Over the past year the Columbia Club of Belgium has organized a variety of interesting and exciting events, including the TTIP debate, the U.S. universities alumni drink over the summer, the meet and greet with Professor O’Shalloran, Columbia Connects at the Dominican Hotel, Thanksgiving Dinner in partnership with the American Club of Brussels, the annual Columbia University Film Festival in Brussels, and various other events sponsored with other university clubs in Belgium.

In 2016, we are planning a number of exciting events which we hope will appeal to a broad range of our members. In the following year, our goal is to continue to provide a forum in which alumni/ae of Columbia in Belgium of all ages can get together periodically to enjoy each other’s company and to participate jointly in a varied range of stimulating activities and experiences. 

Amongst the events planned for this year are:

• The Columbia University Film Festival held this month;

• The annual Columbia Connects gathering;

• A flagship debate event, on which details will follow;

• A U.S. election night gathering; and

• Various events which we will be organizing in collaboration with other U.S. university clubs in Belgium.

Apart from the time and effort devoted by a motivated team of volunteers, the success of the Club’s activities also requires the financial support of all our members.  Since the Club depends on its members to provide the financial support for activities which are not separately funded, we have set this year’s dues at the following levels:

                Recent graduates (Classes ’09 to ‘15):          EUR 30

                Other graduates:                                              EUR 50

Note that this year, in order to further encourage active participation by “recent” Columbia graduates, we have again extended that category to include persons who have graduated within the past eight years!

We kindly ask all members to pay their annual dues in the appropriate amount to the Club’s account No. IBAN BE15 4338 1934 0130 (BIC KREDBEBB) by May 15th, 2016 under the reference “Membership Dues 2016 + first name + last name”.

Dues-paying members will benefit from a special discount on all paying activities organized by the Club between now and December 31, 2016.

In addition, as you will recall, since 2001 the Club has sponsored a special Columbia Club Scholarship Grant to offer financial aid to selected Belgian students wishing to attend Columbia.  Members are highly encouraged to contribute separately to this Grant, the contributions to which are tax deductible for Belgian income tax purposes if they are of an amount of EUR 40 or above.  

These contributions should be made to account No. BE10 0000 0000 0404 (BIC BPOTBEB1) of the King Baudouin Foundation, which administers the Grant as part of its Fulbright Fund, under the reference “Fulbright Columbia – 820324 + first name + last name”. For payments of EUR 40 or more made in 2016, the Foundation will send you a Tax Certificate in early 2017.    We are delighted that these contributions serve – even in a small way –to help talented Belgian students who have chosen to pursue their studies at Columbia. 

Finally, those Club members who would like to participate more actively in the Club’s affairs by becoming members of the Club’s Board of Directors, we would welcome most enthusiastically any volunteers.  If you would be interested, please register with our website http://belgium.alumni.columbia.edu/ and specify it in your registration, or drop us an e-mail at [email protected]   and we will get back to you.

We thank you in advance for your help and your generous contributions and look forward to seeing you soon.

Sincerely,

Capucine Rosenfeld                                       Richard Temko

President                                                          Treasurer