Considering internship at Belgian museum in Ypres

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hvtitan08
Deinonychus
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29 Jun 2013, 9:27 am

I plan to look into a program of study at a Virginia Community College, and then I have the desire to transfer to a 4-year college/university to major in History. In my senior year, I wish to intern at a museum in Ypres, Belgium in West-Vlaanderen province, Flemish region called the In Flanders Fields Museum, named after the most famous poem written by John McCrae.
My mere concerns is, is that if I ever make it there, whether if I can pay for my education, and pay for the housing and other things that need to be met in order to intern at the museum, how do I set up my internship?


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Jacky
Tufted Titmouse
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29 Jun 2013, 3:56 pm

Hi, I just happen to be Belgian, but haven't lived there for several years now.

I would advice you to contact the museum. If they do internships, then they should be able to give information about housing and administration. Ypres (Ieper in Flemish) is quite a small town, and which doesn't have a University, so there may not be many furnished rooms for rent there. But maybe the museum has contacts to a boarding house or something like that.

What also needs to be taken care of is health insurance. You might even need it to get a visa. Hospitals are obliged to give emergency care only to people without insurance; ambulant care can be paid privately and is affordable. So be sure to inquire about this too.

Cost of living: at this time, I'd estimate the price for a furnished room at about 300€/month, and food+drinks at 150-200€/month. Public transport in Flanders is quite good and affordable (1 bus ticket inside a town: 1-2€).

The advantage of Ieper being in Flanders is that more people will speak English well than in the Walloon part of the country.

Hope this helps.



NewDawn
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29 Jun 2013, 7:16 pm

I strongly advise you to contact the Belgian embassy in your country. EU law in combination with the national laws is complicated and changes regularly. You need a specialist to inform you.