Students from the Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB) and Erasmushogeschool Brussel (EhB) will take the stage at the annual Students’ Speakers Corner in Bozar on 2 May 2025. As part of Difference Day, which celebrates World Press Freedom Day, these students will share their take on the world. Not just opinions for the sake of it, but sharp, personal stories about injustice, disinformation, identity, and inclusion. Whoever listens, walks away with a new perspective and sharper critical thinking.
Come along on 2 May to Bozar and let our students move you, challenge you, and inspire you.
Students’ Speakers Corner is an initiative of the University Association Brussels, and is a regular part of Difference Day. The students prepare their speeches through a masterclass and one-on-one coaching. The result? A powerful five-minute speech delivered live on stage, and a 90-second version professionally recorded as a teaser. Below, we highlight three of these videos.
"A world that lets children die condemns itself" – Adame Lakhouit
Adame Lakhouit chooses not to speak for himself, but to lend his voice to someone else. To Salma, a ten-year-old girl from Gaza whose daily life is defined by war and survival. Adame’s speech is not a personal testimony, but a deliberate political act. He asks: what’s the point of speaking when others are denied that basic right? His five minutes honour those who have been silenced.
"We are being conditioned, not informed" – Anis El Bali
According to Anis El Bali, we don’t live in an age of information, but of manipulation. He shows how algorithms steer us, how fake news fuels emotion, and how digital lies spill over into real-life violence. Disinformation is no longer abstract—it’s a weapon in a battle for power and perception. But Anis doesn’t leave us in despair. There is a way out, he says: through awareness, education, and tech resilience.
"Don’t see boxes as a manual" – Saskia Loomans
Saskia Loomans shares how she was boxed in from an early age. The label ‘autism’ became her whole identity, along with predictions that university would be out of reach. Yet here she is, standing on stage as a university student. In her speech, she warns against the dangers of narrow thinking. Labels can give direction, she says, but they must never define someone’s potential.
These are just three of the thirteen students who will speak their minds on 2 May in Bozar. Topics range from mental wellbeing to European democracy, from consumer behaviour to social exclusion.
Watch the full set of teaser videos here*: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLkh7rbvMs-Wzjy_OwTZ9cQxMvMKglgXvN
*This is a machine translation. We apologise for any inaccuracies.