KU Leuven kicks off Germany Year
16 January 2012
Rector Waer welcomed approximately three hundred attendees at the opening reception, including Karl-Heinz Lambertz, Minister-President of the Government of the German-speaking Community of Belgium, Eckart Cuntz, the German ambassador to Belgium, and a number of representatives of German industry in Flanders.
Germany is an extraordinarily important partner for Flanders. That was the tenor of the speech by Minister-President Kris Peeters, read on his behalf by Walter Moens, the representative of the Flemish government in Germany. Global economic developments affect us, but economically, politically and academically, our immediate neighbours – notably Germany – remain an obvious priority. In 2010, Germany accounted for approximately one-fifth of Flanders' total exports, good for nearly 49 billion euros. German imports to Flanders totalled approximately 40 billion euros. German companies will undoubtedly play a major role in the Flemish Government's "New Industrial Policy for Flanders", which aims to strengthen and anchor Flanders' industry, among other things via the recently established Industry Council. Often, these companies are already deeply interwoven into the Flemish economic fabric.Through academic diplomacy, the scientific contacts and shared opportunities between Flanders and Germany – and certainly between Leuven and Germany – can be all the more enhanced.
Ambassador Eckart Cuntz discussed his embassy's aim to further nurture the relationship between Leuven and German scientific and economic institutions. He outlined three key projects for Germany Year at KU Leuven: The first project centres around the 500th anniversary of the birth of Mercator, the Flemish cartographer who studied in Leuven and spent much of his life in Duisburg. The second is a dialogue on Energiewende, the transition from nuclear to renewable energy. Undoubtedly, scientific research plays an essential role in this. The third project focuses on the 100th anniversary of the beginning of World War I, around which a historic dialogue will be developed. Finally, the ambassador stressed the unbreakable bond between Germany and Flanders, where economic, scientific and diplomatic synergy gives shape to good neighbourly relations.
Wouter De Geest, CEO of BASF and chairman of the Industry Council, also addressed the audience in his capacity as the representative of German economic interests in Flanders. He too underlined the fundamental importance and great potential of increased cooperation and the role that universities can play in this.
Numerous activities will be organised at KU Leuven throughout the coming months with the aim of boosting awareness of Germany within the university. According to Vice Rector of International Policy Bart De Moor, this addresses an important need. "Relatively few German students find their way to KU Leuven. Likewise, there is little mobility from Leuven to the many excellent German universities and research institutions." Research collaborations in a number of key areas and the cultural and scientific projects carried during Germany Year will greatly enhance this mutual knowledge exchange.
The full Germany Year programme is available at http://www.duitslandjaar.be.
© KU Leuven
16/01/2012
Photo: Rob Stevens
http://www.kuleuven.be/english/news/Germany_Year_officially_begins
From left to right: K.H. Lambertz, Wouter De Geest, H.E. Eckart Cuntz, Rector Waer, Walter Moens, Vice Rector De Moor