“Higher education in Brussels will be multilingual in the future, or it will not be at all. There is no middle ground."

A Charter on multilingualism and linguistic diversity, to give it its official name, why is it necessary?
Wim Vandenbussche: "Because our students are becoming increasingly multilingual. It’s a reality that not only plays out on our campuses, but also beyond them. Brussels is one of the most multilingual places in the world, with more than one hundred different languages spoken. If you come to study in our capital city, this multilingualism is something you cannot possibly ignore. With this charter, we want to affirm our commitment to supporting initiatives related to language policy and diversity more than ever. Recognizing this linguistic richness is also important for our students to feel ‘accepted.’ Whether you speak Arabic, Turkish, Lingala or a lingua franca like English or French, you belong; every language is equally valuable."

How do you support this multilingualism concretely?
"There are lots of initiatives. For example, we allow our students to consult multilingual sources, we encourage them to share scientific insights in multiple languages, to debate multilingually, and so on. But we also integrate the everyday multilingual reality into our courses. A great example is WeKonekt, where we organize educational activities on location in the city. In addition, our medical students have lessons in 'medical French', for example, and our economics students have ‘business English’. At the same time, we do a lot of research into multilingualism, which also responds to the needs of the city. Like the Language Barometer, for example, which charts language use in Brussels and the so-called 'Vlaamse Rand' [the Flemish periphery around Brussels] and which we participate in every four years."

Which initiatives have already proven their success?
"One initiative that works well is the ALEF program, our Arabic language classes that VUB organizes for young children in Brussels and which just won first prize from the European Language Label. VUB considers it part of its social role in Brussels to offer these language classes outside the traditional religious sphere. Lessons in Standard Arabic strengthen the language base of young children growing up (partly) in the language. We know that a strong foundation in the mother tongue helps with the acquisition of other languages like Dutch and French. At the annual presentation of diplomas, we also get to interact with the parents, which is great. We hear touching reactions like: 'This is the first time in all our years in Brussels that our language is not seen as something problematic, but rather as something with added value.' Another example is the bilingual teacher training organized by our association partner Eramushogeschool Brussel. The training is unique in Flanders and really prepares teachers for a multilingual classroom environment. Closer to home, we ourselves organize very successful multilingual education days for teachers and principals who offer immersion education."

Does multilingualism affect the way you offer education?
"Without a doubt. Every student who starts with us takes a Dutch language test that’s not mandatory but is highly encouraged. For students who don’t yet meet a certain level, we provide an intensive mentoring program. When I graduated here thirty years ago, that didn’t exist yet. Now it seems so obvious to us. And that commitment goes beyond the walls of our university. In early March, there will be an EUTOPIA* Languages Week here, focusing on international multilingualism."

How does this multilingualism translate on campus?
"What’s great is that you don't just hear the different languages, you see them. A good example of this is our language wall, where you can read Henri Poincaré's quote, 'Thinking must never submit itself' – words that are part of VUB philosophy – in dozens of languages. To display this so visibly in a public place is also a form of recognition for our students. We also integrate this multilingualism into the activities we organize. For example, last summer we organized the World Congress of Dutch Studies on campus. The theme? Dutch in a multilingual context."

Finally, what about the tension between Dutch (a small language) as the official teaching language and the multilingualism of Brussels and the international student audience at VUB in particular? Why not just teach in English, the European lingua franca?
"Dutch is the legally established teaching language in the Flemish Community; as a Dutch-speaking institution with a strong language-political history in Brussels, we naturally adhere to it. Therefore, Dutch as the teaching language at VUB is in no way up for discussion. We know that the international educational landscape is becoming increasingly international. If, as a university, you limit yourself to a single language and don’t create space for other languages, you’ll stagnate. So it’s about being smart and making maximum use of the multilingual opportunities within the current decree framework. A good example here is our multilingual bachelor’s and master’s degrees in Linguistics and Literary Studies, which exist alongside the Dutch-language ones and attract a huge number of additional foreign students. One does not exclude the other. For us, this tension that is often alluded to doesn’t exist for us. It's not ‘either/or,’ it’s ‘both/and.’

How is Dutch doing today, and how is language contact evolving in Brussels?
“Our research centre BRIO at VUB runs the Language Barometer survey, and it shows that Brussels is becoming more and more multilingual. There are not just more languages spoken – today, only about eight percent of families speak Dutch exclusively at home. Multilingualism is the norm now. So language contact is definitely on the rise. At the same time, Dutch still holds a strong position as a language of education and culture. Dutch-medium education in Brussels is growing. Around 20 to 25 percent of pupils are now being taught in Dutch. And at VUB, student numbers are booming. Add to that the fact that the Brussels job market clearly values Dutch. If you don’t speak Dutch, you’ll struggle to land a better-paid job. So is Dutch a minority language in Brussels? It depends how you look at it.”

Are there other cities in the world where the situation is similar?
“Of course, cities like New York and London also experience a lot of language contact, but Brussels is quite unique because of its language-political history. If you look at the number of nationalities today, Brussels is the second most cosmopolitan city in the world, right after Dubai. On top of the historical interaction between Dutch and French, migration has brought even more linguistic diversity into the mix. This international dimension is a core part of our identity. When I represent the VUB abroad, I often say: ‘The VUB will be international – or it won’t be at all.’ But I always add that this goes hand in hand with our strong Dutch-language identity. One doesn’t exclude the other.”

What are the effects of all that multilingualism on Dutch in Brussels?
“As in any situation where languages come into contact, there’s some cross-influence. We see it in vocabulary borrowing, but also in sentence structure. That’s nothing new. It already happened in Dutch-French contact situations. A typical phenomenon you hear in Brussels is people switching between languages mid-sentence, what we call ‘code-switching’. Young people might start a sentence in French, throw in a Dutch phrase, and then continue in French or another language they know. That’s perfectly normal. And linguistic research shows it’s not harmful. In fact, we’ve been studying this at the VUB for years at the Brussels Centre for Linguistic Studies.”

How is Dutch Studies doing internationally?
“In Flanders and the Netherlands, student numbers in language and literature, especially Dutch, are stabilising or even dropping. At the VUB, we’re bucking that trend. That’s largely thanks to our multilingual Master in Language and Literature, which we launched a few years ago. Dutch is part of it, and it’s been a huge success, attracting between 150 and 200 international students each year. We’ve now also added a multilingual Bachelor. These international programmes are pushing up enrolment figures, but our Dutch-taught programmes – which we continue to offer in parallel – are also holding up well. It saddens me to see that this isn’t the case everywhere in Flanders and the Netherlands. But internationally, Dutch Studies is thriving. There are 16,000 students worldwide, far more than in the Dutch-speaking world itself. Programmes are booming in countries like Poland, the Czech Republic, Slovakia and Hungary. Once again: Dutch Studies will be international – or it won’t be at all. As IVN president, I’ve spent the past years lobbying politicians and diplomats to keep supporting Dutch Studies abroad. And that’s still essential. Despite the success stories, some universities are unfortunately shutting down their Dutch departments – recently in Oslo, and even here in Brussels at UC Louvain.”

You’d assume that Dutch Studies at a foreign university, where Dutch isn’t the main language, could never reach the same level.
“That’s an outdated assumption. As IVN president, I’ve visited many foreign departments. And I’ve been genuinely blown away – by both the teachers and the students. By the end of their Master’s, they’re often just as advanced as students here. Politicians might not like to hear it, but the shortage of Dutch teachers will likely be partly addressed by hiring graduates trained abroad. And I’m not worried about that at all – their level is excellent. I recently sat on the jury for a VUB PhD defence by someone who studied Dutch at the University of Wrocław in Poland. It was one of the best PhD dissertations I’ve seen in years. And the candidate’s flawless Standard Dutch was miles ahead of many politicians.”