Students Visit Brussels, Tour European Parliament

On December 1-2, the group of undergraduate students went to Brussels for a two-day class trip. The focal point of the trip was a guided tour of the European Parliament, designed to complement the classroom study of EU institutions. The students also explored the city, walking around the historical area ("Vieux Bruxelles") and visiting landmarks such as the Grand place, the Manneken pis, and the Atomium building, which was originally constructed for the 1958 Brussels World Fair. Designed by engineer André Waterkeyn and architects André and Jean Polak, it stands 335 feet tall, with nine 59-foot diameter stainless steel spheres connected together to form the shape of a unit cell crystal, magnified 165 billion times. The top sphere provides a panoramic view of Brussels. The students also went to Christmas markets and enjoyed traditional belgian mussels and saukraut. This trip allowed them to extend their study abroad experience beyond the borders of France and discover different facets of European culture.

Two trips are organized every semester as part of the study abroad program: one trip to Nice on the French Côte d'Azur, and one to a European Union capital: Brussels in the Fall, Strasbourg in the Spring.