100 Years DAAD – 100 Years Change through Exchange – Anniversary Celebrations in Brussels
In the run-up to the celebrations marking the DAAD’s 100th anniversary under the motto ‘100 Years Change through Exchange’, organised by the German Embassy in Belgium and the DAAD Brussels, Ambassador Martin Kotthaus and DAAD President Prof. Dr. Joybrato Mukherjee invited the (vice-)rectors of all Belgian universities to discuss past successes, current developments and future opportunities for the Belgian-German academic cooperation and mobility..
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Following the high-level talks on German-Belgian university cooperation, a festive reception was held on the evening of 15 October to mark the 100th anniversary of the DAAD. The host was the Ambassador of the Federal Republic of Germany, Martin Kotthaus, who opened the doors of his residence for this special occasion. Alumni and alumnae, partners, Belgian university rectors, representatives of EU institutions and friends of the German Academic Exchange Service were invited to this celebration.
The evening began with welcoming speeches by Ambassador Martin Kotthaus and DAAD President Professor Joybrato Mukherjee, who spoke about the DAAD’s successes, its vision and its role in promoting academic exchange and cooperation between Belgian and German universities. The evening was moderated by Michael Hörig, Director of the DAAD Office in Brussels.
A real highlight was the thoughtful keynote speech by Professor Victor Blondel, President of the Belgian Senate, who, as former Rector of the Université catholique de Louvain and current politician, emphasised the importance of international academic cooperation for promoting peace and tolerance throughout Europe.
Vanessa Debiais-Sainton, member of the cabinet of Executive Vice-President Roxana Mînzatu, then provided valuable insights into the EU’s vision for higher education and highlighted the importance of expanding cooperation through flagship initiatives such as Erasmus+, which are to be strengthened under the next MFF. She thanked Stephan Geifes, Director of the National Agency for Erasmus+ Higher Education Cooperation (NA DAAD), who attended the event as a guest of honour, for his contribution to shaping EU higher education policy.
The evening was rounded off with wonderful musical interludes by saxophonist and DAAD scholarship holder Pablo Castaño and pianist Robbin Reza.
Warm testimonials from DAAD alumni Karel Baert, Sabine French and Hannes Ackert recounted how their international experiences had had a lasting impact on their personal and professional lives. Their authentic and impressive stories illustrated what ‘change through exchange’ really means.
The evening ended in a festive atmosphere with stimulating conversations and music – a successful conclusion to a day that once again showed how strongly the idea of ‘change through exchange’ is anchored in Europe.
