MD Severine Vermeire third rector candidate for KU Leuven

Gastro-enterologist Severine Vermeire will put forth her candidacy for the position of rector in the upcoming elections. This makes her KU Leuven's third candidate. Furthermore, it makes her the second female candidate, following Tine Baelmans' candidature. Her election would make her the first female rector in six hundred years of Leuven's universitary history.

Vermeire says she wants to engage in conversation with all students, sectors and campuses about the future of the university, and to this end is planning to launch a public call. According to her, she wants to handle the university's diversity, to prepare it for future challenges.

Widespread support

Since 2020, Vermeire has been active as the research coordinator for the group of Biomedical Sciences. Contrary to her opponents vice rectors Tine Baelmans and Peter Lievens, she has no policy experience at the central organisational level of KU Leuven. She's also less widely known in the larger universitary context.

However, within her own ranks she's very highly valued due to her academic prestations and social abilities. She's held in high regard as a researcher, and is said to enjoy widespread support from her science group. "She's a world-class researcher, an excellent educator and possesses a lot of social intelligence", according to a professor from another group.

"You won't find someone who speaks badly of Severine Vermeire. Within our name, her name bears a lot of weight", says another professor from Biomedical Sciences. "She says the right things, does the right things, and might just surprise us all."