The Best International Experience: The European Summer School in Brussels

Brussels 25th August 2017 by Pawel Sosgornik

My name is Pawel Sosgornik and I am studying Business & Management with a Year in Industry at Kent Business School in Gillingham. This year my university provided me with a truly splendid opportunity by offering the scholarship to take part in Brussels Summer School.
To start with, I may say that there are two main underlying reasons behind my interest in participation in the Summer School. First, this educational opportunity is a great asset a student can get to significantly improve the potential application for a Masters Course in a relevant area or career in European MNEs. The school provides knowledge about essential topics concerned with the role of the EU, which is one of the most important political and economic organisations in the world and especially in Europe. Both the relevant curriculum and the great quality of teaching make this summer school a truly exceptional opportunity to apply for that can make you stand out after graduation. Secondly, this Summer School is focused around topics that are relevant to every individual who wants to understand current political dynamics in an accessible way. The topics enable individuals to comprehend processes such as Brexit or the refugee crisis that make an impact on all of us, so has a chance to determine its political view in an informed manner.
The city offers incredible cultural insights as well, that all the students took advantage of after the classes. All the participants of the school are given travel cards for Brussels transport, which can be used solely for the sightseeing purposes because accommodation is in walkable distance from the University. From the very first day I was exploring the old town and Brussels’ world class museums and art galleries, and despite having two weeks I did not have enough time to explore all of the city’s attractions.

Despite very informative curriculum, the programme of the school is designed to be interactive which makes it even more accessible and enjoyable. Apart from the lectures, we had two great trips included in the school. Firstly, during the first week, we visited European Parliament and had an opportunity to meet one of the Euro deputies, Mr Richard Ashworth and listen to very personal and informative lecture about Brexit and its consequences. The access to the European Parliament is restricted, therefore once again this school gave me a unique opportunity to explore this extremely important parliament. Our second event outside was a full day trip and involved travelling to Ypres and exploring the battlefields of World War I, which was a very inspirational experience, taking into account role of the EU and how much replacement of militarisation efforts with peace and cooperation enabled European countries to prosper.

Finally, I may add that the organisation of the whole summer school was flawless, which enabled everyone to focus all of their efforts on enjoying the summer school and time in Brussels. On the first day, we were provided straight away with all the essentials about Brussels and the summer school. In addition, in case of any trouble, we had Sophie that took care of the organisation of the school. There was literally no problem she could not overcome that enabled us to enjoy the summer school even more.

To conclude, the educational offer is great for both personal development and career, Brussels is an amazing city full of great attractions and it is a great opportunity to meet people interested in similar areas and spend a great time. I may say that Summer School in Brussels is one of the best educational experiences I have ever taken part in and I sincerely advise anyone interested to  not hesitate and apply