'VUB engineer’ is a strong brand, and I want to communicate that

After Francis Berghmans graduated as a civil engineer in 1992, he assisted Professor Irina Veretennicoff as a temporary replacement for Jan Danckaert, who is now vice-rector for Education. When it was suggested that he begin a PhD, he got the taste for research. Armed with a grant, and with Veretennicoff and current vice-rector for Innovation Hugo Thienpont as his promoters, he began working at SCK·CEN, Belgium’s nuclear research centre. With his doctorate complete, he was soon climbing the professional ladder there.



He was responsible for the development of new types of instrumentation, adapted to applications in a nuclear setting. This was mainly in relation to new methods based on light technology. “Hence the link with VUB, with the department now known as Applied Physics and Photonics (TONA) and our research group B-PHOT (Brussels Photonics),” Berghmans explains.



In 2007, when Berghmans was 37, Thienpont proposed that he come to fully work at VUB. “I had a good and enjoyable job with a permanent contract, so I really had to think about it. But it was an opportunity to be part of building a group that was already expanding. So I took the plunge – though not in the dark, because I knew the people well and knew I would feel at home there. So I thought: let’s do this, and we’ll see how things go, but we’re going to commit ourselves 300% to making a success of it. And that turned out very well.”



If we’re going for it, let’s go for it



It had never been Berghmans’ ambition to become dean. “Of course, at a certain point you want to take your share of responsibility and support the faculty. And you want the best for your faculty. Faculty policy is essential and if that’s done correctly, it ensures that everyone is happy to work there and at VUB. So I had already indicated that I was always available if the faculty wanted to call on me.”

I prefer evolution to revolution, but that doesn’t mean I’m not looking to the future

After sitting on a number of councils, working for the faculty PR commission and being a delegate on the gender action plan, Berghmans was approached by the former dean, who asked if he wanted to be vice-dean. “This request came sooner than I had expected, so I was caught a bit unawares,” he laughs. “But if the faculty thinks I can contribute there, then we should go for it. And if we’re going for it, let’s really go for it. No half measures.”



The full 500%



“In our faculty we have a system where from vice-dean you can become dean. After elections, of course, so you have to ensure that you fulfil your role as vice-dean and show you have a vision for policy. The vice-dean becomes dean, then vice-dean again. That means you always have this transition of someone ready for the job, being supported by someone with experience of the job. It also maintains consistency in the faculty. In that sense, it’s a good way of working, and it’s never stood in the way of innovation.”



What will his deanship involve? “I’m not someone for revolutions, I like continuity and to strengthen things when they are going well. I prefer evolution to revolution, but that doesn’t mean I’m not looking to the future. There are many challenges facing our faculty, and I want to work on those. Based on our strengths, there are also opportunities, and we should exploit them.”



Industry and economy 5.0



“‘VUB engineer’ is a strong brand, and I want to communicate that. It’s a strong brand on the Flemish, national and international study and labour market. And we are a strong engineering school in the capital of Flanders, Belgium and Europe. We must work on attracting first-time students, but if you look at our often interuniversity master’s courses, and the master’s courses we offer with ULB – Bruface – we can build on that to create a strong brand on an international scale, and that’s what I want to continue doing.”

We are going to polish not only our own image but that of the engineering profession

For that, collaboration is essential. “The master’s in photonics to which I’m affiliated, for example, in collaboration with Ghent University. There aren’t many like it in Europe, we should really continue to expand these unique collaborations. We are creating a very good lateral intake with international students enrolling. We must absolutely continue to exploit this and make it stronger.”



Another important challenge is communicating how attractive the engineering profession really is. “We must make that visible in our programmes, even in how we name it. It needs to be part of the zeitgeist. And we are going to work on that. We are going to polish not only our own image but that of the engineering profession. It has become almost a bottleneck profession, there is an incredible demand on the job market and we can barely meet it locally. We have to look for international talent to help employers here find the right people. Of course, you have to ensure that your course is the best, because that’s how you do it. And you must make it clear that we are training the engineers for industry 5.0 and economy 5.0. That means focusing on co-creation, extensive customisation, collaboration between mankind and machine, strong automated production processes, always in a sustainable manner.”



Digital deanship



Now that we are all going as digital as possible, the faculty of Engineering is having to move into a higher gear in that field, too. “The online element has become crucial. One way or another, we have to reinvent our programmes. To be honest, I would rather have begun my deanship in circumstances other than a coronavirus crisis. But we have to move into the new reality and make the best of it. It is a challenging task, for students, professors, for central and support services. But together we can make something incredibly good out of it.



“We are known for being ‘reasonably opinionated’. We are going to make good use of that. With our innovation capabilities and our creativity, we are going to make the best of it. I am convinced of that, and I already feel how strongly my colleagues agree. Our faculty secretariat is also doing fantastic work. You cannot thank these people enough for the support they give to our teaching staff.



“We are going to have to have a serious look at our programme and see how we can give it a new impetus,” says the brand-new dean.