In June 2023, UAntwerp alumna Amber Swinnen completed her master's degree in Business Engineering: Sustainability Engineering. Currently, she is pursuing an Advanced Master of Science in Energy and Sustainability at Northwestern University in the United States. Living the dream, but she had to work hard to make it happen. Read below how she went about it.

What was your motivation to pursue further education abroad?

During my studies, I had already been on Erasmus in Budapest, and in the summer of 2022, I interned at the climate department of the United Nations in Germany. On one hand, I wanted to continue my international experiences, and thanks to the financial support from FIS and B.A.E.F., I was able to do so. On the other hand, I found my studies as a business engineer with a specialisation in Stability Engineering in Belgium to be too academically oriented. 

Although I found that study very interesting, I didn't immediately know how to translate the theoretical knowledge into practice within the business world. So, I looked for a programme with much more focus on the professional and the practical. Programmes in the United States are generally more practice-oriented than in Belgium, so that was my main motivation to study further in the US.

How did you go about realising this ambition? How did you experience the selection processes?

Honestly, I found the process quite challenging. For example, for the B.A.E.F. scholarship, all steps were clearly indicated on the website, but it took a lot to actually execute them. I had to check myself if certain universities were eligible for a B.A.E.F. scholarship. For this, I focused on the alumni network to see which universities had been eligible in the past. That was quite a fun challenge, and it allowed me to get to know various universities and programmes.

The timing of the selection process was also not easy. By the end of October, you have to submit the application for a B.A.E.F. scholarship, including recommendation letters and standardised tests. By the way, those tests are not free. And in January, amidst my exams, I had an interview.

Then, there are three possibilities: not being selected, becoming an honorary fellow, or becoming an actual fellow. Only in the latter case do you actually receive a scholarship. Some spots are reserved in advance for students from certain universities that have an agreement with B.A.E.F. This means you are competing with a large group of students for a limited number of scholarships. 

Ultimately, I was awarded an honorary fellowship and received a scholarship of 60,000 USD. That may seem like a lot of money, but that scholarship alone is not enough to cover the costs in the US. Think of tuition fees, living expenses, the visa process, standardised tests, etc. You are allowed to combine the B.A.E.F. scholarship with other sources of funding. For example, I received support from the Fund for International Studies and an additional smaller scholarship from Northwestern University.

How do you experience life in the US and international experience in general?

It's fantastic here. I don't think I even realised the impact when I applied. An Erasmus experience doesn't come close to the life experience you gain from completing an entire education in the US. Also, professionally, an American diploma is very valuable to me, as I will automatically receive a work visa after obtaining my diploma. Universities from certain rankings even provide a two-year work visa in the United Kingdom. 

These are two very important markets for the sector I want to pursue. Initially, I was really only looking at the practical angle and was convinced that I would return to Belgium afterwards, but along the way, I'm starting to think differently.

Living in the US also allows you to debunk some clichés. Of course, in certain regions, fried food is everywhere, but in Chicago or New York, that's not the case at all. 

Of course, there are other safety considerations here. My university and its surroundings are generally very safe, but every few months, there is a lockdown because there is a shooting somewhere in the city. That's something we are not aware of at all in Belgium.

What would you like to share with UAntwerp students considering further study abroad?

I really had to fight to get all sources of funding together, but - to put it in economic terms - the return on investment will be enormous. I'm not just talking about my professional future, but also about the life experience, the connections, the network you build. It's really worth it. There are funding opportunities available through the university and in Belgium, so it's not impossible. So seize all the opportunities you get!