News

From 16 – 20 June 2025 UCSIA hosted the Conference of European University Chaplains at Drongen Abbey in collaboration with Zomaar een Dak (University of Antwerp), the University Parishes of KU Leuven and KU Leuven-KULAK, Rapenburg100 of Leiden University, the Studentenkerk of Radboud University Nijmegen and MoTiv of TU Delft.

On Wednesday evening 21 May, UCSIA and the Ruusbroec Society organised a lecture by historian Hannelore Franck on the fascinating world of medieval 'tables of the poor'.

Look back with us at the ‘Compassion in Context’ lecture series! UCSIA joined forces with MAS | Museum aan de Stroom on the occasion of their exhibition COMPASSION.

The expo explores how people throughout time and cultures show and depict compassion, and confronts visitors with the complex and sometimes confrontational aspects of compassion.

To this end, UCSIA programmed the four-part lecture series ‘Compassion in Context’, in which experts illuminated the concept of compassion from different perspectives: neurophysiology and psychology, sociology, politics, philosophy, religion and literature.

The recent issue of Tertio featured an interview with colleague Kaat Somers (UCSIA) on what the added value of service-learning in higher education is to society. As an experiential form of education, service-learning bridges the gap between learning and engagement, and offers students the chance to contribute to societal challenges through concrete projects.

On Thursday 22 May, Finnish sociologist Anne Birgitta Pessi will be our guest for the final lecture in the ‘Compassion in Context’ series. Ahead of this talk, an interview appeared in Tertio in which Pessi shares her insights on compassion as a driver of innovation in organisations and communities.

On 9 May - Europe Day - Bea Cantillon and Erik De Bom of the Universitair Centrum Sint-Ignatius Antwerpen (UCSIA) published an editorial on the future of Europe in newspaper De Morgen. Their plea: an Eco-Social Union in which ecological sustainability and social justice are inseparable.

UCSIA is offering the Louis Bruyns Scholarship for the 2025-2026 academic year, a grant for a PhD student from the Global South to spend a research period at the University of Antwerp. During the stay, the student will also contribute to a public event on a relevant theme, such as equitable transition or migration.

Submit your proposal before 31 May 2025!

At the network event of the Flemish Network for Service-Learning in Higher Education on 21 February 2025, Johan De Wilde (Odisee) gave an inspiring keynote on the interfaces between service-learning and co-creation. Although he does not consider himself a service-learning specialist, he referred to previous experiences and insights from other fields that are valuable for the discussion.

Are you a PhD or postdoctoral researcher exploring the intersection of religion and politics? The UCSIA Summer School 2025 offers a unique opportunity to present your work and engage in critical, interdisciplinary discussions on moral debates in religion and politics.

We are pleased to invite you to apply for the UCSIA Summer School 2025 in Antwerp, Belgium, from 24 to 29 August 2025. This interdisciplinary programme brings together young scholars from around the world to critically examine the complex relationship between religion and politics, with a special focus on moral debates and their impact on power structures and societal transformations.

Application deadline: 30 April 2025

Will you be our next ELP Fellow? UCSIA and USOS are offering an internship for a Fellow from the Global South as part of the European Leadership Programme.

You will be working at USOS and UCSIA (in Antwerp) from October 2025 until July 2026, while also pursuing the European Leadership Programme (in Brussels).

Apply before 21 April 2025.

The Flemish Network for Service-Learning in Higher Education, coordinated by UCSIA, is proud to launch a new book (in Dutch) on service-learning. This publication offers teachers, policy makers and educational institutions insights and concrete tools to integrate service-learning sustainably into their educational programmes.

Revisit the fascinating panel discussion ‘Lieven Gevaert and the art of social entrepreneurship’ to commemorate his 90th death anniversary!

Gevaert was the founder of the photography company Agfa-Gevaert. He was not only an innovative industrialist, but also a pioneer of social responsibility within business. For instance, he implemented initiatives such as profit-sharing and health insurance for his employees, long before there was social security.