This is a beautiful view I found on a bridge above the canal while exploring Ghent. The beauty of Belgium’s architecture can be seen in the background.
Author: Emma Whitaker | Major: Biological Engineering | Semester: Summer 2025
After studying abroad in Japan and leaving the country for the very first time just a year prior, I fell in love with going abroad and knew I had to do it again at some point in my college career. Luckily, the opportunity arose this past May with the Sustainability in the Euro Food System faculty-led program. This two-week long May-intersession to the small but wonderful country of Belgium was the perfect program for my major of biological engineering. From topics centered around sustainability in agriculture to topics on genetically modified plants and food packaging, this program piqued by interest because of its connection to my passions and what I hope to find a career in one day.
Having never been to Europe and knowing basically none of the Dutch language, I expected the language barrier to be a problem throughout the trip, but boy was I wrong. Almost everyone in Belgium can speak at least some English, and most people are almost fluent. Anytime I would start a conversation with a Belgian, they would start speaking in Dutch, but when they realized I didn’t understand what they were saying, they would immediately switch to fluent English, and it threw me into complete shock. I found it very interesting learning during one of our first lectures about the three different languages (Dutch, French, and German) Belgians speak, and how the languages are divided throughout the country based on history. We were in the northern Dutch-speaking part of the country in the city of Ghent, but if you traveled more south, you would likely end up in the French-speaking part.
Almost every day during our trip, besides a few days that were solely for excursions to facilities outside of Ghent, we attended 1-2 lectures at the Ghent University campus given by professors and faculty from bioscience engineering, agriscience, food technology, biotechnology, and other related fields. One of my favorite lectures, and the one I based my final project on, was a lecture on genetically modified plants. We learned ways that genetically modifying plants can help combat climate change, such as increasing resistance to drought. One thing I found interesting is that it is illegal to grow genetically modified plants in Europe, but it is legal and widely practiced in the United States. Aside from lectures, we also took many trips by taxi or bus to various facilities, including a biotechnology lab, a tomato greenhouse, a brewery, a winery, a chocolate lab, and a cheese factory. Getting to see these real-world examples of how sustainability is practiced in Belgium was very beneficial in altering my thinking as a biological engineer and expanding my knowledge for future research.
Aside from academics, over our two-week stay, we had one free weekend to do whatever we wanted. The entire group ended up taking a trip to Bruges on Saturday, and it was definitely my favorite outing. Bruges was very fairytale-like and beautiful in so many ways. The architecture was breathtaking, specifically the city center, and it felt like I had been thrown back in time 100 years from the horse-drawn carriages. We got to go on a boat tour through the canals where we learned of the city’s history from a tour guide. There was also a little market right beside the boat tours, so my friend and I did some shopping afterwards, and I bought some cute jewelry. We stopped at one of Bruges’s finest chocolate shops where I bought some famous Belgian chocolates to take back to my family, and when it was time for lunch, we found a beautiful spot in the city center where I had some delicious tortellini. Of course, we had to follow up with a classic Brussels waffle for dessert. To conclude our day, we took a trip up to the top of the famous Belfry where we were greeted with amazing views of the city.
While definitely not the biggest city in Belgium, the city of Ghent also had many things to offer during our free time each day. Whether it be walking along the canal, shopping, grabbing dinner, or just exploring, there was always something to do. One of my fondest memories will definitely be getting a liege waffle topped with ice cream with friends almost every night at our favorite waffle spot called Oyya. I’ll also never forget the feeling of biking to class everyday and experiencing true Belgian culture, as bikes are the main mode of transportation. I learned that bikes in Belgium are more important than cars for most people, and they definitely take priority when on the road. It is almost embarrassing the number of times I almost crashed from getting my bike tire stuck in the tram tracks, though. However, after much practice, it became easier.
Looking back on this trip, it was an amazing experience that fulfilled my dreams of visiting Europe and opening my eyes to the possibilities of creating a more sustainable world. I learned more on this study abroad trip than I ever would have in one of my typical engineering classes. I believe that every college student should study abroad at least once during their college career. Experiencing new cultures and seeing how different other places in the world can be from the United States can be so beneficial for one’s mindset. I loved finding new things to compare and contrast. I will miss Ghent and the people I had to leave behind deeply, and the friendships and relationships I made with my fellow classmates and faculty on this trip are ones that I will cherish.