On Tuesday September 22, VUB will be kicking off the new academic year. A special academic opening for what probably will be an exceptional academic year. Not at one location, but six. Corona-safe, of course. Each location represents a P: People, Planet, Prosperity, Peace, Partnership and Poincaré. The first five Ps are inspired by the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) of the United Nations. The sixth P is of course our very own.

With its new tagline ‘The world needs you’, VUB appeals to the commitment in each one of us, each of our students, researchers, lecturers, administrative staff, alumni and partners to make this world a better, more inclusive, just, sustainable, peaceful, humanistic place. With this call VUB profiles itself as an engaged urban university, joining the worldwide movement in Higher Education to be more explicitly committed towards societal responsibility and impact.

Last Wednesday UNICA hosted a webinar on SDGs Strategies of Universities and THE Impact Rankings. Keynote speakers explained why the latest results of the Times Higher Education Impact Rankings could be an opportunity for universities to evaluate their performance and improve their strategies in relationship to SDGs. All slide decks were made available at the UNICA website:

As UNIVER.CITY’zens we pr/loudly sheer these evolutions and ambitions.

We are very much looking forward to the academic opening, hoping to see all of you!

For those who can’t join in real-live, everything will be streamed on BRUZZ TV and via the Facebook event page.