SciMingo vzw has announced the eight finalists still in the running for the highly coveted Flemish PhD Cup, which will be awarded on 21 October. Among them are no fewer than four researchers from the Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB): Melissa Schuring (Linguistics), Hannelore Stegen (Educational Sciences), Lisa Van Hove (Psychology) and Marloes Hagenaars (Sociology). The winner will be the one who can explain their doctoral research clearly and effectively to a broad audience.
Vote our VUB researchers onto the main stage!
The audience also plays a key role in the Flemish PhD Cup: in addition to the jury prize, a public award will be presented. Cast your vote and help Melissa Schuring, Hannelore Stegen, Lisa Van Hove and Marloes Hagenaars reach the main stage.
Photographer: Kevin Faingnaert
Melissa Schuring (Linguistics)
“LOL, dope, unicorn? Children use far less English than we think.”
Melissa Schuring (°1998) obtained her PhD at KU Leuven, where she studied how Flemish children use English words in their Dutch. As a postdoctoral researcher in linguistics at the VUB, she continues to pursue her passion for research, child language and science communication with great enthusiasm.
“LOL, dope, unicorn. The Anglicisation of Dutch seems to be everywhere. And children, at increasingly younger ages, appear to sprinkle their speech with phrases like “never mind”, “crazy shit” or “awesome”. Parents, teachers and language professionals are worried: will our children still speak Dutch in the future? My research offers nuance.
Language is much more than letters in books or grammar in Dutch class. It also reflects who we are – and who we want to be. When children use English in their Dutch, they do so for a specific reason: to signal who belongs (“jow bro”) and who doesn’t (“cancelled!”). That’s what I want to make the general public aware of."
Photographer: Kevin Faingnaert
Hannelore Stegen (Educational Sciences)
“People without children are not doomed to a lonely old age.”
Hannelore Stegen (°1997) obtained her PhD in 2024 within the Society and Ageing Research Lab at the VUB, focusing on the relationship between childlessness and loneliness among older adults.
“Whether older people without children feel lonely largely depends on the reason why someone has no children. It is not childlessness itself, but a person’s life choices and life course that determine how connected or lonely they feel later in life. This shows how diverse and multifaceted the group of childless older adults really is. In the future, more and more people will remain childless — whether by choice or not. By adding depth to the concepts of childlessness and loneliness and exploring their interrelation among older adults, I aim to bring nuance and draw attention to less conventional life paths.”
Photographer: Kevin Faingnaert
Lisa Van Hove (Psychology)
“Nearly 1 in 10 older adults in Flanders engaged in self-harm.”
Lisa Van Hove (°1996) trained as a clinical psychologist and obtained her PhD in 2025 on self-harm among older adults at the VUB. She is currently working as a postdoctoral researcher at the Brussels University Consultation Center, within the Department of Clinical Psychology at the VUB.
“Worldwide, suicide rates are highest among older adults, while populations continue to age. Self-harm appears to be an important predictor of suicide. This can include excessive alcohol or medication use, or deliberately not eating, often as a way to cope with emotions. Factors such as emotional loneliness, a mental health diagnosis, experiences of loss, and physical or cognitive vulnerability also play a significant role. My PhD was the first to map this phenomenon among older adults in Flanders. Through my participation in the PhD Cup, I aim to raise awareness among the general public and clarify what self-harm in older adults actually means — the likelihood is high that we all know someone who struggles with it.”
Photographer: Kevin Faingnaert
Marloes Hagenaars (Sociology)
“Small choices by teachers have a big impact on classroom inclusion.”
Marloes Hagenaars (°1992) studied journalism in London and sociology in Oxford, and obtained her PhD at Ghent University with research on classroom diversity. She currently works as a postdoctoral researcher at the VUB and as valorisation coordinator for the project Vroeg Geleerd. She investigates how schoolbooks represent identity characteristics such as gender, skin colour, ethnicity, body shape, and physical disability. The insights from this research are translated into practical tools, workshops, and training for teachers and other stakeholders.
“In a time when ethnic diversity is often associated with social tension, I want my PhD to contribute to more dialogue and mutual understanding. My research shows how teachers handle diversity in their daily classroom practice, and how small choices can have a big impact on inclusion. By sharing my work, I aim to demonstrate how education can truly make a difference.”
About the competition
Every year, more than 2,000 PhDs are completed in Flanders. While these studies easily find their way into scientific publications, only a fraction reaches the general public. Through the Flemish PhD Cup, SciMingo vzw aims to change that by encouraging r esearchers to bring their work to a wider audience.
The selected candidates are not on their own. Through a four-day media training, they learn how to pitch their research effectively to a broad audience. On Tuesday 21 October, the eight remaining finalists will take the stage at the Gentse Handelsbeurs. In front of a jury, they will compete for the grand prize: a training voucher worth €5,000 at Vlerick Business School, a video about their research produced by the University of Flanders, and the opportunity to publish a book with Academia Press. The winner will receive the trophy from Flemish Minister-President Matthias Diependaele. This year marks the 10th edition of the competition.
Follow the awards ceremony on 21 October via livestream (in Dutch)
Vote our VUB researchers onto the main stage!
The audience also plays a key role in the Flemish PhD Cup: in addition to the jury prize, a public award will be presented. Cast your vote and help Melissa Schuring, Hannelore Stegen, Lisa Van Hove and Marloes Hagenaars reach the main stage.