HELHa has always wanted its official academic year opening ceremonies to be special occasions.
That was certainly the case in Tournai, at the Théâtre Saint-Luc, on Wednesday, September 23.
The microphone was handed to students who had spent some time, whether through an internship or as part of their academic programme, outside the walls of the Haute Ecole Louvain en Hainaut. The official 2026 Academic Year Opening Ceremony provided an opportunity to learn what this experience had brought them, both academically and personally.
The same keywords came up repeatedly in the speeches of the guest students: resourcefulness—organization—maturity—confronting real-world situations—learning at all levels.
With tears in her eyes, Armelle explained: “In Morocco, as nursing students, we were exposed to death. But we experienced those moments alongside the local people. We really felt like we were part of the community. It’s not a bad memory. We just grew up.”
From Morocco to Réunion, through Greece, Spain, Quebec, and Japan.
A total of nine students shared their experiences with great emotion and authenticity during this official Academic Year Opening Ceremony.
Julie COLETTE – Bachelor’s Degree in Animal Technology – Internship in Greece – Research on dolphin populations
Jarod WALLON – Master’s student in Education, Section 3 (French – French as a Foreign Language) – Internship in Seville
Simon CROHIN – Student at the School of Engineering (Energy Engineering) – Currently in Canada pursuing a dual degree
Stéphane POPPA – Bachelor’s student in Industrial Information Technology – In China for WorldSkills 2026
Pauline MARQUEBREUCQ – Master’s Student in Education, Section 2 – Short-term internship in Senegal
Julien NAVEZ – Graduate of the School of Engineering – Internship in Japan
Anthony DEBEVE – Bachelor’s graduate in Social Work – Internship in Réunion
Armelle SAVARY – Bachelor’s student in Nursing (General Care) – Intercultural internship in Morocco
Diego PINTO DE QUIEROS – Bachelor’s student in Communication – Currently in Canada for an internship
An International Strategy in the Making
For the past two years, HELHa has been developing its international strategy. The goal is, on one hand, to strengthen partnerships with internship places and higher education institutions around the world, and, on the other hand, to give the entire HELHa community the opportunity to expand their skills—in languages, for example.
Thus, as a prelude to the official Academic Year Opening ceremony, HELHa staff members had the opportunity to participate in English conversation tables, to discover the benefits of traveling by train, and to discuss how to welcome international interns and collaborators.
In recent months, the International Office has assessed the international needs and projects of the various stakeholders at HELHa. The idea is to build on what is already working well to further expand the international initiative.
One of our current areas of focus is interculturality. In response to the observation that students from outside the European Union feel isolated, we are exploring ways to further integrate them into the process of learning about other cultures—a process that is also highly beneficial for European students at HELHa who will soon be setting out on their own adventures… The goal is to better prepare them and to develop an approach that will integrate all the strengths already present within the institution.
Here is a video highlighting HELHa’s 2026 Academic Year Opening Ceremony
Published on 4 November 2026
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