The Benelux Chamber of Commerce rolled out the red carpet to the visiting Governor of West Flanders, Mr Carl Decaluwé, and a 140-strong delegation of students, lecturers, alongside attending company representatives. They are part of the annual Enterprise China study trip, in collaboration with the Province of West Flanders and the VIVES University of Applied Sciences.

Playing host for the evening were Governor of West Flanders – Mr Carl Decaluwe, Consul-General of Belgium in Shanghai – Mr Pascal Buffin, Deputy General Manager and Commercial Director of the Benelux Chamber of Commerce in China – Mr Jonathan Xu, President of the Shanghai Diamond Exchange and Chief Consultant of the Shanghai Association for International Cultural Exchange – Lin Qiang, as well as Marketing Director of MLS group and one of the leaders of the Benelux Chamber Alumni Community – Jane Song.

The students, part of the 15th annual trip to Shanghai, will visit universities, factories and companies in Shanghai, Beijing, Hangzhou and Suzhou. Representing business management, hotel management, tourism, IT, and other disciplines, these bright young students will have the opportunity to interact with local Chinese and Belgian professionals and gain insight into Shanghai's dynamic business and cultural landscape. They are not just tourists in Shanghai. The hope is that they will one day be part of the economic fabric of West Flanders and the companies of Belgium that invest in China, and will help build continuously strong connections between East and West.

CNS: Welcome to Shanghai, Governor! Tell us about West Flanders' connection to China and Shanghai. What inspired the trip?

"Our focus here today is the strengthening of ties. Next year we'll be celebrating the 25th commemoration of the relationship between our two cities. Trade and healthcare are becoming more important, and we are facilitating tourism connections to bring more Chinese tourists to Brugge.

This city-to-city relationship provides opportunities, such as this trip, for our young people, giving them an international mindset. This year's group of 150 students will get a unique view of the cultural and economic dynamics of China. They will one day be part of the economic fabric of West Flanders and the many companies of Belgium who invest heavily in Shanghai and China." – Mr Carl Decaluwe

CNS: How does your office fit in with these sorts of cross-cultural education activities?

"We organize cultural events and engage Belgian companies in China to promote general understanding. The Enterprise China study trip is a great example of this vision. These students will engage with industry professionals and experience firsthand the strong ties we have built in China. They are the future leaders who must continue these relationships." – Mr Pascal Buffin

CNS: How is BenCham involved in projects like this – bringing 140 students over to Shanghai?

"Our Chamber hosts over 80 events a year, and this is just one of them. The support from regional governments like West Flanders, who see the benefits of bringing large student delegations to China, is something the Benelux Chamber of Commerce and its members benefit from tremendously, as it brings people together. A delegation like this, with 140 students coming to Shanghai, is part of a consistent trend we are seeing, with regard to the growing interest in cultural connectivity between Benelux countries and China.

In fact, we've seen a sharp increase in both attendance and membership over the past two years, which defies some conservative sentiments in the business world. But this isn't a surprise, given that the three Benelux ports of Brugges, Antwerp, and Rotterdam handle more than half of all imports into the Northern European market. So this is another aspect of why we host events like this. So Belgian students can meet and interact with both Benelux and Chinese companies who do business between the two economic corridors." – Mr Jonathan Xu

We took four students aside from the visiting delegation to ask them

"What motivated you to come to Shanghai, and what are your thoughts on the city so far?"

Amandine Roose – 2-Year Business Management & Entrepreneurship Student

"My best friend is Chinese. I wanted to come here to learn about the culture, experience the food, and see the innovation and evolution of China. It is amazing to read about it online, and I wanted to see it in real life.

I love the blend of old and new in Shanghai. The culture is a mixture of traditional and modern, but they also embrace innovation. The digitization and inter-connectedness via Alipay and WeChat is something not really known in Europe. It's eye-opening to see how China has evolved at scale and how quickly technological transformation has happened here."

Tuur Tack – 3rd-year Construction Student

"I took this opportunity to experience Chinese culture, to see how people interact here, and to see the Shanghai architecture. I'm very interested in the construction here. The Shanghai skyline looked amazing online, and to see the architecture with my own eyes is very cool.

The infrastructure in Shanghai is so innovative, and in particular how they facilitate people movement here is impressive. We visited the Urban Planning Museum and it gave us insight into the careful planning and development of the city. It was also so interesting to see the imposing Shanghai skyline and the Shanghai Tower in person."

Aron Sabbe – 3-Year Construction Student

"It was a big opportunity to come to China, there's a lot I want to learn, and it will look great on my CV! I was especially interested to learn how they construct buildings here to withstand earthquakes, because we don't have earthquakes in Belgium. Here they use more advanced building materials and techniques. Later this week, we will visit the Shanghai Tower, the tallest building in China, and I'm very excited to see its exceptional design. Also, the cars look so luxurious and the roads definitely seem better and safer than in Belgium!"

Axelle Vandermersch – 2-year Marketing & Event Management Student

"I think China is such an interesting country. I wanted to experience the culture and learn about the business world here. We visited the Shanghai Tower and the view was breathtaking. You can see skyscrapers all around, which, from a distance, look small, but they are all huge!

Some other highlights thus far has been our factory visit, where we watched raw materials being transformed. I loved the Jade Buddha Temple and watching the Buddhist rituals, which we don't have in Belgium. We did an evening boat trip and saw Shanghai's stunning skyline lighting display. This trip is a wonderful experience!"

And now, as usualy with our See & Be Seen column, behold, a little gallery of people looking fabulous at the event

A little commentary here from us at CNS... it is so good to see students visiting Shanghai. More of this!