As student representatives of CUSU, we recently had the honor of representing students within Circle U. during the state visit of the King and Queen of Belgium to Paris. This event provided a unique opportunity to meet with academic and political leaders, including His Majesty the King, Rector Françoise Smets from UCLouvain, the French Minister of Higher Education and Research, and the Minister-Presidents of Wallonia and the French Community of Belgium.
These discussions highlighted the importance of student engagement, multilingualism, and European experiences, and above all, emphasized the central role of students in the co-creation of our Circle U. alliance. We discussed our shared vision of moving beyond students as consumers to having them actively contribute as core actors within Circle U.
A Unique Experience for CUSU
Participating in this visit was an invaluable opportunity for CUSU. By being present, we were able to demonstrate that Circle U. is built not only for students, but with them. Co-creation is a core strength of our alliance, and our presence was a powerful symbol of Circle U.’s commitment to actively involving students in its initiatives. We firmly believe that this approach, though strongly symbolic, is essential to ensuring that the needs and expectations of students are genuinely integrated into future academic collaborations, cultural exchanges, and eventually, research projects.
This was also an excellent opportunity to showcase the range of European experiences our alliance offers to students!
