VUB Fellows 2013 by Vrije Universiteit Brussel

VUB FELLOWS 2013

“During my opening speech at the start of the new academic year, I made a case for more entrepreneurship at our university – and, by extension, at all universities. We must attract significantly more money from the private sector than is currently the case by implementing a targeted and dynamic policy aimed at innovation.” Paul De Knop, Rector VUB

Content

Academia meets Society Prof. Hugo Thienpont, University Fellowship Coordinator

Solvay Fellows VUB 2012

Faculty of Science and Bio-engineering Sciences (WE)

Faculty of Physical Education and Physiotherapy (LK)

Faculty of Economic, Political and Social Sciences and Solvay Business School (ES)

Faculty of Engineering (IR)

Faculty of Psychology and Educational Sciences (PE)

Faculty of Medicine and Pharmacy (GF)

Contact 35

Academia meets Society In 2012 the Vrije Universiteit Brussel initiated its Fellowship program to actively support interaction and cooperation between academic circles and highly experienced members of society and business. The aim of the VUB Fellowship program is to act as a platform where academics and the worlds of society and business meet to discuss joint challenges, exchange experiences, share good practices and learn from one another for the benefit of research, academic education and society in general. We firmly believe that the VUB Fellowship can, as such, become a main vector to further improve the quality of our education, foster the employability of our graduates, stimulate research and improve our overall capacity for innovation and competitiveness resulting in better service to our society. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Fellow VUBâ&#x20AC;? is therefore the highest grade of membership for our Alma Mater. It is a title bestowed upon unique personalities such as top-level company executive officers or company staff members, visionary politicians or decision makers, or any other type of socially relevant personalities. This year again we are privileged to warmly welcome a new class of Fellows VUB with whom we are looking forward to jointly strengthening the ties between Academia and Society.

Prof. Hugo Thienpont University Fellowship Coordinator

Solvay Fellows VUB 2012 Xavier Verhaeghe

Vice-President Technology Solutions Oracle Europe, Middle-East & Africa & Managing Director Oracle Belgium & Luxemburg

Karsten De Clerck

Partner Egon Zehnder Int’l

An Verhulst-Santos

President L’Oréal Professional Products Worldwide

Ludo Vandervelden

Chief Information Officer and Senior Vice President Purchasing and Transport

Michel Van den Broeck

Managing Director LeasePlan Belgium

Faculty WE Ingrid Daubechies Guy Van Lommen Jean-Marie Solvay

Ingrid Daubechies

Bio: At the VUB, Mrs Daubechies obtained her Bachelor’s degree in Physics in 1975, followed by a PhD in Theoretical Physics in 1980. Having worked at the VUB from 1975 until 1987, she joined AT&T Bell Laboratories in 1987 as a technical staff member. She became a professor at Rutgers University in 1993. Her research is focused on timefrequency analysis – in particular, but by no means exclusively on Wavelets – and applications to mathematics, other sciences, engineering, and art history. Having won several awards for her ground-breaking work, Mrs Daubechies is also a renowned member of the American Philosophy Society, the London Mathematical Society, the Académie des Sciences in Paris and the Académie Royale in Brussels. Ingrid Daubechies is now a professor at Duke University and has collaborated with several other universities in the United States. Mrs Daubechies is more than happy to share her experiences with gifted VUB alumni interested in a PhD in the US, as in her view, “It always pays off to come out of your shell”

Professor at the Mathematics Department at Duke University (USA)

“Even though I have been living in the US for almost 30 years, I still feel strongly connected to Belgium, Brussels and my alma mater, the VUB. My sabbatical in 2010 has only strengthened the bonds with the VUB. I am therefore delighted with my nomination as Science Fellow VUB.”

FACULTY WE

Guy Van Lommen

“It has been many years since I left the VUB after obtaining my PhD and finishing my post-doctoral work. The scientific and ideological education I received at the VUB has helped me achieve my goals throughout both my personal and professional life. So I am pleased and honoured to be presented with the title of Science Fellow VUB. In this capacity, I hope to contribute to providing a quality education to the VUB’s students.”

Bio: In 1977, Guy Van Lommen obtained his PhD in Sciences at the VUB where he started his professional career as researcher in the VUB laboratories. From 1981 to 2007, he worked for Johnson & Johnson Pharmaceutical Research and Development, where he was the head of the Medicinal Chemistry department. Through his work, Guy Van Lommen focuses on identifying molecules and substances that can be used to cure specific types of diseases. He participated in the inspections of the academic chemistry programmes in Flanders and the professional Bachelor’s in Chemistry. In 2012 he was also a member of the review committee that evaluated the Master level chemistry courses in the Netherlands.

Senior Director Medicinal Chemistry at Galapagos

Jean-Marie Solvay

“The VUB Fellowship project motivates me to bridge the gap between the International Institutes for Physics and Chemistry (Solvay Institutes) and the VUB community. Universities are so much more than centres for education and research; they are the starting point for growth and development and the future for our economy and society. The VUB Fellowship project allows me to stay in touch with theresearch.”

Bio:

Member of the Board Solvay S.A. Member of the Innovation Board of Solvay S.A. President of the Board of Directors at the Solvay International Institutes for Physics and Chemistry

Jean-Marie Solvay graduated from the Zurich Polytechnic Institute (ETH) in Chemical Engineering in 1978 and studied Advanced Management Programme from Insead. Mr Solvay was the Founder and has served as CEO at Albrecht RE Immobilien GmbH & Co KG since 2003 and the Teimmo company in Berlin, Germany since 2002. He is also the Founder of Helitradewinds Inc. and of Winco Helicopters Inc., both located in Portland, USA. In 1991, he became a Member of the Board of Directors at Solvay S.A. and in 1994 he joined the Innovation Board at the same company. Next to this, he serves as a Member of Supervisory Board of Heliocentris Fuel Cells AG. In 2006, he became the President of the Board of Directors at the International Institutes for Physics and Chemistry, founded by Ernest Solvay. The International Institutes for Physics and Chemistry, also known as the Solvay Institutes, are internationally renowned. They contribute to the scientific community by handing out scholarships and by organising workshops, public lectures, colloquia and the famous Solvay conferences. Solvay S.A. is an international chemical company offering support to the industry’s research and execution of sustainable and valuable solutions. The Solvay Group, with 111 plants in 55 countries, will be celebrating its 150th birthday in 2013.

FACULTY WE

Faculty LK Eddy De Smedt Yves Geysels Willy Smeets

Eddy De Smedt

Bio: Mr. Eddy De Smedt graduated in 1976 as Master in Physical Education and joined the VUB as teaching assistant in the same year. In 1985 he became the coordinator of toplevel sport at the BOIC. After becoming its Technical Director in 1988, he promoted to Director Top-level Sport at the BOIC in 1996. The BOIC represents the Olympic movement in Belgium and is responsible for the selection and participation of athletes in the Olympic Summer and Winter Games, the Youth Olympic Games and the European Youth Olympic Festivals. As such, the BOIC is focused on top-level sport. Mr. De Smedt was a member of the Belgian Olympic Team from 1988 until 2008 and chef de mission of the Belgian Olympic delegation in Vancouver 2010, London 2012. He will also lead the Belgian Olympic Team at the 2014 Olympic Winter Games in Sochi.

Director Top-level Sport at the Belgisch Olympisch en Interfederaal Comité (BOIC)

“The VUB plays a leading role in the combination of top-level sport and study, in conducting research into elite sport and providing applied support to elite and Olympic athletes, and by honouring former world-level athletes with an honorary doctoral degree. By doing so, the VUB confirms the importance of sports in general – and of top-level sports in particular – at social, academic and economic level. Since the guidance of top-level athletes is so important to me, I am honoured to be a part of the VUB’s Fellowship project and consider this nomination as a motivation to continue my dedication to the program.”

FACULTY LK

Yves Geysels

â&#x20AC;&#x153;I would like to pass on my expertise in the field of Clinical Research and Development as a complement to academic teaching for VUB students wishing toextend their career in the industry. My guest lectures will include topics such as leadership, ethics and regulatory aspects of the conduct of clinical trials.â&#x20AC;?

Bio: Yves Geysels is Head of Clinical Site Monitoring at Quintiles in Belgium. He graduated at the VUB with a Master in Physical Education and a Master in Physiotherapy and in 1990 a PhD in Physiotherapy. He worked at VUB on experimental animal models to study the vascular regeneration processes in free skin grafts. Mr Geysels started his career in 1991 in the pharmaceutical industry at the Clinical Research department of Hoechst, followed by Bristol-Myers Squibb and Novartis Belgium. He joined Quintiles Belgium in 2012. He manages a team of 60 clinical research professionals involved in numerous phase I-IV clinical trials, across multiple therapeutic disciplines. He was a visiting professor in Biomechanics at the University of Antwerp, Department of Sports Medicine and between 2000 and 2012 Associate Professor at the University College of Antwerp, Department of Healthcare Sciences. Mr Geysels is a member of the editorial advisory board of the Journal Clinical Researcher, CRAdvisor, Healthcare Executive and has published articles in national and international Journals. Special interests include Ethics, Good Clinical Practice, Patient Recruitment and the legislation on Clinical Trials. He is the Founder and actual President of the Belgian Association of Clinical Research Professionals (ACRP.be). Yves is Treasurer and Membership Officer of the European Forum of Good Clinical Practice (EFGCP) and is lecturer at the Pharmed courses of the ULB-Erasme.

Director, Head of Clinical Site Monitoring at Quintiles Belgium

Willy Smeets

Bio: Willy Smeets is Director at SOMT; an institute specialised in education, research and care for movement related complaints. Education at SOMT is provided at Master’s level, integrated in the courses of physiotherapy and manual therapy. Research and care are dealt with on a multidisciplinary level. The SOMT institute intends to obtain the status of a private university by the end of 2014 since the institute is the leader when it comes to Master trainings in musculoskeletal therapy in The Netherlands. Mr Smeets obtained his Master’s in Manual Therapy at the VUB in 1991 and founded several practices specialised in physiotherapy. He is also a visiting professor at the University of Genoa and a member of the Flemish commission for University Trainings in Physiotherapy.

Director at SOMT (Stichting Opleidingen Musculoskeletale Therapie)

“As a VUB Alumnus I am honoured to officially be part of the VUB and to contribute to the values the university stands for. Together with the Faculty of Physical Education and Physiotherapy I hope and expect to be of value to the future of the education in physiotherapy and manual therapy.”

FACULTY LK

Faculty ES Philippe De Longueville Lieven Deketele Luc Lallemand Olivier Vanden Eynde Vincent Stuer

Philippe De Longueville

“R&D plays a central role in the strategy of QBE Re - Secura Branch. Active cooperation with universities is therefore essential, particularly with the Department of Actuarial Sciences. The VUB, and in particular Prof. Vanduffel, has given me the opportunity to explain the practice of reinsurance to the students. To me, it is very important to build a bridge between the academic world and the working environment. One the hand, reinsurance is a core activity for any insurance company and students should absolutely know what it is about. On the other hand, the course allows us to illustrate many applications of actuarial models. I’m very happy to put my experience in reinsurance at the service of the VUB.”

Bio:

Head of Actuarial and R&D at QBE Europe

Philippe De Longueville obtained 2 degrees at the KU Leuven – he acquired a Master’s in Mathematics in 1988 and a Master’s in Actuarial Sciences in 1990. His most recent professional experiences include being a Member of the Executive Board at Secura (20042007), a Member of the Executive Board at QBE Europe (2010-2013) and the Head of Actuarial and R&D at QBE Europe (2013-present). Mr De Longueville’s experience includes reinsurance at an executive level, with a focus on underwriting. He developed his additional skills through his executive position at the Institute of Actuaries in Belgium and by teaching reinsurance (mathematics) at university and professional level. His key experience includes management of a reinsurance company, underwriting management and reinsurance pricing, set-up and implementation of strategies, people management of highly educated profiles and project management.

FACULTY ES

Lieven Deketele

Bio: Lieven Deketele obtained his degree in Chemical Engineering in 1996 at the University of Ghent, before achieving his Master’s in Industrial Management in 2010. He started his professional career at P&G in 1996 as a researcher in the company’s R&D department – the foundation for his expertise in product and process development. His focus on sustainable transport has resulted in the establishment of P&G’s Supply Network Innovation Centre (SNIC) in which he is the innovation catalyst. As a member of several national and international supply chain organisations such as the Council of Supply Chain Management Professionals and the Flanders Institute for Logistics, Mr Deketele helps further knowledge on logistics and supply chains in our society and business world.

“In my line of work, I’m constantly looking for innovation towards more sustainable supply chain and transport operations. In the process I have seen that the independent research conducted by VUB’s researchers contributes greatly to a sustainable future for our society and business world. I am therefore honoured that the VUB has awarded me the title of Solvay Fellow VUB.”

Senior Engineer at Procter & Gamble

Luc Lallemand

“The world that we live in is becoming more and more complex. One of the major challenges for our younger generation is to foster a more balanced society. I firmly believe that by strengthening the bonds between the academic and industrial worlds, we can manage this complexity. The VUB Fellowship programme offers an excellent framework to further promote the partnership between these two worlds.”

Bio:

CEO Infrabel

Luc Lallemand’s career revolves around technologies that support transport and financial management. After obtaining a degree in Nautical Sciences at the Antwerp Maritime Academy, he obtained a degree in Business Engineering at the Haute Ecole Francisco Ferrer and a diploma at the Institut de Cambisme et de Finance Internationale, both located in Brussels. In 1995, after starting his career at the Treasury department of NMBS, Mr Lallemand joined the Ministry of Transport as financial advisor and head of cabinet. In 1999 he became the deputy head of cabinet for Belgium’s Vice-Prime Minister, with responsibility for complex matters such as public finances, public debt, public companies and transport. He took up the position of CFO of NMBS in 2002 and moved to Infrabel in 2004 where, as CEO, he used his expertise on many levels: team management, complex governance systems, vision & strategy, values and European politics. Between 1991 and 2002 he held several academic positions, teaching on financial matters. Luc Lallemand is also the Chairman of the Board of Directors at TUC Rail and Vinçotte and member of the Board of Directors at Réseau Ferré de France, European Infrastructure Managers, bPost and RRATP Development.

FACULTY ES

Olivier Vanden Eynde

Bio: Olivier Vanden Eynde graduated as Business Engineer at the VUB Solvay Business School in 2003. During his studies, he founded his first social enterprise, Close the Gap. Via Close the Gap, over 1.5 million users in developing countries have gained access to modern ICT technologies. Access to information and communication is a key driver for the development of a society in the world today, including in developing countries. The sustainable improvement of access to ICT technologies is contributing to the elimination of poverty and disease and to improved education and gender equality. In 2006, he started a part-time career at Deloitte where he is currently director of the corporate social responsibility and business development team. In 2009 he established a new company, WordLoop, to facilitate the creation of an environmentally sound, e-waste management system in developing countries.

â&#x20AC;&#x153;My time at the VUB and the Solvay Business School can be described as some of the most inspirational years of my life. Thanks to the challenges I faced during my studies, I managed to establish 2 social enterprises: Close the Gap and WorldLoop. More than 10 years after graduating, the VUB and Solvay remain true entrepreneurial partners who open up their network to alumni and social entrepreneurs. The VUB Fellowship offers the opportunity to make a difference and support the further development of social enterprises.â&#x20AC;?

Founder and Director of Close the Gap international Director Deloitte Founder and Director of WorldLoop

Vincent Stuer

Bio: After obtaining his Master’s in Political Sciences at the University of Leeds (UK), Vincent Stuer joined the liberal party VLD in 1999 before becoming the spokesman for the party’s President Karel De Gucht. In 2004 he followed Karel De Gucht when the latter became Minister of Foreign Affairs, focusing on the Minister’s communication and press relations and writing his speeches and press articles. After joining the European Commission in 2009 as a member of cabinet and speechwriter, Mr Stuer became the speechwriter for José Manuel Barroso, President of the European Commission, in 2012. Writing speeches and articles is an inherent part of the communication strategy of the European Commission. Vincent Stuer’s mission is to transmit the political views and strategy of the Commission’s President to the general public in an attempt to broaden the level of support for the Commission’s vision.

Speechwriter for José Manuel Barroso, President of the European Commission

“Sometimes it feels like Europe and Belgium are miles apart, while I as a speechwriter have the responsibility to strengthen the bond with the outside world. The Fellowship project offers me the possibility to reinforce these ties in a systematic and substantive manner. It is a primarily intellectual challenge to anchor my professional experience in an academic way; to support and share my personal interests and vision in and around the university.”

FACULTY ES

Faculty IR Line Alderweireldt Dirk Boogmans René De Keyzer Yves Pianet Jan Watté

Line Alderweireldt

Bio: Mrs Line Alderweireldt studied Chemical Engineering at the VUB and holds a degree from the Vlerick Middle Management School in Ghent. She has been employed in the chemical industry for 15 years, working on production optimisation, capacity expansions, quality improvements and the design of new production installations. She started her career at Umicore where she was responsible for applied research and quality checks, and where she stayed until 1984. Until 1990 she was employed at the ESSO Refinery as a product engineer before moving on to Aspen Technology, where she was in charge of technical sales for process simulations for the European chemical industry. She stayed at Aspen technology until 1999. Nowadays Mrs Alderweireldt is an Engineering Manager, Project Manager, Business Developer and Process Engineer working on a variety of projects in the chemical, pharmaceutical and food industry. As a Project Manager of Lead Process Engineers, she focuses on the design of new product installations, investment estimations and all aspects of environment, safety and energy.

Unit Manager Process at Grontmij Owner of Processexcellence

“It was with great pleasure that I studied at the VUB – a liberal, innovative and dynamic university that teaches its students how to be assertive and communicate in the industrial world. Therefore I am honoured to become an Engineering Fellow VUB and I will gladly pass on my knowledge and open up my network to the students of the university. My aim is to promote the technical and engineering excellence of the VUB, the need for more female students to embark on technical courses and to create a better understanding between the academic and industrial worlds.”

FACULTY IR

Dirk Boogmans

â&#x20AC;&#x153;It is a great honour to accept the title of Engineering Fellow VUB from my alma mater. This gives me the opportunity to give back to the institution that made me into the man I am today and given me many chances in both my professional and personal life.â&#x20AC;?

Bio: Mr Dirk Boogmans completed his studies Civil Engineering at the VUB in 1978, before obtaining a Masterâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s in Industrial Location at the same university in 1980 and an MBA in 1986. He started his career in the bank sector and moved to Gimmy in 1981 where he became a member of the Executive Committee. In 1998 he was appointed Managing Director at CFE NV but he returned to Gimmy in 2001 where he remained Managing Director until 2008. Since 2008, Mr Boogmans has been Director and member of the Advisory Board in several companies and institutions. Mr Boogmans specialises in optimising the efficiency of Boards of Directors, defining strategies, financial knowledge and management coaching. He works mainly for financial, industrial and scientific institutions and for companies operating in the service sector.

Director and member of the Advisory Board in various companies and institutions

René De Keyzer

Bio:

Manager External R&D at Agfa Gevaert

Mr René De Keyzer graduated in Civil Engineering at the VUB in 1976 and obtained an MBA in Entrepreneurial Business Administration at the Lessius College in Antwerp in 2004. His career began at Agfa where he researched and developed hybrid imaging systems to be used on the graphical market. The Agfa-Gevaert Group develops, produces and distributes an extensive range of analogue and digital imaging systems and IT solutions, mainly for the printing industry and the healthcare sector, as well as for specific industrial applications. Since the 1990s, Mr De Keyzer has been the Manager External R&D at Agfa Gevaert, leading a team of 70 people. Early 2000, Mr De Keyzer got involved in R&D lobbying to governments and Europe in the framework of “Open Innovation”. In 2001 he founded the “External R&D and Funding” group to speed up Agfa’s strategic innovation projects, focusing on the collaboration between the company and the academic world. Mr De Keyzer was also involved in the foundation of strategic research centre Strategic Initiative Materials (SIM) and of the Flanders Initiative on Sustainable Chemistry (FISCH). He is also an expert in setting up high quality R&D academic-industrial partnerships on a European level. “Becoming an Engineering Fellow VUB allows me to think about and experiment with the knowledge I have gathered so far. The international world of innovation and education is developing at full speed and constantly demands new skills of our future engineers. It allows us to benchmark with other universities based on innovative projects in the industry. Over the past 10 years, Agfa has gained a lot of experience in research into and the use of structured materials. This is a concrete reference point with the VUB’s Fellowship project.”

FACULTY IR

Yves Pianet

“The VUB is an important university, located in the heart of the European capital and the Brussels region. On one hand, this results in a powerful bond between the different communities in Belgium. On the other hand, it creates an open window on Europe and the world. The BRUFACE initiative further enhances this visibility. We pay a great deal of attention to the courses offered by the VUB, with a particular interest in the scientific and engineering classes, and through the Fellowship project the gap between the university and the business world can be bridged.”

Bio: Yves Pianet graduated in Civil Engineering at the ULB in 1976 and obtained a Master’s in Commercial and Financial Sciences. He joined the SECO group as a project engineer for Belgium and the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg before becoming Deputy Manager and Director of both SECOLUX and SECO. Since 2003 Mr Pianet has served as General Manager at SECO and Managing Director at SECOLUX. SECO is a technical expertise centre for the construction industry and supervises the quality and technical risks in the sector. They are the first company in the Benelux to execute technical controls and often work on very complex and exceptional projects. Mr Pianet was also a teacher at the CERIO and Cooremans Institutes between 1983 and 1993. Alongside these professional duties, he is a member of the Rotary Club, Cercle Gaulois, Château Sainte-Anne, New Pole in Science & Technology in Brussels and the Fundraising Committee at the VUB / ULB.

General Manager at SECO and Managing Director at SECOLUX

Jan Watté

“Over the past 10 years, a constructive and continuous cooperation has been established between TE Connectivity and the Brussels Photonics Team of the VUB. As a result of this collaboration I was brought into contact with the European Network of Excellence for Micro-Optics. This led to an increase in knowledge of new building stones for optic fibre connectors and manufacture methods of micro-optic components. To me, the VUB Fellowship is a sign of recognition of this industrial collaboration and will lead to the exchange of experiences via guest lectures, student assignments and applied R&D projects.”

Bio:

R&D Manager Optics Group advanced engineering at TE Connectivity

Mr Jan Watté obtained a PhD in Physics at the KU Leuven in 1993. In 1994, he acquired a post-doctoral mandate on µ-Raman spectroscopy in collaboration with Mietec Alcatel and IMEC. In 1998, he became a test engineer for fibre optics and in 2001 the R&D engineer at Tyco Electronics/Raychem. Two years later, Mr Watté was appointed head of the research team for fibre optical connectivity at the same company, which led to him receiving the Key Innovator Award by Tyco Electronics in San Francisco in 2007. In 2010, he also received the B-Phot Star Award at the SPIE Photonics conference in Brussels. Since 2011, Mr Watté has been the R&D Manager of the Optics Group at TE Connectivity. He is an expert in the field of passive fibre optical components for fibre networks, in particular of fibre optical connectors and permanent welding methods. The R&D department of TE Connectivity develops user-friendly connection methods that can be applied in the field. These products will contribute to the dissemination of optical fibre networks around the world.

FACULTY IR

Faculty PE Patrick Coulier Koen De Maesschalck Telidja Kla誰

Patrick Coulier

“To me, the VUB Fellowship project is a great way to build up a new network inside my alma mater. It is a forum where academics and non-academics share their visions and insights to improve our university on a national and international level.“

Bio:

CEO at acTVty nv and Owner, acTVty nv

For over 30 years, Patrick Coulier has been working in the audio-visual world, specialising in communication, consultancy and event organisation. His own company, acTVty NV, provides communication solutions for small and big corporations and several national and international governments and academia. Mr Coulier’s role inside acTVty is that of advising and operational coordinator with a special focus on the innovative use of communication strategies and media products, such as the implementation of business channel Kanaal Z / Canal Z and several regional TV stations in Flanders and the Netherlands. Next to his professional career, Mr Coulier is also a socially-conscious entrepreneur. He is a renowned member of Voka, the Honorary Board of the VUB, Mug-Heli West-Flanders and Business Centre Brugge.

FACULTY PE

Koen De Maesschalck

Bio: Koen De Maesschalck obtained his Master’s in History in 1989 at the KU Leuven, where he also studied Art and Culture Policy. In 1990 he joined Colruyt as Recycling Promoter to help set up their Green Line programme. Here his role gradually evolved into that of Environmental Manager and in 1995 he became the Internal and External Environmental Coordinator. In 2000 he moved to a new role in the company as Manager of the Colruyt shop, before being promoted to Head of Personnel in 2001. These experiences proved to be a great help when he became responsible for Public Affairs in 2002; a job that allowed him to develop the company’s views on mobility, diversity, environment, energy and so on. In 2008, Mr De Maesschalck took on the challenge of becoming Colruyt’s Human Resource Manager and a member of the Board of Managers. Through his work he tries to find the right balance between the personnel and the company; both sides having their own needs, dreams and possibilities.

Human Resources Manager at COLRUYT GROUP “I strongly believe that the collaboration between a research or educational facility and business corporations will result in a valuable output for our society.”

Telidja Klaï

Bio: After acquiring a Master’s in Clinical Psychology in 1994 and a Master’s in Gerontology in 1997 at the VUB, Telidja Klaï proceeded to become a Doctor in Psychological Sciences in 2005 at the same university. As the current Producer of the Acquisition Programme for Ketnet, Mrs Klaï is in charge of the selection, sales, adaptation and programming of international children’s programmes. Besides this, she also follows up on animation co-productions with Flemish animation studios and producers. The main thrust of her activities is the development of children and Ketnet’s vision and values. For Ketnet, the child and his or her development are extremely important. Through a contemporary and creative media experience, Ketnet hopes to contribute to this development. By involving children in the channel, Ketnet has found a way to constantly keep evolving, just like children do.

Producer - Ketnet Acquisition Programme at VRT

“To me, my nomination as a Kurt Lewin Fellow VUB is a recognition of the fact that I strongly support its philosophy. The VUB has a special place in my heart because it contributed greatly to my personal and professional life and still continues to do so.“

FACULTY PE

Faculty GF Yolande Avontroodt Maggie De Block Jo De Cock

Yolande Avontroodt

“In the health care sector every stakeholder must realise that the development of a short-term and long-term vision is both urgent and necessary. The VUB can rely on excellent scientists and researchers that are the image of progress and medical expertise. The VUB is also known as a source of inspiration thanks to its broad social commitments. For these reasons, I am grateful for my nomination as a UMC Fellow VUB and convinced that via the Fellowship project we can strengthen our health care politics.”

Bio:

Chairperson of the General Management committee of National Institute of Health and Disability Insurance (NIHDI)

As the Chairperson of the General Management committee of National Institute of Health and Disability Insurance (NIHDI), the public institution that controls and manages the mandatory insurance for medical care and payments in our country, Mrs Yolande Avontroodt’s main challenge is to secure the future of our social welfare system. Her experience as a medical doctor, member of the Flemish Parliament and member of the Chamber of Representatives, has deepened her knowledge on different aspects of health care politics and also given her insight in how to preserve our health care system. Mrs Avontroodt obtained her degree as Doctor in Medicine at the University of Ghent in 1975, a degree in Occupational Medicine in 1978 at the KU Leuven and a degree in Health Care Economics at the University of Antwerp in 1995. Next to her medical career from 1975 until 1990, she was also a member of the Federal Parliament (1999-2010), president of the Public Health Committee, Mayor of Schilde and Councillor for the province of Antwerp.

FACULTY GF

Maggie De Block

Bio: Maggie De Block obtained the degree of Doctor in Medicine in 1988 at the VUB. She practised family medicine from 1988 until 2011, before becoming the Secretary of State for Asylum and Migration, Social Integration and Poverty. Her goal is to implement a humane and correct policy and to help as many people as possible out of poverty, despite the current economic crisis. Between 1999 and 2011 Mrs De Block was also elected in the Federal Chamber of Representatives. During that period she was the Chairperson of the Infrastructure commission (2010-2011), Vice-President of the Social Affairs commission and Secretary of the Chamber of Representatives (2003-2007).

â&#x20AC;&#x153;As a medical student, I spent my days at the VUB; which was my firm choice as a university. Later on I made it possible for students to fulfil their traineeships in my medical practice and featured as a guest speaker for my alma mater. To me, my nomination as a UMC Fellow VUB is a clear sign that I am still closely connected to the university.â&#x20AC;?

Secretary of State for Asylum and Migration, Social Integration and Poverty

Jo De Cock

Bio: Mr Jo De Cock has been CEO of the National Institute of Health and Disability Insurance (NIHDI) since 1995. He has obtained a Master’s in Law and a Master’s in Criminology from the KU Leuven, where he started his professional experience as a research assistant at the Institute of Social Security on the Faculty of Law (1977-1983). He continued his career by joining the Centre for Political, Economic and Social Studies where he was researcher and political advisor. From the mid-eighties until the beginning of the nineties he worked as a deputy director and counsellor of social affairs in the office of the Belgian Prime Minister (1985-1993). He then went on to serve as deputy general administrator of the National Social Security Office (1993-1995).

CEO of the National Institute of Health and Disability Insurance (NIHDI)

“I’m very proud to become a Fellow of the Faculty of Medicine of the VUB. Hopefully my experience will contribute to highlighting the various challenges of our health care system. I look forward to discussing the societal dimension of health delivery with academics and upcoming young professionals alike.”

FACULTY GF

Contact VUB Foundation Pleinlaan 2 - 1050 Brussel Tel. + 32 2 629 11 83 fellows@vub.ac.be http://www.vub.ac.be/fellowship/

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