Research
New Scientific e-journal: Brussels Studies
The new electronic scientific journal, Brussels Studies, was officially launched on 12 December 2006 by Brussels Minister for Scientific Research, Benoît Cerexhe. The journal is entirely devoted to research in and on Brussels. Brussels Studies’ mission will be to make scientific articles about current affairs in Brussels easily and freely accessible and in doing so to contribute to the public debate. Brussels Studies is an entirely tri-lingual journal (French, Dutch and English) and publishes articles on its website which can be read by a non-specialist audience. Brussels Studies is produced in part by researchers at the Vrije Universiteit Brussel. Our own Roel De Groof (BRIO centre) is in fact the assistant editor of the journal. You can also contact him if you would like to publish something in Brussels Studies yourself. Contact: roel.de.groof@telenet.be, tel.: 02/629.25.80.
You can read the most recent edition of Brussels Studies online at: www.brusselsstudies.be or read the press release.
International colloquium 'Demographic Challenges for the 21st century'
The Demographic Support Centre of the Department for Social Research will be organising the international colloquium, “Demographic Challenges for the 21st century – A State of the Art in Demography” on 15 and 16 February 2007 in honour of Professor Emeritus Ron Lesthaeghe. Since 1971, Prof. dr. Ron Lesthaeghe has shaped demographic and methodological education within the social sciences departments at our university. He has also left his mark on the international domain of demographic research. In 2005 he retired as a lecturer at the Vrije Universiteit Brussel.
To celebrate his extensive career, an academic session will take place on 15 February. A study session will follow on Friday 16 February in which the main challenges confronting demographic research today are discussed by a number of leading scientists from Belgium and abroad. For more information see: www.vub.ac.be/soco/demo/intro.htm or e-mail: demography@vub.ac.be.
Conference on Middle Eastern law and economic development
“Law and Economic Development: Towards Constructive Engagement in the Middle East” is an initiative of the Faculty of Law and Criminology to be held on 22 and 23 February 2007. Among other issues, the conference aims to discuss the legal perspectives for economic development in the Middle East paying particular attention to a number of problem regions such as Palestine, Lebanon and Israel. A number of prestigious participants are expected. The opening address will be delivered by Flemish Vice-Minister-President, Fientje Moerman. A dinner has been scheduled in lieu of conclusion of the first day of the conference to be attended by Prime-Minister Verhofstadt and H.R.H. El Hassan bin Talal of Jordan. Brussels Minister Guy Vanhengel will deliver the closing address on the second day. In-between, participants will hear from a number of prominent scientists from the Middle East. Consult the complete programme or download the registration form to participate. For more information, contact: sdemeue@vub.ac.be or amaerten@vub.ac.be.
DNA research on frogs challenge traditional plate tectonic models
A team of scientists led by Franky Bossuyt and Ines Van Bocxlaer from the Department of Biology are challenging the classic models of continental drift on the basis of DNA research conducted on frogs. The respective models claim that the continents and islands (South America, Africa, India, Madagascar, Antarctica, etc.) that once formed the super-continent, Gondwana in the Early Cretaceous period (145-100 million years ago) drifted apart to form the oceans as we now know them. The traditional geological models are often used to estimate the time when plants and animals on the divided continents began to follow separate evolutionary paths. The scientists from the Vrije Universiteit Brussel, however, have used frog DNA to demonstrate that two large frog families simultaneously distributed themselves across various parts of Gondwana in the Late Cretaceous period (100-65 million years ago), long after the supposed splitting of the continents. Given that amphibians cannot survive for extended periods in salty environments, it is extremely unlikely that these frogs achieved their mass distribution by swimming across the oceans. Read more in the press release.
DNA research unravels how amphibians survived prehistoric natural disasters
A team of evolutionary biologists has discovered, on the basis of DNA research, how the predecessors of modern amphibians survived prehistoric natural disasters (volcano eruptions, comet collisions, greenhouse effects).
The team, led by Kim Roelants and Franky Bossuyt of the Vrije Universiteit Brussel, discovered on the basis of DNA research into 171 species that the three modern amphibian groups (frogs and toads, salamanders and worm salamanders) experienced their first boom in the Triassic period, shortly after the worst biodiversity crisis ever to be faced by land animals. Moreover, this research demonstrates that 50% of all existing amphibian species are related to one single ancestral species which began to diversify immediately after the Cretaceous/Tertiary boundary (65 million years ago) into a large number of very different frog families. These comprise the tree frogs, burying frogs, toads and colourful poison arrow frogs. The mass extinction at the Cretaceous/Tertiary boundary is primarily known for the disappearance of the dinosaurs. However, many other animal groups underwent a similar fate. This research proves that amphibians are not only sensitive to rapidly changing environmental factors but that they are also capable of spectacular evolutionary ‘explosions’ following periods of environmental crisis. The scientists’ findings can be found in the next issue of the scientific journal, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS) to appear this week. Click here to read the press release.
aluMATTER Project wins European award
The aluMATTER project has won one of ten awards for Best Practices supporting European cooperation in Vocational Education & Training. The European Commission expressed its admiration for the cooperation between companies and educational institutions that has led to an interactive learning platform in the complex domain of aluminium production and processing.
AluMATTER is a website where students, lecturers and professionals can learn more about aluminium technology and applications in an interactive manner. The website, which is divided into structured modules, makes use of several visual animations and contains many instructive case studies. Twenty partners from the aluminium industry, the academic world (including the Department for Metallurgy, Electrochemistry and Materials Knowledge at the Vrije Universiteit Brussel), technical centres and aluminium centres have contributed to the development and translation of the website. Researchers Iris De Graeve and Herman Terryn worked on the modules surface technology, corrosion, wrought alloys (a new module as part of the expansion of the project) and several case studies. Read more in the press release or visit: www.alumatter.info.
Ablynx concludes large contract with German pharmaceuticals group
Ablynx is a spin-off of the Flemish Inter-university Institute for Biotechnology (VIB) and the Vrije Universiteit Brussel, based on research conducted by Professors Hamers, Wyns, Steyaert and Muyldermans. Established only six years ago, Ablynx has already made a name for itself in the world of biotechnology. The company carries out research on treatments for Alzheimer’s Disease, thrombosis and chronic inflammations. Ablynx has recently concluded an agreement with one of the largest pharmaceutical companies in the world, German company Boehringer Ingelheim, for its Alzheimer’s research. Boehringer will invest around € 200 million in the research programme. See the website for more details: www.ablynx.com.
Education
New International two-year Master in Biomolecular Sciences program
Biomolecular Sciences is a new two-year scientific program that focuses on the biochemical unity that underlies the biological diversity. Biomolecular Science is a rapidly developing discipline in modern life science. It stands at the crossroads of chemical, biological, physical and computational sciences and focuses on the molecular understanding of cellular function. Anticipating this evolution, this Master program will focus on the understanding of cellular processes, biological molecules and their interactions. The two year's master emphasizes on two particular domains of Biomolecular Sciences: Structural Biology and Biochemistry and Cell- and Developmental Biology. The Master is conceived as a multidisciplinary and research-oriented program. The program also aims to develop the habits of mind to perform and manage research in a multidisciplinary and international context. Therefore, our students will also be trained in different aspects of research communication and research management. For this two-years top master in Biomolecular Sciences, the brightest and most ambitious students from Belgium, Europe and the rest of the world will be selected. After receiving their master, we expect the students to enroll in a PhD program. More information: http://biomol.vub.ac.be.
Seminar series: 'Evolution, Complexity and Cognition'
The ECCO group is organising a new series of interdisciplinary seminars (in English) on the broad domains of evolution, complexity and cognition. Researchers from all faculties are therefore invited to take part. The seminars take place every Wednesday at 2pm in Building B, room B 0.036 at the Etterbeek campus. Abstracts from the programme can be found here.
Accreditation for Bachelor and Master in Philosophy and Ethics
Following the degrees of Bachelor and Master in Mathematics, the Bachelors and Masters degrees in Philosophy and Ethics have now been formally accredited by the Dutch-Flemish Accreditation Organisation (NVAO, The Hague). This accreditation is of great importance as without it, the respective degrees technically cannot be offered in Flanders. Without accreditation, they would no longer be eligible for government subsidies and the organising institution would not be able to bestow the accompanying titles of bachelor or master. An accreditation is valid for a term of eight academic years.
As is well-known, the Structural Decree regarding Higher Education requires all BA/MA degrees to be accredited. Accreditation is the formal recognition, by an independent body, that a degree programme meets a number of minimum quality standards. It is, in other words, a public stamp of approval which guarantees a quality education programme. The visitations now form the basis for an accreditation. For more information, contact Frank Gladines, Quality Control and Accreditation (DOZ): frank.gladines@vub.ac.be.
Good grades for biology programme
At the very end of 2006, the visitation commission report of the biology programme was officially handed over and received with pleasure by the Vrije Universiteit Brussel. Our university scored well with its Bachelor degree in Biology amongst the six other institutions offering the programme in Flanders. The visitation itself took place in 2005 at a time of uncertainty with regard to the two year Masters programmes. In its final report, the Commission expressed admiration for the efforts made by the Vrije Universiteit Brussel in 2006 to further develop the programme. The Masters programme in Biology also scored well and now boasts an attractive, modular structure with cooperation agreements with the ULB (for the English language components) already lauded by the visitation commission. A good suggestion to emerge from the visitation commission’s evaluation is that the Biology programme furthers its ‘open door’ policy in relation to attracting future students. The approachability of staff within the programme is relatively unique and is also extremely well appreciated by students. For more information about this and other visitation reports, please contact the Quality Control division of the Educational Affairs Department: Frank.Gladines@vub.ac.be.
Academic chair familiarises entrepreneurs with legal aspects of trade with China
China’s growing economic and political influence in the international arena has lead to the increasing importance of its legal system. The growing interest in Chinese law is directed at two main areas. On the one hand there is the development of its content, on the other its increasing application. In fact during contractual negotiations, an increasing number of Chinese business partners insist that contracts be drawn up under Chinese law and that jurisdiction is assigned to the Chinese courts in the case of a dispute. This situation demands that Western businesspeople and lawyers further their knowledge of Chinese law and establish partnerships with Chinese law firms. In order to adequately capitalise on these developments, the Brussels Institute of Contemporary China Studies has established a Chair of Chinese Law. More information about the programmes on offer at the Brussels Institute of Contemporary China Studies can be found online at: www.vub.ac.be/biccs/.
Loyens Chair teaches Chinese entrepreneurs how to invest in Europe
Thanks partly to an external donation, the Brussels Institute of Contemporary China Studies (BICCS) has inaugurated a new academic chair: the ‘Loyens Chair, Focus on China - Benelux as a Gateway'. What is unique about this chair is that it is intended for Chinese businesspeople seeking to invest in Europe and in the Benelux in particular. In the margins of the growing Chinese economy, a number of educational programmes have been established to educate Flemish entrepreneurs about China. However, now that foreign investment is at a peak in China, the reverse is taking place. As part of its ‘Going Global’ policy, the Chinese government is stimulating its own businesses to invest abroad. The Loyens Chair guides these Chinese entrepreneurs through all aspects of investing in Europe and the Benelux. An additional objective of this chair is to promote the Benelux in China as a gateway to Europe. It is little surprise that for this academic chair, the Vrije Universiteit Brussel has struck an accord with the law firm Loyens. Loyens is highly specialised in supporting foreign enterprises with establishments in the Benelux, with a specific focus on Chinese investors. More information about the programmes at the Brussels Institute of Contemporary China Studies can be found online at: www.vub.ac.be/biccs/.
BEO Expertise network: Towards more professionalism in the teaching profession
On Thursday 24 January, the Universitaire Associatie Brussel together with a number of education partners launched the Brussels Expertise Network, “BEO”. Within the network, the Vrije Universiteit Brussel, the Erasmushogeschool Brussels, five centres for adult education (CVOs) and a number of pedagogical support services will exchange expertise in an effort to further the level of professionalism within the teaching profession. Concretely, the partners will work together in the domain of didactic research, co-organise apprenticeships and internships and the training of mentors. They will also exchange personnel, organise external quality control, share infrastructure, etc.
International Relations
Erasmus Mundus Master scholarships
The Erasmus Mundus programme is a co-operation and mobility programme in the field of higher education which promotes the European Union as a centre of excellence in learning around the world. It supports European top-quality Masters Courses and provides EU-funded scholarships for third country (non-EU) nationals participating in these Masters Courses. The Vrije Universiteit Brussel participates in the following Erasmus Mundus Master programmes:
- Master of Science in Photonics
- M.A. Degree in Economics of International Trade and European Integration
Detailed information on course contents and scholarships can be found on the above mentioned websites.
ESN celebrates 20 years of Erasmus
2007 represents the Erasmus programme’s 20th year of operation. With an extensive celebration of this anniversary, ESN (Erasmus Student Network) hopes to demonstrate the importance of academic mobility and how we can arrive at a unified Europe through the meeting of other cultures. The past 20 years have seen more than 1.5 million students live unique Erasmus experiences. You can read some of these experiences first hand on www.20erasmus.eu or even add your own Erasmus story. The best and most original experiences have a chance to win great prizes and 50,000 copies will be distributed throughout Europe on CD. The official celebrations began on Thursday 18 January with an opening conference in which more than 250 former Erasmus students shared their experiences and vision for the future of the Erasmus programme with members of the European Commission and the European Parliament. The head of the Department of Culture and Education at the European Commission, Jan Figel, was also in attendance at this grand Erasmus Birthday Party. So keep an eye on the website: www.20erasmus.eu, because there are a whole host of activities to come.
A business trip to China
A huge distribution market and an ideal purchase base: China had it and many businesspeople are attracted by it. And rightly so. However, it is not uncommon for it all to go wrong due to ad hoc advice and a lack of networking. To answer this very real need, BICCS, the Brussels Institute of Contemporary China Studies, has organised a series of business trips designed to bring participants (both students and businesspeople) into contact with a wide network and to offer them advice and support on location. The next upcoming business trip will take place from 17 to 30 April 2007 and will visit several international trade fairs in Hong Kong and in southern Mainland China. For more information, contact: Mr. Martin Aps, Chair in Chinese Law, tel: 03/237.28.51, e-mail: martin.aps@scarlet.be.
Language course: ‘Business Chinese’
It is a statement often heard: even after four years of studying sinology, no one is prepared to hold business discussions in Chinese. Independent of the degree of difficulty of the language, all this has to do with the fact that in the language courses in sinology, very little attention is given to doing business and all the jargon connected with it. That is why BICCS, the Brussels Institute of Contemporary China Studies, together with China Euro Services has developed a series of language courses in ‘Business Chinese’. The programme consists of three levels (beginners, intermediate and advanced), spread over 3 years. The beginners’ course starts on 27 February 2007. Previous knowledge of Chinese is not required. For more information, please contact: Gunter Gaublomme, tel: 02/629.30.58, e-mail: biccs@vub.ac.be.
International Summer School in Finland
From 14 May to 8 June 2007, the University of Jyvaskyla will be conducting a series of summer courses. The themes this year are: Leadership & Management and Interaction & Relationships. See the folder for more information.
Evening Classes in Norwegian
Are you planning to go on exchange or holiday to Norway? Or do you maintain contact with Norwegian co-researchers? Then wouldn’t it be great if you could speak a few words of Norwegian? The Borealis Language Center organises evening classes in Norwegian from 7 February. The lessons will be conducted in groups of maximum 8 people, every Wednesday from 7.00pm to 8.45pm. A series of 40 lessons costs € 260. For more information, see: www.borealis-language-center.be.
Teachers required for International Summer University Macedonia 2007
For the third year in a row, the International Summer University Macedonia is looking for teachers to fill posts at the universities of Bitola, Skopje, Tetovo, the SEE University and the Academic Training Association (ATA). They offer 20 courses in the following disciplines: Education theory, Teaching diploma, Law, Economics and Business and Government management as well as Social and Political Sciences. Guest professors at the ISUM (International Summer University Macedonia) are paid travel expenses and housing. A modest allowance will also be provided. Applicants must be in possession of a doctorate, be affiliated with a Western European university and be able to demonstrate relevant experience. For more information: www.academictraining.org. Contact person: Carola Schmidt, c.schmidt@academictraining.org.
Get a scholarship to learn Spanish
Spain is offering scholarships to students wanting to learn Spanish in situ. You can receive between €200 and €300 for a four-week Spanish immersion programme. All relevant information can be found at: www.erasmusplus.com.
Miscellaneous
Alumnus Vrije Universiteit Brussel leads trial over fraud in the Belgian Navy
The most sensational news of the past month was undoubtedly the trial into alleged fraud in the Belgian Navy with the testimony of H.R.H. Prince Laurent. Perhaps you did not know that this trial is being led by an alumnus of the Vrije Universiteit Brussel? Judge Christine Coopmans (41) studied law at our university before joining the bar in Brussels. In 1992, she was appointed a public prosecutor and seven years later a judge. During the extensive trial around the Kempen coal mines, she proved that she could master even the most demanding cases.
Personalia
Bram Spruyt wins Klasse prize 2006
Winners of last year’s Flemish Dissertation Prize were announced on Monday 18 December 2006. Jan Boesman, a journalism student at the Lessius Hogeschool won first prize. The Klasse Prize went to Bram Spruyt of the Vrije Universiteit Brussel for his work, Inequality and segregation in the educational landscape: effects on ethnocentrism. The dissertation investigates how Flemish pupils are divided across general, art, technical and professional high school education. It appears from his research that many pupils with a similar profile stick together within one education stream and that this has a large impact on their attitude towards society and more specifically on their tolerance of immigrants. It’s worth noting that the editors of the education magazine, Klasse, read Bram’s article, ‘Segregation in education as integral to a multicultural society’ with keen interest. The article will appear in the January issue of Klasse, the Flemish newsletter of the ministry for education.
Prof. Kaufman joins Royal Belgian Academy of Medicine
Prof. Leon Kaufman, professor of biostatistics at the Faculty of Medicine and Pharmacy, was recently elected to the Royal Belgian Academy of Medicine. The Royal Belgian Academy of Medicine is an institution administered by the Flemish Community. It is active in the domains of medicine, pharmacy, veterinary sciences and their related disciplines. The Academy’s mission is to further the cause of scientific research.
Ouchy van Loo among the winners of the Student Steel Prize.
For the fifth time running, the Steel Info Centre (Staalinfocentrum) organised the Student Steel Prize last academic year for architecture and engineering students. The jury announced the winners on 28 November 2006, Steel Construction Day. In category D (Research), the prize went to Ouchy Van Loo (promotor: Prof. Mollaert) for the project, ‘Flexible tensegrity structures for architectural applications’. The jury prized above all the originality of the construction and the working out of the ideas. This study is ground-breaking work for steel constructions due to the new possibilities it introduces. The Steel Info Centre is an information and promotion centre for Belgium and Luxembourg with the objective of promoting the use of steel in the construction industry.
Delphine Maenhout awarded the Studiewerk Prize from the City of Ostend
Every year, the city of Ostend awards the Studiewerk Prize to a student writing their final dissertation on the City of Ostend. In the category, university education, the prize this time went to VUB student, Delphine Maenhout. Her research was directed at the cultural experiences and cultural needs of young people between 18 and 25 in Ostend. The prize comes with a cheque for € 620.
Jorgen D'Hondt appointed research coordinator 'CMS Top Quark Physics Team' at CERN
Jorgen D'Hondt (IIHE, Faculty of Science) was appointed research coordinator of one of the five large research themes of the LHC programme at CERN. LHC stands for Large Hadron Collider, CERN’s most powerful particle accelerator. The LHC is used to accelerate protons close to the speed of light, after which a collision occurs. From that collision, scientists attempt to derive all kinds of information about the structure of matter and the origin of the universe.
For the next two years, Jorgen D'hondt will head the CMS Top Quark Physics Team which will closely analyse the so-called ‘Top quark’ (the heaviest observable elementary particle). The LHC particle accelerator will be put to use at the end of 2007. CERN is a European organisation conducting fundamental research into elementary particles. The organisation is located near Geneva on the border between France and Switzerland. Our university has been closely involved with experiments conducted at CERN for the past 30 years via the Inter-university Institute for High Energies, IIHE (ULB and Vrije Universiteit Brussel).
Meyrem Almaci electoral candidate for Groen!
The Flemish Greens party, Groen! announced its election candidates last month for the federal elections of 10 June 2007. Meyrem Almaci, an assistant at our university, will top the party’s list of candidates for the Lower House in the province of Antwerp. However, these are not Meyrem’s first steps on the political stage. She is also a spokesperson for Jong Groen! and in recent years she has been active in local politics.
Paul De Knop re-elected chairman of the Community Education Council
Prof. De Knop, a lecturer in sport management and dean of the faculty of Physical Education and Physiotherapy, has been re-elected chairman of the Community Education Council. The news was made public last month at Community Education’s New Year’s reception. Community Education will soon have a new name to boot: “GO! Education of the Flemish Community”. The education network of the Flemish Community currently amounts to some 700 schools, around 300,000 pupils and 32,000 employees.
Most Cited Paper award for ETRO researchers
Adrian Munteanu, Joeri Barbarien, Peter Schelkens and Jan Cornelis of the Electronics and Information Technology Department (ETRO) and their colleagues, Y. Andreopoulos and J. Van Der Schaar recently saw their article, “In-band motion compensated temporal filtering (2004)” which appeared in the journal, Signal Processing: Image Communication bestowed with the Most Cited Paper Award from the same journal.
Recognition for Prof. Delooz with the Herman Delooz Lecture
During the fourth European Congress on Emergency Medicine in Heraklion (Crete, 5 - 8 October 2006), organised by the European Society for Emergency Medicine (EuSEM), the first "Herman Delooz Lecture” was delivered by Prof. Colin Robertson of the University of Edinburgh (UK). The title of his paper was “Emergency Medicine: Breaking the Wave”.
In 2005, during the General Meeting of the EuSEM in Nice, it was decided that the “Herman Delooz Lecture” be inaugurated during the Congress in Heraklion and held during all subsequent EuSEM congresses. The inauguration of this lecture represents recognition for the contributions of Prof. Delooz to the development of Emergency Medicine in Europe. Prof. Herman Delooz works in the Emergency department of the VUB Academic Hospital.
Prof. Paul Wylleman leads Kevin Van der Perren to European medal
Ice skater, Kevin Van der Perren wrote sporting history when last Thursday he was awarded a bronze medal at the European Ice Skating Championships in Warsaw. Kevin is the first Belgian to win a skating medal (either in a European Championships, World Championships or Olympic Games) in sixty years. Kevin Van der Perren received psychological guidance during the Championships from Paul Wylleman, professor of sport psychology at the Faculty of Physical Education and its Guidance and Expertise centre for Sport (BEST). Professor Wylleman has been working with Van der Perren and his coach, Vera Vandecaveye, since 2004 and provided psychological support during, among others, the recent Winter Olympics in Turin in 2006.
Agenda
Agenda - February 2007
Academics
Fluvial Sedimentation, Sea level History and Anthropogenic Impact in the Great Mesopotamian plain: A new Holocene Record
February 5th, 2 PM – Building D – D.2.01 – campus Etterbeek
Info: Faculty of Science
Seminar: ‘Evolution, Complexity and Cognition’
February 7th; 2 PM – Building B – B.0.036 – campus Etterbeek
Info: Evolution, Complexity and Cognition group (ECCO) – fheyligh@vub.ac.be 02/640.67.37
Seminar: ‘Evolution, Complexity and Cognition’
February 14th; 2 PM – Building B – B.0.036 – campus Etterbeek
Info: Evolution, Complexity and Cognition group (ECCO) – fheyligh@vub.ac.be 02/640.67.37
International Colloquim: Demographic challenges for the 21st century – State of the art of demography
February 15th, 16th, 5 PM-10PM – Building Q – Campus Etterbeek
Info: Faculty of economic, social and Political Sciences and Solvay Business School
Spring lecture Series on European Identity “New Europeans, New Identities”
February 15th; 6 PM – Building E – Building E.0.04 – Campus Etterbeek
Info: Institute for European Studies (IES) – http://www.ies.be - ies@vub.ac.be
Colloquim ‘Demographic challenges for the 21st century – A state of the art in Demography’
February 15th, 7 PM –Hall R. Van Geen – campus Etterbeek
Info: demography@vub.ac.be - 02/629.13.25
Seminar: ‘Evolution, Complexity and Cognition’
February 21st; 2 PM – Building B – B.0.036 – campus Etterbeek
Info: Evolution, Complexity and Cognition group (ECCO) – fheyligh@vub.ac.be 02/640.67.37
Spring lecture Series on European Identity “European citizens: commonality and diversity”
February 22th; 6 PM – Building E – Building E.0.04 – Campus Etterbeek
Info: Institute for European Studies (IES) – http://www.ies.be - ies@vub.ac.be -02/629.12.22
PH-D Defense of Ellen De Bolster: ‘Conceptual design methodology for modular lightweight structures in cement matrix composites’
Info: Faculty of Engineering – 02/629.29.01
Spring lecture Series on European Identity “I am British and Asian. I am not European’. Understandings of European Identity among Pakistani origin Muslims in Britain”
March 1st; 6 PM – Building E – Building E.0.04 – Campus Etterbeek
Info: Institute for European Studies (IES) – http://www.ies.be - ies@vub.ac.be -02/629.12.22
Cultural activities
International Movie: Movie from Romania, Black cats, wild cats
February 13th, 8 PM-10 PM - Kultuurkaffee
Info: international.relations@vub.ac.be, 02/629.23.69
Lets talk: Bulgaria. Bulgarian Students present their country.
February 15th; 12.00-2.00 PM- building M, room M.015
Info: international.relations@vub.ac.be, 02/629.23.69
Free concert: Asstrolab and The Rones (Belgium) Progressive Rock, 70’s rock, Ska-Punk music
February 15th ; 10 PM building Y’-Kultuurkaffee- campus Etterbeek
Info: Cultural Service- nvdabeel@vub.ac.be - 02/629.23.26
Presentation on student participation for international students
February 16th, 4 PM-6.30 PM – Building E –Hall E.0.07 – Campus Etterbeek
Info: International Relations and Mobility office – International.Relations@vub.ac.be
02/629.23.69
International Welcome Party
February 16th, 9 PM – 02 AM- building Y’- Kultuurkaffee- campus Etterbeek
Info: international.relations@vub.ac.be, esn@vub.ac.be
Samsara Label Night (Belgium)- gipsy, punk tunes
February 19, 9 PM building Y’-Kultuurkaffee- campus Etterbeek
Info: Cultural Service- nvdabeel@vub.ac.be- 02/629.23.26
Jazz on Wednesday: maaks Spirit (Belgium)
February 21st; 9 PM; building Y’-Kultuurkaffee- campus Etterbeek
Info: Cultural Service cultuur@vub.ac.be - 02/629.23.25
Esrah (Belgium) funky music
February 22th; 10 PM; Kultuurkaffee –campus Etterbeek
Info: Cultural Service cultuur@vub.ac.be -02/629.23.25
Visit to Luxemburg, the city, the EU-site and the nature
February 25th, 8.30 PM: building M
Info: international.relations@vub.ac.be , esn@vub.ac.be
To do in Brussels.
For more information related to activities in Brussels check this website.
You can have a look in the Bulletin magazine (available at the International Relations Office)