On Tuesday 5 May 2026, the current rector Jan Danckaert was re-elected as rector of the Vrije Universiteit Brussel with a large majority. He obtained 79.30% of the votes, thereby enjoying clear support from both staff and students to lead the university for another four years, starting in September 2026. During the official announcement of the results, Jan Danckaert thanked the university community for casting their vote: “Internal democracy – which we highly value at VUB – is not possible without the many thousands of VUB members who make a well-considered choice.” Immediately after the announcement, we spoke to him for an initial reaction.
Rector Jan Danckaert, you obtained nearly 80% of the votes cast. What feeling predominates after your re-election?
“I am extremely pleased with this result. The quorum was reached in all five voting categories. With just under 80% of the votes, there is a strong mandate from the university community. That support is important, as Vrije Universiteit Brussel is facing major challenges and reforms. That backing for a second term gives me the confidence to get to work on them.”
What is the first thing you want to tackle in your second term?
“The first thing coming our way in 2027 is the institutional review, in which we must demonstrate to an external commission that we ensure the quality of all our degree programmes.
In times of super-intelligent artificial intelligence, that is a particularly important challenge. It forces us to reflect once again: what should our students learn, and which knowledge and skills should they develop in order to remain future-proof? At the same time, artificial intelligence is also a powerful accelerator of research, development and innovation. As a university, we must of course make the most of that.”
Your policy plan is entitled: “VUB, a pioneering university at the heart of Europe”. Will the VUB be able to remain pioneering?
“The VUB has been a pioneering project since its foundation. You can see that in the many new study programmes that have found a place here: from Computer Science, once a sub-discipline of mathematics, to our Bachelor’s in Artificial Intelligence, which is unique in Belgium.
We must continue to fulfil that pioneering role in the future as well. Despite the context of budget cuts, we must not lose that character; on the contrary, we must continue to invest in innovation. An important next step is the reorganisation of the Dentistry programme from 2027 on our Health Campus in Jette.
That pioneering spirit also applies to our research and innovation with societal impact. As a university, we want to help provide answers to major challenges such as ageing, climate change, the energy transition and the impact of artificial intelligence, and thereby actively contributing to solutions."
The 2026 rector elections at Vrije Universiteit Brussel ran from 20 April to 4 May 2026. The current rector Jan Danckaert was the only candidate standing for re-election.