On March 7, 2023, the Fulbright Commission in Brussels hosted a Meet&Network event with Prime Minister Alexander De Croo to celebrate the 75th anniversary of the Fulbright Program in Belgium.
The event, inspired by the Fulbright Commission’s successful Eat&Meet series, was co-organized with AmCham Belgium and generously hosted by KBR, the Royal Library of Belgium.
In a Q&A moderated by Fulbright Executive Director Erica Lutes, Prime Minister De Croo spoke candidly about his studies in the USA (as a Fulbright grantee at Northwestern University), his time in office, and his plans for Belgium’s upcoming EU Council Presidency. He responded to questions from the audience and reflected on the impact of his time in the USA on his personal life and professional career. The event ended with a networking reception for guests.
The audience was comprised of grantees and alumni of the Fulbright Program as well as members of the AmCham Young Professionals Committee. Among the Fulbright grantees and alumni were current U.S. Fulbrighters in Belgium, recently returned Belgian Fulbrighters, and alumni of the Fulbright Program from as far back as the 1950s.
“This event was the perfect opportunity to kick off our celebrations of the 75th anniversary of the Fulbright Program in Belgium and Luxembourg, an anniversary that we share with our co-organizers, AmCham Belgium. We are grateful to Prime Minister De Croo for his longstanding commitment to the Fulbright community and thank him for having taken the time to join our grantees and alumni today,” said Erica Lutes, Executive Director of the Fulbright Commission in Brussels.
Prime Minister De Croo received a Fulbright grant in 2002 to study at Northwestern University, where he graduated with an MBA from the Kellogg School of Management. Prime Minister De Croo has been an enthusiastic advocate for the Fulbright Program in Belgium throughout his career. His father, Herman De Croo, a former Member of Parliament, is also a Fulbright alumnus, having received a grant to attend the University of Chicago Law School in 1961-1962.
The Fulbright Commission would like to extend its thanks to Prime Minister Alexander De Croo as well as AmCham Belgium and KBR, the Royal Library of Belgium.