September 2007 - PDF version

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Campuskrant
I N T E R N A T I O N A L
Sep tember 2007 | international maga zine of k .u.leuven | re vis ta internacional de l a k .u.leuven
3
Interview
BART HENDRICKX
DIRECTOR INTERNATIONAL OFFICE
7
Director de cine Peter Brosens
CINE MUNDIAL,
‘MADE IN BELGIUM’
Intact Egyptian burial from First Intermediate Period uncovered
Leuven Egyptologists
make world-class discovery
In an Egyptian rock cut shaft
more than three metres deep,
Harco Willems and Marleen
De Meyer could not believe
their eyes. The K.U.Leuven
Egyptologists discovered a
grave from 2050 BC with an
intact coffin, mummy, and
various wooden objects. Intact
discoveries from this period
are rare and mostly happened
in times long gone. “I only
know this from books.”
Katrien Steyaert
H
enu is the name of the Egyptian whose mummy has
been taken from its final
resting place after four thousand years. His coffin was buried in a
rock tomb on the south hill of the archaeological site Dayr al-Barsha, where
K.U.Leuven has been excavating since
2002 under the direction of the Egyptologist Harco Willems. “It is an area of
about forty km2 between Luxor and Cairo with extensive grave fields. Around
1900 it was a famous site, but since then
strangely enough nobody had taken
further interest. That certainly goes for
the south hill. The visible graves there
are mostly damaged, but the area is really terra incognita.”
Marleen De Meyer, a doctoral student
in Egyptology who just returned from
a two month dig, knows that too. “Be-
cause of work on the north hill, we only
began to explore the untouched south
hill in 2004.” This has now delivered the
amazing discovery. “Hieroglyphs put us
on the trail. In that territory there are
many rock cut tombs that date to the
Old Kingdom, around 2200 BC. In nine
of these tombs the provincial governor
Djehutinakht placed a restoration in-
Egyptologist Marleen De Meyer copies the hieroglyphic text from Henu’s
coffin onto a sheet of transparant plastic.
01cki20.indd 1
scription 150 years later, saying that he
repaired the tombs of his ancestors that
he had found in ruin. Thanks to Henu’s
tomb, which dates from Djehutinakht’s
time, we know what he meant by this.
We have proven for the first time that
the tombs were re-used at that time,
which was a great surprise.”
The first in 4000 years
The dusty mountains had already
surrendered an intact grave before,
but that had perished due to natural
circumstances. Willems: “I will not
quickly forget our lucky day. Marleen
let me know via the walkie-talkie that
I had better come take a look. I cursed
because I had just climbed up the other
mountain, and needed to go all the way
back. But when I got there I quickly
knew that this was a discovery that I
only knew from books.”
De Meyer: “The burial chamber of
Henu was closed off with a pile of stones
at the bottom of a vertical shaft of more
than three metres deep. The sterile
shaft fill looked promising, but it was
only after a small hole appeared that
I could look into the burial chamber.
With the exception of a few cobwebs, it
was perfect. I peered in and stood eye
to eye with the intact statue of Henu.
It was common at that time to place
wooden statues in the tombs. We fur-
ther found sandals, statues of women
milling grain and brewing beer, men
making mud bricks, and even a metrelong boat with oarsmen. Everything
was so well preserved that it looked
as if it had just been placed there. It is
an indescribable feeling that you were
the first to look in after 4000 years.
That’s why you are an archaeologist!”
Willems: “For days I was not able to
wipe the smile from her face.”
In the coffin lay Henu’s mummy, of
which only the outermost layers were
eaten away by insects. Willems: “An
intact mummy from the First Intermediate Period is very rare. Such discoveries are mostly 100 years old.” De Meyer:
“We used our stretcher for the first
time to carry Henu from the mountain.
He found shelter in our on-site excavation house, which is where we also catalogued the other objects. My research
into the texts is completed; Henu is the
icing on the cake. We hope that this
high quality material will be displayed
in a museum in the way we found it in
the burial chamber.”
“The site still has enormous potential.
On the last day of our dig, we uncovered
new burial shafts on the other side of
the hill. Henu is not the last discovery!”
http://www.arts.kuleuven.be/egyptology/
Henu.htm
2007-07-09 13:41:45
2
Contents
The ‘lingua franca’ as a
source of injustice
New doctoral schools
bundle forces
4
The at-home feeling
in a Cape township
5
Development Cooperation Prize
6
Room exchange
Cine mundial,
made in Belgium
7
En Español
Ask away:
Khalil Cheaitani
september 2007
campuskrant international
4
Lectures for the 21st Century
‘Room service’ for
Erasmus students
editorial
8
campuskrant international
Address
Campuskrant International
Communications Office
Oude Markt 13
3000 Leuven
phone +32 16 32 40 18
fax +32 016 32 40 14
e-mail [email protected]
http://www.kuleuven.ac.be/ck/international/
Editor-in-chief
Reiner Van Hove
Contributors
Lien Lammar, Ludo Meyvis, Klaartje Proesmans,
Katrien Steyaert, Tim Vuylsteke, Tim Willekens
Translators
English: John Hymers
Dear Reader
Estimado lector
So much happens between “Hello” and “Goodbye.” Around this time of year, many students and
scholars from abroad take their first hesitating
walk through Leuven and try to find their way in
the administrative shrubbery. At the same time,
many others are packing their bags after a couple
of months or even a couple of years of study or research at our university. Hello. Goodbye.
Simple words, but with unforgettable
events between them. I wish all newcomers a sparkling stay in Leuven, and
I wish all who leave us a safe trip back
home. Don’t forget us.
We won’t forget you. That’s why
Campuskrant International is there. It
humbly aspires to safeguard the contact between you and K.U.Leuven, your
habitat for who knows how long. It contains a small showcase of what we feel
is important ongoing research. Take, for
instance, the discovery of an extraordinarily wellpreserved Egyptian tomb. There is also an article
on the Lectures of the 21st Century, a new Englishlanguage lecture series dealing with the future
challenges for man, society, and science. Those of
you pursuing a PhD will be very interested in our
new Doctoral Schools. And our International Office
has been completely refurbished, as its new director, Bart Hendrickx, clearly outlines.
Readers with artistic aspirations can get acquainted on the back page with Janus Theatre, a theatre
group of international students. There you will also
meet the true superheroes who have made it their
mission to promote rational energy use at our university.
Much more is still to be found in this issue of
Campuskrant International. But you know the golden rule of introductions: be brief. That’s my kind
of rule.
Ocurren tantas cosas entre un Hola y un Adiós... En
esta época del año, muchos alumnos e investigadores de otros países dan su primero y dubitativo paseo
por Lovaina y luchan por encontrar su camino entre la
maleza del papeleo y las gestiones administrativas. Al
mismo tiempo, muchos otros hacen las maletas tras
un par de meses (o quizá un par de años) de estudios
o investigaciones en nuestra universidad.
Hola. Adiós. Son palabras sencillas, pero
entre una y otra habrán ocurrido cosas
inolvidables. A todos los recién llegados
les deseo una estancia feliz y productiva
en Lovaina, y a todos los que nos dejan, un
buen viaje de vuelta. No nos olvidéis.
Nosotros, desde luego, no os olvidamos. Para eso está Campuskrant International. Nuestra humilde aspiración es
ayudaros a mantener el contacto con la
K.U.Leuven, vuestra casa durante quién
sabe cuánto tiempo. Aquí encontraréis
una pequeña muestra de nuestras investigaciones
actuales más destacadas. Por ejemplo, el descubrimiento de unos utensilios extraordinariamente bien
conservados en varias tumbas de Egipto. También
hay un artículo sobre Lectures of the 21st Century, una
nueva serie de discursos que tratan sobre los desafíos a los que el hombre, la sociedad y la ciencia deberán hacer frente en el futuro. Para los que estéis
haciendo el doctorado tenemos las nuevas Escuelas
Doctorales. Y, además, hemos renovado por completo nuestra Oficina de Relaciones Internacionales, tal
como explica su nuevo director, Bart Hendrickx.
Los lectores con aspiraciones artísticas podrán conocer el Teatro Janus, un grupo dramático de estudiantes internacionales que nos cuentan su historia en
la contraportada. Allí conoceremos también a unos
auténticos superhéroes que se han marcado como
misión fomentar el uso racional de la energía en nuestra universidad. Y en el artículo en español, el conocido director de cine Peter Brosens, ex alumno nuestro,
nos habla de su nuevo proyecto en Perú.
En esta edición de Campuskrant International hay
mucho, mucho más. Te invitamos a descubrirlo. Pero
ya conoces la regla de oro de las presentaciones: sé
breve. Esas son las reglas que me gustan.
Professor Mart Buekers
Vice-President International Policy
Español: Beatrice Navarro de la TorreSchotsmans, Paula van Eupen-Lavrysen
Design
Catapult
Profesor Mart Buekers
Vicepresidente Política Internacional
Layout
Wouter Verbeylen
Photography
Rob Stevens
Circulation
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campuskrant international quiz
Print
Win a book about the history of K.U.Leuven
Drukkerij Van der Poorten
Publisher
Ronny Vandenbroele, Oude Markt 13,
3000 Leuven
Copyright
Articles from this edition may be used only with
permission of the publisher.
Subscription
Alumni from K.U.Leuven can ask for their free
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C
ampuskrant International has
been seized by a fit of generosity:
take part in our contest and you
will have a chance to win a copy of the
book ‘The City on the Hill. A History of
Leuven University 1968-2005.’
To be eligible to win the prize, just
send us the correct answers to the
following three questions. Two of the
three answers can be found in this issue of Campuskrant International; the
third answer is in the previous issue
(May 2007). If you have already recycled
the previous issue, you can consult it online at: http://www.kuleuven.be/ck/international/. Good luck and happy hunting!
E-mail your answers to:
[email protected], or send this
page by regular mail to the editor (address inside front cover).
The correct answers to last issue’s
questions:
1. The book ‘One dimensional man’ was
written by Herbert Marcuse.
2. The American College is located on
the Naamsestraat.
3. Erik Vanleeuw is the project director
of the Dondeyne House.
An impartial outsider picked out the
winner from among last issue’s quiz contestants: Giuliano Cioccolo. He receives
a copy of the book ‘The University Library of Leuven. The story of a phoenix’.
Our heartfelt congratulations!
02cki20.indd 1
1.
In which Cape township did Sarah
Meys conduct research for her thesis?
2.
In which Janus Theatre play did Khalil
Cheaitani have the main role?
3.
Which Belgian triathlete came to test
the hypoxy room at the Faculty of
Kinesiology and Rehabilitation
Sciences on March 27?
2007-07-09 13:43:32
campuskrant international
international policy
september 2007
T
“
operations. The International Office is
committed to working closely with all
these actors in the field to further improve the international position of our
university and to make internationalization a constant and automatic process.”
“We also want to look for new partners in the field of development cooperation. I am thinking of the large
multilateral institutions that do work
in capacity building in the South, such
as the World Bank, the Inter-American
Development Bank, the African Development Bank and others, where we as
a university are, until now, mostly absent. We have a lot of in-house expertise
within the K.U.Leuven — in fields such
as good governance, water management, poverty reduction, just to name
a few — which should allow us to play a
more prominent role within the framework of the multilateral projects supported by these institutions.”
he first months have been
fascinating,”
says
Hendrickx. “This is the first
time since my law studies in
Leuven that I have returned to my alma
mater. And although I dealt with educational matters in my previous function,
this is my first appointment in higher
education. It is a very complex matter,
and the learning curve is very steep.
Luckily, I have been immediately taken
in by the enthusiasm of the people here,
and I can profit from the enormous experience that they have built up.”
The International Office has not only
received a new director, but also a new
structure. This comprises three units:
The International Admissions and Mobility Unit, the International Policy Unit,
and the Development Cooperation Unit.
Hendrickx: “Through the restructuring, a number of units spread through
out the university, which were quasiautonomously active in aspects of international policy, have been rearranged
and brought together in one location,
the beautiful Atrecht College. It is still
too early to evaluate the new structure,
since it is still quite busy evolving. But
we are certainly moving in the right direction, and have already noticed a lot of
synergy between the different units: we
are constantly learning from each other,
and in the process, striving to further
improve our service to the university ”
Priority partners
Hendrickx had quite a baptism of fire: directly after his appointment, he left for
Beijing with an extensive K.U.Leuven delegation, where a declaration of intent towards comprehensive cooperation with
the University of Tsinghua was signed
(see Campuskrant International May, 2007).
Hendrickx: “Naturally, I also went
often on missions in my previous job.
These normally went very smoothly, but
the follow-up usually left something to
be desired, because of constantly shifting priorities. For that reason, I found
it quite reassuring that the goal of the
Tsinghua-mission and the desired outcome were fairly clearly stated in consultation before departure. We had thought
about the steps ahead and more or less
knew how we wanted to proceed before
we came back. The already-confirmed
return visit is proof that this thorough
approach works: at the end of November,
we are receiving a very extensive delegation from Tsinghua. At that time we will
formalize the cooperation in a more
concrete and specific agreement. We at
the International Office together with
Vice-President for International Policy
Professor Mart Buekers are in almost
constant conversation with our Chinese
partners and, equally if not more importantly, also with the K.U.Leuven delegation members from the different groups
and faculties. Together we will set up the
framework for our cooperation in the
years ahead, and specify its nature.”
“What is already set is that we, together with our sister university UCL,
will open a joint office in Beijing in
the autumn. This office is to ensure
permanent representation in China. In
the first place, it will become a meeting
place, facilitating contacts, cooperation,
and exchanges between K.U.Leuven
and Chinese universities — not only Tsinghua. It will offer the opportunity
for direct contact with students and researchers who want to come to Leuven,
allowing for more informed decisions
and better understanding on both sides.
And we also see a promotional role for
this office through its presence at key
partner university functions and possibly master’s and doctoral fairs in China.
In this, the office will be supported and
complimented by the K.U.Leuven Chinese Alumni Association, which was
established in Beijing during the visit
— another first for the Tsinghua mission,
03cki20.indd 1
3
(© Rob Stevens)
Bart Hendrickx, director of the International Office
“We must look
abroad now
more than ever”
“My shoe size, perhaps?” jokes Bart Hendrickx when we ask at
the end of the interview if we have left out anything important.
He speaks to us in good spirits, even though he is dealing with
the effects of jetlag: Hendrickx is just back from the USA, where
he picked up his wife and children and arranged his move. For
twelve years he was the representative of the Flemish government in Washington DC. Since the end of March, he has been
the director of the International Office.
Reiner Van Hove
and certainly something we would like
to further develop elsewhere as well.”
“It is certainly our intention in the
future to focus our university-wide cooperation in other regions — i.e., India,
the USA, Latin-America — intently on
one or at most a very few priority partners. Naturally, the development of
these comprehensive priority partner-
that matter, not happen top-down — we
will ask for the input of the groups, faculties, and departments — and neither
will these central accords stand in the
way of other, smaller-scale forms of
international cooperation. Focus and
networking are key words in the new
strategy set forth by the management of
K.U.Leuven and we will take this task to
“The establishment of the doctoral schools is
an important step: we can now present our offer
in attractive packages and fit more easily
within an international framework.”
ships will require extensive exploratory
talks and trips, analysis of the existing
relations in the region, intensive internal consultation, establishing a shortlist
…. The choice of these partners will, for
heart on the international playing field.
It’s our professors, researchers, faculties,
departments, and groups, however, who
have the most valuable contacts and networks abroad by the nature of their daily
Raising visibility
K.U.Leuven is making internationalization one of the highest priorities for the
coming years. Hendrickx: “After the introduction of the bachelor-master structure, we have a much more open educational landscape, and our university
is offering more and more English-language programmes. That means that we
must look abroad now more than ever
with regard to recruiting, marketing,
and image building. We are currently
exploring the existing situation in various regions with the intention of elaborating a number of strategies, especially
towards our neighbouring countries
and Central and Eastern Europe.”
“We are not only concerned with attracting international students, but
also with recruiting researchers and
professors. That means: daring to drop
local recruiting, and throwing open vacancies worldwide. In that regard, the
establishment of the doctoral schools
(see next page) is an important step: we
can now present our offer in attractive
packages and fit more easily within an
international framework. But, and its
importance is often underappreciated,
we need to pay continuous attention to
non-academic considerations: housing,
childcare, etc. Often these are the details
that determine the choice, say, between
Leuven, Heidelberg, and Leiden.”
“We also still have a lot of work to do
in the field of name recognition and
branding. I think that we have a distorted image: we presume too quickly
that Leuven is known through out the
world. My experience from my time
spent in the USA as Flemish Government Representative tells me that this
is mostly a wrong assumption. Leuven
is by far the best known Flemish or Belgian university, but that does not mean
we are where we need to be.”
“Many people abroad also know
K.U.Leuven without knowing it. Our university has a number of terrific centres
of excellence, which are known and respected worldwide in their own niches.
But the problem is that the link between
these centres and K.U.Leuven is too infrequently made. We must bring about
a change in this, because the reputation
of these quality centres spurs researchers to see if Leuven also offers possibilities in their fields of study.”
A typical final question: what three
words would Hendrickx use to persuade a hesitant researcher or student
to come to Leuven? He answers with an
alliterative trio: “Learning-experience,
life-experience, and location. The manner in which town and gown — quality
living and learning — are interwoven
is really almost unique. And due to its
incredible location, Leuven is ideal as a
travel base for exploring other towns,
languages, and cultures. Really: I have
never met anyone who actually knew
Leuven and did not sing its praises.”
2007-07-09 13:44:23
4
research & education
september 2007
campuskrant international
Lectures for the 21st Century now also in English
“Introduction to the science
and cultural identity of Belgium”
For thirteen years now, students from every faculty have been able to follow the interfaculty course ‘Lectures for the 21st century,’
which each year offers thirteen very different themes approached from different angles. Already remarkable because anyone interested can follow the lectures alongside students, this course is also making its English-language debut this coming academic year
in the form of a separate series specifically intended for the international students in Leuven.
Tim Vuylsteke
S
ays coordinator Professor Bart
Raymaekers of the Institute of
Philosophy: “We were considering the English ‘Lectures’ for a while,
but have finally taken the plunge:
an English-language version is coming, parallel to the Dutch. In the
first place, we are aiming at students
who follow international study programmes. We would like to introduce
them to the research that is carried
out in the various faculties of our university.”
“The ‘Lectures’ are not simply a copy
of their big brother: for the English version we have worked out a separate programme, in cooperation with the International Office. Among other things,
that has led us to pay more attention to
local culture. Thus, for example, there
are a number of lectures on the art and
culture of the Low Countries, and the
political situation in Belgium will also
be discussed. In this manner, the ‘Lectures’ can function as a sort of introduction to the cultural identity of our
country and science.”
“A second difference is that the English lectures will take place in the large
auditorium of STUK. Afterwards, there
will be ample opportunity for chatting
and meeting people in the café. Naturally, we hope that, just as with the
Dutch-language ‘Lectures,’ the audience will not only comprise students,
because a colourful public ensures a
special atmosphere.”
The lectures (with concluding discussions)
are given on Tuesday evenings from 7:30
p.m. till 9:30 p.m. in STUK, Auditorium AI,
Naamsestraat 96, 3000 Leuven. More info:
http://www.hiw.kuleuven.be/eng/lectures/
index.htm
The lingua franca as a source of injustice
(© Rob Stevens)
The first ‘Lecture for the 21st Century’ is planned for November 13, and has the title ‘Linguistic Justice for Europe, Belgium and the World.’ Since we have absolutely no idea of what this topic promises,
nor even its discipline (law? linguistics? political science?), we went directly to the speaker himself,
Professor Philippe Van Parijs, who is attached to the UCL, K.U.Leuven, and Harvard.
P
rofessor Van Parijs: “I regard myself as a philosopher. But being
in charge of a chair in economics
and social ethics, I tend to collaborate
more often with economists, political
scientists, lawyers, linguists, and other
social scientists than with other philosophers. My lecture, too, will try to
combine several ‘sciences.’ I am currently working on a book entitled Linguistic Justice for Europe and for the World,
to be published by Oxford University
Press in the same series as my earlier
book, Real Freedom for All. The lecture
will present some of the central claims
in that new book, using Belgium as an
illustration.”
An unjust lingua franca
“My point of departure is that languages
are unequal in status and spread, more
than ever now that English has become
the first ever worldwide lingua franca.
For various reasons, I believe that this
process of convergence towards one language known by all, be it as a second or
third language, must be fostered rather
than resisted. But the fact that the lingua
franca is the native language of some
people is a source of injustice in three
distinct senses: linguistic injustice as
free riding, as unequal opportunity, and
as unequal dignity.”
“What do I mean by this? ‘Free riding’
is a kind of co-operative injustice: the
lingua franca is a public good which enables us to communicate across borders.
But the native speakers of the lingua
franca enjoy this benefit without contributing to it. They get a free ride from
those who have to go through the hard
job of learning a second language. Isn’t
this unfair? ‘Unequal opportunity’ is
distributive injustice. Those equipped
from birth with a language in high demand are given a major advantage in
an increasingly international labour
market. Isn’t this unfair? ‘Unequal dig-
New doctoral schools strive after internationalization
Greater visibility,
greater appeal
On May 10, 2007, K.U.Leuven celebrated the establishment of
three doctoral schools — one for each group. Mission: to advertise and recruit internationally, to optimize the guidance of
doctoral students, and to help expand and develop the skills of
young researchers. Universities are organizing doctoral schools
not only in Leuven, but throughout Europe. “They ensure more
visibility and thus greater international appeal,” says research
policy coordinator Professor Paul De Boeck.
Lien Lammar
04cki20.indd 1
nity’ is what could be called injustice
in recognition. Collective identities are
closely tied to native languages. And
granting a systematic privilege to one
of them amounts to downgrading, even
humiliating the identities associated
with the ‘inferior’ native languages.”
Will Professor Van Parijs propose solutions to these problems? “Yes, I will.
I shall argue, for example, that the
plundering of the Web may be the most
realistic response to the Anglophone’s
free riding; that prohibiting the dubbing of foreign films and encouraging
subtitling is part of the answer to the
distributive injustice generated by the
dominance of English; and that the linguistic territoriality principle provides
the only serious response to linguistic
injustice as unequal dignity.”
Louvain or Leuven?
Does the fact that a lot of international
students will attend his lecture affect
its contents? “Certainly. Firstly, because
I shall make sure to appeal to the personal experience of students and scholars with an international trajectory.
Secondly, because I shall highlight the
universal nature of the issues discussed,
T
“
he establishment of doctoral schools is new, but it
has been in the air,” says
De Boeck. “It fits within a
gradual change that has been going on
now for a while: namely, the systematic
treatment of doctoral studies. Not that
it was chaos before (laughs). The forces
of the humanities, biomedical sciences,
and science & engineering are now simply better bundled and organized. It is
beautiful how the entire university has
moved in the same direction without
any real persuasive force being needed.”
One of the main objectives of the
doctoral schools is the recruiting, selection, and placement of in-coming
young researchers. “In comparison
with the high level of research and also
the high funding that we obtain, internal recruiting is really insufficient,”
De Boeck explains. “We have indeed
the fact that they arise throughout the
world. And thirdly, because I shall regard it as part of my task to introduce
an international audience to the linguistic conflict that has been at the core of
Belgian political life for a century or so
and has deeply marked the history of
Louvain – or should I say Leuven? – itself.
No doubt a delicate matter for a Francophone Belgian who teaches both in Louvain-la-Neuve and in Leuven.”
What is Professor Van Parijs’s opinion
on the English version of the ‘Lectures’?
“For reasons close to the theme of my
lecture, I believe this to be a pioneering
step in a desirable direction, especially if
it is not directed exclusively at a ghetto
of foreign students, but also at a wider
and educated Flemish audience, which
has now become even more competent
in English than it used to be in French.
However, for reasons I shall also discuss, it will remain important to keep
a significant portion of higher education and of high-level cultural activity
in the local languages. The ‘Lectures for
the 21st Century’ should not end up replacing, but rather complementing and
supporting the Dutch-language ‘Lessen
voor de 21ste eeuw.’”
(tv)
already been recruiting externally for
some time, but the quality of our recruiting can be better. With the doctoral schools, we ensure more visibility,
and hopefully we attract more international candidates. Also, graduates will
be placed in a more organized manner.
Until now, that depended exclusively on
individual contacts between students
and potential supervisors, but thanks
to the doctoral school, vacancies will
now be grouped and advertised internationally. Thus, students get the chance
to look more widely than one professor,
and the doctoral school can negotiate
precisely where they will end up.”
“The education of doctoral students
is traditionally focused on research
— and that will remain the case — but
more work will be done on the competencies that young researchers need to
 page 5
2007-07-09 13:45:22
campuskrant international
development cooperation
september 2007
5
Development Cooperation Prize for thesis on Cape township
No place to feel at home
“Baie dank!” (“many thanks!,” ed.), writes Sarah Meys in the acknowledgements of her thesis. These words in Afrikaans are directed
at the community workers and inhabitants of Wesbank, a post-apartheid township near Cape Town. Meys stayed there for three
months with a VLIR travel grant to investigate how at home the Wesbankers feel in their district. Or, in the language of thesis titles: to study the ‘people-place relationships at the neighbourhood level.’ The jury of the Development Cooperation Prize found the
results of Meys’ research very successful: the geographer is one of three Leuven laureates awarded with EUR 1,250.
Reiner Van Hove
W
hen the Mandela government proposed its
Reconstruction and Development Programme
in 1994 — an ambitious plan to put an
end to the social injustice of the apartheid years — housing for the poor was
one of the pillars. “The intentions were
undoubtedly good,” says Meys, “but the
costs appeared to be a serious obstacle.
The government brought in private
companies to build the new districts
such as Wesbank, and the contractors put in as little money as possible
into as many houses as possible. The
residences are of a depressing quality: walls in bare breezeblock, cement
floors and corrugated-metal roofs, all
without any insulation. The living conditions correspond with this: mould
and poor air quality lead to tuberculosis and other lung diseases.”
To be able to get a house in Wesbank,
the applicant must earn under a set income limit. Meys: “That has led to the
absurd situation that some people have
given up their jobs to make it onto the
waiting list. Officially, Wesbank now
has 25,000 inhabitants, of whom 95%
earn less than EUR 200 per month. The
location of the district offers the inhabitants few possibilities to improve the
situation. Wesbank was built on ‘dumping grounds’ — destined for black people
during the apartheid regime — which lie
far from the employment opportunities
offered in Cape Town. Income segregation has replaced race segregation. The
result is about the same.”
No choice
In the summer of 2005, Meys, together
with a fellow student, left for three
months in Cape Town. “In the first
month it was not simple to make contact with the people of Wesbank. But
when we did volunteer work in the local hospital, we got to know community workers, and they introduced us
to a few inhabitants. In interviews, we
asked them how they felt in the district, and how they got along with the
neighbours. We showed them photos of
 page 4
have. You develop a large number of
these competencies as a doctoral student thanks to daily research activities,
but if necessary, the doctoral school
can organize supplemental training.
A specially-developed competence profile will help with this. Thus, you will
receive better education and follow-up,
and you prepare doctoral students for
the possible step towards the corporate world. This is not unimportant if
you look at the out-stream. The future
of many doctoral students lies outside
the academic world. We wish to prepare
them for that, and at the same time, to
announce the value of our researchers
to the outside world.”
Brain-force
Means are naturally needed to encourage research optimally. De Boeck expects
05cki20.indd 1
(© Sarah Meys)
places in Wesbank, and asked them if
they had positive or negative feelings.
From the interviews, it appeared that
only a small minority of the inhabitants
really felt at home in the neighbourhood. I am not happy here, but we have no
choice and must make the best of it, was the
reaction that I received the most. They
consider Wesbank as a place where they
can survive, not as a home.”
For the inhabitants, it is not only
difficult to obtain any economic success; building up social capital is also
not easy. Meys: “When the district was
built, too few meeting places and recreation facilities were provided. Nevertheless, these are very important
for promoting mutual understanding
in a district where so many cultures,
languages, and origins are found next
to one another. References to race are
scrupulously avoided after apartheid,
but other stigmas having to do with
behaviour or origin have taken their
place. For example, I talked with a woman who could not accept that her Xhosa
neighbours made fires in the garden.”
Role play
Lack of safety is by far the greatest problem in Wesbank. Meys: “The few meeting places are often unusable because
they are too dangerous. Most of the
playgrounds are pools of mud with rusty
equipment, where youth congregate to
snort drugs. Two gangs, the 26s and the
28s, rule in Wesbank and constantly fight
for their territory. They operate shebeens,
illegal bars where drugs are sold. Almost
everybody that we interviewed has come
into contact with one of the gangs at least
once: having been themselves mugged,
a family member murdered…. The local tabloid, Die Son, is also full of crime
stories. When we lived there, it was relatively peaceful because one of the more
important gang leaders had just been
arrested. But I have heard that researchers have been advised against coming to
Wesbank next year, because the situation has become too dangerous.”
The dominance of violence in the
township also appears in a role play
with children: “One of the community
workers organized a drama class a few
that the schools can count on a number
of scholarship grants from the Bijzonder Onderzoeksfonds (Special Research
Fund, ed.). In addition, he hopes that the
doctoral schools can take up a flexible
position towards heterogeneous doctorates, so as to give as many talented
researchers as possible a chance.
“I myself am an advocate of heterogeneous doctorates, not as the prototype,
but as an additional opportunity: a few
smaller, applied projects grouped together in one doctorate. There are young
researchers who do not follow a classic
itinerary, but go from one subject to
another following the funding that is
available. If the quality level of these
projects is high enough to do doctoral
studies, why not? In this manner, you
attract additional worthwhile people
for a doctorate. An interesting new
initiative is the recently announced
Baekeland Programme from Minister
Moerman (Fientje Moerman, vice-ministerpresident of the Flemish government and
Flemish minister for economy, enterprise,
science, innovation and foreign trade, ed.),
which encourages cooperation — including financial — between doctoral students and corporations. In my eyes, this
programme is a very good development
for the doctoral level.”
The importance of doing a doctorate
reaches far beyond the bounds of the university, De Boeck stresses. “Well-educated
doctoral students and scientific research
of a high level are important requirements for Europe to stay economically
competitive. We also need people at the
level of society with a certain expertise
who can tackle problems independently.
If the European Union wants to keep scoring highly, then it must innovate, and a

brain-force is needed for this.”
times per week. I replaced her in class
one afternoon, and I asked the children
— between the ages of eight and sixteen
— to depict typical township situations.
One of the skits took place in a taxi-bus.
One boy was the driver, another had to
collect the fare, a third was a passenger
who did not appear to have any money
in his pockets. This last boy was pushed
off the bus and robbed of whatever possession that he had on him. Other scenes
concerned household violence, poverty,
drug use, and the gangs, which clearly
have a great attraction for the children.”
According to Meys, lessons can be
learned from Wesbank’s situation for
large-scale social housing projects in the
South: “I have not really worked out that
recommendation in detail in my thesis,
but it is clear that social, economic, and
spatial aspects must receive more attention in planning. A house must be more
than only a roof above one’s head.”
Every year, the Belgian Development Cooperation awards prizes to
fourteen students and six young researchers worldwide for academic
theses highly relevant to development. Info: http://www.devcoprize.
africamuseum.be/
Along with Sarah Meys (supervisor: the late Professor Hendrik
Meert), two more Leuven students
were among the laureates of the
Development Cooperation Prize
this year:
Lien Terryn, for her thesis “Water
conservation and land rehabilitation by storing runoff from gullies in
the Highlands of Tigray (Ethiopia)”
(supervisor: Professor Dirk Raes)
Katrien Van Uytsel, for her thesis
“Dynamics and materialisation in
the margin between public and
private spaces in Mwanza Region,
Tanzania” (supervisor: Professor
Han Verschure)
More information: http://www.kuleuven.be/phd
2007-07-09 13:46:51
6
living in leuven
september 2007
campuskrant international
SHORTNEWS
Programmes &
application deadlines
(© Rob Stevens)
Room exchange for exchange students
Keep my room warm for me
If you want to go on a cheap vacation, then you can exchange houses: you live in the house in
the south of France of a family who takes your house for the same period. The Housing Service
of K.U.Leuven offers a variation on this system: a room exchange. It is especially intended for
students who wish to spend a part of the year abroad in the Erasmus exchange programme.
Tim Vuylsteke
H
eidi De Clercq of the Housing Service: “It is more difficult for Flemish students
who only study for a few months of
the academic year in Leuven, because
they embark on Erasmus or must follow an internship outside of the city,
to find rooms, since most landlords
use twelve-month contracts. The same
goes for international students who
only stay in Leuven for one semester.
With the room exchange system, we
want to bring both groups together.”
“Flemish students usually rent a
room for ten or twelve months. If they
leave for abroad, and if the landlord
agrees, they can sublet their room
to an international guest student. In
this case, the Flemish students are
placed on an address list, which we
then circulate among the international students of K.U.Leuven and the
Leuven institutes of higher education.
We give advice and mediate if necessary, but the concrete agreements are
arranged mutually by the students.”
“Room exchange has existed since
the end of the 1980s, when the first
Erasmus students left for abroad. Per
academic year, about 150 Erasmus
students find a room via this system,
but that could be much higher: Leuven hosts about 600 exchange students who only stay for one semester.
The offer of sublet rooms does not
meet the demand for long.”
is its educational style. In Bologna,
we mostly get history, which we must
literally memorize, while here I gain
much more practical experience: writing papers, carrying out research.... It
is much more concrete here.”
Without problems
Does it work in practice as smoothly as
Housing Service claims? Campuskrant
International investigated, and called
on Gerardo Di Francesco, an Italian
Erasmus student who has followed International Affairs and Conflict Resolution since February. “When I passed
by the Housing Service half-way into
the academic year, they offered me
two possibilities: rent a private room
or take a room of a Flemish student
who was abroad for a half year. I chose
the second option.”
“I got an address list, and that’s
how I found this place. The girl from
whom I rent the room was at the moment in Spain, so I had to arrange
everything with her parents. That
went without problems.”
Gerardo is satisfied with his room,
but what about his classes? “Certainly. What I like the most about Leuven
The International Housing Service assists
international visitors in finding suitable
housing. It provides information about
the various types of accommodation
available in the private sector and in
residence halls. The service answers specific questions about rent-related issues
and mediates in the event of problems
between landlords and international
visitors.
 Exchange Students
(t) +32 16 32 44 05,
[email protected]
 Visiting Professors and Fellows
(t) +32 16 32 88 15,
[email protected]
Orientation Days for newly arrived international
students and researchers
06cki20.indd 1
Questions about health insurance,
mobility (bike, car, and train), waste
collection, student employment,
registration at city hall, using the
Internet and Toledo, the location
of student services, etc., will all be
answered.
On the morning of Friday September
21, a special welcome and introduction session will be organized for
new doctoral students and researchers.
Alumni database online
The alumni association maintains an online database to
improve communication between
K.U.Leuven and its alumni, and to
allow alumni to get in touch with
one another. After registering,
alumni can consult the database,
update their personal details and
search for other alumni. To register, you simply enter your e-mail
address and a password will be
sent to you. Using your e-mail address and password, you can then
log in to the database and search
for alumni. It is also possible to
send an e-mail to your former
classmates and to look up lost
friends. You can choose whether
or not your personal information
will be visible to other alumni
members, and you can enter your
current employment details.
http://alumni.kuleuven.be
 Regular Students, International
Scholars and Researchers
(t) +32 16 32 44 02 and 44 07,
[email protected]
September 19-26, 2007
To help new international students
and researchers get settled during
their first days in Leuven, the university offers a special Orientation
Programme with lots of useful information concerning living and studying
in Leuven. During these Orientation
Days, new students and researchers
will also have plenty of opportunities
to meet their fellow students during
social activities, a party, sports activities, and trips.
K.U.Leuven offers an extensive
range of programmes in English. You can find an overview at
http://www.kuleuven.be/english/
teaching.
Non-EEA citizens must apply before February 1 for the Dutch-language programmes, and before
March 1 for the English-language
programmes. We prefer to receive
the applications of EEA-students
before June 1.
There is no deadline for predoctoral and doctoral programmes,
nor for international and visiting
scholars and specialisation programmes.
Information about the application
procedure and about our university, its admission policy, study and
research programmes and their
diploma and language requirements etc., can be found on our
Web site http://www.kuleuven.
be/english or at the International
Office: International Admissions
and Mobility Unit, (t) +32 16 32 40
20, (f) +32 16 32 37 73, csb@int.
kuleuven.be.
On the weekend, we offer two
daytrips to the magnificent Flemish
city of Bruges.
Participation in the Orientation Days
is free, except for meals, drinks, and
the trips.
For further information and registration,
please visit http://www.kuleuven.be/vesta.
International Office, Naamsestraat
63, Leuven, (t) +32 16 32 37 46,
[email protected]
Request a
Flemish Buddy
‘A buddy really shows you the colour of
a country. Apart from that, it’s useful
to have someone to assist with practical
and administrative things’ – so said a
Polish student who came to Leuven last
year (Campuskrant International, April
2006).
You can request a ‘personal buddy,’ a
Flemish student who can answer all
your practical questions and show you
around Leuven and its university. Your
buddy can also introduce you to Belgian habits and customs, and even to
his or her own family. Having a buddy
will certainly facilitate your cultural
adjustment and reduce any possible
culture shock.
If you are interested, fill out the form on
http://www.kuleuven.be/vesta/buddy/
index.htm. You can always contact
[email protected] for more information.
2007-07-09 13:48:01
campuskrant international
entrevista
september 2007
7
Ex alumno de la K.U.Leuven rueda
una nueva película en Perú
Cine mundial,
‘made in Belgium’
Una tienda de campaña de nómadas ardiendo en el centro de la
estepa de Mongolia, un caballo con un trozo de cielo alrededor
del cuello, una niña sepultada bajo el carbón, estas son las imágenes que Khadak fija en tu retina. La película del ex alumno de
la K.U.Leuven Peter Brosens (de 45 años) y de su esposa americana Jessica Woodworth ha sido colmada de premios y superlativos en el mundo entero. En el Festival de Venecia la película fue
galardonada con el premio a la mejor opera prima, el León del
Futuro. El futuro inmediato de Brosens se encuentra en el Perú,
donde rodará su nueva película Fragments of Grace.
(© Rob Stevens)
Katrien Steyaert
C
uenta Brosens: “De niño me inicié en la fotografía, más tarde
con unos amigos hice representaciones de diapositivas con un viejo
Revox. Cuando vi la película Stalker
de Andrei Tarkovsky, no pude hablar
durante algunos días. ‘¡Sí, quiero hacer películas!’ pensé.” Sin embargo, la
preocupación de sus padres le impidió
estudiar fotografía y cine. “‘Primero ve
a la universidad y luego haz lo que te
dé la gana’, me dijeron.” Yo desciendo de
una familia de académicos. Mi padre es
uno de los pioneros de la fertilización
in vitro y mi abuelo era catedrático en
el Departamento de Química. Al fin y al
cabo, yo mismo terminé coleccionando
una variedad de diplomas.”
Al principio Brosens estudió geografía humana. “Estoy más interesado por
el hombre en su entorno que por lo que
hay debajo de la tierra. Sin embargo, en
la Facultad de Ciencias no hay interés
por saber acerca del por qué de la acción
humana.” La consecuencia lógica fue la
toma de cursos de postgrado en Antropología Social y Cultural. “Fue un gran
descubrimiento para mí.”
Epidemias de suicidios
Brosens miraba el mundo con curiosidad. “En los años setenta mis padres entablaron amistad con muchos estudiantes latinoamericanos. Salíamos poco
de viaje pero, eso sí, fuimos dos veces a
América Latina. Esto, ara un niño como
yo, resultaba un viaje increíblemente lejos y lleno de aventuras. La investigación
de mi tesis final se situó, no por casualidad, en Lima, en cuyas calles aprendí
a hablar español suficientemente. Esto,
junto con mi insólita variedad de diplomas, me llevó a Guayaquil, una ciudad
en el Ecuador, donde me dediqué durante dos años a investigar la migración
rural. Después de aquello había llegado
el momento de dedicarme al cine. Pero,
¡Dios mío!, ¿cómo debía comenzar?”
Para Brosens, una maestría en Antropología Visual en Manchester fue su
trampolín. “Sobre todo aprendí cómo
no tenía que hacer películas. La visión
que se daba del cine era muy estrecha;
algo así como una grabación de la realidad, pero sin ningún uso de lenguaje
cinematográfico.” El director ‘in spe’ intentaba buscar su propio camino. “En el
Ecuador había leído sobre una epidemia
de suicidios en algunos pueblos andinos. Estaba bastante preocupado por la
manera como haría mi trabajo final en
este campo. Con una cámara VHS rodé
en 1994 los cortometrajes La Campana
de Oro y El Camino del Tiempo.”
Este último corto circulaba en los festivales y fue galardonado con algunos
premios. “Es una filmación con un estilo
particular sobre algo que ocurrió por casualidad. Un anciano, versado en las tradiciones orales y los mitos de la región,
llegó borracho a nuestra cita. Después
de su actuación delante de la cámara, se
desmayó y a nadie le sorprendió. Allí, los
mayores tienen el derecho de beber en
abundancia, como un medio para comunicarse con los difuntos. Más tarde, los
mongoles comprenderían rápidamente
estas imágenes latinoamericanas. El
chamanismo del Khadak es algo parecido. Se trata de una dimensión que existe
junto a las tres conocidas. Es posible que
haya un intercambio entre el mundo visual y el de los espíritus de los antepasados. No, yo mismo no creo en el chamanismo, pero sí en la gente que cree en el.
Si no fuera así, no hubiera podido rodar
Khadak.”
Pishtacos
Khadak cuenta la historia de un joven
nómada llamado Bagi que lucha contra
su vocación de chamán. Su abuelo le advierte de que esa resistencia contra su
don paranormal le traeriá mala suerte.
Entonces sucede que se acercan soldados
que van contando sobre la existencia de
una epidemia grave entre los animales y
obligan a los nómadas a mudarse hacia
regiones mineras abandonadas. En ese
lugar, Bagi le salvará la vida a una hermosa ladrona de carbón llamada Zolzaya y juntos se dan cuenta de que lo de la
epidemia ha sido una mentira, un subterfugio para acabar con el nomadismo.
Brosens afirma: “El descubrimiento de
los actores, dos estudiantes, fue una casualidad. Se trata de verdaderos talentos
naturales. Si la película fuera seleccionada, les mandaremos al festival. Bagi nunca salió de Mongolia. En Venecia vio por
primera vez un avión, una playa, una escalera mecánica ¡y chicas italianas!”
Actualmente, Brosens está muy ocupado con el guión y el casting de su
próxima película, Fragments of Grace.
“Después de trece años en Mongolia ya
es tiempo de pasar a otra cosa. La nueva
película, una historia belgo-peruana,
nos lleva nuevamente al tema del suicidio en los Andes. Se trata de suicidios
de venganza ligados una vez más a la
política estadounidense en América Latina. Esta política destruyó la auto-organización y las propias raíces de las comunidades indígenas. La protagonista
Saturnina se suicidará porque su novio
había sido asesinado descaradamente
por los llamados pishtacos, unos malditos mercenarios que venían a robar la
grasa humana de buena calidad de los
indígenas. La gente cree sinceramente
que esa es la razón del descenso de su
propio nivel de vida mientras el del resto del mundo está subiendo. Saturnina
está rodando su propio suicidio y nos
muestra su visión del mundo. Esta es la
manera como estoy mirando el mundo:
poniendo cada acontecimiento, por pequeño que sea, en su propio contexto.”
http://www.khadak.com
Imágen de la película ‘Khadak’, de Peter Brosens y Jessica Woodworth. (© 2006 - Khadak - Bo Films)
You can read the English version of this article on our Web site: http://www.kuleuven.be/ck/international/
07cki20.indd 1
2007-07-09 13:48:46
8
backchat
september 2007
PictureTHIS
campuskrant international
Ask away
Khalil Cheaitani (Lebanon, 26), coordinator for Janus Theatre,
the international students’ theatre group
“The atmosphere in Leuven
is unique”
(© Rob Stevens)
See you later
elevator
Since last academic year, superheroes have been zooming
through the buildings of K.U.Leuven: E-man and E-woman
are the figureheads of the university’s energy campaign.
Via posters and advertisements, the caped crusaders
give tips for rational energy consumption: take the stairs
instead of the lift, keep the windows closed during heating season, turn off the lights when leaving a room, etc.
The Technical Services are contributing to economical
energy consumption with a number of initiatives: they are
introducing thermostatically-controlled faucets, replacing incandescent light bulbs with energy-efficient bulbs,
and installing energy-efficient windows and lighting. The
campaign has been successful: electricity consumption has
already declined 1.7% in the first quarter of 2007, while in
2006 a rising trend was established.
— What made you
decide to come to
Leuven?
“Actually, it wasn’t so
much a decision as
a coincidence — or
should I call it destiny.
My cousin was living in
Leuven, and he tried to
convince me to come
over here as well. But
I had made plans to
study in the United
States, so I wasn’t really
considering Leuven at
all. The 9/11 tragedy
changed the situation,
however. It became
quite difficult for Lebanese people — even
students — to get visas.
So when I got a positive
reply to my application
for Leuven, I decided to
study computer science
here.”
— What do you like
most about Leuven
and the university?
“What makes Leuven
unique is the way the university is integrated with the city. You don’t have one
isolated campus, but many university buildings scattered around the city. And
the students live among the other inhabitants of the city. That creates a very
special atmosphere, which, judging from conversations I’ve had with students
from other universities, you don’t find in many other places. When I arrived here,
I was also very impressed by the facilities the university offers to its students.
And the university goes to great efforts to make its international guests feel at
home. There are so many activities to choose from!”
“Another thing I like about Leuven is the possibility to practice languages.
Back in Lebanon, I had studied some basic English and French, but here in
Leuven, with its international community, I really got the chance to develop
my skills. You can always find people to converse with, in almost any language.
Meanwhile I’ve also studied Dutch, and now I’m trying to study Spanish — my
girlfriend is from Spain.”
(© Rob Stevens)
Interview
Reiner Van Hove
— What is your favourite place in Leuven?
“Well, it’s hard to pinpoint any specific place. To me, Leuven is all about the
atmosphere: not what you see, but what’s inside. That said, I do have a fondness
for the places where I can meet my international friends for parties or just for a
drink, such as Giraf, Ambiorix, Pata Negra, Komeet…. And you can often find me at
Pangaea, the international meeting centre of the K.U.Leuven.”
(© Rob Stevens)
Looking
sharp
From now on, visually-challenged students and staff members can also easily access the information they need. Five
libraries have recently received equipment donated by IBM
that makes this possible. The visually impaired can use the
screen loupes and reading machines, while the blind can
be helped by machines that read printed texts aloud, and
by the so-called ‘Daisy players,’ which are used for listening
to talking books. Text-to-speech technology can also offer
dyslexics new possibilities. The gift fits within a cooperation agreement between IBM and K.U.Leuven that concentrates on equal opportunities for persons with functional
limitations.
— What is your favourite theatre genre?
“I prefer to play comedy. Last year I played the main part in the Janus production
‘This Could Be Heaven,’ a comedy about a Lebanese student who comes to study
in Leuven. During the university’s Orientation Days party, he falls in love with an
exchange student from Bulgaria. The guy is very naïve and shy, but he gets help
from an Italian macho friend, who teaches him how to talk to girls. At the same
time, though, the Italian guy is secretly trying to win the girl for himself. But all
ends well for my character: he gets the girl, and they decide to stay in Leuven.
That happens in real life as well: I know quite a few ‘international’ couples who
met in Leuven and are still living here.”
— Which Janus Theatre moment will always stick in your memory?
“The day we performed the play I just mentioned. We had sold way more tickets
than we had anticipated. Understandably, we were quite nervous in the hours
leading up to the show. But everything went smoothly. We didn’t miss any lines,
and the crowd visibly loved our performance. Afterwards we were showered
with compliments, and people asked me when I was going to play next. They
were even a bit disappointed that I didn’t have a role in Janus’ next production.
So that day in May, 2006, was definitely a highlight for me personally, as well as
for Janus Theatre.”
— Is Janus Theatre still looking for people?
“We sure are! People often think they can only join us if they want to act, but we
can use all kinds of creativity: painters, writers, dancers, photographers…. Everybody’s welcome to help us develop the two productions that we have planned
for this academic year — in December and May.”
Interested in joining Janus Theatre? Write an e-mail to [email protected].
You can find all information at http://www.janustheatre.com.
08cki20.indd 1
2007-07-09 13:49:50