As a Fulbright Schuman grant recipient in Brussels, Isobel Williamson spent the 2023-24 academic year conducting LGBTQ+ rights policy research with the Université Libre de Bruxelles. Her research explores the lived experiences of LGBTQ+ Central and Eastern European migrants in Brussels to identify new avenues for the EU’s institutions to advocate for LGBTQ+ rights across […]
Tag: Belgium
On a beautiful, sunny day in early May, I stepped out for some fresh air, an EU policy study tucked into my bag, and headed to the park to do some reading. As I sat trying to brush up on the regulations governing eCommerce and digital services, a group started playing frisbee on the lawn. […]
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Belgitude
When I arrived in Belgium for my Fulbright grant a few weeks before winter 2021 I was, about as literally as possible, a fish out of water. Upon getting my bearings and meeting locals I began to receive a common question: why did you choose Belgium? To this I had come up with a pithy […]
As I approach the end of my Fulbright-Schuman experience and time in Brussels, I’ve been taking some time to reflect back on it. I applied for Fulbright knowing it would be a challenging and rewarding experience, but I have been surprised by what has been the hardest parts. The two main requirements of my grant […]
My Fulbright-Schuman research project examines the labor market integration of refugees in select EU Member States. Broadly, my study looks at how private enterprise works with government agencies in facilitating refugees’ job readiness and labor market integration, whether through the direct hiring of refugees or through policy development (e.g., through influencing the development of vocational […]
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How to Have Super Powers
To everyone I have met who has asked, What is it like being a Fulbright-Schuman Scholar?, I have answered this way—it’s like having Super Powers. It’s an incredible feeling that is life changing. The Super Powers are intoxicating, and I feel these powers in my very core right now. It is everything you are while […]