Did you get your copy of our VUB/ULB birthday special in Metro?
50 years independent, 185 years connected to ULB… You might have heard by now that VUB and ULB are celebrating their 50th and 185th birthday this academic year. On Friday, september 20, we kicked off the festivities with a shared Academic Opening in the Parc du Cinquantenaire. And because we wanted the entire country to know that we are celebrating, VUB rector Caroline Pauwels and ULB rector Yvon Englert became chief editors for the popular newspaper Metro. We hope you were able to catch a copy on your way to the Academic Opening as it became a true collector's item!
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There is a major overlap between research and journal. Our founding father Théodore Verhaegen already realised it when he explained our point of view and raison d'être to King Leopold I: "Investigating the important questions that pertain to man and society, free of political or religious influence. Looking into the sources of all that is true and good in complete and total freedom. That, Your Majesty the King, is the role our university plays in the bigger picture." Still to this day, these words remain our guiding principles.
No wonder both universitties came up with the idea of publishing their research in the very popular and free of charge newspaper "Metro", read by thousands of commuters each day.
Research communication in full transparency
“For me and my cherished colleague Yvon Englert, it was a golden opportunity to harvest and bundle VUB-ULB research in our very own edition of Metro as part of our birthday celebrations. Our researchers are given a truly unique platform, so that we can show those who are not that familiar with our universities, what it is that we do. After all, the work of our researchers is always at the service of society. In that spirit, there is no harm in highlighting our contributions to our country and the public debate. Transparency holds everything together", says rector Pauwels. "That we get to share our knowledge with everyone in the free Metro newspaper is something to be applauded."
Brussels Living Lab
Our capital city as a living lab. Brussels is the main hub for an important part of our research. So as you can imagine, finding topics that deserve a spot in this very special birthday edition wasn't much of a challenge for the rectors and Metro editors. Brussels simply has a whole lot to offer. "Our researchers were happy to provide Metro with their latest results on mobility, education, the environment, health care and other relevant areas. Yes, even how you can transform Brussels into a literal goldmine...", says Lies Feron, VUB press officer. "If the readers were just as enthousiastic as our researchers, we will consider this take-over a successful endeavour."
The editors of Metro echo this wish: "As a media company with a heart that beats for the younger generations and all things Brussels, this collaboration with the rectors of VUB and ULB ticked all the boxes. We tried to excite our readers with interesting insights from the academic world and we do feel like we did just that with this one of a kind edition of our newspaper", says Xavier Vuylsteke de Laps, NL coordinator at Metro.
Celebrate with us
During the course of the academic year, both universities will be organising numerous festivities in Brussels city and on their campuses, starting with their shared Academic Opening in the Parc du Cinquantenaire. The grand opening on september 20 will be followed by a series of lectures, JRSLM (a thought-provoking art exhibit in Pilar), a rowing regatta on the waters of Brussels, Saint V,...
You're curious to learn more or you do not want to miss any of these special activities? Then do take a look on vub.be/vub50 and celebrate with us. See you soon!