From this week, The World Needs You 2.0 is launching on campus. We spoke to Niels Famaey, who has been VUB’s Director of Marketing, Communications and Strategy since February, about his first six months at the university.
How have your first few months at VUB been?
“Quite challenging, to be honest (laughs). I started by listening to colleagues from all corners of the university. We supplemented those insights with extensive external research. After all, I find what people outside VUB think about our institution at least as interesting as the internal perspective. With that foundation in place, our team got to work on redefining our direction.”
Are you still enjoying it?
"That’s a question I’ve been getting more often lately (laughs). But honestly: I cycle through the Sonian Forest to the office every day with a smile on my face, unless it’s absolutely pouring. The campus, great colleagues and the polyphonic layers of VUB. For a marketer and communicator, it’s a gift."
Aren’t the budget cuts a challenging context?
“You’d obviously rather not start by cutting budgets that have such a significant impact on how you operate and on your team. In 2026, we’re cutting almost a quarter of our budget compared with last year, and we’ll end the year with considerably fewer people than we started with. That’s particularly difficult for the team to carry. It means reshuffling responsibilities every month and motivating talent while you’re still building. That’s precisely why it’s my job to make choices about what we do — and, above all, what we will no longer do. I realise that hearing ‘no’ is never easy for our stakeholders. That’s why having a clear framework is so important, and why a new strategic plan couldn’t come at a better time.”
And yet you’re launching a new campaign?
“Yes, because we want to maintain our impact. In the media, we punch above our weight. Our experts and researchers receive proportionally more attention than those at comparable institutions. But the challenges are significant, and competition is increasing. Within three years, there will be a brand-new KU Leuven campus in the centre of Brussels. With the campaign, we’re anticipating what’s to come and want to bring all our services and faculties together around one shared approach now — one that everyone can translate into their own reality.”
“Free thinking is in our DNA, but it doesn’t set us apart”
What does the campaign consist of?
“Free thinking is part of our DNA, but it doesn’t set us apart from other universities. In the new campaign, we’re keeping ‘The world needs you’, but giving that tagline a different meaning. Behind every interpretation is a real story from a VUB researcher or expert. We emphasise free and critical thinking, but add another layer: pioneering work and tangible results.”
A selection of images from the new ‘The World Needs You’ campaign...
“Brussels needs to work in our favour again. That is a challenge.”
Why now?
“The world has entered a new era. A polycrisis, the disruption caused by AI, facts coming under pressure, more limited resources — and on top of all that, the challenges facing VUB itself — are putting pressure on the way we operate. But anyone who wants to remain relevant needs to be agile and respond to constant change. In a world like this, a university needs to be clear about what it stands for. The campaign is a first expression of that. Showing what you can genuinely expect from VUB and from studying in Brussels is our biggest challenge, but at the same time our biggest opportunity. Not being visible simply isn’t an option. ”
Revealvideo campagne The World Needs You (in Dutch)