Onderzoek naar maatschappelijke vraagstukken, sociale cohesie en de werking van de moderne samenleving.

Maatschappij en Samenleving

Complicated scientific research, explained in simple terms.

Crystal clear

<div>Why a declining poverty rate doesn't mean the battle against poverty is over.</div>

‘I fear poverty will start rising again’ 

News

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<p class="Paragraph SCXW219616396 BCX8"><span class="TextRun SCXW219616396 BCX8" lang="EN-GB" xml:lang="EN-GB" data-contrast="auto"><span class="NormalTextRun SCXW219616396 BCX8">Do you also love the combination of science and humour? Mark 5 September 2027 in your diary.</span></span></p>
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Ig Nobel Prizes are coming to Antwerp 

Baanbrekend onderzoek naar technologie en innovatie voor een slimmere en efficiëntere toekomst.

Technologische Innovatie

When the storm surrounding a topical issue has calmed down, we dive in.  

Silence after the storm

<p><span lang="EN-GB">Mobility and Transport Economics in 2050 </span></p>

Mobility and transport economics in 2050: how will we travel on land, at sea and in the air?

Using facts, we disprove myths around science and other topics.

Burst bubble

<p><span lang="EN-US">Will owning a home remain affordable in Flanders? Professor Sven Damen analyses the impact of rising house prices, higher interest rates, energy regulations and social inequality on the housing market.</span></p>

Will owning a home remain affordable? Social inequality in the housing market

Onderzoek en oplossingen voor een duurzame toekomst, klimaatverandering en milieubescherming.

Duurzaamheid, Klimaat & Milieu

<p><span lang="EN-US">Water is becoming increasingly scarce and unpredictable. Climate change is causing longer periods of drought and more intense rainfall, also in Flanders. How will we deal with this in the future? Two experts explain how our water management, agriculture and living environment need to adapt.</span></p>

Water management in Flanders: dealing with drought and floods

How UAntwerp invests its money more sustainable

Onderzoek en initiatieven rond gezondheid, welzijn en levenskwaliteit voor individu en maatschappij.

Gezondheid en Welzijn

Attention as a superpower?

The ABCs of AI

<p>Culture and science meet in the Scheldt Valley</p>

UAntwerp enriches festival ‘STROOM’ with scientific research

Reading Trees for Advanced Learners

The impact of conflicts on higher education

The biggest challenge of lung cancer screening

How urban nature boosts your microbiome

The Scheldt: hotspot for microplastics

The Chinese mitten crab: An underwater invasion

What litter really does to our neighbourhoods

Discover the story behind an object that means something special to UAntwerp and its community.

The thing

University of Antwerp students present sports bra prototype

University of Antwerp connects children’s hospital and museum park

Students explore bacteria with Ferme Scholen

<p><span lang="EN-GB" xml:lang="EN-GB" data-contrast="auto">Circular thinking will become the norm by 2035: discover how the circular economy focuses on extending product lifespans,&nbsp;reuse&nbsp;and recycling to drastically reduce CO₂ emissions and the use of raw materials.</span><span data-ccp-props="{}">&nbsp;</span></p>

Circular economy: a matter of common sense

Rosa Rademakers is awarded prestigious prize for dementia research

Frontotemporal dementia: lesser known than Alzheimer's, just as big an impact

Climate puts pressure on higher education

Early signs of Parkinson’s may already be visible during sleep

Do you really have full control of your #healthgoals?

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="mso-ansi-language: NL-BE;">AI in healthcare accelerates biomedical research and enables more personalized medicine. Discover how data and algorithms contribute to better care.</span></p>

AI in healthcare is accelerating medical breakthroughs

Collect plane tree bark to monitor air pollution

<p>How a new therapy targets resistant tumours.</p>

Cancer strikes, we fight back

Times change, and so does the curriculum. An expert analyses an old textbook to check what is still correct.

Old source, new spring

Agility is the new job security

Hormones at work: time for a work culture that moves with the body

The road that researchers travel is often full of twists and challenges. Luckily, detours sometimes lead to the most beautiful places.

Meander

Can a tampon or sanitary pad  affect your vaginal health?

The ideal sports bra: how science helps women move better

UAntwerp and its alumni have an impact, worldwide.

International waters

International Collaboration in Times of Crisis

Deliberately Infected: 13 Days in Quarantine for Science

Students and players develop new sports bra

Stay out of my brain: Timo Istace about neuroscience and privacy

Can we store more green energy with improved flow batteries?

Road traffic dominant source of noise pollution

After the Pride: LGBTQI+ between polarisation and positivity

Will Trump’s Tariffs Delay Your Package Delivery?

What is going on in the UAntwerp community? We get acquainted with our members through a series of questions.

Stream of consciousness

Yasemin Hyusein expanded her horizon with the Customs and Excise programme

Carlos Granada: "I want to make a positive impact wherever I am."

Exhibition Foorwonder immerses you in 19th-century fairground life

How geometry can make parallel parking less frustrating

Asbestos-induced cancer and the power of combined treatments

Who is the person behind the science? Research is not in the spotlight this time.

Beneath the surface

Researcher Esohe Weyden is Antwerp's city poet

Protecting Skin from Skin Cancer with Plasma

Thousands of women help Isala map their vaginal microbiome

Do older people in particular feel lonely?

From campus to campsite: Mike Beyers writes De Kiekeboes

Does Belgian industry still have a future?

The student room: ‘A barrel of memories!’

How Pinterest uses AI for your recommendations

Hetty Helsmoortel and Lieven Scheire: ‘Humour is a good sauce’

The Science Behind BDSM: Sadomasochism, Consent, and Psychology

Christian Laes deciphered a Latin love spell 

How to cope with pain after cancer?

Water and fire

Should we leave X en masse?

Alumnus Julien De Wit talks about his pitfalls

Thimo Groffen explains just how bad PFAS is

Alumni study at international top universities

Herwig Leirs: 'There is no one right approach to organising a university'

Female genital cutting more often medicalised

Beyond the taboo: anatomy down to the bone

Antwerp invention perfected measurement of sugar content 

Well-considered, flexible and, most of all, together: This is how to deal with crises

Health is about more than the medical aspect

You are what you eat? 

Kristof Titeca: 'Black and white thinking is tempting'

What impact does a summer school have on your career? 

Historic lottery tickets give a voice to women and the underprivileged 

The be(a)st at hearing

Are newcomers mostly seeking asylum in our country?

Paul Panda Farnana Prize goes to collaboration with Nicaraguan researchers

More taboo-free women at the top 

A dog ear by Samuel Beckett 

Researchers use road surface as energy source

Alumna Julie Van Overmeiren went from her desk to the field 

The Belgian Constitution: the basis for cohesion? 

Canaries are the cheetahs among seed eaters

Hanane Llouh wants to make the world a better place

Bjorn Ipermans went into management after biomedicine

Jacinta Okwaro supports African countries in development challenges 

Caroline Masquillier wants to combat burnout in academia 

A jab against hearing loss 

"Education is an important weapon for girls"

Annick Schramme: ‘Awareness of sustainable fashion grows, but shopping behaviour doesn’t change’

Genetic manipulation in the kitchen: a good idea?

Patrick Goossens: ‘Artisanal is not a luxury’ 

‘A working woman wearing a veil is actually a role model’'

Honorary doctor Rik Devillé: 'There should be more humanity'

Museum To Scale 2.0 is more than just a feast for the eyes 

Using AI against racist robots

Trending: cyberbullying

Jorrit De Waele makes our immune system stronger

Joseph Nelson Siewe Fodjo manages river epilepsy

An orthosis that changes lives 

Is sexting a bad idea? 

‘Human rights assessment useful tool to evaluate collaboration’ 

Dimitri De Waele: ‘Ambition and selfcare don’t always match’ 

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<p>Stroom has a new name. From now on, you&rsquo;ll find UAntwerp&rsquo;s stories under the simple banner of <em>Magazine</em>. Our familiar categories have also been replaced by four clear themes: Health &amp; well-being, Sustainability, climate &amp; environment, Technological innovation, and Society &amp; community.</p>
<p>This new structure makes it even easier to discover stories about the research, people, and ideas that drive our university. What hasn&rsquo;t changed is our perspective on the world. We continue to ask questions, investigate, provide nuance, and build connections. Curious, critical, and driven by science.</p>

New name, same curiosity

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<p>She used to work in marketing, but wanted to understand how people can end up on the margins of society. <strong>Femke Brosens</strong> left her job, started studying sociology, and took up a position as a prison officer at Antwerp&rsquo;s Begijnenstraat prison. She chronicled her first year as a correctional officer in Diary of a Prison Officer.</p>
<p>In the book, Brosens offers a human perspective from behind prison walls and describes what it is like for a young woman to hold her own in an overcrowded male prison wing, where boredom and a lack of prospects prevail and tensions are never far below the surface.</p>
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Sociology student publishes book on her work as a prison officer

<p>Prof. Rosa Rademakers, Scientific Director at the VIB-UAntwerp Center for Molecular Neurology, is being inducted into the Order of Leopold, Belgium&rsquo;s highest national order. The neuroscientist is renowned for her groundbreaking research on, among other conditions, frontotemporal dementia. She hopes that this distinguished recognition will help raise awareness of this form of dementia and draw greater attention to scientific research into the disease.&nbsp;Earlier this year, Rademakers received the prestigious Breakthrough Prize, often referred to as the &ldquo;Oscar of Science.&rdquo;</p>

Rosa Rademakers joins the Order of Leopold

<p>The Antwerp Management School has appointed <strong>Wouter Dewulf (Faculty of Business and Economics)</strong> as its new dean. Dewulf, who frequently appears in the media as an aviation expert, succeeds Steven De Haes. The new dean aims to further strengthen AMS&rsquo;s international standing, with a focus on innovation, lifelong learning and leadership in a rapidly changing world.</p>

New dean at Antwerp Management School

<p>In his book <em>What Ozempic Has Taught Us About Obesity</em>, <strong>Luc Van Gaal (Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences)</strong> takes you behind the scenes of the battle against the kilos. Why do we put on weight, even when we eat &lsquo;healthily&rsquo;? And what effect does being overweight have on your body and your life? How do medicines such as Ozempic, Wegovy and Mounjaro actually work?&nbsp;</p>

New book about Ozempic and being overweight

<p>The Dutch Astronomers&rsquo; Conference awarded the triennial Willem de Graaff Prize for astronomical science communication to <strong>Katrien Kolenberg (Faculty of Science)</strong>. In addition to her scientific research into vibrations in stars, she devotes a great deal of energy and time to educational and creative projects. The award comes with a cash prize of 1,500 euros.</p>

UAntwerp professor wins astronomy prize

<p>Students <strong>Hannah De Raedemaeker, Luka Van Praet and Peter Claeys (Faculty of Law)</strong> have won first prize for the best written submission at the national constitutional law moot court competition held at the Council of State. The law faculties of Belgium&rsquo;s ten universities take part in this bilingual moot court competition every year. The jury comprises judges from the Constitutional Court, the Council of State, the Court of Cassation and leading lawyers.</p>

Law students receive award

<p><strong>iFlux</strong>, a spin-off from the Faculty of Science and VITO, won the Water Resilience Challenge organised by the World Economic Forum in Davos. Start-ups were challenged to develop innovative solutions that strengthen the water resilience of infrastructure, agriculture, technology and energy systems, among other things. As our dependence on groundwater continues to increase, effective monitoring is essential for an effective water policy. iFlux's technology measures both the speed and direction of contamination in groundwater over a longer period of time. <strong>Goedele Verreydt</strong> (Department of Biology) is co-founder and CTO of iFLUX.</p>

iFLUX wins prestigious Water Resilience Challenge

<p><strong>Rosa Rademakers</strong> (VIB/University of Antwerp) and three colleagues received the Sean M. Healey International Prize for Innovation in San Diego. This prize is awarded to individuals or research teams whose discoveries advance research into ALS therapies. She succeeded in identifying the 'C9ORF72 repeat expansion' as the most common cause of ALS and frontotemporal dementia.</p>

Professor wins international prize for ALS research

<p>On 20 December 2025, <strong>Nick Van Remortel </strong>(Faculty of Science) and <strong>Frederik Swennen</strong> (Faculty of Law) were appointed for life as members of the Royal Flemish Academy of Belgium for Science and the Arts. This is a society of outstanding scientists, artists and business leaders. A candidate member can only be nominated by three sponsors. From now on, the professors will contribute to interdisciplinary thinking and debate on social, scientific and artistic developments in the natural sciences and human sciences respectively.</p>

New UAntwerp members in the Royal Flemish Academy

<p><strong>Jeroen Puttevils</strong> (Faculty of Arts) was awarded a prize in the Humanities category by the Royal Flemish Academy of Belgium for Science and the Arts. In his study of merchant correspondence, lotteries and trade networks in the late medieval and sixteenth-century Netherlands, Puttevils reconstructs the future expectations of historical actors. His innovative research method, which combines in-depth archival research with various digital techniques, is revolutionising urban history. This makes historical knowledge more accessible to everyone.</p>

Historian awarded for innovative research method

<p>Every year, the Royal Flemish Academy of Belgium and the Young Academy honour scientists who have made an exceptional contribution to science communication. UAntwerp traditionally scores highly, and 2025 is no exception: three of the thirteen Annual Awards go to researchers from our university. Sarah Van den Bosch, Sarah Ahannach, Isabel Erreygers, Inas Rahou, Sarah Lebeer, Charlotte De Backer and Veronique Verhoeven score with their citizen science project Rufaida. Science at the Fair is the winning project coordinated by Nele Wynants, Gitte Samoy, Tim Overkempe, Hannah Welslau, Anse De Weerdt, Eva Andersen, Thibaut Rioult, Bart Moens, Elisa Seghers and Julie De Smedt. Tim Boogaerts, Alexander van Nuijs and Natan Van Wichelen also receive an Annual Award for their awareness-raising science communication on wastewater monitoring.</p>

Three Annual Science Communication Awards come to UAntwerp

<p>Professor and paediatric infectious disease specialist Daan Van Brusselen (Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, University of Antwerp/ZAS) wrote <em>Dagboek van een kinderarts zonder grenzen&nbsp;</em>(in English: <em>Diary of a paediatrician without borders</em>)&nbsp;&ndash; about the environment and children's health. In the book, the doctor takes readers on a journey to children's hospitals in all corners of the world. Through personal stories, this book reflects on the deep connection between the health of the earth and that of its youngest inhabitants.</p>

Diary of a paediatrician without borders

<p>The book <em>Arm Vlaanderen. Een wereldgeschiedenis &ndash; Honger, ziekte en globalisering in het midden van de 19de eeuw</em> (in English: <em>Poor Flanders. A world history &ndash; Hunger, disease and globalisation in the mid-19th century</em>) by Professor Maarten Van Ginderachter (Faculty of Arts and Philosophy) receives five stars in De Standaard der Letteren and is called &ldquo;one of the best history books of the year&rdquo;. Sometime between 1845 and 1850, an acute crisis struck Flanders, a region roughly corresponding to the current provinces of West and East Flanders. In his book, the historian shows how this poverty was not a remnant of an archaic past, but rather the result of very modern and global processes. Together with Van Ginderachter, the reader is taken on a world tour of Peruvian islands, Indian plantations, American forests and Arabian desert plains.</p>

Poor Flanders. A world history

<p>Prof. Erika Vlieghe (Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, University of Antwerp/ITG) wrote the book <span data-olk-copy-source="MessageBody"><em>Gepokt en gemazeld - Hoe we infectieziekten met kennis en samenwerking verslaan</em> (in English: </span><em>Seasoned and battle-hardened - How we defeat infectious diseases with knowledge and cooperation</em>). Infectious diseases are back, even if they never really went away. It is now painfully clear how vulnerable even rich countries are. The book offers a comprehensive overview of how infectious diseases arise, spread and can be tackled. Concrete examples and recent outbreaks illustrate what pandemic preparedness actually entails.</p>

Seasoned and battle-hardened

<p>At the World Games &ndash; essentially the Olympics for non-Olympic sports &ndash; the Belgian mixed team won a silver medal in tug-of-war. Present in Chengdu, China, was Colette Puts (rehabilitation sciences and physiotherapy 2022).</p>

Alumna wins silver medal at World Games

<p>On Belgium's national holiday, King Filip awarded honorary titles to deserving compatriots, as is customary every year. Prof. Pierre Van Damme (Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences) can now call himself a baron. Van Damme, who founded the unique Vaccinopolis research center, is very happy with the recognition of the many years of work in the field of vaccinology by his team and himself. &ldquo;During the coronavirus pandemic, that work suddenly became very visible, but we had also been very active in the years before. And we still are today, of course&rdquo;</p>

King awards Pierre Van Damme honorary title of baron

<p><em>The Island Without Women ... and 69 other fascinating places in Europe&nbsp;</em>(original title: <em>Het eiland zonder vrouwen... en 69 andere fascinerende plekken in Europa</em>) is the latest book by Joost Houtman (Germanic Languages 1998). The author takes you to lesser-known countries and regions such as Andorra, the Faroe Islands, Gibraltar, Liechtenstein, Monaco and Wales. Houtman tells fascinating stories about customs and locals of each location. Among other things, you will learn that there is an island in Europe where women are not allowed to set foot ashore.</p>

The Island Without Women

<p>Soroptimist International Belgium, the Belgian branch of the global NGO dedicated to empowering women and girls, presented the Soroptimist Belgium Award 2024 to Prof. Annick Schramme (Faculty of Business and Economics). With her innovative vision on ethical and sustainable fashion, she shows how women can achieve lasting social impact through leadership and systemic change. Schramme combines innovation, sustainability, and leadership with social added value. &ldquo;It is a great honor to receive this award from Soroptimist International Belgium, an organization dedicated to education, women's empowerment, and social impact,&rdquo; said the laureate. &ldquo;I dedicate this recognition to my students, colleagues, partners, and all women who are committed to sustainable change and equal opportunities in our society.&rdquo;</p>

Annick Schramme receives Soroptimist Belgium Award 2024

<p>Master's students <strong>Anahit Miskarian, Lies Lauwers</strong> and<strong> Dietrich Rosiers </strong>(<a href="https://www.uantwerpen.be/en/about-uantwerp/faculties/faculty-of-law/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Faculty of Law</a>) scored highly at the Council of State's national constitutional law moot court competition. They won the prize for the best pleading (written paper). Anahit Miskarian also won a prize for the best pleader in the preliminaries. In the grand final, the Antwerp team narrowly beat the UGent team: another silver medal. The students were coached by Prof. Cedric Jenart, Ben Claes and Floris Fonteyn. The law faculties of the ten Belgian universities participate annually in this bilingual moot court competition. The jury consists of magistrates from the Constitutional Court, the Council of State, the Court of Cassation and leading lawyers.</p>

UAntwerp students win prizes at national moot court competition

<p><strong>Els Tanghe</strong> (Antwerp School of Education) won a Sett Award, a prize for people and institutions that contribute to the improvement and innovation of education. She received the recognition for her efforts within teacher education and the development of digital learning tools. Her work plays a crucial role in preparing future teachers for the new challenges of modern education.</p>

UAntwerp lecturer wins Sett Award for innovating education

<p>The Young Academy elected ten new members. Two of them are affiliated with UAntwerp. Chemical biologist Michaela Prothiwa (Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences) is developing smart chemical tools to understand how bacteria bypass our immune system. She uses these insights to search for new treatments that can replace antibiotics. Health economist Lander Willem (Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences) investigates the economic impact of health policies. Using computer models, he analyzes how targeted interventions affect the health and affordability of medical care in a virtual population.</p>

Two UAntwerp researchers elected for Young Academy

<p>At the Belgian Cyber Security Awards, Catherine Van de Heyning (Faculty of Law), expert in European Human Rights, wonthe award for Cyber Security Personality of the Year. She receives the award for her work on the impact of digitization on fundamental rights, specifically in the criminal justice sector. Her work also focuses specifically on vulnerable people, such as victims of revenge porn.</p>

Professor wins Cyber Security Award

<p>Professor Rose Bruffaerts (Faculty of Pharmaceutical, Biomedical and Veterinary Sciences) won the Young Researcher Award 2024, a prize worth 50 000 euros awarded by the Alzheimer's Research Foundation. She received the award for her innovative research on frontotemporal dementia, a complex form of dementia that mainly affects middle-aged people. Hugo Sigal, ambassador for the foundation, presented the award on the set of the popular soap opera <em>Familie</em>.</p>

Professor wins Young Researcher Award

<p>Karine Van Doorsselaer (Faculty of Design Sciences) wrote the book <em>Ecodesign. Guide to the circular economy</em>. She debunks a number of misconceptions and offers a roadmap in choosing the most suitable material for a design. The book is highly recommended for any designer or engineer from all industrial sectors. &lsquo;Implementing ecodesign in the design process is a key to success in the transition to a sustainable society and a circular economy,&rsquo; says the author.</p>

Ecodesign is key to sustainable society and circular economy

<p>In the book <em>Caf&eacute; De Sportvriend</em>, Marko Heijl and Bart Diricx undertake a pub tour through the rich heritage of authentic Flemish sports pubs. You will discover 91 Flemish popular pubs in images and stories.</p>

Alumnus Marko Heijl brings Flanders' finest sports pubs together in images and words

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