Welcome to BSIS!
Covid-19 has changed our worlds and, while online has shaped the last months, in September we successfully and safely opened the building for teaching. While we have had another online period, our aim is always to teach in-person where possible and online when necessary. Above all, we believe in the importance of delivering our educational experience in-person because it builds a community of learners, but always supported by on-line, and to use the richness of digital input in a changing and networked world. Whether in-person or online our expertise remains one to transform your future and to create new opportunities.
While our unique size and context does allow us to deliver as much in-person teaching as possible, this has required new rules and guidance for our safety. It is our aim to offer safe in-person teaching, dynamic online interaction and allowing you to make the most of the opportunities Brussels has to offer during the pandemic.
The health and safety of our students and staff is the highest priority. We have followed the University of Kent and Belgium regulations in ensuring BSIS is safe and we have put in place new health and safety measures to keep everyone as safe as possible.
From the beginning of the January term, it is our hope that we can continue to offer in-person teaching where possible. Before returning or arriving it is important you are aware of our COVID-19 Code of Conduct (Brussels) and follow its guidance. The guidance is there to keep everyone safe. Everyone must wear masks, socially-distance and use hand sanitiser on entering the building and follow the signs on movement through the building. We will provide an additional briefing on the COVID-19 Code of Conduct to new students as part of Welcome Week, but it is important to read it carefully ahead of arrival.
The year ahead will be different, but the academic work, the opportunities for learning and the intellectual engagements will be as deep and as rich as our international reputation of scholarship and teaching has always been over the years. We have worked hard to maintain the close-knit BSIS community during this pandemic, and we are delighted with the spirit that students have approached this new mode of learning – with enthusiasm, resilience and hard-work.
We appreciate there will be challenges and I encourage all of you to get in touch with any concerns or issues. By keeping safe and communicating concerns we will find a way forward.
It is only by everyone following the regulations that we will be safe together.
Together we will keep each other safe, together we will build our community and together we will find solutions to the challenges.
Thank you and I look forward to welcoming you all to BSIS.
Jeremy Carrette
Dean for Europe