VUB Rector warns of impact of budget cuts and announces renewed cDuring the New Year’s reception of the Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB) on 5 January, Rector Jan Danckaert opened the year withandidacy

During the New Year’s reception of the Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB) on 5 January, Rector Jan Danckaert opened the year with a message that was both unifying and serious. In his address, he reflected on a year marked by significant academic and societal achievements, while placing particular emphasis on the severe financial challenges facing the university following the budget cuts announced by the Flemish Government.

According to Danckaert, higher education institutions in Brussels are being disproportionately affected. For the VUB, this translates into a budget reduction of approximately 20 million euros in 2026 and the years that follow. Despite solidarity from other universities and several compensatory measures, the outlook remains difficult. The rector acknowledged that the university will have to take far-reaching measures, which are causing understandable concern among staff and students. He promised maximum transparency and close consultation with the social partners throughout this process.

At the same time, Danckaert urged the university community not to succumb to pessimism. He stressed that universities must reinvent themselves in a rapidly changing world. In recent years, the VUB has already made strong efforts in terms of scaling up, societal impact and agility, with tangible results in areas such as climate sciences, health research and artificial intelligence. This course, he said, must be maintained, even in what he described as “stormy times.”

The rector also expressed concern about the broader societal message conveyed by the budget cuts. In his view, core values of the university are coming under pressure, including free academic inquiry, international openness and the democratisation of higher education. He referred, among other things, to the near elimination of funding for non-European students, cuts to study grants and reductions in fundamental research funding, raising the fundamental question of what kind of universities Flanders wishes to support in the future.

Finally, Jan Danckaert announced that he will stand again as a candidate in the rectoral elections this spring. He stated that four years is too short a period to fully implement a policy plan and pointed to ongoing challenges such as study progress, attracting more students to STEM and health-related programmes, and further organisational scaling. With his renewed candidacy, he aims to continue working towards a strong, future-oriented and humanistic VUB that fully embraces its role in society.

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