Caroline Pauwels Lecture - with invitation-only networking reception | 24 November 2026 | 19:00 | Flagey, Brussels
Who really holds the power in our digital world? And what does the growing influence of Big Tech mean for the future of democracy?
On 24 November, the Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB) and Flagey bring together leading international voices for Who Rules the World? On Big Tech and Democracy, the first in a new series of Caroline Pauwels Lectures.
Who gets to decide our future when some of the most powerful actors shaping our lives are companies we never elected? Through social media platforms, search engines and AI tools, Big Tech increasingly influences what information reaches us and how we understand the world. With so much power concentrated in the hands of a few global companies, how much control do democratic societies still have over their own future?
The race for AI makes this question all the more pressing. Governments and technology companies insist that we cannot afford to lose. But who decides what winning looks like? And if technological change takes society in a direction we do not want, do we still have the power to choose another path?
Curator Koert Debeuf, VUB professor and geopolitical expert, brings together David Van Reybrouck, writer and advocate of democratic innovation, Diana Mangalagiu (Oxford University), who studies the societal and environmental impact of technological change and Paul Verhagen, author of The Techtonic Shift and an expert on the geopolitical power of Big Tech. Moderated by Kasper Goethals (De Standaard), they will discuss who gets to shape the future and what is at stake for democracy.
About David Van Reybrouck
David Van Reybrouck has been described as “one of the leading intellectuals in Europe” (Der Tagesspiegel). His highly-acclaimed books on colonial history, Congo and Revolusi, have become international bestsellers. In 2025, he was named ‘Philosopher Laureate’ in the Netherlands and Flanders. His essay Against Elections: The Case for Democracy was translated into over twenty languages and drew praise from former UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan. Van Reybrouck is a pioneering advocate of deliberative democracy. He founded the G1000 Citizens’ Summit, and his work had led to trials in participatory democracy throughout Belgium, The Netherlands, and France.
About Diana Mangalagiu
Diana Mangalagiu is an interdisciplinary scientist working at the intersection of artificial intelligence, sustainability, public policy and strategic foresight. She is Senior Fellow at the University of Oxford’s Saïd Business School, Professor at Neoma Business School and Sciences Po. Trained in AI, physics, political science, sociology and management, she examines how technological change reshapes societies, institutions and the choices available to democratic publics. Her work brings together modelling, stakeholder dialogue and foresight to help governments, international organisations, businesses and communities navigate complex long-term transitions. She has more than two decades of experience in research, teaching and advisory work, including with the OECD, World Bank and UN agencies.
About Paul Verhagen
Paul Verhagen is a Dutch-American-Chinese researcher working at the intersection of technology, geopolitics and political economy. He is a Senior Fellow at The Hague Centre for Strategic Studies and an AI strategist at the University of Amsterdam. His work examines how emerging technologies are reshaping geopolitical competition and putting democratic institutions under pressure. He is the author of The Techtonic Shift: Power, Tech, and the End of Nations (2026), in which he explores the institutional and geopolitical consequences of technological acceleration.
About Kasper Goethals
Kasper Goethals is a reporter and investigative journalist at the Belgian newspaper De Standaard. He has reported from more than fifty countries and won three Belgian national journalism awards. Over the past year, while based in Turkey, he covered the global unravelling of the liberal world order. Since returning to Brussels, his reporting has focused on the intersection of technology, power and society.
Invitation-only networking reception
You have been personally invited to an exclusive networking reception ahead of the Caroline Pauwels Lecture. The reception will bring together a select group of VUB academics and senior representatives from leading Belgian and international organisations across government, business and technology.
It offers an opportunity to exchange perspectives, strengthen existing relationships and build new ones, ahead of a timely debate on technology, power and democracy.
Your participation includes:
- Access to the invitation-only networking reception ahead of the lecture
- A reserved seat at the Caroline Pauwels Lecture
- An optional copy of The Techtonic Shift, the latest book by speaker Paul Verhagen
You can choose between a ticket including the book (€75) or without the book (€50).
Programme
Tuesday 24 November 2026 | Flagey, Brussels
- 19:00–20:15: Invitation-only networking reception (Foyer 2)
- 20:15–22:00: Caroline Pauwels Lecture (Studio 4)