How did you end up in the master and what did you do before starting?
Before the master, I did an interdisciplinary bachelor at the University of Amsterdam, where I majored in philosophy and political science. When I graduated, I knew I wanted to live in Brussels. When I started looking for masters, I came across urban studies and I really liked it. The interdisciplinary approach caught my attention, and I did not expect to find this again. Initially, that was one of the main reasons why I applied; I knew it would be a bit the same as in my bachelor, with a lot of different disciplines coming together.
How did you experience the interdisciplinarity of the master?
I really enjoyed that we looked at a subject from multiple angles. In economic geography, it was really about the big economic power structures of our cities, but there was also a lot of philosophy in it because we discussed scholars like Harvey and Lefebvre. At the same time, we looked at the social consequences in people's individual lives. So, we learned to draw lines between scales and disciplines, understanding that things are interconnected and that they all affect each other.
I never did anything in the direction of design or architecture; it was really a world a bit far for me. In my mind, I never even connected the spatial with the social. So, it was all very new to me, but I learned a lot from it.
"We learned to draw lines between scales and disciplines, understanding that things are interconnected and that they all affect each other. (...) In my mind, I never even connected the spatial with the social. So, it was all very new to me, but I learned a lot from it."
What is your current work like at the moment?
I stayed in Brussels, and my first job after the master was at a participation consultancy which organized participative processes for governments. I currently work for BRAL, an organisation that is putting forward sustainable development for Brussels regarding mobility, air quality, but also a lot of other urban topics. It is really nice because I came from the private sector, and in my current job, I have so much more time to think things through and to be reflective and critical.
How do you connect your current work with the master?
I knew some people from the master who also did internships with BRAL before; one of them was also working there. It is nice that the master actually gives you great contacts in the urban field of Brussels. I am working in the air quality section, and my job is generally connected to how power structures are inherent to the city. I think the master really teaches you to critically approach the question of who holds the power in the city. If you “scrape” key words like a “green project” and a “sustainable waterfront”, there is so much behind them. This critical thinking is really something that I learned in the master and that has been very valuable in my work environment now.
"If you 'scrape' key words like a “green project” and a “sustainable waterfront”, there is so much behind them. This critical thinking is really something that I learned in the master and that has been very valuable in my work environment now."
What are your specific tasks looking like?
I was hired for a project on air quality to do community building, so I engage citizens on this topic. I look for Brussels organisations that want to be ambassadors of the project, but I also engage with different neighbourhoods, and I try to collect a group of citizens to discuss the notion of air quality. How can we measure it? And if we have the measurements, how can we influence politics and demand cleaner air? After the atelier, we try to engage locally with politicians. We also try to organise election debates and trips to other cities to understand how the same issues are dealt with in a different place.
Can you name a couple of very specific skills that you think you gained through MUS and that you now use in your job?
I think a skill or a way of thinking that I gained in the master is to connect the spatial with the social. I also learned to ask critical questions on urban projects, to always question who we are building for.
What does the master mean to you?
One of the first things I have to think about is that it really represents getting a lot of nice contacts. A lot of the students from the master are now working in different organisations in Brussels, and if we come together, the conversations are very interesting because we are working at different levels of society. In that sense, you end up having a very valuable network. More professionally, it gives a really good basis to switch between disciplines, because you look at urban phenomena from a broad and critical perspective. I also think it was very nice that most of my colleagues also loved Brussels.
"A lot of the students from the master are now working in different organisations in Brussels, and if we come together, the conversations are very interesting because we are working at different levels of society. In that sense, you end up having a very valuable network."
Do you still have contact with current students?
Yes, quite a lot. I think you end up valuing your contacts with other alumni from the master more and more, especially if you stay in the city.
How would you describe urban studies?
Well, it's difficult. What I really like is that the master is two years, so you can really take your time to go through different subjects. For me, urban studies is really connected to having a lot of choices. You can really decide for yourself if you want to go more into the spatial or into the social aspects. But maybe this is also a negative part of the master, that you end up in this narrative that you stay a bit too much in this broadness and that can be frustrating.
This interview was conducted in April 2024.