A month spent babysitting children at a refugee center in Belgium quickly turns to long stretches of tedium punctuated by moments of extreme culture shock a Serbian boy we call Burpy for reasons that don’t need to be explained one of the older Albanian boys who we call Cheeky but a full-on chomp that he holds down as Cheeky howls with rage Apparently Cheeky stole Burpy’s pen or something An entire crowd of parents is required to remove Cheeky’s hands from around Burpy’s neck This would seem like a low point in my day But it didn’t take long after arriving at Belgium’s Rixensart Refugee Center for a four-week stint as human distraction machine for the restless migrants If he and Cheeky want to cause mutual mayhem all day long we had planned other activities for these children of asylum-seekers something to get them out of the claustrophobic playroom at Rixensart but the kids and their parents didn’t really warm to it The asylum-seeking process is different in every country situated in a well-heeled suburb of Brussels is part of Fedasil—Agence Fédérale pour l’Accueil des Demandeurs d’Asile—one of several organizations throughout Europe that processes refugees who have been accepted into the European Union Belgium is one of the top three countries in the EU (along with Sweden and Cyprus) in ratio of refugees admitted to overall population one of the center’s administrators and more or less our boss at the Rixensart center implies that Belgium not only has a reputation of a more liberal asylum-granting system but that it is far better organized than that of other European countries and the process goes more quickly It always begins with fear—of being killed in a war of your own family’s anger over an illegitimate pregnancy; of religious persecution; of insufficient medical care for your sick child; and An individual or family must somehow make their way at least to Belgium’s border if not inside the country itself (the airport doesn’t count) to formally request Belgian protection with border authorities or the immigration department are then placed in a refugee center based on whichever has open spots (Fédasil alone has capacity for more than 24,500 of them) A loophole in the asylum system allows some to spend their lives as modern political nomads Most asylum seekers will spend anywhere from four months to two years living in a center while their case is considered a quiet Iranian who spends most of his days decorating found objects with paper flowers had been there longer than two years; none of us knew exactly how long the more likely it is that the answer will be positive the family or individual can set up permanent residence in Belgium and even become Belgian citizens one day; if the response is negative if someone at the center receives a negative ruling one day fleeing to another country to seek asylum there Some people live large portions of their lives this way technically; it’s a loophole in the asylum system that allows these people to spend their lives as modern political nomads If you can’t be a part of the country you’re originally from you can spend your life wandering from one to the next Once the novelty of our new surroundings wears off the monotony of the days becomes more and more excruciating We are due by 10 o’clock in the center’s salle d’animations to spend the next seven hours watching over the rotation of kids of all ages coming in and out from school and their families and missing puzzle pieces littering the floor and we sometimes play pool with the residents who hang around or try to help them steal the neighbor’s WiFi from the playroom’s windowsill We eat our meals with the residents in the cafeteria although the center does try to include vegetables and slices of whole wheat bread and I’m soon looking forward to the meals more than any other part of the day Some of us go back to the playroom to play with the kids who are sent out of their rooms by their parents; some follow the residents’ example and search for WiFi on window ledges; some read or write in journals or watch DVDs of American TV shows on laptops in the hallway I escape from the center as often as possible jogging in circles around the man-made lake down the hill or walking with another American to drink dark Belgian beers or raspberry lambics and check another day off the running calendar in my head can venture outside of it as long as they’re back by a certain time every night After visiting another Fédasil center in Brussels—this one much larger and closed the residents not allowed to go outside its high prison-like walls—I appreciate the benefits of being at the Rixensart center much more I’m amazed at the grace most residents seem to show at the center and they don’t even know if an end is in sight to be exact—but didn’t have much in common outside of that But the second we stepped through those doors we became identical because we are American women—an identity that means very different things to different people The first night we were shown to our lodging—four bunk beds in an unused classroom set apart from the main building—the Belgian employee quickly walked over and pulls the heavy wool curtains shut sealing us off from the lights of the rooms across the way told us that we can’t wear any tight or revealing clothing even something as simple as a t-shirt that shows your arms and shoulders She also warned us to expect enthusiastic and dogged attention from the young men at the center if there weren’t at least one marriage proposal while we’re there My solo travels might have given me a stony don’t-fuck-with-me face that I carry with me for just these situations those men at the center who would heckle or stare seem to tire of it Not everyone in the group is so fortunate—some are purposely flirting some forgetting that American standards of being friendly mean something else to men from other countries and some simply happen to be perpetual objects of uninvited advances grabs Farah tightly by the arm one evening after dinner trying to kiss her before she pushes him off and flees behind the locked doors of our small building After spending the next few days afraid to go anywhere by herself Farah finally agrees to talk to one of the staff about it who tells us that this incident is merely the latest in a longer series of serious transgressions The Ghanaian is made to leave the Rixensart center and is sent to another center which greatly decreases his chances of being granted asylum trying to assuage my guilt over the part I had to play These boys and girls will have bigger challenges once they step onto Belgian territory; if the young Ghanaian can’t control himself within the sheltered walls of the Rixensart center there’s little hope he could last in the culture outside them The discomfort goes beyond the boy: We are stared at I avoid eye contact and any interactions with men in general I initially resent being told I can’t dress how I please at the center—why should we have to adhere to conservative cultural standards when we’re in a liberal country like Belgium?—but I find myself dressing in more layers every morning It sounded like good advice for prison: “Don’t ask people for details.” No matter how much Liz wants us to spend our time crafting with the residents the adults are not looking to be entertained by us and we have very few interactions with most of them excepting passing bonjours and bon appétits working part-time outside jobs such as cleaners in Belgian homes the adults will spend their time playing pool (the men) or knitting (women) in the salle d’animations Few of the adults speak any French or English so conversation is limited to lots of gestures what I want to talk to them about—why they are refugees—wouldn’t be possible even without the language barrier between us “Don’t press anyone with questions about what brought them here,” we were told before leaving Oberlin and again once we arrived at the center It sounded like good advice for prison: “Don’t ask people for details.” These are precisely the stories I want to hear but I understand that the residents have earned the right to some silence With up to eight people living in a single room on an official tour from an administrator named Henryk The residents live on the top floor of the center in rooms that remind me of the dorms back in Oberlin those rooms are an extension of home; here they are filled with people who will have to remake the concept of home for themselves minors with children who have usually fled their countries because they got pregnant and we just stare at each other silently for a moment I’m thinking about the Chechen family of three young boys and small girl soon claim our hearts their identical shaggy Beatles haircuts setting them apart from the others children as siblings with the silent and adorable Jasmina as the baby sister Their level of shyness correlates exactly to their ages; while Djafar treats us as equals asking us to play and making sure we don’t get hit by any errant pool cues I don’t think Jasmina utters a single word used to be in the circus back in Chechnya—Jasmina puts together Dora puzzles and then neatly cleans up after herself placing the box back in the cupboard and trotting back to the table with a new game clutched in her arms On the one or two days that I bring out my camera and get a particular sense of pleasure in seeing themselves immortalized on the digital display screen Jasmina tries to hide her face at first and Adlan runs away to climb something but Islam stands solemnly for me I want to ask Djafar if I can take a portrait of their family the seven of them in the small playground on the center’s gated grounds—the veiled mother; the sad gaunt father; their cooing newborn baby; and their four joyful children I add it to the growing list of questions I should have just asked anyway Join our newsletter to get exclusives on where our correspondents travel On the eve of voting in the European Parliamentary elections Britons have been shocked—shocked!—by the racist things their leaders say But a traditional toy called the golliwog tells you plenty about the ongoing problems with race in the UK and food with Roads & Kingdoms co-founder Matt Goulding A special revival episode of The Trip Podcast Aquagrain is creating a super-absorbent biodegradable hydrogel that could help crops grow in degraded lands Aquagrain is a finalist for the 2024 Food Planet Prize GSK invested £5.3 billion in research and development (R&D) further growing a budget that has built a pipeline of 43 medicines and 21 vaccines almost half of which address infectious diseases As GSK’s eight consecutive years at the top of the Access to Medicine Index (ATMI) show diseases affecting the developing world are a particular focus the GSK Vaccines Institute for Global Health is focused on addressing infectious diseases in developing countries Through a unified R&D organization bringing vaccine and medicines science together GSK’s R&D teams advance opportunities to connect treatment and disease prevention GSK’s pipeline includes programs in which different technologies and expertise are combined to get ahead of disease for all age groups This pipeline includes vaccines and monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) in development to protect against COVID-19 and influenza as well as antisense oligonucleotide and therapeutic vaccine approaches to chronic hepatitis B virus infection following decades of success for the prophylactic vaccines Areas of interest for potential partnerships with GSK Vaccines R&D GSK’s science-led and collaborative approach to vaccine R&D pairing 2,000 in-house scientists with external expertise supported more than 250 manuscripts in 2021 and a pipeline of candidates that are predominantly developed through collaborations the company distributed 767 million vaccine doses across more than 160 countries in 2021 More than ten million people received one of GSK’s meningococcal vaccines and GSK is building on its leadership in invasive meningococcal disease protection with a five-in-one vaccine candidate currently in phase 3 development The meningococcal vaccines are part of a portfolio of licensed vaccines GSK keeps looking for ways to further help patients and broaden protection In the case of GSK’s recombinant herpes zoster vaccine a proprietary Adjuvant System plays a key role in its high efficacy This adjuvant is part of an industry-leading portfolio of technologies that includes and a pandemic adjuvant technology used as part of GSK’s bio-preparedness response including the ongoing response to the COVID-19 pandemic A candidate RSV vaccine for older adults includes the adjuvant used in the recombinant herpes zoster vaccine to help address the effects of immunosenescence in the target population GSK’s expertise in immunosenescence is embedded in its focus on vaccine-enabled healthy ageing exemplified by the company’s active role in the VITAL consortium under the EU-funded Innovative Medicine Initiative (IMI) GSK is committed to contributing to the global response to COVID-19 as evidenced by collaborating with Vir Biotechnology on the then-preclinical therapeutic mAb sotrovimab The treatment came to market only 13 months after the collaboration’s initiation highlighting the value of collaborations in fast-tracking product delivery GSK has also advanced vaccine collaborations including adjuvanted protein-based candidate vaccines with Sanofi and SK bioscience the adjuvanted plant-based vaccine with Medicago and next-generation mRNA vaccines with CureVac The COVID-19 pandemic showed the global community that better ways are needed to manage pathogenic threats such as the rise of antimicrobial resistance (AMR)—one of the top 10 global health threats according to the World Health Organization GSK contributes to the response to AMR with several bacterial vaccine programs in early clinical development—using platform technologies such as generalized modules for membrane antigens bioconjugation or mRNA—and through the IMI consortium PRIMAVERA The company’s AMR expertise and engagement was recognized by the global non-profit CARB-X which is funding some of GSK’s research work which has repeatedly ranked GSK industry leader of its AMR Benchmark Science-driven partnerships between medicine and vaccine developers and academia showed their value during the COVID-19 pandemic with more than 150 scientific collaborations in 2021 welcomes partners on projects spanning discovery to late-phase development to accelerate vaccine development and strengthen supply performance uniting forces will help deliver greater impact for patients around the world Originally published by our sister publication Infectious Disease Special Edition The adjuvanted recombinant zoster vaccine (RZV; Shingrix GSK) for shingles provides long-term protection against herpes zoster infection for at least 10 years after vaccination according to data presented at IDWeek 2022 include findings from the ZOE-50 and ZOE-70 parent studies We've added an exciting new feature to our website Click on "Clinical" in the navbar to explore The digital transformation of biomanufacturing poses short-term difficulties but promises long-term benefits through real-time monitoring and dynamic process optimization established the Werthenstein BioPharma facility in Schachen which develops and analyzes new large molecule drugs laboratories exploit automated analysis technology and artificial intelligence (AI) will disrupt the biopharmaceutical industry helping it overthrow traditional production models in favor of new models that will be consistent with Industry 4.0 the deep integration of the physical and the digital in manufacturing The Industry 4.0 revolution could bring enormous benefits to bioprocessing it must attract committed participants before it has a chance of success senior manager of processing modeling at GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) in Rixensart few in biopharma are as enthusiastic about Industry 4.0 as they should be “A quick online search reveals that people are quite vocal about their expectations that AI will disrupt drug discovery,” he remarks adding that these expectations are more modest than they may appear “There is a dearth of discussions on the impact of Industry 4.0 on biomanufacturing,” Varsakelis complains many of the foreseeable benefits are straightforward.” Varsakelis cites real-time monitoring as an area in which AI could have a significant impact “Accurate predictive-controllers can improve the robustness of the processes and anticipate failure thereby minimizing waste and guaranteeing product quality,” he points out “Through continuous monitoring and predictive control it will be possible to achieve online release which can substantially affect the supply chain timelines “Centralized analytics systems can optimize resource allocation and production schedules And these systems can consider multiple factors—sustainability Other experts maintain that Industry 4.0 concepts have enormous potential for biopharma executive director of manufacturing IT at Merck & Co. says that analytics platforms will allow biomanufacturers to “improve yield reduce the effort in investigating process deviations The idea of creating a “digital twin”—a computer model of a complex manufacturing environment—is another Industry 4.0 idea from which biopharma could benefit Digital twins were originally conceptualized by NASA in the 1960s to facilitate in silico development are exciting for biopharma because their implementation rewards collaboration and benefits from work already accomplished in other industries “The development of digital twins requires the well-orchestrated collaboration of different departments,” he explains digital twins are inclusive to a large proportion of employees and promote democratization of digital transformation digital twins constitute a relative mature technology even in highly regulated industries such as the aerospace industry Biopharma does not need to reinvent the wheel and can accommodate all this experience and know-how.” Varsakelis adds that digital twins could be combined with augmented reality to improve training: “Operators could be trained virtually even in extreme scenarios at no cost just as pilots are trained in flight simulators.” Biopharma is notorious for its unwillingness to change manufacturing processes and risk regulatory complications a possible explanation for this unwillingness was offered by Janet Woodcock FDA’s Center for Drug Evaluation and Research (CDER) “Industry’s reluctance to embrace new technologies,” she suggested “is probably related to expected regulatory obstacles with FDA and other regulators.”1 “Broad adoption of advanced manufacturing,” she added is working to help biopharma become less risk averse the CDER is identifying emerging technologies and platforms that have the potential to advance pharmaceutical quality and modernize manufacturing Attempts by regulators to encourage innovation have been noticed “have lauded efforts by manufacturers to improve product quality through the use of data-driven insights and decision making.” Nonetheless data-driven innovation inspires as much caution as enthusiasm “Industry 4.0 challenges us to utilize data in a predictive way,” Varsakelis states “Although biopharma has been utilizing modeling for years this has not been done with the objective to allow models to pilot the vessel “The prevailing view has been that biopharma processes are too complex to be susceptible to accurate modeling,” he continues “Add on top of that the accumulated risk aversion stemming from the tight regulatory environment and you get a basic understanding of biopharma’s attitude toward Industry 4.0 We hear more and more about concepts such as digital transformation and Industry 4.0 Standard diffusion of innovation theories help explain late adopters whether the reluctance shown by late adopters stems from the overall conservative approach to innovation or from a fear of imminent technological disruption remains murky.” but he maintains that if Industry 4.0 is to be embraced proponents of the new paradigm will also need to show managers the benefits of digitization “These benefits are largely qualitative,” he admits “but one can build upon them and develop quantitative business cases “Although innovation finance is not always easy to digest or apply Industry 4.0 can be nicely approached by a real-option valuation analysis I personally think that doing so offers a competitive advantage because it allows one to separate fact from fiction and to get a more grounded position on what to expect.” The concept of an Industry 4.0–enabled facility is straightforward modern equipment is designed to accommodate the installation of multiple sensors These sensors capture data and enable an Internet of Things (IoT) approach to system management setting up a facility that uses next-generation technology is very different from establishing a facility that uses older “With AI-based solutions in manufacturing,” says Varsakelis “we have to be comfortable with deploying them before they have reached the desired level of accuracy; in fact such solutions are deployed so that they may become increasingly accurate.” With AI newly implemented solutions are almost by definition “not ready,” whereas with conventional technologies a manufacturer can have difficulty determining the range of data it will need for a given process a manufacturer can address this difficulty by following a collaborative approach a priori assessments of whether intra-corporate data are sufficient to harvest the power of Industry 4.0 are almost impossible,” says Varsakelis He adds that there are already hints that this difficulty could be overcome if companies and their partners were to participate in data ecosystems a company and its partners could share their accumulated data to train superior AI solutions Each data ecosystem’s whole would be greater than the sum of its parts data ecosystems pose confidentiality and IP issues that are prompting uncomfortable discussions,” Varsakelis continues “As companies such as Google or Amazon get ready to enter the pharmaceutical industry uncomfortable discussions will intensify.” Data ecosystems utilize distributed computing systems which Tung expects to play a greater role in biomanufacturing in the future “The best approach to setting up an analytics platform is to leverage cloud-based software that is capable of handling and processing large quantities of manufacturing data The biggest challenge is to make the data meaningful to the end user meaning that the data has to be linked to manufacturing batches in the proper context.” Implementation challenges may include the need to deal with existing facilities that are kitted out with older systems “Such equipment can still be subject to upgrades,” says Varsakelis or continuing with business as usual should probably be preceded by an appropriate cost-benefit analysis.” “Many bioprocessing manufacturing environments were not designed with the idea of streaming manufacturing data into an analytics platform as a primary requirement,” Tung notes has been recognized by several industry collaborations which have “proposed communication and data standards to streamline the sharing of information.” In recent years various technologies have been developed that are capable of capturing data from established systems and transferring it to centralized analytics tools Tung notes that a standardized communication framework can facilitate a plug-and-play approach to the automation of bioprocessing.2 The collaboration has developed a standard data interface between supervisory control systems and single-use biopharmaceutical equipment skids the collaboration is working to realize true plug-and-play automation for a single-use bioreactor Biopharma companies needn’t develop their own Industry 4.0 capabilities these companies can outsource their biomanufacturing to third parties that already possess Industry 4.0 capabilities “The truth is that the Industry 4.0 market is full of players of different sizes,” he insists “One has to scrutinize potential partners very well especially if one is making long-term investments.” He also stresses the importance of forming multidisciplinary teams that incorporate ad hoc experts can “evaluate specifications and requirements and help business intelligence and development reach informed decisions” during negotiations with potential partners He recalls that he once participated in an Industry 4.0 panel where a technology provider entertained the idea of changing its business model and accepting the financial implications of doing so just to further its pursuit of a desirable partnership we are entering thin-ice discussions on the IP level,” confides Varsakelis “With all tools being entangled like a Gordian knot what can be reused with other customers—becomes highly relevant.” Despite the complexity of adopting the Industry 4.0 model Varsakelis is positive this model will become the norm in the biopharmaceutical sector He cites the growing use of automation—Industry 4.0 at its most basic—as an encouraging sign interactions between humans and machines occur machines are acquiring decision-making capabilities will adopt Industry 4.0 because the benefits of data-driven manufacturing outweigh any short-term difficulties associated with its implementation “It may be too early for us to have a complete view of the factory of the future,” Varsakelis says “but the concept of a digital factory is anything but farfetched.” He asserts that we can envision production lines that are interconnected with their digital twins as well as production chains that are automated from end to end “Owing to the growing tendency for modularity,” he continues “we can even envision a digital transformation conforming to economies of scale that will augment the potential benefits.” 1. National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. Innovations in Pharmaceutical Manufacturing: Proceedings of a Workshop—in Brief 2. Tung G, Morris K, Perrone P, et al. The Value of Plug-and-Play Automation in Single-Use Technology Copyright © 2025 Sage Publications or its affiliates including those for text and data mining and training of large language models Philippe Denoël, Head of External R&D, GSK Vaccines, Rixensart, Belgium, Tel: +32 2 656 81 11, www.gsk.com GSK’s science-led approach to the discovery and development of vaccines is coupled with the recognition that research and development (R&D) is strengthened by collaboration with external partners GSK Vaccines engaged in more than 180 scientific collaborations while investing £621 million in R&D GSK is keen to facilitate the exchange of intellectual know-how between the 2,000 scientists at its R&D sites in Rixensart (Belgium) and Siena (Italy) and academic groups—including graduate and postdoctoral research programs—biotechs The company forms strategic relationships and collaborations from early-stage research to late-phase development and deploys whichever collaborative model is most likely to deliver the right results GSK seeks to understand how the perspectives and priorities of its collaborators can further vaccine R&D and is instilling this spirit in the next generation of vaccinologists through the courses and opportunities it provides for PhD and postdoctoral scholars GSK is looking for more collaborations in the areas shown in Box 1 which covers private–public groups engaged in research at all stages of the vaccine development cycle keeps GSK closely in touch with emerging technologies The company looks for opportunities to apply these technologies across its R&D activities such as self-amplifying mRNA (SAM) technology to support the development of a range of new vaccines to address major public health challenges GSK also takes an inclusive approach to protecting people from disease by pursuing the innovation needed to develop vaccines covering their entire life course The company is working across exciting fields from maternal immunization and support for healthy aging to anticipation of infectious disease outbreaks and approaches to counter antimicrobial resistance • Understanding host–pathogen interactions and immune responses to infectious diseases and vaccines • Novel applications of systems biology and data analysis • New immunization strategies and technologies • Discovering targets for infectious diseases (bacterial and viral diseases and diseases prevalent in the developing world) and noninfectious diseases • Developing new approaches to modulate the immune system and understanding the mechanism of action of adjuvants • Developing nanoparticles and virus-like particles and investigating antigen stability and intradermal delivery methods and devices New assessment technologies and analytical tools • Miniaturizing clinical assays and making them faster and more robust and developing quality control and assurance assays • Biomarkers and the application of systems biology to (new) readouts Through its participation in the REspiratory Syncytial Virus Consortium in EUrope (RESCEU) an Innovative Medicines Initiative project GSK has joined with more than 50 teams from academia and other fields to integrate the teams’ knowledge about the respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) The breadth of the collaboration and the scale of its ambition—to develop a vaccine against a virus that causes severe disease in the very young, older adults, and in high-risk groups—are in-line with GSK’s approach to vaccines. In 2005, RSV was associated with 66,000–199,000 deaths worldwide in children under 5 years old1 GSK’s spirit of collaboration is also demonstrated through the development of the malaria vaccine Fighting such a disease is scientifically very complex because the parasite has the ability to elude the control mechanisms of our immune system such as the Walter Reed Army Institute of Research as the candidate vaccine moved into clinical testing The public–private partnership shared expertise and after 30 years their joint efforts finally led to a positive opinion granted by the European Medicines Agency and the upcoming pilot implementation in Ghana and Malawi led by the World Health Organization GSK’s broad roster of R&D collaborations is testimony to its willingness to be flexible to achieve the best outcome and its belief that breakthroughs are enabled when groups combine their different parts of the solution to health challenges Download references but there are many picturesque cities and to choose from when looking at where to live in Belgium By Gary Buswell Beyond living in Brussels there are plenty of Belgian cities and communes that make great homes for expatriates moving to Belgium. With good road networks in Belgium it’s possible to live farther afield than Brussels and commute to work With Belgium renowned for having some of the worst traffic jams in Europe, being connected to the Belgian public transport system may also help you consider where to live in Belgium Here are some of the best Belgian cities to live in Spotahome takes the hassle out of househunting by doing the hard work for you and book rental properties all from the comfort of your own home Take the stress out of househunting in Belgium with Spotahome one of which is actually called the City of Brussels The best municipalities in Brussels include Etterbeek and Ixelles (Dutch: Elsene) if you’re looking for beautiful architecture and cultural amenities; Uccle (Dutch: Ukkel) if you’re into green living; and Anderlecht if you’re after somewhere a bit cheaper The city is ideal if you want to be at the center of where everything’s going on there are probably better cities if you want a quiet environment or affordability Read more about the cost of living in Brussels Antwerp (Antwerpen) offers a truly multicultural environment with an ingrained mix of nationalities. There is a well-sized population of British and American families and a good choice of English-speaking clubs and societies, plus several international schools which has the feel of a village within the city Take a look into the cost of living in Antwerp. You can also read more in our guide to the best neighborhoods in Antwerp Popularly known as the northern Venice, Bruges (Brugge) is one of Belgium’s most attractive cities with its cobbled lanes Living in this little UNESCO World Heritage city takes you to Belgium’s historic past while still enjoying the comfort of a lively and modern atmosphere Those seeking more action will find it in the Markt and eastern Burg neighborhoods. Both neighborhoods boast Bruges’ main attractions, such as the Belfry Tower and a steady stream of horse-drawn carriages If you have children or prefer to stay away from the center bustle the districts in the outer ring beyond the canals are a good option and Sint-Michiels are four of the most popular residential neighborhoods outside Bruges’ center Read up more on the cost of living in Bruges there’s also plenty of river-view apartments The most popular locations for expats in Gent’s city center are Muinparkwijk with its’ affordable houses and gardens full of old houses and a delightful river running through it Patershol and Prinsenhof are lively central areas of winding cobbled streets and museums but for a quieter central neighborhood southeast Visserij offers leafy paths along a waterfront and rows of terraced housing that adjoin grand manor houses and industrial lofts Read more about the cost of living in Gent This area outside the Brussels region is a French-speaking enclave in the Flemish belt. The most expensive part to live is by the lake with its Geneva-style waterspout Rixensart is just a 20-minute train journey away from the center of Brussels Property and rent prices are generally cheaper in Leuven than its’ big-city counterparts, thus catering to the student crowd. Lower living costs so it’s vital to do your research early before moving to Leuven Leuven has five deelgemeenten (submunicipalities): Leuven The center of Liège has a good stock of apartment buildings and expats tend to gather around a cluster of streets including Boulevards Frère-Orban and Piercot the island area in the middle of the river Meuse is becoming a desirable area for its cultural character The city center is also renowned for its folk festivals and varied nightlife Suburban living includes the university area of Sart-Tilman and also Cointe and Embourg Expat families can easily commute from surrounding areas if they want more space or school options is now a thriving cosmopolitan hotspot for both the working professional and young families alike Comprising five different styled districts: Baraque ranging from lively bars and restaurants to cultural gems such as the Hergé Museum As the focus here is on sustainability and environmental awareness giving plenty of options for you to enjoy nature in the nearby woods and around the central lake Being conveniently located just 30 kilometers southeast of Brussels it’s an attractive option for the cross-border commuter Louvain-la-Neuve hosts 24h Velo, the biggest student party in Belgium. Other key attractions include the Louvain-la-Neuve Science Park and the Musée Hergé In this officially Dutch-speaking area, you’ll hear French and English on the streets among a number of other languages. A large population of expats love the lush country living at the edge of Brussels, with its great park surrounding the Africa Museum and the British School of Brussels at its heart As Tervuren is one of the richer areas of Belgium with acres of land and a real sense of owning your own patch Public transportation options are certainly adequate with a handful of bus routes It’s also at the end of one of the world’s most beautiful tramlines: Line 44 which connects Tervuren with the Montgomery metro station in the Bruxelloise municipality of Woluwe-Saint-Pierre Read up more on the cost of living in Tervuren Waterloo is a small French-speaking municipality popular for its self-containment meaning there is no need to take the train in and out of Brussels when you need something It consists of six districts: Faubourg Ouest It’s a popular area for expats with a raft of international schools and cheaper housing options than Brussels Around 20% of the population is non-Belgian plus there’s a good high street of shops and clusters of big out-of-town shopping centers It has become particularly popular with Americans and Scandinavians Learn more about the cost of living in Waterloo Belgium is a very family-friendly country to live in. It has good educational, healthcare and cultural facilities in all the main cities Belgium is generally quite a safe place to live In terms of living costs, the Brussels-Capital Region is the most expensive for house prices according to Statbel you might want to consider Waterloo or Liège if you’re looking to economize The main Belgian cities all have their crime hotspots, but there are plenty of safe suburban areas. Brussels has the highest crime of any major Belgian city but ranks 24th on the 2019 Safe Cities Index measuring cities worldwide Although Belgium is divided into French- and Dutch-speaking regions English is widely spoken across the country Antwerp is a popular place for those looking for English speakers as it has sizeable anglophone expat communities Tervuren has a tranquil rural feel with plenty of countryside and large housing that attracts retirees Gent and Rixensart also both score highly in terms of quality of life and scenic beauty Young singles moving to Belgium are likely to value vibrant culture and nightlife, a good dating scene are the most renowned for their nightclubbing and dating scenes Liège and Bruges also have good nightlife and plenty of cultural attractions that make for good dating opportunities In terms of student populations, Leuven, Gent, and Louvain-de-Neuve are all home to universities that feature highly in the 2020 QS World University Rankings Gent and Leuven are two good quality cities that are slightly cheaper than the likes of Brussels and Antwerp, with accommodation and general living costs aimed more at the large student populations Housing costs in Belgium are generally cheaper in the French-speaking Wallonia rising slightly in Dutch-speaking Flanders there are variations within the regions and within cities themselves Brussels is unsurprisingly the city that attracts most expats looking to find a job or start a business It’s the city with the largest economy in Belgium and is also home to both the NATO headquarters and multiple EU institutions Brussels has also been ranked as the 44th best city in the world for startup businesses and has a thriving community of entrepreneurs Antwerp is another good city for jobs and business Its GDP per capita is not far off that of Brussels The economy there is dominated by the petrochemical industry which is the second-largest in the world after Houston in the United States and Ieper (Ypres) all have strong tourism sectors so tend to have plenty of jobs during the peak summer season Liège is the most powerful economic city in Wallonia with a growing and diverse technology sector From a regional perspective, the Brussels-Capital Region is the strongest economically and has the highest average salaries Wallonia has lower salaries and a smaller GDP per capita than Brussels or Flanders All cities, even the best ones, have their less desirable areas. Belgian cities are no different. Brussels has some areas with run-down facilities and higher crime rates. According to a 2018 report the neighborhoods in Brussels with the highest crime rates are Quartier Nord (in the City of Brussels French: Quartier Brabant in Schaerbeek/Schaarbeek Antwerp has fewer troublesome neighborhoods but areas best avoided are those close to Antwerp Centraal Station and around the port and docks The Belgian city with the worst reputation is Charleroi in French-speaking Wallonia. It has ranked worst on the country’s crime and safety index. Furthermore, Charleroi suffered the ignominy of being called the ugliest city in the world Gary has been freelancing for Expatica since 2016 An expert writer with experience in social research and community development he focuses on topics such as politics and current affairs GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) today will officially open its newest global vaccines R&D center in Rockville where the pharma giant will base 450 researchers and support staffers and spend $50 million over the next 2 years on technology and equipment The new center—GSK’s first dedicated vaccine R&D facility in the U.S.—will house 12 vaccine development programs including projects supporting its candidate shingles vaccine for which GSK applied for FDA approval in October R&D programs for respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) and dengue fever will also be based at the site Rockville will be one of three global vaccines R&D centers for GSK; the other two are in Rixensart “Our investment here signifies our commitment to discovering and developing new vaccines across a range of pressing public health priorities including those important here in the U.S,” Luc Debruyne “It places GSK at the heart of a dynamic and cutting-edge bioscience hub in Washington We look forward to fruitful partnerships and collaborations in this community to advance the science of vaccines and help improve the health of millions of people around the world.” GSK will mark the official opening of the Rockville site with a ceremony to be led by CEO Sir Andrew Witty senior representatives of health institutions and GSK employees are also expected to attend Rockville is also where GSK has located its proposed “Biopreparedness Organisation” (BPO) permanent organization that will apply a “no profit/no loss” model to designing and developing new vaccines against emerging viruses and other pathogens that potentially pose a threat to global public health GSK acquired the Rockville site in 2012 when it bought Human Genome Sciences for $3 billion are proximity to current research partners including the NIH and PATH (a nonprofit global health organization) GSK has been preparing the Rockville site for occupancy by transferring key staff and projects and traveler vaccines designed to protect against 21 diseases GSK has 15 vaccine candidates in development against diseases and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) exacerbations Developing the next generation of vaccines will need fresh ideas from talented researchers.Credit: Nadezhda Akimova/Shutterstock COVID-19 vaccines have been developed and rolled out at an unprecedented speed: by late October 2021 nearly 6.7 billion doses had been administered worldwide (covid19.who.int) scientific collaborations and career-development opportunities The curriculum includes seminars with renowned scholars soft skills development and career guided initiatives “New people bring new ideas and capabilities,” says Yannick Vanloubbeeck head of discovery and preclinical research and development (R&D) at GSK Vaccines in Rixensart “But we are looking for more — we want innovative and open mindsets and skills in decision-making; we want immunologists Simone Pecetta was a postdoc in the United States when he joined the FLP as an R&D associate scientist in 2018 but I was wondering what was next,” he says “FLP gave me the opportunity to explore a new research area in a different environment.” Pecetta worked in three different departments also after being a postdoc in the United States Pecetta’s training included roles in external R&D where he managed collaborations with academics and in early stage R&D and intellectual property Pecetta says that joining GSK took him out of his comfort zone but I am now passionate about working as part of a team It has given me a backpack of knowledge and increased my network.” Megan Rasmussen joined GSK’s Scientific Leaders Programme (SLP) in Rockville and Rasmussen’s research will focus on virology “I’m enjoying the focus on a project and working in a team,” said Rasmussen I hope it will provide a first step in the industry there’s the option of going back into academia afterwards.” the vast proportion of research is collaborative Attracting new people from academia brings their networks If someone then moves back to academia or gets a job at another biopharma there is still the potential to collaborate also exist — and are vital,” says Vanloubbeeck Future vaccine success will require internal and external skills and need both internal and external collaborations GSK has in place schemes and frameworks that enable all of that to work Please enable JS and disable any ad blocker