Area studies typically examine the development of a particular population or region. While other, similar interdisciplinary studies, such as gender, disability, and ethnic, may have some part in course discussions, these are not considered area studies.

Belgium, officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a federal state in Western Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts the EU's headquarters as well as those of several other major international organisations such as NATO.

A Master of Science or MSc is a postgraduate degree typically in the fields of sciences and social sciences. MSc may be course-based, research-based, or a mixture of the two.