Dear UCLouvain university community members,
As 2024 begins, I would like to extend to you my warmest and most sincere new year’s wishes. At the dawn of this new year, I invite you to embrace boldness, a word that resonates deeply at the heart of my programme as candidate for the office of rector of our University. Embracing boldness does not mean changing for the sake of changing, taking inordinate risks or acting rashly. It means taking the time to grasp reality and having the courage to change it if we feel it is necessary to improve it for the benefit of all. Questioning the current state of affairs, pushing back boundaries with conviction and passion—it is precisely at these moments that we discover our true strength. I invite you to let boldness illuminate every aspect of your life: your studies, your work, your relationships and the pursuit of your dreams. May it inspire you to create a path that resonates with your deepest identity.
Since our University was founded nearly 600 years ago, boldness has been part of its core identity, most recently when Louvain-la-Neuve was built on otherwise empty farmland. It took courage and determination to build a new city and continue to develop an ambitious university. Inspired by our history, I want to become personally involved in continuing the development of a multicampus University that is bold and full of purpose, through our cardinal values of humanism, excellence, respect and solidarity.
I am Alain Vas, professor of strategy and change management at the Louvain School of Management, which serves as our university’s faculty of management. I have been a member of our university for over 20 years. I was dean of the Louvain School of Management in Louvain-la-Neuve and Mons for five years and, for the past eight years, I have been vice-rector for regional development in Hainaut Province. I have also been in charge of developing our alumni network at national and international level for the past three years.
After several months of reflection and many informative meetings, I have decided to submit my candidacy for the office of rector of our University.
I would like to share with you the
First of all, I want to make a personal contribution to the democratic vitality of our University, with all my enthusiasm, convictions and ideas. The rectoral election is an ideal time to take an in-depth look at the role of our University as an actor in environmental, social, technological and cultural transitions, as well as its internal functioning in terms of governance, inclusion, and the fulfilment and professional well-being of its members. I will strive to instil within our University a culture of trust, autonomy, togetherness and inquisitiveness.
Secondly, I would like to give the University community the benefit of my extensive institutional experience in a variety of roles within the University. My successive experiences as a research centre co-director, as a dean, and as a vice-rector have enabled me to know the dynamics of faculties, sectors and multiple campuses. They have also enabled me to take an active part in the debates within the our University’s Rectoral Council, Academic Council, and Board of Governors. These experiences at all levels have enabled me to understand our current governance mechanisms and identify areas for improvement. Over the years, I have also been built relationships of trust with the heads of other higher education institutions in the country, as well as with a wide range of stakeholders in the socio-economic world, cultural circles and political networks. This is an asset for our future collaborations and successful negotiations with our country’s public authorities and political parties.
Finally, my third reason emerged from the discussions I had with several colleagues, who convinced me to put my academic expertise at the service of our institution. As a professor of strategy and change management, I like to impart to our students the latest developments and research in the field of strategic management. As someone who has been active in the field of continuing education for many years, I also enjoy working regularly with organisations (public or private, commercial or otherwise) to help them think strategically and manage change. My academic expertise will be invaluable in leading a rectoral team made up of highly complementary individuals and profiles, and based on perfect gender parity.
The main reasons for my candidacy are my desires to make an active contribution to democratic debate—a core value of our University—capitalise on my institutional experience within our University and in external networks, and put my academic strategy and change management.
Beyond these three reasons, I am deeply driven by the desire to contribute to the development of a better world. The University is not just a place for learning and research. It is also a fertile breeding ground where individuals can discover themselves and flourish, and where society can reinvent itself and move towards a future imbued with wisdom and driven by innovation. I want to work towards awakening a boundless curiosity and enlightened criticism, so as to forge not only informed thinkers but also responsible and active citizens capable of shaping a better future based on solidarity.
You will receive details of my programme very shortly. I intend to place the men and women of our community at the heart of my programme. It invites us to get back to basics, that is, to carry out our three university missions with enthusiasm and boldness: education, research and serving society.
Let me conclude with an inspiring quotation of the architect Friedensreich Hundertwasser, which I have somewhat adapted:
I invite you, quite simply, to dream together of a new university reality.
Alain Vas
www.alainvas.be
The version subtitled in French and Dutch is available here.