” “I was lucky enough to visit Belgium once before applying to visit a friend. During that trip I became interested in researching the public display of language in Belgium in particular because of its unique multilingual society. While there, I met with my sponsor, Dr. Mieke Vandenbroucke. We had a discussion on a related project on graffiti and I left ready to work on the proposal. However, after walking around Antwerp and seeing the large number of poke bowl restaurants I realized quickly that it made more sense for me, coming from the University of Hawaiʻi […]

by Fulbright
Posted on in 2022, Americans in Belgium

Culture, Music, and English Classes in Brussels

After completing her bachelor’s degree in Global Affairs at George Mason University, Samira Radwan spent a year teaching English in Cahors, France, through the Teaching Assistant Program in France before applying to the Fulbright ETA Program. During her second year on the program, Samira returned to Brussels, where she served as an English Teaching Assistant at the Athénée Royal du Sippelberg and OIRD/Université des familles. Samira loved reconnecting with her returning students and meeting new ones. We sat down with Samira to ask her about her time in Belgium. Q: “You spent two years in Belgium on the Fulbright Program, so this might be a difficult question … but what was a typical day like for you?” “I would start my morning by waking up and taking the metro to the high school I work at. I teach English or facilitate discussion tables with students. After my time there I go home and have lunch with my partner. Before getting […]

by Fulbright
Posted on in 2022, Americans in Belgium, Belgium

Culture and Science and Bikes, Oh My!

Luiz Jacobsohn was a 2022-2023 Fulbright Scholar to Belgium. He conducted research on persistent phosphors at Ghent University focusing on how the manipulation of defects and the microstructure can tune the properties of interest towards new applications of these materials. Luiz is an Associate Professor with the Department of Materials Science and Engineering at Clemson University. We sat down with Luiz to ask him about his time in Belgium and how it changed his career plans. Q: “Describe a typical day in your life.” “I found life in Belgium very pleasant! Contrary to my expectations, people are welcoming and very helpful. A typical day consisted of going to the university, enjoying lunch with my colleagues and co-workers, going to the supermarket more often than I’m used to, and happily biking everywhere. I also learned not to be bothered by the rain that much. Q: “Has life in Belgium been what you expected?” “No, it was much better than I dreamed of! […]

by Fulbright
Posted on in 2022, Americans in Belgium

Teaching (with a Dash of Research) at the Institute of Tropical Medicine

Maxim Petrovsky was a 2022-2023 Fulbright English Teaching Assistant in Antwerp, Belgium at the Institute of Tropical Medicine. Maxim graduated from Northeastern University in 2020 with a degree in Behavioral Neuroscience. In addition to his work teaching English at the ITM, he enjoyed collaborating with the ITM community on research and preparing for his time in medical school. We sat down with Maxim to ask him about his time in Belgium and how it changed his career plans. Q: “What inspired you to apply to the Fulbright Program?” “I applied to the Fulbright Program for a few key reasons. As a non-native English speaker, I have always been passionate about English teaching and sought to enable others with effective communication tools. The Fulbright Program presented an exceptional opportunity to do exactly that beyond the borders of the United States. The opportunity to teach English while ingraining myself in the unique and multicultural environment of Antwerp, Belgium was especially exciting.” Q: […]

by Fulbright
Posted on in 2022, Americans in Belgium

Hidden Secrets

When tourists think of Belgium, the cities that most often come to mind are Brussels and Bruges. Travelers typically arrive at Brussels Airport Zaventem, explore the city of Brussels for a few days, and then hop on a train from there to visit Bruges before returning home. Few people realize that during their journey between Brussels and Bruges, they pass right through the historic city of Ghent (or Gent in Flemish). Ghent, with its vibrant student culture, regular local festivities, and perfect blend of medieval and contemporary architecture, is so much more than just a stop along a train route. This is the city in which I was based throughout my Fulbright year, and I couldn’t imagine another place to call home. Or, another location to explore. One day in the depths of the dark Belgian winter, characterized by its bitter wind chills, I sat in my apartment wondering where was the best place in the city to grab a […]

by Fulbright
Posted on in 2022, Americans in Belgium

Comics, Cowboys, and Rats: A Brussels Experience

Brussels is an illustrated city; all around the center and the various neighborhoods, you see murals of famous comic book characters, from Tintin to the Smurfs. So, as a comics scholar, Belgium is the place to be. The allure of studying in an international city drew me in, so I left sunny California for rainy Belgium in hopes of continuing studies I started back home on nationalism in popular culture.  And for the sake of the story, I will now turn transform into how I view myself in my mind’s eye. My research snagged early on when I realized that national identity in Belgium is practically non-existent. This realization forced me to pivot to a new topic and I immersed myself in Ghent University’s Van Passen Comics Collection in search of inspiration. As I flipped through an seemingly endless amount of comic books, I found a surprising pattern: cowboys were everywhere. In periodicals, magazines, the covers of Spirou. The pile […]

by Fulbright
Posted on in 2022, Americans in Belgium, Belgium, Fulbright

Creating a Little Home

On paper, the job requirements of an English Teaching Assistant are to provide a cultural exchange in the classroom and to engage with the community. In practice, you are tasked with creating a home in a completely new place. I worked as an English Teach Assistant at UCLouvain in Louvain-la-Neuve, while living in Brussels. Coming from a big city like Dallas, I chose to live in Brussels as I wanted to experience the center of Europe up close. I had already visited Brussels in the past years and loved it. However, I soon learned that visiting as a tourist and living in a city are two very different experiences. Anxiety and Perfectionism Through my high school and college career, I strived to try to be the best at whatever I do. I approached the Fulbright in the same way. However, I underestimated the time and energy needed for such a huge adjustment from transitioning out of undergraduate to living in […]

by Fulbright
Posted on in 2022, Americans in Belgium, EU-NATO Seminar

Finding Transatlantic Parallels at the EU-NATO Seminar

Upon receiving my acceptance to Belgium’s Fulbright program, there was one thing that remained top of mind when I requested my city placement. I was fascinated by Belgium’s role in hosting numerous EU functions, including plenary sessions of the European Parliament. I hoped to spend my grant period in Brussels – a small yet lively city known for its sprawling green parks and towering Gothic cathedrals – fondly referred to as the heart of Europe. A few weeks later, I was delighted to discover that my Commission had placed me in my city of choice. I was even more excited when grantees were given the opportunity to apply for a spot at Fulbright’s annual EU-NATO seminar. Organized by Belgium’s Fulbright Commission, the seminar included visits to institutions like the European Commission, European Parliament, and NATO Headquarters. Meetings were also arranged with representatives of the U.S. Mission to the European Union, the U.S. Mission to NATO, and the U.S. Embassy to […]

by Fulbright
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