For the final session of the Tax Law course, VUB law undergraduates didn’t get a dry recap or last-minute exam tips. Instead, they were treated to something much more valuable: honest, inspiring stories from alumni. Professor Michel Maus invited former students to share their career journeys—not to sell a particular path, but to help current students make one of their biggest decisions: what direction to take with their degree?
One of the speakers was Remke, a teaching assistant in Tax Law and a VUB alumna. For her, it was more than just another day in the lecture hall—it was a personal milestone. She now teaches and conducts research under the guidance of Prof. Dr Jean-Philippe Van West. But this time, she wasn’t there as a lecturer. “I wasn’t standing there as a teacher, but as a former student,” she said. “I wanted to show why tax law still fascinates me every single day. Not to persuade anyone, just to share what it means to me.”
Being back in that room brought up old memories—and confirmed that VUB still feels like home.
“I’m truly grateful to work here. Reading, researching, writing, teaching—and constantly learning. It’s a privilege. As a student, I felt completely at home here. That feeling never left me.”
“As a student, I felt completely at home here. That feeling never left me”
Other alumni shared their own experiences, each with a different take on tax law. Among them: Albert Bouwen (Federal Public Service Finance – Special Tax Inspectorate), Dries Vanderschrick (lawyer at Liedekerke), Peter Vanvelthoven (researcher at VUB), Bram De Winné (PwC)
Bram looked back on his student days—and how it felt to suddenly be standing on the other side of the lecture theatre. “Back then, I sometimes thought: one day, I’ll be up there too. And look—thanks to the invitation from Michel Maus and Jean-Philippe Van West, I got to share my practical experience with the next generation of students. Now I’ve returned as a voluntary academic assistant, happy to give something back to the programme that gave me so much.”
The alumni message was clear: tax law is anything but boring. One tracks down fraud for the government. Another advises businesses. A third publishes or lectures. Suddenly, the subject came alive—real, relevant, and full of possibilities.*
*This is a machine translation. We apologise for any inaccuracies.