The "BeneluxNet" platform of the Belgium Centre (BELZ) at Paderborn University has been online since 8 April. The aim is to provide an in-depth presentation of the Benelux region as the economic, political and cultural heartland of Europe and an important partner for Germany, particularly North Rhine-Westphalia.

"BeneluxNet" is intended to give the public as well as interested academics, teachers and students an insight into the linguistic, cultural and political practices of the Benelux countries and to make the potential of this region, which is currently still rather unknown in Germany, tangible. The contributions to the platform are created by students on the BeNeLux Studies Master's programme, among others, as part of their studies.

Since the beginning of 2024, the BELZ has been working with a team of students to develop "BeneluxNet" with the support of the state of North Rhine-Westphalia and Paderborn University. The first version is now online and is constantly being expanded. The patrons of the project are Nathanael Liminski (Minister for Federal and European Affairs, International Affairs and Media of the State of North Rhine-Westphalia and Head of the State Chancellery), Piet Heirbaut (Ambassador of the Kingdom of Belgium), Hester Somsen (Ambassador of the Kingdom of the Netherlands) and Sylvie Lucas (Ambassador of the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg).

Evening event in Berlin

The launch of the platform provided the occasion for a festive evening event at the Representation of the State of North Rhine-Westphalia to the Federal Government in Berlin. In addition to Prof Dr Sabine Schmitz, Dr Resul Karaca and Dr Saskia Vandenbussche, the people responsible for BeneluxNet, the ambassadors and envoys of the Benelux countries and the Benelux Union as well as the CEO of the Port of Duisburg, Markus Bangen, were invited to a panel discussion. This was introduced with a video in which students from the BeNeLux Studies Master's programme and the "BeneluxNet" team asked exciting questions, which were answered by the panel participants. The evening highlighted the very close links between North Rhine-Westphalia and the Benelux countries, which, according to Bangen, make this region a central "powerhouse of Europe".

BeNeLux studies

Launched in the winter semester 2024/25, the BeNeLux Studies Master's degree programme is an interdisciplinary and transdisciplinary course involving the subject areas of History, Romance Studies, German Studies, Economics and the Centre for Language Teaching. The aim is to train experts who are able to moderate important political, economic and cultural processes in the entire BeNeLux region or its neighbours (e.g. North Rhine-Westphalia) in administrations, the media and the public and also to play a formative role at various levels of the European Union. More information can be found on the programme's website.

This text was translated auomatically.