Connecting Academia and Society - 54 new VUB Fellows

The full list of VUB Fellows is attached.

The double class of 2020 and 2021 includes some notable names, such as director general of the Directorate General of Penitentiary Institutions Rudy Van De Voorde, lauded space entrepreneur Clement Hiel, Polish-Belgian philosopher and writer Alicja Gescinska, minister of social affairs and public health Frank Vandenbroucke, and editor-in-chief of BRUZZ Kristof Pitteurs.

VUB is very pleased with these Fellows. They will inspire students and researchers to break down the walls between academia and society. Through the encounters and knowledge exchanges created thanks to the Fellowship, innovative ideas can be brought to fruition in education, scientific research or entrepreneurship. The VUB Fellows engage in general policy advice, partnerships, the establishment of chairs, networks, internships or guest lectures and tutorials.

Building bridges between academia and society

VUB rector Caroline Pauwels and vice-rector Innovation & Valorisation Hugo Thienpont, who is the university fellowship coordinator, emphasise the importance of this cross-pollination between science, education and society at VUB. For them, this interdisciplinary approach is necessary to tackle the many problems facing society – climate, inequality, racism, fake news, privacy, cancel culture...

Professor Hugo Thienpont:

“We are counting on the Fellows to improve our interdisciplinary research, education and innovation and competitiveness. Since 2012, VUB Fellow is the highest degree of membership at our alma mater, a title awarded only to unique personalities: people from the top of the business world, visionary policy-makers and socially relevant personalities.”

Next year, in 2022, the VUB Fellowship programme will celebrate the 10th anniversary of its project connecting academia and society.