The academic opening of 2025-2026 was far more than a ceremony. It became a strong signal that students not only want their voices heard, but also felt. Two student representatives filled the auditorium with words that lingered: poetic, critical, and hopeful.
“We are that river” – Wout Vanhelden
Chair of the Student Council, Wout Vanhelden, carried the audience along in a flow of words that rippled across the stage in rhyme. He compared the student movement and the university to a river: alive, unstoppable, sometimes calm, sometimes wild.
His message was clear: freedom is never guaranteed, it must be cared for and defended.
“Freedom is a muscle, and it asks for strength; if you fail to train it, it fades at length.”
Wout held up a mirror to both the university and his fellow students. We like to call for open minds, open science, open campuses — but sometimes we close the circle ourselves. His conclusion struck with the force of a hammer blow:
“We… are… that river.”
“Brussels is truly international” – Isaac Searle
Isaac Searle, chair of the International Student Platform, struck a different chord: that of the city and the world. He highlighted how unique VUB and Brussels are as a crossroads of languages, cultures, and ideas.
“Brussels is truly international, in a way most places only pretend to be.”
He underlined that international students are more than guests; they are co-owners of the university. Thanks to a recent reform, they now hold guaranteed seats with voting rights in the Student Council. For Isaac, this is not a detail, but a breakthrough towards genuine inclusive representation.
His call was both powerful and optimistic: to use Brussels’ unique position to connect academic work with the world just beyond campus, where decisions are being made.