The deputy head of mission, Embassy of Belgium in China Sophie Hottat delivers a speech at the "Apéro des Sciences" event. Photo: Courtesy of Embassy of Belgium in China

March was the annual Month of the "Francophonie," when people celebrate the richness and vibrancy of French language and its culture. When speaking of French, of course many immediately think of France. However, many other countries have French as an (or one of its) official language(s), including Switzerland, Canada, several African countries such as the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Senegal, and of course, Belgium. 

On the march 23, the "Apéro des Sciences" was held to celebrate scientific cooperation as a catalyst for interpersonal contacts. It was an event jointly organized by the embassies of Canada, Belgium, Switzerland and France, which invited French speakers to present scientific projects related to the theme of climate change.

The deputy head of mission, Sophie Hottat, spoke about the supporting role Belgium has played in scientific projects in China for the past 20 years. To exemplify this, she mentioned the IMPOCHA project, a trilateral collaboration between Belgium, China, and South-Africa.