VUB Rector Jan Danckaert kicks off the third edition of the ‘PACT School Tour’ at the Caroline Pauwels Atheneum

The third edition of the VUB PACT School Tour officially kicked off today in Brussels. This educational tour, running from February to the end of May 2025, brings VUB professors to schools to inspire final-year secondary students in academic tracks and help develop their critical thinking skills. VUB Rector Jan Danckaert launched the new series with a guest lecture titled “What is light?” at the Caroline Pauwels Atheneum — a symbolic location named after the former VUB rector whose vision inspired the tour.

Through his lecture, Danckaert not only marked the start of the new round of school visits but also delivered a strong plea for critical thinking among young people. “Critical thinking is not a subject, but a way of life. In a world where information constantly comes at us, it’s crucial that young people learn to distinguish between what they hear, see, and believe. Caroline Pauwels understood better than anyone how important that is,” said VUB Rector Jan Danckaert.

Full circle moment

The PACT School Tour is part of the Pauwels Academy of Critical Thinking (PACT), established in honor of Caroline Pauwels — former rector of the VUB and advocate for dialogue between students, science, and society. Through these guest lectures, the VUB offers students a unique opportunity to experience university-level education and discover the value of critical thinking — an essential skill for their future studies and careers.

That the first guest lecture of this edition took place at the Caroline Pauwels Atheneum in the heart of Molenbeek makes the occasion even more special. The school, which officially opened last year with a completely renewed educational approach, continues to build on the values that Caroline Pauwels championed as VUB rector: free inquiry, human connection, and critical thinking.

From wonder to understanding

During his interactive lecture “What is light?”, Danckaert took the sixth-year students on a journey through the world of physics and the role of critical thinking in science.

“With our tour through Flanders and Brussels, we want not only to inspire young people to continue their studies but, above all, to stimulate their capacity for critical thought. Critical thinking is not only a fundamental requirement for success in higher education but also a mindset that is more necessary than ever in our rapidly changing world, full of information whose reliability is not always guaranteed. The VUB wants to provide a fertile environment where this critical thinking can continue to grow,” said Jan Danckaert.

Afterward, there was ample time for dialogue and questions from the students.

“The professor made me feel like I was already at the VUB. It was a lot of information, but it built on what I already knew. That gave me confidence to try for medicine next year. As the professor said: you can do anything you want — you just need motivation, and I have that,” said Manal, a sixth-year science student at the Caroline Pauwels Atheneum.

Every secondary school in Flanders and Brussels can participate in the PACT School Tour and register via: events.vub.be/vub-pact-school-tour/register

About PACT and the School Tour

The PACT School Tour is part of the VUB’s public engagement program — a program for everyone who believes the world can be different and that scientific insight, critical thinking, and dialogue are essential first steps toward making an impact on public debate and, by extension, the world.

​‘PACT’ stands for the Pauwels Academy of Critical Thinking, which aims to promote and strengthen social dialogue based on critical thinking.