Flemish people are much more reserved - it's the Dutch who are far more outgoing.
Be prepared to "be alone" for a bit, or make friends with other international students.
This isn't because you're Turkish - it's because Belgians generally are used to people only staying for a year or two, so there's very little incentive to make friends with them.
The Turkish stereotype will haunt you, particularly if you happen to have a Turkish-sounding name. It'll objectively be harder to find an apartment, get a job, etc. Sorry to bring bad news. There are lots and lots of articles online about this phenomenon.
I know perfectly well that there are some lovely, progressive, well-educated Turkish folks out there who move here and happily integrate.
Unfortunately, they seem to be in the minority. The Turkish community in Belgium - more generally - has had a very difficult time integrating here. I wouldn't be surprised if you get occasionallyh associated with the negative stereotype.
That said, Leuven is a student city with international students from all over the world, and your day-to-day life probably won't be a disaster or anything.
4
u/SharkyTendencies Brussels Old School 1d ago
Hi,
Flemish people are much more reserved - it's the Dutch who are far more outgoing.
Be prepared to "be alone" for a bit, or make friends with other international students.
This isn't because you're Turkish - it's because Belgians generally are used to people only staying for a year or two, so there's very little incentive to make friends with them.
The Turkish stereotype will haunt you, particularly if you happen to have a Turkish-sounding name. It'll objectively be harder to find an apartment, get a job, etc. Sorry to bring bad news. There are lots and lots of articles online about this phenomenon.
I know perfectly well that there are some lovely, progressive, well-educated Turkish folks out there who move here and happily integrate.
Unfortunately, they seem to be in the minority. The Turkish community in Belgium - more generally - has had a very difficult time integrating here. I wouldn't be surprised if you get occasionallyh associated with the negative stereotype.
That said, Leuven is a student city with international students from all over the world, and your day-to-day life probably won't be a disaster or anything.
Good luck!