Prince Albert Fund

Last updated

Prince Albert Fund
AbbreviationPAF
Formation1984
TypeFoundation, Fund
PurposeInternational Leadership
Headquarters King Baudouin Foundation
Location
Patronnage
Princess Astrid of Belgium
Affiliations Federation of Belgian Enterprises & King Baudouin Foundation
Website https://www.princealbertfund.be/

The Prince Albert Fund is a Belgian non-profit organization (fund) which provides a scholarship to young Belgian professionals to give them the opportunity to carry out a project for a Belgian company in international business development, outside Europe. [1] [2] The fund is managed by the King Baudouin Foundation and directed by a steering committee consisting of alumni of the Fund and representatives of FEB-VBO, VOKA, UWE and BECI. [3]

Contents

The scholarship

Each year, about 20 to 30 young people are selected out of hundreds of applications through a rigorous selection process in different rounds. [4] The requirements that the Fund sets for candidates are very high; several diplomas (at least a cum laude Master's degree) or work placements abroad are recommended, while the candidate must be able to speak two or three languages fluently. Candidates must be under 30 years at the time of the application and have Belgian nationality. [5] Since candidates also need to have at least 3 years of working experience the program is not a traineeship and can be seen as an alternative for an MBA. During the application process attention is also paid to character, motivation, general knowledge, and knowledge of Belgian foreign trade. [6] The candidates are chosen by a selection committee made up of alumni of the fund and experts in international trade and human resources. [7]

The Prince Albert Fund offers a 12-month scholarship. The grant includes one month of preparation in Belgium and 11 months of work experience abroad (outside Western Europe). Before their departure, the fellows take part in an intercultural training program developed especially for the Fund. [8]

The Prince Albert Fund has a total of 464 alumni. Some 200 Belgian companies (ranging from small start-ups to well-established businesses) have enabled these young people to experience part of their commercial development abroad. [9] Some realised projects are; [2] the establishment of a distribution center in India for Greenyard, the set-up of a direct distribution channel in China for Unilin (Mohawk Industries), the management of an excellence project for UCB in the APAC region, M&A support for Ageas in Hong-Kong, market research for AGC Glass in West-Africa, start-up of an overseas office for Unifly in New York, the development of reporting standards for Korys investment company in Brazil,...

At the end of the project, the fellow has to report on his project to the selection committee of the Fund. If the selection committee gives a positive opinion, the management committee will award him/her the title of 'Laureate of the Fund' during an academic session in the presence of a member of the Belgian royal family [10] at the BELvue Museum. The best project is awarded the McKinsey award for excellence. [11]

History

The Fund was created in 1984 by the Federation of Belgian Enterprises and by the King Baudouin Foundation on the occasion of the 50th birthday of His Royal Highness Prince Albert of Belgium, later to become the sixth King of the Belgians. The Fund's aim was to embody the vision of a group of captains of industries to promote Belgian business abroad. [12]

Since its creation, the Prince Albert Fund has enabled over 400 young Belgian professionals to develop skills and gain experience in international business and helped over 250 Belgian companies promote their products and services outside Europe. [13]

In 2014 Chris Burggraeve (marketeer and professor at the TRIUM EMBA) was nominated President of the Management Committee of the Fund, succeeding captain of industry Julien De Wilde. The current president is Emmanuel Caeymaex, VP Immunology UCB & alumni himself.

On 2 April 2015, the Prince Albert Fund celebrated its 30th anniversary. At this occasion, King Albert handed over the reins of the fund to his daughter Princess Astrid of Belgium. [14] [15]

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Baudouin of Belgium</span> King of the Belgians from 1951 to 1993

Baudouin was King of the Belgians from 17 July 1951 until his death in 1993. He was the last Belgian king to be sovereign of the Congo, before it became independent in 1960 and became the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Monarchy of Belgium</span> Constitutional, hereditary and popular monarchy of Belgium

Belgium is a constitutional, hereditary and popular monarchy. The monarch is titled King of the Belgians and serves as the country's head of state and commander-in-chief of the Belgian Armed Forces. There have been seven Belgian monarchs since independence in 1830.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Albert II of Belgium</span> King of the Belgians from 1993 to 2013

Albert II is a member of the Belgian royal family who reigned as King of the Belgians from 9 August 1993 to 21 July 2013.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fabiola of Belgium</span> Queen of the Belgians from 1960 to 1993

Fabiola Fernanda María-de-las-Victorias Antonia Adelaida de Mora y Aragón was Queen of the Belgians from her marriage to King Baudouin in 1960 until his death in 1993. The couple had no children, as Fabiola had five miscarriages out of five pregnancies, so the Crown passed to her husband's younger brother, King Albert II.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jean-Luc Dehaene</span> Prime Minister of Belgium from 1992 until 1999

Jean Luc Joseph Marie "Jean-Luc" Dehaene was a Belgian politician who served as the prime minister of Belgium from 1992 until 1999. During his political career, he was nicknamed "The Plumber", as well as "The Minesweeper", for his ability to negotiate political deadlocks.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Princess Margaretha of Sweden</span> Princess Axel of Denmark

Princess Margaretha of Sweden was a member of the Swedish Royal Family by birth and the Danish Royal Family by marriage. She was the elder sister of Crown Princess Märtha of Norway and Queen Astrid of the Belgians.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Princess Märtha of Sweden</span> Crown Princess of Norway (1901–1954)

Princess Märtha of Sweden was Crown Princess of Norway as the spouse of the future King Olav V from 1929 until her death in 1954. The current king, Harald V, is her only son. As Olav only became king in 1957, Märtha never became Queen of Norway.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Elisabeth of Bavaria, Queen of the Belgians</span> Queen of the Belgians from 1909 to 1934

Elisabeth of Bavaria was Queen of the Belgians from 23 December 1909 to 17 February 1934 as the wife of King Albert I, and a duchess in Bavaria by birth. She was the mother of King Leopold III of Belgium and of Queen Marie-José of Italy, and grandmother of kings Baudouin and Albert II of Belgium, and Grand Duchess Joséphine-Charlotte of Luxembourg.

Prince Amedeo of Belgium, Hereditary Archduke of Austria-Este is a grandson of King Albert II of Belgium, and thus a member of the Belgian royal family. He is also heir-apparent to the headship of the House of Austria-Este, a cadet branch of the House of Habsburg-Lorraine, and is sixth in line to the throne of Belgium.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">King Baudouin Foundation</span>

The King Baudouin Foundation (KBF) is a foundation based in Brussels (Belgium). It seeks to change society for the better and invests in inspiring projects and individuals.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Princess Marie-Esméralda of Belgium</span> Lady Moncada

Princess Marie-Esméralda of Belgium, Lady Moncada, is a member of the Belgian royal family. She is the half-aunt of King Philippe of Belgium and Henri, Grand Duke of Luxembourg. Princess Marie-Esméralda is a journalist, author and documentary-maker. She is also an environmental activist and a campaigner for women’s rights and indigenous people’s rights.

The Queen Elisabeth Medical Foundation (QEMF) is a Belgian non-profit organization, founded in 1926 by Elisabeth of Bavaria, wife of Albert I. She founded the organization, based on her experience with the wounded from the front-line during the First World War. The foundation wants to encourage laboratory research and contacts between researchers and clinical practitioners, with a particular focus on neurosciences. The QEMF supports seventeen university teams throughout Belgium.

Regiment Carabiniers <i>Prins Boudewijn</i> – Grenadiers Military unit

The Regiment Carabiniers Prins Boudewijn – Grenadiers is an infantry regiment in the Land Component of the Belgian Armed Forces. The regiment is a part of the Motorized Brigade. This regiment is a Dutch speaking unit.

Michel, Count Didisheim was the private secretary and chief of the Royal household (1962–1986) of Albert, Prince of Liège, later to become king Albert II of Belgium. He was also the CEO and president of the King Baudouin Foundation (1976–2001).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Princess Joséphine-Charlotte of Belgium</span> Grand Duchess of Luxembourg from 1964 to 2000

Princess Joséphine-Charlotte of Belgium was the Grand Duchess of Luxembourg as the wife of Grand Duke Jean. She was the first child of King Leopold III of Belgium, and sister of the late King Baudouin and former King Albert II and aunt of King Philippe. She was also the first cousin of King Harald V of Norway, second cousin of Margrethe II of Denmark, and a maternal third cousin of Queen Elizabeth II.

Françoise, Baroness Tulkens is a Belgian lawyer and expert in criminal and penal law, and former vice-president of the European Court of Human Rights. She served as a member of the Court since 1998, Section President since 2007 and vice-president from February 2011 until her term ended in 2012.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Royal Crypt (Belgium)</span> Burial place of the Belgian royal family

The Royal Crypt lies underneath the Church of Our Lady in Laeken, Brussels, Belgium. It is the official burial place of the Belgian royal family, including all the Kings of the Belgians and their wives. Several members of the family are buried elsewhere, however, due to their marriage with foreign royalty or nobility.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Olivaint Conference of Belgium</span> Organization

The Royal Olivaint Conference of Belgium NPO is a Belgian independent, multilingual leadership organisation and debating union for students founded in 1954. It is the only student organisation in Belgium operating in both official languages. The slogan of the association is 'Teaching governance today, growing leaders for tomorrow'. Its aim is to educate its members for public life. Its focus is on training in public speaking, debating, writing and leading conferences with top politicians, academics and business executives. The Olivaint Conference of Belgium was founded on the model of the Conférence Olivaint in France. Candidate members must submit a written application and undergo an interview by the Conference's board of directors. The Conference limit its membership to 50 persons per academic term. Membership is limited to two years.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Wedding of Baudouin of Belgium and Fabiola de Mora y Aragón</span> 1960 Royal Wedding

The wedding of King Baudouin of Belgium, and Doña Fabiola de Mora y Aragón took place on Thursday, 15 December 1960. The couple was married first in a civil ceremony held in the Throne Room of the Royal Palace of Brussels and then in a Roman Catholic ceremony at the Cathedral of St. Michael and St. Gudula.

The following events happened during 1951 in the Kingdom of Belgium.

References

  1. "Recherche: jeunes cadres passionnés avec l'esprit d'entreprise". L'Echo (in French). 4 October 2017. Retrieved 3 January 2024.
  2. 1 2 "Home". princealbertfund.be.
  3. "Prince Albert Fund (KBF) on LinkedIn: #princealbertfund #careerdevelopment #youngtalents".[ user-generated source ]
  4. ""Le Fonds Prince Albert va envoyer deux fois plus de jeunes à l'étranger"". L'Echo (in French). 23 February 2016. Retrieved 3 January 2024.
  5. "Prince Albert Fund - Prince Albert Fund Grants | EFG - European Funding Guide".
  6. "Prins Albertfonds: Internationale springplank voor beloftevolle managers".
  7. 2011 Universities kuleuven.be
  8. "Prins Albertfonds Fonds Prince Albert Prinz-Albert-Fonds". adoc.pub. Retrieved 3 January 2024.
  9. "Entrepreneurship outside Europe: 43 talented young Belgians honoured by the Prince Albert Fund".
  10. "Prins Albert Fonds huldigt laureaten". De Tijd (in Dutch). 29 August 2013. Retrieved 3 January 2024.
  11. "Prince Albert Fund certificate award ceremony. | King Baudouin Foundation". Archived from the original on 15 September 2021. Retrieved 15 September 2021.
  12. "Gezocht: gedreven kaderleden met uitgesproken ondernemingszin". De Tijd (in Dutch). 4 October 2017. Retrieved 3 January 2024.
  13. "Yearbook Prince Albert Fund by edito3 - Issuu". 21 August 2020.
  14. "Prince Albert Fund aims to double number of grants".
  15. "King Albert II Princess Astrid Editorial Stock Photo - Stock Image".