CHANG LIU & CHANG LIU: SHARING A NAME AND MUCH MORE

FACULTY WORLDWIDE

Chang Liu is from Hebei Province in the North of China. A couple of minutes after she enrolled at KU Leuven, another Chang Liu registered. She is from Guangdong Province in Southern China. At the moment, they are students in the second bachelor stage Electronics Engineering at Campus Group T. It appears that both Chang Liu’s share more than their names.

Pioneering spirit. That could be considered as their most striking common characteristic. They are the first students of their home university in China – Northeast Petroleum University and Tianjing University – who decided to pursue their engineering education at the Faculty of Engineering Technology of KU Leuven.

Their choice was well considered. “The Faculty of Engineering Technology is the only one that organizes the complete engineering programmes in English. It offers a unique opportunity to study at a renowned university, in the heart of Europe and in English. Nowhere else in Belgium you can find such a large concentration of international students. It produces a special cosmopolitan atmosphere that can only rarely be found at other campuses. We strongly believe that both of us hold the trumps to acquire not only excellent knowledge of science and technology, but also many other skills to become a fulfilling engineer. Studying abroad is improving yourself.”

International family

The transition from China to Leuven was a true culture shock for both students. “The first days and weeks were difficult and we felt homesick, missing our family and friends. Fortunately, the International Office of Campus Group T helped and advised us to overcome these and other practical problems after arrival. So by now, we feel at home as members of a great international family. The contacts among students but also between professors and students are very informal. The campus and the city of Leuven have the advantage of being compact so that you are constantly running into each other. If you have a problem or if something is unclear, you can always take it to a fellow student or your professor. Moreover, there is a sound study guidance service and you have use of an elaborate assortment of student facilities of KU Leuven.”

Labs and projects

The way of teaching at the Faculty of Engineering Technology surpassed the expectations of both students. “In China the engineering education is theoretical, abstract and anonymous. The approach here suits us better. There are not only lectures but also seminars, labs, practical sessions, company visits and the so-called engineering experiences. These are interdisciplinary team-based projects that present you with open and challenging assignments, allowing you to go all out, especially if you can realize such projects in an international team.”

Belgian cuisine

What makes studying in Leuven – and in Belgium in general – really attractive for international students? To that question Chang Liu and Chang Liu have an immediate reply: “It is the cuisine. The Belgian chocolate, the variety of dishes, desserts and beers, it was – and still is – a daily discovery and an enduring revelation. Unable to resist all these temptations. After our journey here, we’ll join the weight watchers…”

Yves Persoons