Goeiedag, bonjour and happy Monday!
We’re starting this week with a short history lesson about Moroccan immigration to Belgium. Coming from a Flemish town best known for its mining legacy, the topic is particularly close to my heart.
While I hail from the first wave of (Italian) miners who came to dig for Belgium’s black gold, that stream of workers quickly dried up following the Bois du Cazier disaster near Charleroi. The country looked somewhere else for workers and turned to Morocco.
Since the 60s, however, Moroccan immigrants and their descendants have helped shape Belgium’s economy, culture and public life – and, increasingly, the way the country sees itself.
For The Brussels Times Magazine, Ahmed Medhoune and Christophe Sokal dove deep into Morocco’s legacy in Belgium. Discover more here.
We also have a story about the falling number of people signing up for an IT degree in Belgium, as students fear that AI will replace them on the job market.
In less than a decade, the job of a programmer has transformed from writing code to telling an AI how to write code, and prospective students are worried. At most universities, enrolment numbers for IT programmes this year are down between 10 and 60%.
Are these worries warranted? Our regular contributor Tom Cassauwers looked into it, you can read the full story here.
Finally, before I let you go, I also wanted to highlight a few nice stories you might have missed over the weekend.
The first one is about 1898 The Post, one of Belgium’s most striking hotels. With its soaring turrets, ornate façades and unrivalled position, it overlooks Ghent’s historic waterfront.
Magazine Editor Leo Cendrowicz met the couple responsible for transforming the protected landmark into a luxury retreat. Read more here.
And lastly, we have another magazine story for you, about Flemish chef Matthieu Beudaert, who found a way to combine his two passions: cooking and art.
In his new cookbook, he transforms masterpieces from Antwerp’s KMSKA into dishes. Regular contributor Hughes Belin found out how that works.
If you have comments, tips or suggestions, you can drop me an email at m.chini@brusselstimes.com.
Have a good week!
Maïthé
Belgium in Brief is a free daily roundup of the top stories to get you through your coffee break conversations. To receive it straight to your inbox every day, sign up below:
1. The Belgium they built: How Moroccans shaped a nation
Recruited to power Belgium’s post-war economy, Moroccan workers helped build the country from the coalfields up. Six decades later, their descendants are reshaping its politics, culture and sense of identity. Read more.
2. New enrolments for Belgian IT degrees plummet amid student AI fears
Belgian universities and colleges are seeing relatively few new students flow into their IT degrees – and they are blaming artificial intelligence (AI). Read more.
3. S&P warns Belgium on credit rating downgrade
S&P points to high government debt and the difficult savings exercise ahead. At 5.3%, Belgium currently has the eurozone's worst budget deficit as a share of GDP. Read more.
4. New Belgian intersex association calls for end to non-consensual medical interventions
A new organisation is calling for an end to intersex variations being treated as a medical or psychiatric disorder in Belgium. Read more.
5. Winter time switch brings surge in deadly traffic accidents involving pedestrians
Severe collisions involving pedestrians increase by 73% during the evening rush hour once the clocks go back. Read more.
6. European gas price climb to highest level in four years
Before the war in Iran in late February, prices were around €32 per MWh. Now, prices have tripled, highlighting the conflict’s impact on global energy market. Read more.
7. New commemorative coins released for Princess Elisabeth’s birthday
The princess will also appear on stamps for the fourth time. The first coins have already dropped, while stamps will follow on Monday. Read more.
