“I will remember my experience as a student of Economic Diplomacy at the Brussels Diplomatic Academy as one of the most formative of my life. I was looking for a post-graduate program that would bring an added value to my CV, and I wanted it to be located right at the heart of Europe and tailored to its students. Being an international student, I needed to make many adjustments to come to Brussels, and therefore I have been very selective in the choice.
From my first meeting with the team, I knew there wouldn’t have been any room for disappointment. The BDA is really dedicated to its students and really listens to their needs, helping them throughout all their journey from tentative possible candidates to graduates – and even afterwards, as the alumni get the benefits of attending interesting lectures and events. You will get help on administrative procedures, you will be able to attend in-house and external events and your doubts or enquires, should you have any, will not only be listened to, but will also obtain rapid follow-up action – and I say this as a student representative for my course, meaning that I had more questions than the average person!
You will also be equipped with all the necessary tools (slides, books and such).
The choice of classes is very broad, and, however unusual that may look at first sight, it is an asset indeed, as it provides students with the capacity of understanding both the needs of private and public institutions. This is a quality that makes your profile stand out and brings an interesting (and quite rare) differentiation to your resume. I can confidently say this as a young professional who got a full-time contract in a Belgian leading company after completing there the academic internship provided by BDA.
Obviously, your personal skills and competences are key to your development… but BDA helps you nourish them with dedicated workshops taught by professionals. I can confidently say that I am not the person that I was as I started, as my teachers put me in the mix and improved the practical faults that I had.
Another important asset are the other students: they come from every background and from an incredibly ample variety of countries. I had just finished a LLM in law, others studied Languages, Political Sciences, Economics and more and that was the strength of the group: the classes were high level but specifically meant to suit every previous education. I can say that I have learned as much from my colleagues as from the professors.
So, if you are thinking about making a valuable choice for a solid future in Diplomacy and International Trade: look you no further than the BDA!”