The aim of this special issue is, first, to illuminate the exchanges between Belgium and the Ottoman Empire and the experiences of students coming from that region, through the example of the Armenian poet Daniel Varoujan, student at Ghent University from 1905 until 1909. It includes therefore papers on foreign students at Ghent (P. De Messemaeker and C. Verbruggen) and on the Belgian public opinion about the Armenian question in this period (H. Alloul and H. De Smaele), besides articles on the life of Varoujan in Ghent (S. Payaslian) and his publications in French in Ghent (E. Delacenserie). A second aim is to probe what influence the stay in Ghent had on the artistic and intellectual development of Varoujan, through the articles by K. Beledian and M. Nichanian. The introduction offers an introduction to life and work of Varoujan and a framework within which to read the various articles.