Practical
Tuesday, 22 September, 2026
- 15:30 until 17:00
VUB Main Campus Etterbeek
Pleinlaan 2
1050 Elsene
Venue: Auditorium Q
Pleinlaan 2
1050 Elsene
Venue: Auditorium Q
Free of charge
During the Academic Opening Ceremony, we bring education, technology, society and the labour market together. On stage and in the audience. Which knowledge and skills are becoming more important? What new forms of teaching and assessment do we need? What kind of profiles are society and the labour market looking for? And above all: what is the role of a university in this new reality?
Programme
In his opening address, Rector Jan Danckaert will set out the challenges facing higher education.
Transformation strategist Jo Caudron and Saskia Van Uffelen, a leading figure at the Belgian National Digital Skills and Jobs Coalition, will share their perspectives on technology, talent and the labour market.
VUB professors and policy leads Vincent Ginis, Thomas Crispeels and Cathy Macharis will join the conversation, drawing on their expertise in artificial intelligence, entrepreneurship and sustainability. And also Sebastiaan Vanseunigen, chairman of VUB's student council, will share his vision.
Host Layla El-Dekmak will guide us through the afternoon. Pieter Schrevens will keep us on our toes with an authentic musical touch.
Reception
After the official opening, we will head to the Esplanade, the vibrant heart of our campus. At the same time, our students will be celebrating the start of the academic year in true student style during the Student Kick-Off. Together, we will raise a glass to VUB, our students and the new academic year.
Final tickets
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What skills does the labour market need in the age of AI?
Ahead of the Academic Opening Ceremony, VUB professors explain how AI is influencing their field, which skills will matter most in the future, and how degree programmes are adapting to a rapidly changing labour market.
Does the world still need tax specialists?
Absolutely, says Professor Dr Michel Maus, Senior Lecturer in Tax Law at VUB. AI will fundamentally change legal research and case analysis, but according to Maus, human communication, strategy and empathy remain indispensable. The lawyer of tomorrow will therefore increasingly combine legal expertise with technological knowledge.
Does the world still needs mathematicians?
For sure, says Prof. Dr Ann Dooms, Professor of Mathematics at the VUB. According to her, mathematics is not at the end of its story, but at the beginning of a new revolution. “AI can combine existing knowledge and generate proofs at remarkable speed, but it is people who ask new questions, develop new mathematical structures and understand why a proof works.”
Does the world still need translators and interpreters?
AI is rapidly changing the work of translators and interpreters. But according to VUB senior lecturer Koen Kerremans, technology will not make human language expertise redundant. On the contrary: the more AI can do, the more important it becomes to assess whether its output is accurate and appropriate for a particular situation. Tomorrow’s language professional will combine strong linguistic and cultural skills with the ability to use technology critically and help steer multilingual communication.
Read the interview with Prof. Koen Kerremans
Also on 22 September: VUB Kick-Off
This year, the Academic Opening Ceremony and the VUB Kick-Off will take place on the same day, on our Etterbeek campus.
The Kick-Off is the moment for students to come together and celebrate the start of the new academic year. The campus comes alive as students discover VUB services, student associations and Brussels-based organisations, meet one another, and enjoy music, activities, food and drinks.
After the Academic Opening Ceremony, we invite you to continue the conversation at the reception. It will take place in the heart of the campus, on the esplanade and in the green atrium, right in the midst of the Kick-Off atmosphere.
Experience our campus at its most vibrant and join the entire VUB community in celebrating the start of a new academic year.
