Defining the Expat: the case of high-skilled migrants in Brussels

More and more attention is put by sociologists on the relation between cities, development and the activities and profiles of the people attracted by cities themselves. Brussels is a particularly vivid example of this relation, being so influenced by the massive percentage of European high-level migrants, called Expats, who live there on a temporary or a permanent basis. The article, besides trying to define what an Expat is, provides an exploratory outline of how they are perceived and they perceive themselves. Moreover, the article analyses their sense of community, showing that speaking of a coherent Expats’ community, as it is commonly done by Brussels’ institutions, might be quite imprecise.La sociologie fait preuve d’un intérêt grandissant pour le lien qui unit les villes à leur développement et aux activités et profils de ceux qu’elles attirent. Bruxelles en est un exemple particulièrement frappant, étant donné l’influence qu’elle subit au contact d’une large proportion d’immigrés européens hautement qualifiés, résidents de passage ou à long terme, appelés expats. Cet article se propose de définir ce que sont les expats, et donne par ailleurs les grands traits de la façon dont ils sont perçus et se perçoivent. Il procède en outre à une analyse de leur sens communautaire, qui démontre que la notion de communauté cohérente d’Expats, couramment partagée par les institutions bruxelloises, ne s’avère pas toujours très pertinente.Sociologen besteden steeds meer aandacht aan de relatie tussen steden en hun ontwikkeling, en de activiteiten en profielen van mensen die door de steden zelf worden aangetrokken. Brussel is een bijzonder levendig voorbeeld van die relatie omdat de stad in sterke mate beïnvloed is door het enorme percentage aan Europese migranten van hoog niveau – de expats genaamd – die er op tijdelijke of permanente basis leven. Het artikel probeert niet alleen te definiëren wat een expat is, het biedt ook een verkennende schets van hoe expats worden gepercipieerd en hoe zij zichzelf percipiëren. Het artikel analyseert eveneens hun gemeenschapsgevoel en toont aan dat spreken van een coherente “expat community” – zoals de Brusselse instellingen vaak doen – niet zo juist is

Een definitie van de expat: hoogopgeleide migranten in Brussel

Sociologen besteden steeds meer aandacht aan de relatie tussen steden en hun ontwikkeling, en de activiteiten en profielen van mensen die door de steden zelf worden aangetrokken. Brussel is een bijzonder levendig voorbeeld van die relatie omdat de stad in sterke mate beïnvloed is door het enorme percentage aan Europese migranten van hoog niveau – de expats genaamd – die er op tijdelijke of permanente basis leven. Het artikel probeert niet alleen te definiëren wat een expat is, het biedt ook een verkennende schets van hoe expats worden gepercipieerd en hoe zij zichzelf percipiëren. Het artikel analyseert eveneens hun gemeenschapsgevoel en toont aan dat spreken van een coherente “expat community” – zoals de Brusselse instellingen vaak doen – niet zo juist is.More and more attention is put by sociologists on the relation between cities, development and the activities and profiles of the people attracted by cities themselves. Brussels is a particularly vivid example of this relation, being so influenced by the massive percentage of European high-level migrants, called Expats, who live there on a temporary or a permanent basis. The article, besides trying to define what an Expat is, provides an exploratory outline of how they are perceived and they perceive themselves. Moreover, the article analyses their sense of community, showing that speaking of a coherent Expats’ community, as it is commonly done by Brussels’ institutions, might be quite imprecise.La sociologie fait preuve d’un intérêt grandissant pour le lien qui unit les villes à leur développement et aux activités et profils de ceux qu’elles attirent. Bruxelles en est un exemple particulièrement frappant, étant donné l’influence qu’elle subit au contact d’une large proportion d’immigrés européens hautement qualifiés, résidents de passage ou à long terme, appelés expats. Cet article se propose de définir ce que sont les expats, et donne par ailleurs les grands traits de la façon dont ils sont perçus et se perçoivent. Il procède en outre à une analyse de leur sens communautaire, qui démontre que la notion de communauté cohérente d’Expats, couramment partagée par les institutions bruxelloises, ne s’avère pas toujours très pertinente

COVID-19 in China. The Great Wall of Technology

China is the first country to have faced an extensive contagion of Covid-19. The response it has given, in terms of prevention and control measures, has been effective in eradicating the virus, even though not completely. Those measures were based on an extensive and widespread use of technologies. The strategies adopted were not the result of improvisation: the social, cultural and technological structures were already in place well before the epidemic took place. In light of the news and the media theory, the present contribution draws upon the anecdotal experience of one of the two authors, who lives in China and has been there during the epidemic. Though the Chinese approach was, indeed successful, we argue that it is doubtful that such a model can be exported to countries with different history, culture and socio-political background

Thermodynamic analysis, energy integration and flowsheet improvement of a methanol absorption acid gas removal process

This paper analyses the thermodynamic performance and proposes different energy integration schemes for a methanol absorption based acid gas removal process, namely the Rectisol® process specifically designed for the selective removal of H2S and CO2 from coal derived syngas. The study consists of three major tasks: 1. Calibrating the PC-SAFT equation of state for MEOH-CO2-H2S-H2-CO mixtures at conditions relevant for the Rectisol® process. 2. Evaluating the thermodynamic performances and optimising the energy integration of the "Reference" scheme by means of "heat-cascade" based optimisation methodology. 3. Identifying attractive process modifications on the basis of Process Integration principles

Multi-objective Optimization of a Rectisol® Process

This work focuses on the design, simulation and optimization of a Rectisol®-based process tailored for the selective removal of H2S and CO2 from gasification derived synthesis gas. Such task is quite challenging due to the need of addressing simultaneously the process design, energy integration and utility design. The paper, starting from a Rectisol® configuration recently proposed by the authors, describes the models and the solution strategy used to carry out the multi-objective optimization with respect to exergy consumption, CO2 capture level and capital cost

The Evolution of Biocompatibility: From Microinflammation to Microvesiscles

The outlook of more biocompatible and physiological dialysis is today confronted with a older and sicker population in need of maintenance hemodialysis. The knowledge of biological mechanisms operating at the system level will be approached with the help of improved technologies hopefully able to reduce the deleterious effect of the repetitive contact with a foreign surface and to insure optimal performances for the elimination of small and middle molecule solutes. Advances in dialyzer membranes and geometries, as well as blood tubings The Evolution of Biocompatibility: From Microinflammation to Microvesiscles 107 together with new concepts in machine technology have already shown their great potential to improve survival and cardiovascular stability