About Us
Association of Chinese Professionals in Belgium (ACPB)
The Association of Chinese Professionals in Belgium (ACPB) was registered and established in Belgium on May 17, 2003, and is headquartered in the Louvain-la-Neuve High-Tech Park (Rue Laid Burniat 3, 1348 Louvain-la-Neuve, Belgium).
ACPB is the first Chinese professional organization established in Belgium. Its core purpose is to build an exchange and cooperation platform for Chinese professionals in Belgium, promote friendship between Belgium and China, facilitate the cooperation and talent exchange in science/technology, culture, and education, help members integrate into Belgium, and safeguard their legal rights. Since the establishment, the association has continued to grow and develop and has now become a large society with more than 250 members. The association focuses on the word “professional”. Holding doctorate or master’s degree, most members are high-end professionals and cultural elites active in many disciplines in Belgium. The pool of high-quality talents is the unique resource and advantage of ACPB. Many members play important roles in the large international organizations and local top companies, and they are also the source of ACPB’s vitality and influence.
ACPB focuses on promoting exchanges in science, technology, culture and education between Belgium and China. ACPB has advantages in microelectronics and communication technology, biomedicine, green agriculture and food safety, IT service outsourcing, applications of IoT, Belgian business laws and regulations consulting, overseas information and public service. The association has successfully held the “FCPAE European Forum” twice. With the support of the Belgian Wallonia Trade and Investment Promotion Agency (AWEX), the Flanders China Chamber of Commerce (FCCC), and the sponsorship of the China-Belgium Science and Technology Park, hundreds of participants, including government officials, entrepreneurs and well-known scholars from both China and Europe, Heads of Sino-European Bilateral Pioneer Parks, Incubators and High-tech Districts, Chinese professionals in Europe and other attendees, together sparked new ideas and concepts, and promoted Sino-European science and technology exchanges and cooperation. In 2019, ACPB and CBTC jointly held the first China-Belgium Science and Technology Exchange Symposium. In addition to the main venue (for invited top-notch keynote speakers such as members of Royal Belgian Academy and professors of Tsinghua University), there were 5 sub-venues focused on biomedicine, intelligent manufacturing, IT, modern agriculture, and China-Belgium collaboration respectively. It was a big success and was highly praised by the participants. At the end of 2020, although the covid pandemic in Belgium was still very severe, ACPB did not forget its original aspiration and fulfilled its mission. Using cloud technology and virtual meetings, it has successfully held the second China-Belgium Science and Technology Exchange Symposium. In terms of cultural exchange, the association has also made great efforts and has achieved fruitful results. For example, in 2014 ACPB held a cultural event “Commemorating Exhibition of the 100th Anniversary of the Landing of Chinese in Antwerp” with the MAS Museum in Antwerp, and a concert of Chinese professional musicians in 2017. In 2019, ACPB hosted a gala in celebration of the 70th anniversary of the founding of the People’s Republic of China. ACPB will further expand and strengthen the contacts with various partners, and jointly make greater contributions to the friendship and cooperation between the people of Belgium and China.
ACPB focuses on promoting integration into local society, cooperating with local commercial communities, and actively developing contacts and cooperation with local Belgian social organizations, universities and Chinese companies in Belgium. Moreover, various exchanges or seminars on culture, education, technology, and trade between Belgium and China have been successfully held. It has also established partnerships with some well-known Belgian organizations, institutions of higher education, and Chinese companies investing in Belgium. Under the severe situation of the global covid pandemic in 2020, ACPB actively organized donations and delivered the protective materials to several hospitals in the hardest-hit areas in China and Belgium. Moreover, it established an expert group within a short time to provide consultation against the pandemic. The association paid close attention to helping and assisting its members promptly, purchased and distributed mouth masks and other protective materials for members, which has won praise from both communities in China and in Belgium.
ACPB also focuses on promoting communication and friendship among members through regular outings, summer trips, badminton games, Mid-Autumn Festival Gala, Spring Festival Gala and other social networking activities. In particular, the Mid-Autumn Festival Gala has become an excellent traditional and cultural event in the Chinese community in Belgium. Through these fruitful cultural interactions, the association has firmly united its members and has become a close-knit elite association among the overseas Chinese communities in Belgium.
ACPB positions its development strategy as follows: a platform for friendship and communication between Chinese professionals in Belgium; a platform to connect the talents in Chinese and Belgian companies; a platform for cooperation and innovation between Chinese people in Belgium, and the governments, associations and enterprises of the two countries. As one of the most influential Chinese associations in Belgium, the heart of Europe, ACPB will continue playing its unique role in promoting comprehensive Belgium-China and Europe-China cooperation and development.
