Oxford and Cambridge Admissions Conference
Brussels
European Admissions Tour
Supporting document prospective sponsors
21 April 2015
Oxford University Belgo-Luxembourgish Society
St Edmund Hall
University of Oxford
Table of content
1.
HISTORY ......................................................................................................................................... 3
2.
COLLEGES ....................................................................................................................................... 3
3.
OU BELGO-LUXEMBOURGISH SOCIETY ........................................................................................... 4
4.
COMMITTEE ................................................................................................................................... 5
5.
UPCOMING EVENTS ....................................................................................................................... 8
6.
OXFORD AND CAMBRIDGE ADMISSIONS CONFERENCE – BRUSSELS .............................................. 9
7.
IMPRESSION OF PREVIOUS EVENTS .............................................................................................. 10
8.
PREVIOUS EVENTS (2014-2015) .................................................................................................... 11
2
1.
History
Both Oxford and Cambridge University are internationally renowned for their
academic excellence. They encourage applications from academically strong students
irrespective of their background, and welcome the diversity that international students
contribute to the University.
Centuries before most of today’s leading universities existed, they welcomed their first
international students, and are now considered amongst the most international
universities in the world. Today, one third of its students are from outside the UK and
come from over 140 countries.
Each student receives an intensive education, including personalised tutorials, taught
by academic leaders in their field. The Universities are made up of colleges. These are
multidisciplinary communities within which students are supported and intellectually
challenged, and have the opportunity to meet people from all walks of life, many
different cultures and from all around the world.
2.
Colleges
All colleges offer accommodation to their students for at least two years of their
course and some offer it for the entire duration. Each college has its own dining hall,
bar, common room and library, and lots of college clubs and societies. The relatively
small number of students at each college allows for close and supportive personal
attention.
Students are also a member of the wider University with access to University and
department facilities like laboratories and libraries, as well as hundreds of University
groups and societies. You would usually have your lectures and any lab work in your
department, with other students from across the colleges. This means that you will
have all the resources of an internationally acclaimed, research-intensive University, as
well as the supportive community environment of your college.
Colleges have a lot more in common than they have differences; all colleges are very
strong academically, and most colleges offer most courses. This means that there will
be students of many other subjects in your college, as well as students from all over
the world.
3
3.
OU Belgo-Luxembourgish Society
The Oxford Belgian Society was founded in October 2012 by Laurens Cools (Master in
Law and Finance, Said Business School) and Dr Tom Verbiest (DPhil in Oncology, Oxford
Institute for Radiation Oncology). One month later, the Society merged with the
Oxford Luxembourg Society, leading to the foundation of the Oxford University BelgoLuxembourgish Society (OUBLS). The Society has ever since been registered with the
University, and has been granted permission to use the University crest in May 2013.
Despite the strong Belgian and Luxembourgish student community abroad, OUBLS was
the first academic society dedicated to either country in the UK. As a national society,
we represent the interest of the Belgian and Luxembourgish students and staff to the
Student Union and University as a whole. We also organise several events each Term,
ranging from meetings with prominent Belgians and Luxembourgers, including Herman
Van Rompuy, President em. European Council, and Viviane Reding, Vice-President em.
European Commission, to our Annual Black-tie Dinner at the Belgian Embassy in
London.
Furthermore, we engage in assisting and providing information to potential applicants
in both countries who are interested in coming to study at Oxford. We collaborate with
the Oxford Alumni Societies and the Ministries of Education in both countries.
Following the success of the OUBLS, a sister society was founded at the University of
Cambridge.
4
4.
Committee
The OUBLS Committee currently consists of the following members:
President: Tom Verbiest (Bel), St Edmund Hall
tom.verbiest@oncology.ox.ac.uk
Vice-President: Florence Wagner (Lux), University College
florence.wagner@univ.ox.ac.uk
Secretary: Francois-Xavier Briol (Lux), St Peter's College
francoisxavier.briol@spc.ox.ac.uk
5
Treasurer: Axel Baete (Bel), Oriel College
axel.baete@oriel.ox.ac.uk
Outreach event Coordinator: Caroline Calomme (Bel), Lincoln College
caroline.calomme@law.ox.ac.uk
Event Officer: William Beuckelaers (Bel), St Catherine College
william.beuckelaers@stcatz.ox.ac.uk
6
Event Officer: Matthias Van der Haegen (Bel), Lady Margaret Hall
matthias.vanderhaegen@law.ox.ac.uk
Senior Member: Dr Laurent Mignon (Lux), St Antony's College
laurent.mignon@orinst.ox.ac.uk
Senior Member: Professor Derrick Gosselin (Bel), Green Templeton College
derrick.gosselin@gtc.ox.ac.uk
7
5.
Upcoming events
The following events have been scheduled for the academic year 2014-2015:

Friday 27 February 2015
Annual Black Tie Dinner under the patronage of HE Guy Trouveroy,
Belgian Embassy in the United Kingdom, London

Friday 6 March 2015
Belgian Beer Tasting,
University Club, Oxford

Wednesday 11 March 2015
Meet & Greet Herman Van Rompuy, President em European Council,
Oxford Union, Oxford

Tuesday 21 April 2015
Oxford and Cambridge Admissions Conference – Brussels edition,
British Embassy in the Kingdom of Belgium

Saturday 25 April 2015
Belgian Ball,
Northumberland, London

Friday 1 May 2015
Alumni Black Tie Dinner with Viviane Reding, Vice-President em European Com,
Senior Fellows Room, Balliol College, Oxford

Friday 8 and Saturday 9 May 2015
Dinner with Cambridge University Belgian Society,
St John’s College, Cambridge
8
6.
Oxford and Cambridge Admissions Conference – Brussels
This year the Oxford University Belgo-Luxembourgish Society (the “OUBLS”) hosts the
first Belgian information event for prospective Oxford and Cambridge students
currently enrolled at Belgian Universities and secondary Schools. We strongly believe
in the benefits such an event generates, since information and support for prospective
applicants is scarce. Also, we are of the opinion that, being an international academic
organisation ourselves, cutting edge learning and exposure to various cultures at world
class institutions should be promoted, particularly as many of our members pursue a
career in Belgium or Luxembourg.
The Conference will take place on Tuesday 21 April 2015 at the British Embassy in
Brussels. It will be opened by HE the British ambassador to the Kingdom of Belgium,
followed by addresses by the Oxford and Cambridge Admission Services, a Professor at
the University of Oxford, the Wiener-Anspach Foundation, alumni, and current
students. The attendees will have a chance to ask our speakers their questions during a
reception, which will be held thereafter. Last year, the OUBLS has already organised a
similar event in Luxembourg, which was a great success with nearly 500 students
attending. Following such success, we have decided to also offer this opportunity to
Belgian talented students with an interest of pursuing a study at Oxford or Cambridge.
We are proud to announce that we have already gained the generous support of the
British Embassy in Brussels, the Universities of Oxford and Cambridge as well as their
respective Admission Services, which have included our event in their annual European
tour.
9
Impression of previous events
10
7.
Previous events (2014-2015)
February 2015
OUBLS hosts the Cambridge Belgian Society
Friday, 6 February 2015 at 17:00 135 guests
OUBLS Annual General Meeting
Tuesday, 3 February 2015 at 19:30 132 guests
November 2014
OUBLS Saint-Nicholas Disco Ice Skating
Thursday, 27 November 2014 at 20:00 114 guests
OUBLS has Formal Hall UNIV
Tuesday, 11 November 2014 at 18:45 124 guests
October 2014
OUBLS Welcome (back) reception
Wednesday, 29 October 2014 at 19:30 132 guests
August 2014
Belgian Beer Feast
Friday, 8 August 2014 at 16:00 484 guests
11
May 2014
OUBLS has Formal Hall at New College
Friday, 16 May 2014 at 18:45 92 guests
OUBLS hosts the Alumni Black Tie Dinner
Thursday, 1 May 2014 at 19:30 76 guests
April 2014
OUBLS visits the Cambridge Belgian Society
Friday, 25 April 2014 at 13:00 78 guests
OUBLS goes to the Belgian Ball
Saturday, 5 April 2014 at 19:00 74 guests
March 2014
OUBLS is making Belgian Waffles at the I...
Sunday, 2 March 2014 at 11:00 192 guests
February 2014
OUBLS hosts the Cambridge Belgian Society
Friday, 14 February 2014 at 17:00 81 guests
12