EUTOPIA week 27 June-1 July

VUB is the proud host of the fifth EUTOPIA Week. During this event, students, professors, diplomats and policymakers from all over the continent will come to Brussels, and VUB wants to show them how it interacts with the city. We would like to invite the press to this event. The opening ceremony takes place on Monday 27 June at 11.00, and features a keynote speech by Anne Teresa De Keersmaeker and the presentation of a EUTOPIA medal for former rector Caroline Pauwels. It will be held at Cinema Palace, Anspachlaan 85, 1000 Brussels. VUB rector ad-interim Jan Danckaert: “The 10 universities of the EUTOPIA alliance have three qualities in common: they are student-centred, inclusive and place-making, which means the institution interacts with the region or city where it is located.”

Danckaert: “For me, EUTOPIA is a constant refreshing of my way of thinking. It takes me out of my comfort zone, and by coming into contact with other universities that are organised in a different way, you learn to put common goals first. That’s enriching. We were one of the architects of the concept of connected learning communities, in which we connect professors and of course units from the different universities.”

EUTOPIA WEEK OPENING CEREMONY 

27 June, 11.00-12.30, lunch reception until 14.00

  • 10.00-10.50
    • Doors open, registration
  • 11.00-11.05
    • Introduction - moderator Carmen Mazijn (EUTOPIA student representative, VUB PhD student in AI)
  • 11.05-11.15
    • Word of welcome - VUB rector ad-interim Jan Danckaert
  • 11.15-11.30
    • Keynote speech 1: Multilingualism – Brussels minister Sven Gatz
  • 11.30-11.45
    • EUTOPIA panel - VUB rector ad-interim Jan Danckaert; EUTOPIA chair, University of Gothenburg rector Eva Wiberg; EUTOPIA secretary-general Nikki Muckle. Moderator Carmen Mazijn
  • 11.45-12.00
    • Humanist chapel master Adriaan Willaert – Sophie Cocquyt, DionysosNow!
  • 12.00-12.10
    • Honorary EUTOPIA medal presented to VUB former rector Caroline Pauwels – EUTOPIA chair Eva Wiberg
  • 12.10-12.30
    • Keynote speech 2: Rosas – Anne Teresa De KeersmaekerRosas
  • 12.30-12.35
    • Closing remarks – Carmen Mazijn
  • 12.35-14.30
    • Reception

You can find the full programme of EUTOPIA Week attached and on VUB’s EUTOPIA website.