During the academic opening of the new academic year at the Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB), Rector Jan Danckaert sent a strong message to the European university community. In his address, he underlined the importance of university networks such as EUTOPIA as drivers of a renewed European momentum. As the alliance’s newly appointed chair, he emphasised the role of universities in strengthening European values and cooperation. At the same time, he announced that he would no longer sign new partnership agreements with Israeli institutions, as long as the EU’s Association Agreement with Israel remains in force.
Rector Jan Danckaert used the academic year’s opening ceremony to advocate for science and knowledge as the “fifth freedom” within the European Union. In a speech rich with vision and commitment, he stressed the significance of the European university alliance EUTOPIA, which he recently began chairing.
“A single market and a united Europe cannot exist without this ‘fifth freedom’—the free movement of research, innovation, knowledge and education,” Danckaert stated.
Through EUTOPIA—a network of ten universities and nearly 280,000 students—VUB aims to help build a stronger, more democratic and innovation-driven Europe. The alliance offers students unique learning experiences and enables the sharing of research infrastructure, which Danckaert sees as both intellectually enriching and economically efficient.
In addition to his European vision, the Rector also addressed the ethics of international collaboration. In a striking part of his speech, he announced that he would no longer sign any collaboration agreements with Israeli partners.
“We cannot keep waiting for the EU to take action,” Danckaert said, referring to the Association Agreement between the EU and Israel. “Article 2 of that agreement clearly states that respect for human rights is a fundamental condition. Given the current situation, the participation of Israeli partners in European research projects can no longer be justified.”
VUB had already taken a lead earlier by withdrawing from an ongoing AI project with an Israeli partner due to concerns over potential military applications. At the same time, Danckaert explicitly condemned the terrorist acts committed by Hamas and spoke out firmly against all forms of antisemitism.