“I obtained a bachelor degree in Commercial Engineering in La Paz and worked several years as a freelancer before I decided to enrol for the master’s programme. It looked like a good opportunity to combine studying with my desire to travel across Europe, and Belgium´s location is strategic in that aspect. As the formal job market in Bolivia is rather small, a master’s degree or studying abroad mainly provides leverage if you apply for a job with bigger companies, for instance in the banking sector. I was lucky enough that the person who hired me in my current job, had lived abroad and values people who have studied abroad, and, fortunately, had heard about KU Leuven. As a conclusion and without exaggeration, my experience in Belgium has changed my life. I lived and travelled alone for the first time. Learning about yourself, from the university and from new friends is so enriching that I would recommend it to anyone who has the chance to do it.” “Belgium is not top of mind for south-Americans who want to study abroad, mainly due to lack of information. They are unaware of the quality and prestige of Belgian universities and do not know that their master’s programmes are affordable. As studying abroad is expensive, I was looking for options in Europe, my preferred destination. I found some in Spain and Belgium and then evaluated the programmes. KU Leuven’s MBA matched my desire for a general training, nothing too specialised.”

“The Antwerp Campus offered broadly oriented options such as international marketing (my main track) and global and strategic management (my secondary track). Antwerp also appealed to me because of its port and its online reviews. In addition, it looked like the more sensible choice when you need to keep an eye on your budget.” “Traveling in Belgium, and Europe is easy. In the end, it only takes 45 minutes to go from Antwerp to Brussels. In Bolivia you are often still in the same city after a 45 minutes’ trip! That was quite a revelation about living in Belgium: travelling is so easy because it is really small and travelling in Europe is more affordable than at home as well. Plus: the food is amazing everywhere.” “The Dutch language was a barrier, though. Luckily, most Belgians speak English, so I could get around. I was able to read many Dutch words so I could buy the right stuff when shopping, but learning to speak Dutch is hard, especially because of all the different dialects. However, if you can master it, it can only make your experience more enjoyable.”