Policy Plan Rectoral Election 2026
VUB. A pioneering
university in the
heart of Europe.
Entering the next phase with confidence, with clear priorities, respect for our community, and the ambition to remain relevant and future-oriented, even under pressure.
Download policy plan (PDF)Over the past four years, I have tried to cherish and strengthen the essence of this dual heritage. We reformed our research structures, professionalised innovation, renewed education, and made leadership more people-centred. We made our freethinking-humanist values tangible again on our campuses and in our communication.
That work was necessary. And it is bearing fruit.
But the context in which we work today has fundamentally changed. Science is under international pressure. Polarisation makes nuance vulnerable. Artificial intelligence is changing how we learn, research, and organise. Government austerity measures are limiting our financial room. We need to save 20 million euros in the coming years. That hurts. But saving is not a vision. The question is how we respond.
Structural choices that strengthened VUB
What we have anchored
From ad-hoc initiatives to a structural well-being and leadership policy
We replaced quotas and periodic evaluations with agreement notes and a structural feedback cycle. With Engaged Leading, we developed a VUB-wide leadership framework applicable to all managers, regardless of their status. Well-being was addressed more systematically for staff and doctoral students. The approach to transgressive behaviour was embedded both substantively and procedurally.
- →ZAP career policy reformed: agreement notes, feedback cycle
- →Engaged Leading Week anchored as an annual event
- →ATP development tracks and dialogue cycles introduced
- →Psychosocial policy for doctoral students strengthened
- →Employee Assistance Program (EAP) planned for 2026
From fragmentation to scale and impact
We reorganised the research landscape from more than 150 dispersed groups into 42 Large Research Groups and 50 regular groups. Today, 65% of ZAP works within an LRG, large enough for critical mass and international visibility, with room for specialised niche expertise.
- →42 Large Research Groups + 50 regular groups
- →Organic Statute: majority in the University Council, not the required two-thirds majority
- →Scheduling: new policy and new software implemented
- →Pooling of departmental secretariats and front office in preparation
- →Core processes simplified: enrolment, certificates, PhD student onboarding
From ambition to an international research position
In 2024, VUB grew into a top-20 recipient of EU project funding among more than a thousand European universities, accounting for €156.5 million in research income. EUTOPIA was structurally embedded in education, research, and innovation, with VUB taking a leading role.
- →€156.5M in research income (2024)
- →Top-20 EU project recipient in Europe
- →10% OZR ZAP appointments for promising postdocs
- →EUTOPIA: from a standalone project to a structural pillar
- →Scholars at Risk expanded, including scientists from the US
- →Open access and FAIR data policy anchored
- →Networks for Societal Impact through Science (NSIS) launched
Innovation as a strategic pillar
Applied research via Flemish channels rose from €15M (2022) to €24M (2025). Via European innovation channels from €14M to €24M. Via Innoviris, VUB generates an average of €5 million per year. Researchpark Zellik was developed as a cluster for energy, health, and deep technology. In 2026, we took over ownership from VLAIO.
- →14 spin-offs established
- →228 active patent families
- →18 licence and transfer agreements (€7.3M)
- →VUB Foundation: €5.1M received (2024)
- →Bio-Incubator Brussels (BIB) opened with VIB
- →Nexus Data Center with Flemish supercomputer Sofia
- →Defence research: ethical framework via the Board of Directors Ethics Committee
- →Collaboration with AMAB in social economy
Artificial intelligence as a cross-cutting lever
AI was deliberately embedded across education, research, administration, and sustainability. VUB was one of the first Flemish universities to appoint an AI commissioner and published a differentiated AI policy framework. AI does not replace people; it strengthens what people do.
- →Course scan: 4,684 courses scanned for AI fraud risk (a first in Flanders)
- →€300,000 allocated via curriculum renewal mandates
- →AI processes >730 appeal cases annually as support
- →AI for Education knowledge platform and language model support unit
- →Bottom-up implementation via inspiration calls and internal ambassadors
- →AI remains cross-cuttingly embedded in all policy themes 2026–2030
A well-considered education and student policy
We designed a blended and hybrid education model. AI was not ignored but integrated within a thoughtful framework. Sustainability was given an explicit place in the curriculum. Inclusion and student well-being received structural attention through boundary-awareness policy, preferred-name policy, and a code of conduct.
- →Hybrid education model: physical + digital aligned
- →Study success: proactive approach to low pass rates
- →Internal quality cycle reformed, focus on strategic plans
- →Preferred-name policy and code of conduct as inclusion anchors
- →Microcredential 'Sustainability' developed
- →Connected Communities around sustainability within EUTOPIA
Honesty
What was not achieved,
and what we learned from it
Not all ambitions from the previous policy period were fully realised. That deserves openness. The reform of the Organic Statute, which aimed at a thorough simplification of our governance and a redesign of central and decentralised structures, did obtain a majority in the University Council but not the required two-thirds majority. This made clear that structural reforms in a democratically governed university can only be sustainable when they are supported by broad consensus.
In scaling optimisation and process simplification, we also did not achieve the desired pace everywhere. Some projects are running slower than planned. That is not a reason to abandon them, but rather to phase them more realistically and communicate better.
In education and study success rates, we see progress, but the gap with other universities is still large. This shows that structural improvement takes time and that we must continue to invest in guidance, orientation, and quality assurance.
What we have learned above all is this: change works when it is clearly framed, transparently explained, and consistently followed up. Not by forcing, but by giving direction and building trust.
A changed environment
Today's challenges
Science under pressure
In multiple countries, academic expertise is openly contested and universities face ideological attacks. Polarisation makes nuanced debate more difficult.
Technological acceleration
Artificial intelligence is influencing research methods, publication practices, education organisation, and assessment. Universities must simultaneously pioneer and safeguard integrity.
Financial framework
The Flemish austerity measures affect all institutions, but have a pronounced impact on Brussels. In the coming years, we must save 20 million euros.
A growing university
Student intake remains high and international attractiveness is increasing. This growth does not automatically translate into proportional funding.
The combination of rising expectations and limited resources creates structural pressure on the organisation, staff, and investment capacity. In the coming years, we must save 20 million euros. This requires discipline and clear priorities. It means we must more consciously weigh where we deploy resources and how we protect our core mission.
This context forms the starting point for the choices that follow.
Vision and policy principles
Our course
Freethinking humanism remains our compass
In a world where geopolitical balances shift and societal tensions rise, our values are not incidental. They are our compass. Free inquiry, critical thinking, freedom, equality, and solidarity determine how we organise education, how we conduct research, and how we deal with societal controversy.
Freethinking humanism is not a thing of the past. It is a daily responsibility.
Europe as a strategic space
VUB is deeply rooted in Brussels and in Europe. A quarter of our student population is international. Our programmes in other languages have been strongly developed without undermining our Dutch-language foundation. Through EUTOPIA, we have taken an active role in building a European university alliance.
Science as a foundation
Science is the basis of societal progress. It requires independence, space, and protection. Today, scientists worldwide are under pressure. Ideological attacks, polarisation, and distrust make their work more difficult. We take responsibility for protecting our researchers and giving them the space to work in a future-oriented way.
Focus as a prerequisite for quality
Growth has made us stronger, but also more complex. Not everything can stay as it is. In a context of limited resources, we must simplify, reduce fragmentation, and set clear priorities. We do not do this arbitrarily, but based on quality, strengths, and societal relevance.
Our core remains clear: strong education, relevant research, and societal responsibility.
Pioneering means working smarter
VUB has grown into a mid-sized international university. Today, pioneering does not necessarily mean getting bigger. It means organising smarter, leveraging digital opportunities without losing the human scale, making education clear and manageable, sharing research infrastructure where possible.
Our greatest wealth is people and knowledge. We will continue to invest in them.
Taking responsibility together
The coming years will not be easy. But VUB is not a hierarchical institution that imposes top-down decisions. We are a democratic university with strong engagement. Staff and students are not executors of policy, but co-builders.
Choose clearly, execute together
Our priorities 2026–2030
Pioneering in science
VUB has grown by pioneering in science. Not by following, but by opening new research lines, connecting disciplines, and tackling societal challenges with academic depth.
- →Targeted investment in high-return levers
- →Retain BAS bonus for Large Research Groups
- →Targeted growth funding for excellent niche groups
- →Core Facilities policy: sharing infrastructure sustainably and efficiently
- →Structural partner portfolio: 6 European + 6 global partners
- →Strengthen EUTOPIA as a strategic foundation
- →Facilitate data and research exchange with UZ Brussel
- →AI: research domain and catalyst for all disciplines
- →Green open access and FAIR data: a culture of Open Science
- →Renewed system of science awards
By 2030, I want VUB to be recognised as a university that continues to pioneer in science, even under pressure.
Valorisation and innovation with impact
Research gains full meaning when it is valorised. Valorisation means translating knowledge into applications in healthcare, sustainability, technology, social innovation, and policy.
- →i-ISO approach: actively guiding researchers with impact paragraphs
- →228 active patent families, reorganising the IP & Licensing unit
- →Clear VUB spin-off model with transparent agreements on equity and IP
- →Student entrepreneurship and spin-offs via Startlab.brussel
- →Researchpark Zellik: focus on energy technology, health, and deeptech
- →Further develop Bio-Incubator Brussels with VIB
- →Regional anchoring in Halle-Pajottenland, Neder-Over-Heembeek, Aalst, and Ostend
- →VUB Foundation: strengthen philanthropic fundraising
Looking ahead
Entering a new phase
with this foundation
In recent years, we have strengthened our university. We simplified structures, expanded our international position, anchored innovation, and structurally addressed well-being and leadership. We learned where change takes time and where broad support is crucial.
That foundation gives confidence. But it does not mean the next period will be easier. On the contrary. We are entering a phase where priorities must be set more sharply and where financial room is more limited.
What we have built, we must now safeguard and strengthen in a targeted way. This requires clarity, consistency, and responsibility.
We continue to build a university that is relevant, that puts quality at its centre, and that does not let go of its values when times get difficult.