06 December 2013- Philippine Ambassador to Belgium, Luxembourg and the European Union Victoria Bataclan welcomed to the Chancery on November 15, 43 Filipino students/scholars in Belgium to re-establish the Philippine Embassy’s annual Students' Night that was first convened in 2009.

Believing in the importance of maintaining interaction on an inter-personal level, Ambassador Bataclan organized the event to get to know the students better and discuss any general or particular concerns they might have, as a way of fostering closer collaboration between them and the Embassy.

In the wake of the devastation brought about by typhoon Yolanda (Haiyan) throughout the country, most especially in Eastern Visayas, the Ambassador took the opportunity during this event to offer comforting words to the students that were directly and indirectly affected and reassured them that the Embassy is ready to extend any assistance it can, if needed. She commended the various students’ groups that have contributed to the ongoing relief efforts in Belgium for the typhoon victims back home.

In her welcome remarks, Ambassador Bataclan emphasized the important role that students play in the country’s future and expressed her contentment over having a good number pursuing their higher education in Belgium, Luxembourg and in the rest of Europe. She noted the fact that the Philippine national hero, Dr. Jose Rizal, had stayed in Belgium for a period of time and even published the maiden copy of his second important novel El Filibusterismo in Ghent.

Those present at the Students’ Night were pursuing Bachelor, Masteral, and Doctorate degrees {with one Undertaking Post-Doctorate research) in such fields as Globalization and Development, Human Ecology, Philosophy, Psychology, Sociology, Theology and Religious Studies, Environmental Engineering/ Environmental Sanitation, Physical Land Resources, Food Technology, Aquaculture, Marine Sciences, Marine and Lacustrine Science and Management, Biomedical Sciences, Bioscience Engineering, Biostatistics, Molecular Biology and Biotechnology and Pharmaceuticals. They students come from the Catholic University of Leuven (KU Leuven), University of Antwerp, University of Gent, University of Hasselt and the Free University of Brussels (VUB and ULB).

The students came away from the gathering appreciative of this opportunity to develop friendships with Embassy officers and staff as well as with their fellow students from other Belgian universities. They affirmed the importance of continuing this annual Students’ night, noting how it is instrumental to reassuring students that they do have a “home away from home” at the Philippine Embassy. END