“We Need to Bring People and Nature Together”

When did you study at VUB?
Juana Jiménez: “At VUB, I completed the interuniversity Master's programme in Marine and Lacustrine Science and Management, which I graduated from in 2019. Before that, I studied Biology at the Universidad Nacional Mayor de San Marcos in Lima. My Bachelor's degree lasted five years, including two years specialising in fisheries.”

How important was campus life to you? What memories from that time have stayed with you?
“It was very important. We were part of an international scientific community that felt very safe and helped me integrate step by step into the university and the capital city. Brussels is perfectly suited to that. Even when I felt homesick, I could always find a Peruvian restaurant where I felt at home for a while.”

What was it like studying in Brussels at the time? Do you still feel drawn to the city?
“Absolutely. Before arriving, I assumed that you come to a country with one national language and culture. In Brussels, I discovered how diverse and open-minded a city can be. That is something people with an international background really appreciate. I have always seen Brussels as a gateway to the rest of Europe. That conviction was one of the reasons I chose VUB.”

Which professors have stayed with you and why?
“Nico Koedam and Karolien Van Puyvelde have particularly stayed with me. They had extensive experience with projects in Africa, as well as in Latin America and Asia, and taught us to think critically about the connections between different countries and continents. What I remember most about Professor Nico is that he constantly asked: ‘What do you want to do? What do you really want to research? Is this enough?’ He never tried to push you in one particular direction, but encouraged you to think for yourself about what you wanted to achieve.”

“Brussels feels like a gateway to Europe for me.” 

Did you have a clear idea of what you wanted to do after graduating, and did you follow that path?
“I saw myself doing a PhD, followed by a postdoctoral position, and continuing in academia. But during my Master's programme, I realised that a PhD was not the right way for me to connect with society. I wanted to make an impact. So I returned to Peru and started looking for other opportunities. I wanted to help develop scientific solutions that could work not only in one country or society, but also across borders. Eventually, I found a vacancy at the Flanders Marine Institute. The role of International Liaison Officer was exactly what I was looking for: building a scientific bridge between Belgium and Africa, Latin America and Asia within the framework of UNESCO. I returned to Belgium in 2022 and still enjoy the work immensely.”

Can you describe your current job and its impact?
“My job is highly diverse. I connect different sectors, including academia, government and the private sector, as well as different scientific disciplines. One day I work with biologists, the next with people working on genetics, the ocean or human health. My role is that of a knowledge broker: I try to translate scientific knowledge into solutions that are useful for governments, businesses and other research institutions.
A concrete example is biodiversity. To develop effective policy, you need to know which species exist, where they occur and which are under threat. Through the World Register of Marine Species, a global platform managed by VLIZ, that information is collected and monitored. Together with partners in Peru, Colombia and Chile, we are also developing national platforms linked to that global database. In this way, knowledge becomes more accessible and national experts gain greater visibility.”

Does your job have an international dimension? If so, how well did VUB prepare you for it?
“I would say my work is divided roughly fifty-fifty between Belgian and Flemish marine researchers and international partners. VUB prepared me well for that. Not everything you need for international work can be learned from books. You need to develop cultural awareness, be able to collaborate respectfully and understand that people from different countries may think and work differently. The international and multidisciplinary environment at VUB helps you develop those soft skills.”

“For me, freedom also means being open to other ways of thinking.”

How do you try to contribute to society?
“By connecting science and people. We can gather knowledge from around the world, but if that knowledge does not reach the people who need it, its impact remains limited. That also requires diplomacy: how you communicate, how you frame a message and, above all, how much patience you have.
I do not want to remain in a bubble where everyone thinks the same way. I want to step outside my comfort zone and bring science into other bubbles. The major challenges of today also require that kind of collaboration. I find the United Nations principle that no one should be left behind particularly important. It is not just about giving everyone exactly the same opportunities, but about understanding which opportunities and support people need in order to truly move forward.”

To what extent is AI changing the way you work? What has become easier and what has become more difficult?
“It works both ways. AI helps us work faster, use new technologies and innovate. Tasks that previously took a great deal of time can now be carried out more easily. At the same time, we must be careful not to lose our capacity for critical thinking.
Particularly among students who become accustomed to using AI for everything, there is a risk that they become less inclined to evaluate for themselves what is right and what is wrong. AI is here, so the question is no longer whether it is good or bad. We need to learn how to use it without surrendering our creativity and critical thinking.”

What is your golden piece of advice for students graduating today?
“My own career path turned out completely differently from what I had expected. That is why I would say: be flexible and look for opportunities you never thought existed. Sometimes you end up in a job that you did not even know existed beforehand.
So stay curious and innovative. The world is changing rapidly, and you can no longer focus on just one discipline or one skill. You will need to collaborate with other disciplines and with people who think differently. Flexibility and an interdisciplinary outlook are essential.”

And specifically for students in your programme?
“I would particularly encourage them, as scientists, to become knowledge brokers as well: honest intermediaries between science and society. If you want to pursue an academic career, you must of course be able to follow your scientific findings. But remain open to business, politics and economics as well.
Today, more than ever, we need scientists who bring people and nature together.”