Section Chief Lai Kuan-Wei from the Department of Higher Education

The Taiwan Students’ Association at the Catholic University of Leuven (KU Leuven) organized a Life & Career in Belgium Webinar, held on Saturday May 22, with assistance from the Education Division of the Taipei Representative Office in the EU and Belgium.

Many Taiwanese students are engaged in cutting-edge research, attracting international attention, so the Education Division invited Mr. Lai Kuan-Wei, a Section Chief in the Ministry of Education’s Department of Higher Education, to talk about the Yushan Scholars Program, and the Yushan Young Scholars Program. These are both designed to encourage elite academics to return to Taiwan. The Education Division then briefed participants about the Taiwan–KU Leuven Scholarships. These are scholarships jointly funded by the university and the Ministry of Education for Ph.D. students from Taiwan.

Two current KU Leuven students, Ally and Kai Kai, talked about their life as students abroad. They explained that they chose KU Leuven because it’s one of the top universities in Europe, offering excellent quality education, and it has affordable tuition fees. They also talked about their experiences renting student rooms and gave advice about how to choose courses.

Ten speakers then shared inspiring details of their experience and tips about various aspects of life in Belgium, both professional—including career development and becoming an entrepreneur—and personal—including renting or buying a home, and childcare.

Ru-Han, who works as a software engineer in Belgium, gave tips on how to find a job in Europe and how to survive in the workplace, and explained in detail the procedures for getting a work permit in Belgium. Wei-ting, who works at the Flemish Institute for Biotechnology—Vlaams Instituut voor Biotechnologie—explained how the Belgian industry and academic world work together. She talked about the work culture in research institutions, and the good prospects for capable Ph.D. students.

Ke, a supervisor, and Debby, who works in the field of brand sales, outlined possible ways to find a job in Europe and establish a good foothold there. They also talked about the recruitment process of European research institutions.

Taco, a catering entrepreneur, discussed the challenges he’d encountered starting a business in Belgium to sell popular Taiwanese snacks – bubble tea and crispy chicken.

And last but not least, Yu Ting and Jia Ling each talked about giving birth and raising a baby in Belgium.