A jacket made of mycelium, a protest flag for Palestine, the rector on Israel, human-centred leadership and budget cuts — the academic opening of the VUB was more than a ceremony this year. In a world shaken by war and disinformation, the university resolutely chose science as its compass. Under the motto Scientia Vincere Tenebras — overcoming darkness through science — the academic year was opened with music, research, student voices and outspoken engagement. For the first time in ten years, the academic opening of the VUB took place again on the Main Campus in Etterbeek, in a packed auditorium Q.
The ceremony began in darkness. Stars appeared on the screens, followed by the VUB motto Scientia Vincere Tenebras. A quote by Martin Luther King set the tone: “Only when it is dark enough, can you see the stars.” The symbolism was clear: in a world full of challenges, science is the beacon of light.
Porcelain Id
Host Annabelle Van Nieuwenhuyse guided the audience through the varied programme. The entrance of the togati was musically accompanied by Porcelain Id, the stage name of Hubert Tuyishime, who touched hearts with poetic songs in English and Dutch. With a soft, vulnerable voice, the Rwandan-born Belgian singer-songwriter also drew attention to the disaster in Gaza, and reminded the audience of the countless victims in Congo and Sudan. “We can make a difference.”
From mycelium leather to laser light
The opening session literally brought science to the stage. Elise Vanden Elsacker, Anouk Verstuyft and Annah-Ololade Sangosanya presented their work on mycelium leather, a sustainable material symbolising the innovative power of the VUB. A table, lamp and jacket made of mycelium adorned the stage.
The Photonics Campus in Pajottegem was also highlighted, with a video showcasing the fusion of tradition and technology in the Pajottenland. The Flanders Alliance for Climate Technology (FACT) demonstrated how VUB researchers are working together on climate solutions with zero emissions as the goal.
Karine Breckpot
The scientific focus of the session was sealed with a short conversation with Karine Breckpot, Director of Research at the Faculty of Medicine and Pharmacy. She emphasised the incredible importance of Artificial Intelligence for science: not to fear it, but to embrace it wisely. She proudly explained what nanobodies are — a discovery made at the VUB and now ready for global application. Nanobodies can be seen as tiny vehicles that drive precisely to one location and latch on there, for example to a protein of a cancer cell or a virus, to carry out a medical treatment such as diagnosis or combat.
The voice of students followed that of the scientists. Education and science are the two pillars of the university. Student council president Wout Vanhelden surprised the audience with a fully rhymed speech. His words were poetic and critical: “Freedom is a muscle, and it demands strength; if you don’t train it, it will weaken.” With his metaphor of the river as a symbol for the student movement and the university as a community, he ended with a call to realise the power students hold: “We… are… that river.”
Wouter Vanhelden (l), Isaac Searle
Isaac Searle, representative of the VUB International Student Platform, also delivered an inspiring message about the power of Brussels as an academic and international city: “Brussels is truly international, in a way most places only appear to be.” He highlighted how VUB offers students opportunities to connect their academic work with European institutions, and announced that international students will now be guaranteed seats with voting rights in the student council — an important step towards inclusive student representation.
Robert Balfour receives Jakes Gerwel’s dissertation from Wim Vandenbussche.
An unexpected tribut
A special moment in the ceremony was the presentation of the bound dissertation that Jakes Gerwel completed at the VUB in 1971. Jakes Gerwel was a South African VUB alumnus, anti-apartheid activist and former rector of the University of the Western Cape (UWC). VUB linguistics professor Wim Vandenbussche handed it over to Robert Balfour, current rector of the UWC. In his speech, Balfour spoke about the importance of universities as engines for justice and recalled the historical bond between the VUB and South Africa.
Just after the speech by ULB rector Annemie Schaus and right before VUB rector Jan Danckaert was to begin his academic address, the ceremony was unexpectedly interrupted by a group of pro-Palestinian activists. Around twenty students affiliated with the Palestine Solidarity Network (PSN) took to the stage with banners, keffiyehs and a Palestinian flag. They demanded that the VUB sever all ties with Israeli institutions and called for a total boycott. A banner was hung at the entrance of the auditorium and access was blocked by students lying on the ground. Despite the protest, the atmosphere in the hall remained serene, and the ceremony was able to resume after a short while.
Jan Danckaert
Rector Jan Danckaert waited patiently and respectfully for the moment to pass. “I promise these students an answer shortly.” He delivered a speech that gave the academic opening a pronounced social and ethical character. His address was a plea for truth, human-centred leadership and European responsibility.
The activists had already left the hall, but at a striking moment in his speech, Danckaert responded: “Today I am stating very clearly that from now on I will not sign any cooperation agreement with an Israeli partner. Not a single one. We cannot keep waiting for an EU decision.” The rector pointed out that the VUB is the only university to have already withdrawn from an ongoing AI project with an Israeli partner, because military applications could not be ruled out.
Human-centred leadership
Jan Danckaert also spoke plainly about the culture within the university. Transgressive behaviour will never be tolerated and transparency is essential. He advocated for a clear standard: “At the VUB, there is room for only one kind of leadership, and that is human-centred leadership. Colleagues in leadership roles must inspire, motivate and support. Be honest, reliable and empathetic. Every leader must be able to speak freely, just like everyone else — but respectfully.”
Finally, the rector expressed concern about the budget cuts announced by the Flemish Government in the September declaration: “A cold slash through the Brussels funds means that we and other Brussels higher education institutions will be hit extremely hard.” Danckaert stressed that it is precisely the Brussels institutions that make a major social effort for vulnerable students, and called for solidarity and a revision of the policy.
Karsten De Clerck, president of the VUB, closed the session with a powerful message about the role of science in a free society. He referred to Galileo, Darwin, Curie, Spinoza and Poincaré as examples of scientists who refused to be muzzled by dogma or authority. His message: “Science is not just knowledge. It is resistance. It is the refusal to bow to silence, conformity and fear.”
Together with rector Danckaert, De Clerck officially opened the academic year at the end of the session. The ceremony ended with the song Van Geen Taal, sung by the VUB community who had filled the hall to the brim for over two hours.