On 14 May 2025, it was exactly one year since the LIC officially opened its doors. “When it’s your birthday, you should celebrate properly. That’s why, on 19 May, we’ll be marking the occasion in a festive way, including free ice creams for our visitors and a photo booth,” says Bas Van Lith, adviser for communication, events and innovation at the LIC.
Bas Van Lith: “It quickly became clear that the LIC is an incredibly popular location. It’s often completely full. Over the past year, we welcomed more than 20,000 individual visitors from the VUB and ULB. That figure does not even include external visitors attending events and activities, so the real number is even higher. Our speed gates have also been working overtime: they opened around 700,000 times in the past year alone. Students are by far the biggest user group, so we naturally see peak activity just before and during exam periods. Interestingly, though, the busiest days so far were actually at the start of the academic year in autumn. I suspect many new students came by out of curiosity to see the building for themselves. Even outside the peak periods, the LIC remains pleasantly busy. The balance between VUB and ULB visitors is also almost equal.”
The Immersive Room, a space designed for 360° projection
The LIC is clearly a success story. Do you still need to promote it?
“We certainly haven’t lacked attention. From day one, we noticed that things took off almost organically thanks to social media. But there are still parts of our offer that deserve more visibility.”
Go ahead!
“One of the standout spaces in the LIC is the Immersive Room, where 360° projections can be displayed. We are launching a pilot project with professors, researchers and lecturers to explore its potential. That could be for teaching or research purposes, for example to engage students in new ways or to visualise data differently. Digital architectural models, for instance, can be experienced inside the room itself, helping to improve the design process. Or imagine biology students walking through a micro-organism or a cell. It creates a completely different kind of experience, making the learning material far more memorable. That is why we are inviting anyone interested in using the Immersive Room to join us in exploring the possibilities.”
“The use of 360° projection in our Immersive Room is remarkably accessible”
Are people still intimidated by the technology?
“I think so. That is exactly why we want to show how accessible 360° projection really is. Creating content can be surprisingly simple, and there is already a huge amount of material available on platforms like YouTube that fits perfectly with lectures or research presentations. Once people get the chance to experiment with it themselves, they quickly realise just how many opportunities this kind of projection offers. The LIC also has a recording studio that can be used for podcasts, voice-overs and other audio projects. Students, lecturers and researchers interested in using the studio can contact us via lic@vub.be.
But the LIC is also a place for staff. On the fifth floor, there are flexible workspaces for anyone wanting a change of scenery from their usual office. There are also meeting rooms reserved specifically for staff members.”
You are also the adviser for events. How is that side of things going?
“A huge number of events are organised at the LIC. The building includes two larger event venues: the Learning Theatre and the Board Room. Over the past year, they hosted no fewer than 370 activities. These ranged from faculty councils and meetings to doctoral defences and major conferences. We hosted, for example, a conference on Dutch Studies as well as a safety day organised by the Flemish Parachuting Association. It shows that external organisations are increasingly finding their way to the LIC as well.
Some of our visitors are remarkably young. We regularly welcome the VUB Children’s University, where primary school pupils attend classes taught by VUB scientists. The LIC is a dynamic location with a pleasant outdoor space too. On 30 April, under a warm spring sun, the amphitheatre hosted the very first Students’ Speakers Corner.”
Where do you still see room for growth?
“The first year was mainly about making the building fully operational. That involved everything from access management and policy development to working closely with different services. We learned an enormous amount from our users during that period and, naturally, encountered quite a few challenges along the way.
Now, there is finally room to think bigger. One ambition is to organise more activities ourselves. In March, for example, we hosted The Long Night against Procrastination, a collaboration between several VUB and ULB services. Many students — and, frankly, most people — struggle with procrastination to some extent. That evening featured workshops and sessions packed with practical tips and tricks to help participants tackle procrastination. It was not only useful, but also genuinely enjoyable, with sandwiches and music creating a relaxed atmosphere. We hope to organise it again next year.”
Student Binta: “If I book a week in advance, I know I’ll have my spot”
Binta Dia studies psychology and regularly uses the LIC as a place to study. “At least once a week, and every day during revision periods. If I reserve a week in advance, I know I’ll have my spot. There are so many different types of study spaces here. Some days I prefer studying with friends in a meeting room, while on other days I would rather sit on my own. The LIC offers both. I also work here around ten hours a week as a student assistant adviser at the front desk. Most of the time, I help people with questions about the LIC or issues with the access app. First-time visitors especially sometimes need a bit of guidance. I also regularly walk through the building to check whether everyone is following the rules. One thing I often have to remind visitors about is that hot food is not allowed upstairs. People are welcome to eat downstairs, but not once they have passed through the access gates.”
Binta Dia
Maxime Louise Honinx
Researcher Maxime: “I know that if I’ve had a bad week and return to the LIC, I’ll end the week feeling good”
Maxime Louise Honinx laughs when described as a ‘superuser’ of the LIC. “I can see why. The research team MERLIT (Meritocracy and Literature), of which I am part, holds its meetings here. During the soft launch last year, we were already able to use the space twice. Since then, we have noticed how enormously popular the LIC has become, to the point where we now have to schedule our meeting dates well in advance. I personally come here mainly on Fridays. I am a PhD student in English literature, researching nineteenth-century travel writing by women travelling between Europe, Africa and America. It actually started as a small coworking group where we could work on our theses without being distracted by emails and everything else. I appreciated that focus and gradually started associating Fridays at the LIC with productivity. I know that if I’ve had a bad week and return to the LIC, I’ll end the week feeling good. I also have an office on campus, which I use during the rest of the week. But I really need that separate Friday routine. It’s a bit like not being able to sleep and deciding to get up and sit somewhere else instead. The association between a certain place and a certain activity can be incredibly powerful for me.”
