Global Economics Between London and Brussels

This past fall, Accent hosted a group of economics students from Colgate University for a semester in London. Unlike many semester programs, this experience was directed by a Colgate faculty member who accompanied the students abroad, creating a close-knit academic cohort and an opportunity for deep collaboration in program design with Accent. Working closely with the professor, Accent helped develop this course beyond the classroom. Drawing on its local expertise and long-standing partnerships, Accent supported syllabus development by arranging site visits to private institutions, securing U.K. based guest speakers, and coordinating cultural excursions that reinforced the program’s academic focus on economics and the environment.

One of the highlights of the semester was a weeklong academic study tour to Belgium, designed and delivered by Accent. The excursion combined government agency visits, expert-led talks, and cultural exploration across Brussels, Bruges, and Antwerp. Traveling by Eurostar, itself a distinctly European experience, the group began in Brussels, where the academic core of the excursion took place.

In Brussels, students engaged directly with the institutions shaping Europe’s economy. At the European Commission, they learned how the Commission operates and influences economic decision-making across the EU, with a particular focus on the Reform and Investment Task Force, highly relevant to their coursework. They also heard from Robert Gangl of the Directorate-General for Economic and Financial Affairs, who spoke on EU policies supporting sustainable prosperity and competitiveness. With environmental economics central to the course, this session offered the students lots of meaningful insights. The following day, students visited the European Parliament Hemicycle, where they got to see where debates, votes, and legislative processes unfold. They then met with representatives from DG GROW, the European Commission department responsible for internal market policy and industrial competitiveness. Guest speaker Cristian Kanovits discussed the EU’s efforts to strengthen the single market while advancing green and digital transitions, further reinforcing the program’s emphasis on sustainability and innovation.

The excursion also balanced academic rigor with cultural immersion. In Bruges, students explored the historic city through a guided walking tour and a visit to the Choco-Story Museum, while Antwerp offered a different perspective through a port boat tour and visits to the MAS and DIVA museums. These experiences helped contextualize Belgium’s economic history and contemporary role within Europe.

Throughout the semester and the Belgium excursion, Accent coordinated every aspect of the program from logistics and transportation to institutional access and guest speakers leveraging our long-standing partnerships in both the U.K. and Belgium. By working closely with Colgate faculty, Accent ensured the experience was academically robust, culturally immersive, and seamlessly delivered, providing students with a global learning experience that extended far beyond the classroom.

All programs developed in partnership with Accent can include one or more excursions outside the host city. With a mix of academic focus and cultural experience, excursions allow students to explore a new location during their time abroad. To learn more about including such study tours in an education abroad program, contact development@accentglobal.com