# Excursion in Brussels - What We Learned and Saw?

> When we were booking and planning this trip, we didn’t know each other. Some of us had shared joined online courses, but we met first time at the airport.

## Background
We joined "Working and Studying in International Environment" at Savonia (Savonia UAS). We are Master’s Degree students from Social Services and Health Care. When we were booking and planning this trip, we didn’t know each other. Some of us had shared joined online courses, but we met for the first time at the airport.

## Meeting with MEP Sirpa Pietikäinen
On Tuesday, we gathered with our group and our principal lecturer, Pirjo Turunen, in front of the European Parliament. MEP assistant Iida Ahonen led us to a meeting with Finnish MEP Sirpa Pietikäinen. Security surveillance was strict, and our passports were checked throughout.

Meeting with Pietikäinen was inspiring: she is a big personality, charismatic, and an influencing persona who likes to discuss welfare and health-related issues. She explained how the EU works, describing it as a "three-headed dragon":

*   **The first head is the European Parliament:** It is the voice of the citizens.
*   **The second head is the Committee:** It represents local administrations.
*   **The third head is the Council:** It consists of ministries from every member state.

"This means that every head needs each other, and no one can bite each other, because all the heads would die. In the EU, we need to work together for the best outcome," Pietikäinen says.

Regarding welfare strategy, Pietikäinen noted that problems in care are similar across the EU area: "We need common actions to improve high-quality care and provide similar services to all EU citizens."

## The East and North Finland EU Office
Our group also visited The East and North Finland EU Office. The office promotes the interests of its stakeholders in Brussels by following up and reacting to EU policies, legislation, and political development relevant to eastern and northern Finland. The main idea is to know the needs of these regions and their actors. They encouraged low-threshold contacts, noting that Finnish interns and officers are highly needed in Brussels.

## Academic Exchange at Leuven University
We visited the Leuven University campus of the social department, where we had a lecture about social policy and the differences and similarities between Finnish and Belgian social work, as well as trends in social work research. The lecture was given by Koen Hermans and Wim Van Lanckers.

We learned that Finland has fewer people living at the average poverty line than Belgium, and that other social and health indicators are generally better in Finland.

## Observations on Life in Brussels
*   **Cityscape:** The city is colorful and international with Jugend-style buildings.
*   **Logistics:** We were confused by the garbage disposal system—bags are left behind doors on specific days (e.g., mixed waste on Friday, cardboard on Wednesday) with no public garbage cans.
*   **Living Conditions:** Buildings were quite cold and humid.
*   **Culture:** Chocolate and waffles were excellent. Beer culture is strong with a wide variety of choices.
*   **Cost of Living:** Salaries are higher in the Brussels area than in Finland, but taxes and fees are also higher. Rent is comparable to Helsinki (e.g., a two-bedroom apartment is about 1200€ per month). Many students choose community living.

## Conclusion
The trip was full of fun, laughter, bonding, and learning. Our principal lecturer, Pirjo, gave us good feedback about our group dynamics. We encourage everyone to join these kinds of trips, as they are once-in-a-lifetime experiences that widen our perspective on the world, active society, and the promotion of well-being and health.

**Participants:**
*   Nina Argillander, Pirjo Böös-Mentu, Heli Dahlblom, Hanna-Riikka Hyttinen, Anni Kuhmonen, Carolina Mikkonen, Laura Muona, and Riikka Teeriaho (Master’s Degree students in Social Services and Health Care, Savonia UAS)
*   Pirjo Turunen (Principal Lecturer of Social Sciences, Savonia UAS)

## Sources
*   EIGE (2017) Economic case for gender equality in the EU.
*   Eurooppa-neuvosto (2019) Uusi strateginen ohjelma 2019-2024
*   European Union
*   EU-parlamentin hoivaraportti
*   Euroopan päämäärät ja arvot
*   Euroopan talous ja sosiaalikomitea