The new rectoral service KU Leuven Engage brings together efforts related to diversity policy, sustainability policy, and service learning. This is an important development in recent years and will enhance the effectiveness of these policy domains. This consolidation also creates opportunities to consider societal engagement at KU Leuven in a broader way. Many KU Leuven staff members feel deeply connected to the university as a socially engaged employer and as an actor in active solidarity for a sustainable and inclusive society.

We want to recognise this "engagement" by offering staff the opportunity, during working hours, to participate in socially relevant activities, for example, by allowing them to do two days of volunteer work per year that aligns with the university’s social engagement mission. The feasibility of such an initiative will need to be examined, including through consultation with supervisors. We also want to support initiatives that aim to connect teaching, research, and engagement. At present, there are still many barriers to overcome in engagement-driven research and education, including legal and HR-related issues when integrating experts by experience into teaching and research contexts.

For many years, KU Leuven has awarded prizes for valuable research and excellent teaching. In the same spirit, we would like to introduce an annual award for societal engagement, with the possibility of highlighting different themes each year that are related to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

The KU Leuven alumni network also offers opportunities to further connect the university and society around key social issues and to increase the impact of KU Leuven Engage, for example, by spotlighting inspiring alumni who are committed to inclusion, diversity, sustainability, climate change, global citizenship, and more.

And why not appoint, in a future policy team, a Vice Rector for Engage, someone who integrates responsibilities for inclusion and sustainability with a focus on the SDGs? Someone who actively connects the many engaged staff and student networks with external partners to increase impact in an increasingly challenging world.

A soft landing for all students

KU Leuven ensures a welcoming start for all students from the very first point of contact. This is currently achieved through the organisation of inclusive induction days during which (international) students not only receive practical information about classes, study materials, and administrative processes, but can also participate in workshops tailored to their needs, such as academic skills, campus orientation, and introductions to fellow students, mentors, and support staff. This approach not only promotes social integration but also strengthens self-confidence and academic engagement during the transition to higher education.

We want to evaluate whether this introduction is sufficiently adapted to different target groups: first-generation students, neurodivergent students, students with a migration background, students whose home language is not Dutch, students with disabilities, and international students. We aim to further develop the reception approach based on the principle of “value affirmation”.

Moreover, we currently organise many separate processes for different target groups, for example in the context of educational and exam accommodations. This requires significant effort from lecturers, ombudspersons, and study counsellors. By implementing universal design, combined with targeted group policies where needed, we enhance inclusion and promote higher-quality education for all, resulting in reduced workload for those responsible for facilitating education and exams.

In collaboration with student associations, we will further develop peer mentoring as an effective tool for social integration, navigating cultural differences, and building academic resilience. We will ensure that students have sufficient or additional time available during the academic year to participate in small-group sessions and peer support initiatives within their programmes, facilitated by teaching assistants and mentors. These individuals serve as approachable contacts for subject-related questions, study planning, and psychosocial well-being.

Diversity-competent teaching teams

A growing body of scientific evidence from both within and outside Belgium highlights the key role the individual lecturers play in creating inclusive learning environments and promoting socially just higher education. Recent studies have demonstrated that students feel more at home when lecturers exhibit diversity-responsive attitudes and use inclusive teaching methods. These students also achieve higher average scores and better academic progress, as objectively reflected in their results. These improved outcomes are not limited to first-generation students, neurodivergent students, or students with a migration background, but are also observed among white middle-class students. In short, all students benefit from a “window to the world”, a (safer) lecture hall where critical reflection and personal growth are encouraged, and where content is delivered through a broader and more diverse array of didactic methods. Diversity responsiveness improves the quality of education.

That’s why we are developing structurally embedded professional development programmes for lecturers focused on inclusive teaching and diversity competence. Integration of various programmes (e.g., on migration, first-generation students, neurodiversity, gender, and worldview) will be a priority. We are investing in one-year reflective learning trajectories spread across several sessions. During these trajectories, lecturers apply what they learn to their own teaching practices, with attention to language use, assessment formats, interaction patterns, and curriculum design. These trajectories will be led by KU Leuven Engage, in collaboration with the Education Policy Service, providing coaching, good practices, and technical support. Following evaluation of the current pilot phase, which focuses on first-year bachelor courses, we plan to expand the trajectories to include other aspects of diversity and to embed them into the standard professional development offer.

Each faculty will integrate inclusive teaching into its curriculum plans and facilitate these professionalisation trajectories, organise peer learning, and follow up on reflection sessions. KU Leuven will create a central database of inspiring practices and encourage team exchanges via faculty-level education meetings. We will also explore the development of a validated certification system for inclusive teaching as part of the educational portfolio.

Inclusive and diversity-competent curricula

A future-proof curriculum reflects the diversity of society and prepares students to take on social responsibility in a complex, multicultural world. We are committed to supporting programmes in rethinking their curricula by actively incorporating inclusion, representation, and social justice. Programmes that wish to do so will receive guidance on foundational curriculum questions: whose voices and perspectives are included, how knowledge is framed within power dynamics and historically embedded structures, and what skills and attitudes are required for responsible professional practice in a diverse society.

We promote innovative approaches such as Service Learning, where students address social issues in collaboration with external stakeholders, and interdisciplinary projects that explore themes like diversity, justice, safety, stability, and governmental failure. We also support the revision of syllabi and textbooks: lecturers will be helped to diversify and critically contextualise course content. This support will be embedded within faculty education committees, where practical tools, templates, and evaluation criteria will be made available. We also encourage student participation in curriculum design and evaluation, in line with the principle of co-creation and valuing experiential expertise.

KU Leuven at the forefront of sustainability

We are committed to making the entire operation and infrastructure of the university more sustainable. KU Leuven aims to remain at the forefront of sustainable transition in the academic world, and is therefore investing in an integrated sustainability plan focused on climate neutrality, circular economy, and biodiversity conservation and restoration. This plan builds on the roadmap for climate neutrality that was developed in collaboration with various segments of the university. As a guiding framework, we adopt international systems such as the Sustainability Tracking, Assessment & Rating System (STARS), which allows universities to systematically measure, adjust, and benchmark their sustainability performance against international standards.

Sustainability is a particularly important theme for a university that wants to be future-proof. Sustainability extends beyond ecological concerns, requiring social responsibility and good governance (ESG – Environmental, Social, and Governance). ESG brings together environment, human resources, social aspects, and organisational governance into one cohesive framework.

Based on STARS and recent research on campus sustainability, we define concrete and measurable targets for energy consumption, mobility, waste management, water management, and efficient infrastructure use. These KPIs are linked to a transparent reporting system, making progress in sustainability publicly accessible. This promotes both accountability and collective involvement.

KU Leuven’s role as a property manager receives special attention. The university owns a significant real estate portfolio and manages major green areas in and around Leuven. In line with the Leuven Climate Contract, KU Leuven is committed to scaling up depaving and greening, through green buffers, depaving projects, and public parks that also support climate adaptation. In collaboration with the city of Leuven, the climate adaptation task force, and partners like Leuven 2030, we are developing a region-wide depaving strategy linked to water management and biodiversity.

We are also accelerating efforts in construction and renovation. KU Leuven embeds circular construction as a core principle in its real estate policy. This means that in new construction and renovations, we deliberately choose materials that are reusable, recyclable, and locally produced, and we systematically apply urban mining, the recovery of construction materials from existing structures. Together with partners such as Atelier Circuler and the Material Bank Leuven, we explore how our scale can be used to further professionalise circular building practices.

These ambitions are supported by a robust internal structure. We are expanding the Green Office model as a participatory platform where students and staff collaborate on local sustainability projects. Within KU Leuven’s internal structure, sustainability coordinators are appointed per region (West, East, Brussels), ensuring that sustainability initiatives are locally rooted and coordinated university-wide. This multi-layered system strengthens the culture of sustainability in the university’s daily operations.

Sustainability as a cross-cutting theme in education and research

Sustainability is globally recognised as one of the greatest challenges of our time. We view it as both an academic and societal duty to structurally integrate this challenge into the university’s educational and research missions. Not as an add-on theme, but as a cross-cutting principle that permeates curricula, pedagogy, and research culture.

To achieve this ambition, KU Leuven is developing a faculty-supported and context-sensitive framework for sustainability competencies. Rather than imposing a centrally mandated learning path, we support programmes in integrating sustainability into their curricula in ways tailored to their specific disciplines and teaching practices. Students will not only acquire knowledge about sustainability, but also develop skills in systems thinking, transdisciplinarity, climate justice, and ethical decision-making. Educational initiatives such as interdisciplinary modules, practical projects, service learning, and socially relevant bachelor theses will be further supported and professionalised.

Such integration does not happen automatically. We will therefore offer training and support pathways for teachers who want to embed sustainability in their teaching. Through peer learning networks, workshops, and model modules on eco-pedagogy and ethical systems thinking, we create a community of practice where experiences are shared and strengthened. Existing initiatives such as the Network for Sustainable Education, MOOCs on sustainability, UnaVEx, and the course unit Global Challenges will be further developed, supported by KU Leuven Engage and the Sustainability Council. Where possible, these initiatives will be structurally embedded, for example via an interdisciplinary programme oversight committee for cross-cutting course units.

Sustainability will also play a more prominent role in research policy. KU Leuven encourages reflection on the social and ecological impact of research projects and is revising evaluation criteria to explicitly value projects contributing to sustainable transitions in climate, health, energy, ethics, and inclusion. Within the broader valorisation policy, we recognise not only economic but also social and ecological innovations, ensuring that impact on people and the planet is not undervalued.

Collaborations with external partners such as Leuven.AI, VIB, Imec, and VITO enable us to harness technological innovations like AI for sustainable applications, with attention to energy consumption, data responsibility, and societal relevance. By treating sustainability not only as content but also as a pedagogical and research principle, we are building a university prepared for tomorrow’s challenges, while already taking responsibility today in shaping a more just and liveable world.

Well-being, healthy lifestyles, and an active campus

Sustainability includes not only ecological goals, but also the promotion of well-being and health on campus. We aim to further develop KU Leuven into a movement-friendly university, focusing on bicycle-friendly and safe infrastructure, ample rest and activity zones, and initiatives that promote physical activity during the work and study day (such as movement breaks and outdoor work environments). We also promote healthy and sustainable food choices: our restaurants and vending machines will offer transparent information on origin, nutritional value, and allergens. We are working on an inclusive alcohol and drug policy focused on prevention, awareness, and a safe party culture, in collaboration with student associations and wellness partners. These initiatives not only enhance the health of our community but also contribute to a sustainable living environment in which everyone can thrive.

An invitation to cultural participation

Culture is a particularly multifaceted domain that is expressed in many aspects of our university. A future cultural policy for KU Leuven must recognise this diversity, acknowledge the important steps taken in the past, and proceed with a clear focus. Acknowledging the broad spectrum of cultural activity also includes the awareness that culture is an integral part of our university, specifically, the insight that research and teaching are embedded in a wider context and society.

For students in particular, their time at the university offers a unique opportunity to become acquainted with numerous cultural activities or to develop them further. Our Culture Office offers a programme that gives students a genuine chance to participate. Through initiatives such as the 'Culture Hour', Museum Night, support for theatre (Interfaculty Theatre Festival), visual arts (including Ithaka), and especially the support of vibrant music ensembles (University Symphony Orchestra, University Wind Orchestra, Leuven University Choir...), a broad network is created that offers every student real opportunities for Bildung.

In the next policy period, we will actively work to make the rich cultural offering in Leuven more accessible on our campuses. Taking into account the specific identity of each campus, it should be possible to make real progress in integrating this cultural offering within the broader KU Leuven community.

Experiencing culture through participation is a great asset of university life, yet further steps are possible, particularly by encouraging creativity among students (and staff). In recent years, the Bac Art Lab has grown into a true arts workshop with limited resources. Students with artistic ambitions can apply for a residency or engage in new forms of education, and their artistic expressions are showcased in this unique (heritage) building. The Bac Art Lab serves as a stage that is increasingly recognised and deserving of recognition. It is a concrete form in which art and science take shape within the university, and it shows in a striking way how the arts can enrich academic practice. An associated Faculty of Arts is not a foreign element but brings the university closer to a truly complete form of knowledge. The further development of the Bac Art Lab therefore deserves strong support, to build on the art-science connection that was reinvigorated during the 600th anniversary celebrations.

Through the Culture Committee and its two subcommittees, Academic Heritage and Contemporary Art, many strong impulses have already been given to KU Leuven's cultural policy (including the acquisition of an impressive contemporary art collection). These committees will of course continue to play an important role in shaping future cultural policy and advising the university’s leadership.

Focus on heritage

An institution with a 600-year history naturally possesses a wealth of heritage. Not only the old buildings, continually updated and made more sustainable by our technical services, but also extensive collections that many envy: our archives, libraries, and scientific collections.

In the coming years, several important decisions will need to be made regarding heritage. For our movable heritage, a master plan is required for the valorisation and preservation of these collections. Such a plan must include a collection policy framework, that is, criteria for selection and preservation, as well as appropriate locations for storage. Another key task will be the continued digitisation of our archives, both the digitisation of existing materials (with suitable metadata) and the preservation of digital-born materials.

The master plan should also address collective management, seeking a balance between centralised and decentralised approaches. Integration across campuses remains incomplete: how will we handle the archives of faculties, campuses, and the central administration in the future? The growing public interest in heritage will drive renewed attention to the accessibility of our collections. The Vesalius Museum is an important first step in this regard, but further investments are needed, for example to make the zoological and natural science collections more accessible.

One illustrative example: Arenberg Castle is simultaneously a heritage building, a site for education, research, and governance, and a repository of unique historical artefacts. It also opens its doors to the public. How can we responsibly reconcile these three functions?

In the field of heritage, the challenge will be to bundle the extensive expertise within KU Leuven and seek models to create a platform where academic research and service experience (including technical services) come together. Experience in recent years has shown that this is a domain where teaching, research, and public service can go hand in hand in ways that could position KU Leuven as a European and international leader. Programmes and research from all academic groups, as well as the knowledge and experience of our various services, find here a unique field of action.

KU Leuven also plays a unique and important role in the broader cultural sector in relation to the City of Leuven, numerous cultural actors (such as STUK), and the surrounding region. Many cultural initiatives have had their fruitful beginnings within the university and have since followed their own paths. Maintaining dialogue with all cultural and heritage players will require new impulses.

The university does not operate in a political vacuum. The political context in which we have operated in recent years has become increasingly challenging. The attitude of the Flemish government toward higher education raises some concerns, not only due to the lack of much-needed investments, but also due to a growing tendency toward mistrust, control, and austerity measures that strike at the core of our academic mission.

The under-indexation of operating funds leads to a real erosion of our resources, as does the fact that government grants are not keeping pace with the growing student population. Year after year, we are expected to do more with less. This impacts researchers, educators, student support services, and administrative staff alike. At the same time, we are seeing new proposals that affect the employment conditions and pension rights of academic staff, often introduced without consultation.

The rhetoric surrounding English-language programmes is often simplistic and overlooks the reality and added value of an international academic community. The world does not stop at the language border. International students and researchers enrich our university - and the Flemish region - and bring in valuable perspectives.

As rector, I want to send a clear message in this context: the university is not a cost, but an investment in the future. I will strongly defend what our community needs: sufficient resources, academic freedom, international openness, and a respectful dialogue with the government. I will do so not by polarising, but by clearly and consistently articulating the value of a strong university.

The academic healthcare institutions UZ Leuven and UPC KU Leuven, together with the university, form a unique cluster where scientific innovation, clinical practice, and education mutually reinforce one another. The existing model of integrated collaboration in education, research, societal service, and clinical care is well-established within KU Leuven’s overarching structure and anchored through strong partnerships. The societal impact on Flemish and Belgian healthcare is therefore significant.

KU Leuven remains committed to an intensive and mutually strengthening partnership with UZ Leuven and UPC KU Leuven. By strategically promoting collaboration at multiple levels, from governance to data use and training, the university aims to make a sustainable contribution to the healthcare of the future. A key focus is the encouragement of interdisciplinary research and multidisciplinary innovation, also involving expertise from the Science and Technology and Humanities groups.

The partnership between KU Leuven and UZ Leuven is a cornerstone of academic hospital care in Flanders and is of great value for education, research, innovation, and clinical care. The university seeks to further strengthen this partnership by investing in shared infrastructure, talent development, and impactful innovation. KU Leuven and UZ Leuven continue to pursue a coordinated approach to support services, especially in IT systems, internal management tools, and career development for clinicians with academic responsibilities. The university will contribute its expertise in data analysis, AI, and data ethics to new initiatives involving UZ Leuven’s data access. The creation of a data strategy group focused on academic needs and clinical innovation is being considered, in collaboration with VIB, Imec, and relevant KU Leuven centres (such as Leuven.AI) for AI applications in healthcare.

In terms of education, we will respond to the rising demand for healthcare professionals by working closely with university colleges within the KU Leuven Association on internships and curricula. The results of the Metaforum project "Biomedical Actors of the Future" will serve to update curricula, with a focus on innovative learning paths related to interprofessional collaboration, digital health, and patient participation.

New ZAP members with a primary clinical appointment at UZ Leuven and a significant research component need sufficient base funding and tailored mentoring models that allow for academic growth alongside clinical excellence. Together with UZ Leuven, we aim to develop a career policy that offers clear growth paths and recognition for clinical-academic bridge profiles. High-quality internships at UZ Leuven and UPC are critical to KU Leuven’s programmes. This requires coordinated internship planning across faculties and support for internship supervisors (training, time investment, recognition).

The collaboration between KU Leuven and UPC Z.org KU Leuven is becoming increasingly important as a core component of KU Leuven’s academic and social commitment to mental healthcare. This collaboration, complementing strong ties with UZ Leuven, represents a unique synergy between education, research, care, and social well-being.

UPC Z.org KU Leuven is a key partner of the Biomedical Sciences Group and the Faculty of Psychology and Educational Sciences, with many collaborations in integrated research programmes and professional internship opportunities. The growing complexity and prevalence of mental health issues require a sustainable influx of well-trained professionals. KU Leuven and UPC Z.org KU Leuven are committed to expanding the capacity of mental health education. While growing student numbers pose challenges, they also offer opportunities to connect academic talent to mental healthcare early on.

UPC staff membership in the Leuven Brain Institute provides the opportunity to further strengthen the academic profile of UPC Z.org KU Leuven. Combining expertise in neuroscience, psychiatry, psychology, and technology, and focusing on translational research, directly impacts patient care. UPC Z.org KU Leuven and KU Leuven continue to build strategic networks with external partners, both within and outside the healthcare sector. By actively participating in regional, national, and international networks, both institutions can amplify their impact, accelerate innovation, and realise joint projects that address societal challenges.

The academic growth objectives and social mission of UPC require continued investment in people, infrastructure, and strategic planning. Together, we must continue advocating to the government the importance of these needs.

Innovation and entrepreneurship

KU Leuven Research & Development (LRD) is the link between fundamental academic research and societal application, and has a global reputation as a technology transfer unit for university research results. LRD supports researchers who wish to collaborate with industrial, economic, and societal partners based on their own findings, including contract research, intellectual property support, licensing, and spin-off creation. LRD facilitates partnerships with external actors such as companies, governments, and civil society organisations to achieve societal and economic impact. The focus is shifting from a purely technological transfer model to a broader approach that also includes social, ethical, and ecological valorisation.

LRD aims to support researchers early in their process to clearly formulate impact objectives from the outset and identify valorisation opportunities. Importantly, this support should not be limited to economic exploitation, but must also explicitly integrate social innovation and sustainable development.

LRD is also taking on a stronger role in interfaculty initiatives around major societal themes such as sustainability, health, digitalisation, and ethics. Collaboration with research groups and societal partners is being expanded, with space for experimental collaboration models such as living labs, open innovation platforms, and co-creation with citizen initiatives.

While cooperation with LRD is going well, there is always room for improvement. Opportunities for valorisation are still often missed, particularly because young researchers do not prioritise this early in their projects or careers. KU Leuven KICK seeks to address this by making entrepreneurship accessible to all students, including PhD students. We aim to strengthen this initiative and ensure that every student is aware of the opportunities offered. Through KICK, we are building an ecosystem that fosters entrepreneurial skills: creative thinking, initiative, collaboration, and addressing societal challenges. Through bootcamps, student start-ups, and interdisciplinary hackathons, students are given the chance to turn ideas into action. These initiatives focus on the circular economy, social innovation, and technological entrepreneurship. We aim to realise this through collaboration between faculties, KU Leuven KICK, and KU Leuven Engage. This positions KU Leuven as a university that not only transmits knowledge but also activates entrepreneurship.

KU Leuven as a partner in local and urban development

Our university positions itself as an active and sustainable partner in the spatial, social, and cultural development of its cities and regions. Through structural collaboration agreements with city governments, welfare organisations, cultural actors, and knowledge institutions, the university seeks to contribute to policies on mobility, affordable housing (including student housing), climate adaptation, health, and cultural participation. In several campus cities, Living Labs will be established where students, researchers, and city actors can experiment together with innovative solutions for societal challenges. Leuven MindGate will be an important partner in this development, especially in identifying opportunities and business partners.

The university not only provides scientific expertise but also actively involves students through practice-based assignments, internships, and Service Learning initiatives. This approach increases students’ civic engagement and impacts the development of civic competencies and local policy formation. Faculties are encouraged to embed this social engagement in curricula through interdisciplinary projects and assignments based on real challenges in the city. This contributes to the societal relevance of higher education, KU Leuven’s visibility in its local contexts, and the social innovation capacity of the city and its broader environment.

KU Leuven as loyal association partner

For more than twenty years, KU Leuven has been building a sustainable and meaningful collaboration with its partner institutions within the KU Leuven Association. This close partnership is embedded in multiple campuses across Flanders and Brussels and represents a unique asset in the Flemish higher education landscape. The association allows for high-quality higher education to be widely accessible, close to students, and deeply embedded in local contexts.

The strength of the association lies in the complementarity of its institutions and in a shared ambition: to educate students, generate societal impact, and support excellent research. Today, we work together across the entire spectrum of healthcare professions, from professional bachelor’s degrees to academic master’s degrees, and we strengthen teacher education through joint trajectories, such as the educational master’s in primary education. Together, we develop bridging programmes that facilitate transitions between different educational forms and levels, and we jointly invest in student recruitment and transition efforts through info days, connections with secondary schools, and participation in job fairs (e.g., https://www.flandersjobfairs.be/nl). We also continue to build integrated student support services via Stuvo (student services), particularly in mental well-being, nutrition, and housing.

The collaboration goes beyond education. Interdisciplinary student teams such as Formula Electric Belgium bring students from different institutions together around innovation and sustainability. Didactic infrastructure, such as laboratories, simulation centres, and collaborative spaces, is shared and strengthens our joint educational practice. Collaboration in research is also increasing among association partners, with joint projects and shared infrastructure generating synergy and economies of scale.

The presence of multiple institutions on a single campus offers unique opportunities to harness the coexistence and collaboration of students and staff as a pedagogical and social asset. Pooling strengths is especially needed when reconfiguring campus spaces, for example, as with the Living Campus building on Campus De Nayer. Campuses can host joint cultural events or initiate and support service-learning projects. The specific identity of each campus can also be made more visible and reinforced for the wider public, for example, by installing a wall of fame, creating meeting spaces for students, teachers, and local residents, or launching social initiatives.

At the same time, we continue to actively connect with local stakeholders. Collaboration with cities and municipalities, schools, businesses, and civil society organisations is essential for the association to make a sustainable contribution to regional development. Our campuses act as anchor points for knowledge, innovation, and social engagement. Together with our partner institutions, we want to further embrace and strengthen this role, with respect for everyone’s unique character and in a spirit of mutual trust. For instance, each campus could designate a person responsible for campus-wide external communication.

For us, the KU Leuven Association is not a sum of institutions but a shared project with a common future vision. In that spirit, we aim in the coming years to pursue further policy alignment, shared strategic thinking, and a visible positioning of the association as a coherent and powerful actor in Flemish higher education.

KU Leuven alumni – yesterday shapes tomorrow

For many alumni, KU Leuven has been of lasting significance in shaping their careers, personalities, networks, and interests. This experience creates a strong emotional bond, forming the basis for lifelong and reciprocal engagement. In recent years, we have actively worked to strengthen this relationship, through the development of a participatory alumni policy in collaboration with Alumni Lovanienses, the recognition of alumni circles, and the creation of the digital platform KU Leuven Connect. Thanks to this network, which now includes sixteen international alumni chapters, alumni remain intellectually and professionally connected to their alma mater.

The result is a vibrant alumni community that serves as ambassadors for the university, opens doors for students and researchers, and actively contributes through mentoring, sector insights, and fundraising. During the 600th anniversary celebration of KU Leuven, this connection became very visible and tangible worldwide.

In the coming years, we want to embed this community even more deeply in university policy. We will do so by linking alumni relations more closely to domains such as research, internationalisation, education, and lifelong learning. We will invest in advanced digital tools that allow personalised interaction and better serve the diversity of generations and backgrounds. In a time of growing societal distrust of science and innovation, we see alumni as valuable bridge-builders between the university and society.

We will involve alumni in providing career support to current students, including internships, advice, and mentoring. Furthermore, we increasingly view alumni as a target audience for lifelong learning offerings, and also as contributors to its content. We will continue to invest in a strong structure and initiatives that engage alumni with strategic themes, from science communication to societal impact. In this way, KU Leuven continues to build a global network that brings together knowledge, experience, and commitment in service of society.

A future-oriented teacher training

We are strengthening our commitment to teacher training programmes at the master’s level, in close collaboration with the KU Leuven School of Education and the KU Leuven Association. In a world marked by rapid societal, technological, and ecological changes, the role of the teacher is more crucial than ever. At KU Leuven, we aim to respond to the growing need for well-trained teachers who can serve as bridges between science, classroom practice, and society. To that end, we will continue our policy that recognises subject expertise and subject didactics as distinctive features of the master’s profile, while also investing in structures that enable programmes to further develop and gain strength and transparency.

First and foremost, we support the continued internal development of the KU Leuven School of Education to efficiently manage processes in an interfaculty context. After years of reforms in teacher training, it is time to settle into a clear, strong, and agile organisation within KU Leuven. We distinguish between further streamlining of educational administrative and procedural aspects on the one hand, and the valorisation of the domain expertise present within the programmes on the other. We strive for clarity for students and feasibility for staff by reducing administrative burdens, while maintaining our didactic expertise, which is unique in Flanders. Organisationally, we facilitate the further development of blended learning pathways at a limited number of campuses across Flanders, as well as distance learning programmes, following their evaluation.

This will allow us to offer and promote attractive programmes throughout Flanders. It also enables us to maintain relationships with external actors from a unified KU Leuven position, including partner colleges within the Association, umbrella organisations, pedagogical guidance services, schools, networks of teacher educators, and the Flemish government. Together, we can contribute to building professional, strong school teams in Flemish schools. Confident in the quality of our programmes, we will make structural space for communication as a key focus. We aim for a clear training offer at the Flemish level, with a diversity of expertise among educational master's and bachelor’s degrees. Complementarity in the continuing education offer for teaching professionals, responding to societal developments, is also a priority. Partnerships with schools for internships, educational research, service learning, and the further expansion of our own continuing education offer will continue to be developed. We fully support and defend our unique organisational model, which includes practice lecturers and internship supervisors with one foot in the field.

The development of high-quality teacher training programmes is a societal responsibility of universities and will require continued investment in the years ahead. That is why it is essential that we succeed in attracting more students to educational master’s programmes in the coming years. 

International solidarity through education

We are strengthening our commitment to international solidarity through the development of the Global University Academy (GUA). This initiative aims to provide one million young people in refugee camps and other vulnerable regions with access to high-quality higher education by 2038. It will do so through blended learning paths, microcredentials, and digital learning environments. Initially, the network seeks to implement pilot projects in refugee camps in Uganda and Jordan, demonstrating the feasibility of the chosen approach.

GUA currently includes 17 international universities that contribute didactic expertise, learning materials, and infrastructure. In addition, it works with UNHCR (United Nations Refugee Agency), NGOs, and local educational partners. The societal impact is twofold. On the one hand, GUA empowers young people in humanitarian contexts by offering them opportunities for further education, employment, and social participation. Access to accredited higher education for refugees clearly leads to greater self-reliance, improved socio-economic integration, and increased prospects for stable futures for entire communities. On the other hand, the project also enriches KU Leuven itself, by actively involving students and staff in co-creation, international collaboration, and socially meaningful learning experiences.

The Global University Academy builds on international best practices, such as the blended learning initiatives of Kiron and the project of Southern New Hampshire University in Rwanda, which combine digital learning paths with local mentorship to increase success rates. Our university commits to embedding this initiative in a sustainable way, through patronage, project funding, and the activation of its international networks.

Structurally supporting public science and science communication

We are developing a university-wide policy to anchor science communication and public engagement as essential components of our research culture, not as optional extras. Every research project funded with public money will receive support in translating research findings for a broad audience, using accessible formats such as public lectures, podcasts, citizen science projects, exhibitions, or educational tools. This support will be organised through a central science communication platform, giving researchers access to templates, formats, training modules, and an overview of available communication channels such as university media, social media, and partner institutions.

Faculties and their communication officers can rely on a communication ambassador who will coordinate local initiatives and help scale them up, in close collaboration with the central Communication and Research Coordination Services. The focus is not only on informing the general public, but also on interactive formats such as citizen science projects and school modules, where scientists and citizens think and learn together.

Promoting community engagement among students through service learning

We recognise and support students who voluntarily engage in social projects within or outside the university. Through the KU Leuven Engage platform, students can make their engagement visible, have it validated, and, aligned with their programmes, under certain conditions, integrate it into their curriculum. This applies to both extracurricular recognition and Service Learning pathways, in which social involvement is explicitly linked to academic learning objectives.

The integration of Service Learning takes place at the faculty level and is context-dependent, respecting the autonomy of programmes. Concretely, this means that programmes decide whether and how social engagement is incorporated, as an elective course, microcredential, or part of internships or project work.

Through KU Leuven Engage, students can participate in initiatives related to youth work, welfare, diversity, education, sustainability, or international solidarity. Programmes that integrate Service Learning do so from a reciprocal approach: students, teachers, and external partners function as co-creators of knowledge and social change.

Students who participate in Service Learning score higher in terms of social responsibility and critical thinking, and they also feel more connected to their academic environment and society at large. Moreover, these experiences contribute to achieving the university's third mission: societal impact, alongside education and research. We will allocate the necessary resources to strengthen support for Service Learning and structurally embed it in our policies. The Service Learning offer will be expanded to include international initiatives, including in the Global South, in collaboration with our international partners.

KU Leuven for life

In a constantly changing world, it is essential that professionals continue to develop and adapt to new circumstances. Various actors within KU Leuven (faculties, institutes, departments, campuses, etc.) are committed to lifelong learning through the Continue platform, in collaboration with partners within the KU Leuven Association. The offering is already broad and diverse, but can be further strengthened by raising students’ awareness, already during their studies, of the importance of lifelong learning and teaching them how to engage in lifelong learning, by collaborating with the professional field and by developing flexible, digitally supported learning pathways.

In doing so, KU Leuven not only supports its alumni but also positions itself more strongly as a beacon of technological development and a champion of personal growth. This leads to a stronger, more resilient community and a significant societal contribution.