2023-09-10 11:59:51
The inauguration of the university campus gives new dynamism to a city which relies on the training of its youth to recover.
Charleroi, Monday morning. On Charles Squares II, soon renamed Vaubanworkers are finalizing the final details before the inauguration of the new esplanade. Behind the town hall which dominates the old fortifications of “Charleroy” under French rule, another square connects with the Palais des Beaux-arts and the future Palais des Congrès. Here too, the places benefited from a rejuvenated just like the entire neighborhood.
A historic turning point
The refurbishment of the top of the city, whose inauguration with great fanfare takes place this weekend, marks a turning point. Firstly aesthetic, because following having re-appropriated the lower part of the town with the arrival of the Rive Gauche shopping center and the restoration of the urban space, the Carolos finally find their upper town.
This restoration of a neighborhood that has long been neglected, however, has a much stronger symbolism, because Charleroi finally obtains the status of university city with the inauguration of the U Charleroi campus this Friday. “We are correcting a historical error. Of all the cities with more than 200,000 inhabitants in Europe, Charleroi was the only one not to have a university. This absence of a university caused a flight of part of the youth towards others metropolises of the country”, underlines Michel Coulon, head of the ULB in Charleroi.
©ANTONIN WEBER / HANS LUCAS
Part of the decline of Charleroi would thus find its origin in the absence of this training offer in causing other deficiencies among young people. “The graduation rate for 18-24 year olds in higher education was less than 20% while the European average is 40%. This is also far behind the Belgian average. We have many young people with a deficit in qualifications . We can therefore say that the region’s decline is notably due to the absence of higher education”, analyzes Michel Coulon.
At the heart of the new campus
Our walk takes us opposite the BPS22 provincial museum, in the heart of the new U Charleroi university campus. On the other side of Boulevard Solvay stands the emblematic Gramme building which welcomes part of the audiences. Designed to house the University of Labor, it was inaugurated during the industrial exhibition organized in Charleroi in 1911. Today, ithe symbol of a golden era comes back to life following more than 3 years of work and 50 million investments.
©ANTONIN WEBER / HANS LUCAS
With the other locations including the Masonry building located a few meters from the Gramme, the Carole campus will have a total of 60 teaching rooms, 10 computer labs and 20 scientific labs. Around a hundred teachers from ULB and UMons will give lessons there. “The idea, in Charleroi, is not only to develop teaching, but also researchwith a strong emphasis on questions of energy efficiency, but also in-depth reflection on the human sciences and work sciences”, explains Philippe Mettens, administrator of UMons.
Inside the Gramme, we still feel everything the weight of the glorious industrial past of a city that is recovering. “Here, we trained engineers and foremen to supply the Carole industries, including the ACEC,” recalls Michel Coulon. We discover a majestic hall of honor and a monumental glass roof which will host various events. The old engine room has been transformed into a unique research center in the field of energy efficiency.
©ANTONIN WEBER / HANS LUCAS
“Not having a university had become a handicap because the world of work today requires qualifications to enter companies.”
From 2,500 to 10,000 students
The profile of the Carolo campus is unique in the Walloon landscape with courses given in co-diploma by UMons, ULB and the Condorcet provincial high school. To mark the occasion of this rapprochement, UMons and ULB have also decided to organize their academic year in Charleroi on September 21.
For its first real academic year, the Carolo campus will welcome nearly 2,500 students and the objective is to reach 5,000 students in 2028 and 10,000 in the medium term. Here, we will teach in particular the engineering sciences, biochemistry, computer science or social sciences, but the full range of training is very broad. UCLouvain should also join the campus by moving into the nearby Notre-Dame hospital buildings to teach medical engineering.
For the socialist mayor Paul Magnette, this step is crucial for the recovery of the city and the training of young people. “We have worked a lot on the industrial reconversion of Charleroi. But today, companies like Thales, Alstom, Nexans and Aerospacelab are looking for engineers. In this way, this campus is important. Not having a university had become a handicap, because the world of work today requires qualifications to enter companies. This historical gap had become more and more glaring over the years for Charleroi.”
©ANTONIN WEBER / HANS LUCAS
A renewal for the City
With its A6K pole located in the lower part of the city, and today its university campus, Charleroi is clearly banking on training to recover. Many now hope that this step will be accompanied by a socio-economic renewal. Georgios Maillis, the builder of the city, is optimistic. “The campus is in the middle of a completely new urban system in the city center. It was the back of the city, but today it becomes a space of passage and students will easily travel throughout the city.”
Direction there rue de la Montagne. At the junction between the bottom and the top of the city, the artery has long been deserted by businesses. Today, the hospitality industry is coming back to life and the campus is giving new economic prospects to the city. A former commercial building which housed the Eldorado gallery was, for example, bought by a developer in order to create around a hundred rooms for students. “This campus already has an effect on the urban fabric. We have delivered approximately 350 planning permits for the development of cottages and there were 35 permit requests for the installation of terraces”, rejoices the mayor.
The summary
- After one complete renovation of the neighborhood and years of refining its university project, Charleroi has just inaugurated its brand new U Charleroi campus.
- In particular, students will be trained in engineering professions, but the full range of training is very broad. Next to 2,500 students are expected this year. The courses will be given as a co-degree by ULB, UMons and the Condorcet high school.
- The city which continues its mutation relies on training to recover.
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