Grant of the Francqui Foundation « Francqui Fellowship »

The Belgian American Education Foundation, Inc. (B.A.E.F.) is also created by Emile FRANCQUI.  The Francqui Foundation works together with the Belgian American Education Foundation, Inc.(B.A.E.F.) in its program of grants for young Belgians who wish to complete their education at an American University.  The Francqui Foundation provides the necessary funds to make it possible for Belgians, chosen from among the most promising candidates selected by the B.A.E.F., to stay for one year in the United States.

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The grant holder selected from de Francqui Foundation are hereafter :

2022-2023

Margaux GEUZAINE
Postdoctoral research :  Physics-informed machine learning tools for SHM (Structural Health Monitoring)
Civil Engineering – ULg – to University of Notre Dame, Illinois – NatHaz Modeling Laboratory – Prof Ashan Kareem

Jolien GIJBELS
Postdoctoral research : Patient agency in Belgium and the USA, 1890s-1960s – KULeuven – to Johns Hopkins University, Dept of the History of Medicine – Prof. Jeremy A. Greene, supervisor Dr. Elizabeth O’Brien.

Daniel NAEGELS
Postdoctoral research :  in theoretical physics : Spontaneous symmetry breaking in physics- ULB – to Columbia University, High Energy Theory Group – Prof. Alberto Nicolis.

Robijn VANHOVE
Postdoctoral research: Topological phases of matter and criticality – UGent – to Caltech, Division of Physics, Mathematics and Astronomy : Condensed Matter Physics – Prof. Xie Chen.

2021-2022

Pierre FOIDART (Collen-Francqui Fellow) – Postdoctoral research :  Aneuploidy in Triple-Negative Breast Cancer: resistance, immunosensitivity – ULg – to Harvard Medical School, Dana Farber Cancer Institute, Department of medical oncology, Polyak Laboratory for Breast Cancer Research – Prof. Kornelia Polyak.

Thomas GOOSSENS Postdoctoral research : Simulating thin-film filters for spectral imaging – KULeuven – to Stanford University, Psychology Dept, Center for Cognitive and Neurobiological Imaging – Prof Brian Wandell.

Reda TIANI Postdoctoral research :  Dissipative structures in non-ideal environments – ULB – to  Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Center for Soft Matter and Biological Physics – Prof Uwe C. Täuber.

Laurien VANDEWALLE – Postdoctoral research: CFD-DEM – Computational Fluid Dynamics-Discrete Element Method modelling of catalytic reactors UGent – to  Stanford University, Mechanical Engineering Department, the NaNo Energy Laboratory – Prof. Hai Wang.

2020-2021

Thomas BALLIGAND (Collen-Francqui Fellow) – Postdoctoral research : Nanobodies and oncogenic calreticulin proteins – UCLouvain – to Harvard medical School, Children’s Hospital – Program in Cellular and Molecular medicine – Prof. Hidde Ploegh

Pieter BOSMANS – Postdoctoral research : Theoretical high energy physics – KULeuven – to Princeton University, dept. of Physics, High Energy Theory group – Prof. Silviu Pufu

Pouyan EBRAHIMBABAIE VARNOSFADERANI (Collen-Francqui Fellow) – Postdoctoral research : Mathematical modeling of physiology of drowsiness – ULg – to UCLA, dept. of Computational Medicine – Prof. Tom Chou

Benoît LEGAT – Postdoctoral research : Applied mathematics to M.I.T., Laboratory for Information & Decision Systems (LIDS) – Prof. Pablo Parrilo

2019-2020

Gregory DEBRUYNE – Postdoctoral research : Mathematics – UGent – to University of Illinoy, Prof. K. Ford et H. Diamond – During my stay at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, I conducted research in the field of analytic number theory, one of the specialties of this university. My research mainly focused on Beurling generalized prime number systems. This field of research studies to what extent one can perform number theory if the integers do not possess an additive structure. Concretely, the generalized primes (of a generalized number system) are elements from an unbounded sequence of real numbers all being greater than 1. The generalized integers are then the real numbers that can be formed by taking products of the generalized primes. A large part of the theory investigates how properties on the generalized primes affect the generalized integers and vice-versa. This year I searched for minimal conditions on the generalized number system such that there are roughly the same number of generalized integers with an even number of generalized primes in their prime factorization as there are with an odd number of prime factors in their factorization. Furthermore, I have also successfully investigated what the wildest behavior of the generalized integers (in the sense that the integer counting function displays the most extreme oscillation) can be when the generalized primes are extremely well-behaved, namely for these systems the Riemann hypothesis is fulfilled.

I also conducted research in the theory of partitions. I examined in how many ways a natural number can be written as a sum of elements from a set of atoms, denoted as . We have deduced a fairly good asymptotic formula for the partition function  under relatively mild conditions on the set of atoms.

The results of this research have been published in the mathematical journals Acta Arithmetica, Advances in Mathematics and Indagationes Mathematicae. The quality of these articles has certainly been enhanced through many discussions with my colleagues associated with the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. Similarly my knowledge of number theory has also been significantly broadened by the weekly seminars held there.

Séverine LANNOY (Collen-Francqui Fellow) – Postdoctoral research : Emotinal and reward processes in binge drinking – UCLouvain – to Stanford University, dept. of Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences – Prof. E. Sullivan – From October 13, 2019, to October 10, 2020, I completed a postdoctoral research stay at Stanford University (Stanford, CA, USA) in the lab of Drs. Edith V. Sullivan and Adolf Pfefferbaum. During this stay, I conducted research on alcohol consumption in young people, evaluating its effects on the brain and its potential role in the development of alcohol use disorder. I worked on a large longitudinal database (evaluating alcohol consumption during adolescence and the related risk factors every year) among a national research group. Our results showed that adolescents who drink alcohol at 3-year follow-up were not characterized by prior neuropsychological difficulties. We also found that low levels of alcohol use did not impact neuropsychological or learning abilities in this community sample of youth. Therefore, we have further investigated the study of excessive alcohol use and considered additional risk factors (e.g., socioeconomic status, resilience mechanisms, genetic liability). This year of research was a major step in my scientific career. First, Drs. Sullivan and Pfefferbaum are international leaders in alcohol-related disorders and neuroscience, I learned a lot from their experiences but also from working in such a prestigious University. Moreover, working in a consortium of researchers with complementary expertise allowed me to better recognize the different risk factors involved in alcohol-related disorders. This excellent level of training developed my willingness to gain additional skills in genetic research and allowed me to obtain a postdoctoral fellowship at Virginia Commonwealth University, under the supervision of Dr. Alexis Edwards in the group of Dr. Kenneth Kendler, worldwide recognized for their work in psychiatric genetics.

Manon STIPULANTI – Postdoctoral research : Fine theorems and applications to Pascal triangles – ULg – to Hofstra University, Dept. of Mathematics – Prof. Eric Rowland – I was a postdoctoral researcher at the Mathematics Department of Hofstra University (New York, USA) during the academic year 2019–2020 (October 1st, 2019 to August 31st, 2020).  During my stay at Hofstra, I was able to collaborate with Professor Eric Rowland on various projects.  The first, within the famous topic of pattern avoidance in combinatorics on words, was about lexicographically least infinite words on the alphabet of nonnegative integers avoiding fractional powers. A short version of our work was accepted in the conference Developments in Language Theory 2020 and the long version was published in the Electronic Journal of Combinatorics in 2020. We then started a second project in which we studied the automatic complexity of periodic sequences, and we involved, later on, Reem Yassawi (UK) in a related project. We also organized the AMS Special Session on “Sequences, Words, and Automata” (Code : SS 67A) at the Joint Mathematics Meetings (JMM2020) at the Colorado Convention Center on January 15, 2020. While I was in the United States, I took the opportunity to participate in various conferences and seminars, and gave several talks.  During this academic year, I was also able to pursue my collaboration with Émilie Charlier and Célia Cisternino from ULiège (Belgium) and we published one more paper together in the European Journal of Combinatorics. Finally Anna Frid, Narad Rampersad, Jeffrey Shallit and I started to organize the vitrual “One World Combinatorics on Words Seminar” held biweekly. In parallel, I took an active part in the scientific community by reviewing several papers.

David VANNEROM – Postdoctoral research : Search for Heavy Neutral Leptons with IceCube naar M.I.T., dept. of physics – Group of Professor J. Conrad, based at the Wisconsin IceCube Particle Astrophysics Center

2018-2019

Pieter CLAEYS – Postdoctoral research : Theoretical condensed matter physics – UGent – to Boston University, Quantum Condensed Matter Physics Group – Prof. Anatoli Plolkovnikov – During my stay at Boston University, my research concerned the topics of quantum control and chaos, focusing on the so-called ‘quantum geometry’. This work was supervised by Prof. Anatoli Polkovnikov, world-renowned for his work on out-of-equilibrium quantum sytems. Interestingly, the geometry of quantum states encodes all information on their dynamics, and my research aimed at finding novel ways of describing and understanding this geometry. This has direct applications in e.g. quantum state preparation and quantum control, where the detrimental effects of quantum chaos generally need to be counteracted. Next to this direct collaboration with Prof. Polkovnikov, I supervised multiple graduate students during this stay, and the active academic world in Boston allowed me to greatly expand my professional network. This stay effectively laid the foundations for various currently-ongoing collaborations with US researchers, including from Boston University and Harvard University.

This research led to multiple publications in international peer-review journals such as Physical Review Letters, Physical Review B, Journal Of Physics A, including various publications as ‘Editor’s Suggestion’, and additional publications are still under review. This research has also been presented at various international conferences, including the Lindau Nobel Laureate Meeting.

Danahe MOHAMMED (Collen-Francqui Fellow) – Postdoctoral research : Tuning cell migration through matrix orientation – UMons – to Harvard University, school of engineering, experimental soft condensed matter group – Prof. David Weitz

François ROTTENBERG – Postdoctoral research : Signal processing for 5G wireless communications – UCLouvain – to University of Southern California (USC), Mong Hsieh Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Lab. Wireless Devices ans Systems Group (WIDES) Los Angeles – Prof. Andreas Molisch – From September 2018 to August 2019, I had the pleasure to perform a postdoctoral research stay at the University of Southern California, Los Angeles, U.S.A. This year has been a major step forward for my scientific career. The research group of Professor Andreas Molisch, the Wireless Devices and Systems Group, is a worldwide-recognized leader in the field of channel propagation and wireless communications. It is a very dynamic group composed of about 20 members. As last year passed, I had the chance to gain the confidence of my supervisor, Prof. Molisch. Rapidly, I became a co-supervisor of his PhD students and Master students working in the area of channel propagation. I also became the leader of the “massive MIMO project”, sponsored by Samsung Research America and consisting of demonstrating the advantages of systems having a very large number of antennas, which is seen as a key technology to improve network capacity and energy efficiency. Our approach of the problem consisted of various phases. Firstly, from a theoretical study, we put forward the fundamental limits of the system as foreseen by physics properties of electromagnetic propagation. Secondly, we validated these limits by extensive numerical simulations. Finally, we designed and built a prototype, which allowed us to demonstrate the performance of our system and evaluate its loss with respect to theoretical bounds.

Our work has resulted so far in the presentation of five articles in international conferences, the publication of one book chapter and two articles in the main journal of our community. Another journal article is still under review, relying on our latest measurements established thanks to our prototype. Prof. Molisch has also strongly asked that I return and visit him again at USC, which I strongly intend to do in the near future. Moreover, many of my colleagues have progressively become close friends. In particular, my office colleague at USC has come in November 2019 to perform a research visit of one year at my home university (UCLouvain) in Belgium. This clearly shows that I want to set up a strong collaboration between USC and Belgium in the future.

I would like to express again my deep gratitude to the Francqui Foundation that helped me living this incredible adventure.

Sarah VEUGELEN (Collen-Francqui Fellow) – Postdoctoral research : Activation of neuroprotective microglio –
to Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinaï, dept. of neuroscience, Friedman Brain Institute – Dr. Anne Schaefer

 

2017-2018

Nick BULTINCK (Landon Clay-Francqui Fellow)  – Postdoctoral research on theoretical physics : quantum mechanics – UGent – to Princeton University, Dept. of Physics – Prof. Zaletel

Evelyne COLLIGNON (Collen-Francqui Fellow) – Postdoctoral research in biomedical sciences : Unravelling the role of new epigenetic modification in aging – ULB – to Stanford University, The Brunet Lab.

Ivo STASSEN – Postdoctoral research to explore physical properties of metal-organic conductive materials – KU Leuven – to Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), Dept. of Chemistry – Prof. M. Dincă.  During my stay, I conducted research at the MIT Dept. of chemistry and at the Harvard Center for Nanoscale Systems. With a team of talented people, we designed and chemically synthesized new molecular materials through combination of inorganic and organic building units. The physical properties of these materials were characterized by state-of-the-art methods. In a subsequent stage of the project, we chemically tuned the materials to fabricate electronic devices for sensing of carbon dioxide. The concept and results of our study will soon be disseminated in a scientific publication, and as a patented technology.

I am grateful to the Francqui Foundation for providing me with the opportunity to gather invaluable experiences and progress my scientific career as a postdoctoral fellow at a prominent lab in the U.S.

Damien SLUYSMANS – Postdoctoral research : Design of synthetic molecular machines – to Northwestern University, Dept. of Chemistry – Prof. F. Stoddart

 

2016-2017

Lien BECKERS (Landon Clay – Francqui Fellow) – Postdoctoral research on the ApoE in microglia as a disease regulator in MS – KULeuven – to Harvard Medical School, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Laboratory at Center for Neurologic Diseases – Prof. Dr. Oleg Butovsky – On the 18^th of January 2017, I moved to Boston to start as a postdoctoral fellow at Harvard Medical School (HMS) in the lab of Prof. Dr. Oleg Butovsky. During this year, I could passionately conduct high-quality research on how microglia modify their function in neurodegenerative diseases such as Multiple Sclerosis and Alzheimer’s disease at one of the most renown universities in the world. My colleagues and I were a good functioning team who supported each other on each level. Gradually, I developed the mindset and experience of a driven and confident researcher that knows how to publish in high-impact journals, as reflected by one co-authored publication of our work in the well-recognized Immunity (Cell) journal and one first-author paper in preparation. I could further specialize and broaden my knowledge and skills by following the course “Advanced digital image analysis with ImageJ” and attending the “Central Nervous System Diseases Summit” GTC Conference in Boston, the “Grant Circle Program” and the “Mentor Circle Program”.

This opportunity allowed me to build a great professional network that extended the broad Neuroscience community at Brigham & Women’s hospital (where I worked) and Massachusetts General Hospital till other universities including MIT, Tufts, Boston University, Brown, and Yale. I became a member of the Postdoc Networking Committee that organizes monthly events for all postdocs at HMS. In addition, being a member of the Harvard-MIT Belgian Society led to exciting opportunities for my professional and social life. We organized scientific, cultural and social events on a regular base, and hosted professional Belgian delegations from Industry and Academia such as Chamber of Flemish Enterprises (VOKA) and Leuven Mindgate through HMS, MIT and Boston city.

Now, exactly one year later, I moved to NYC and finished my first weeks at Columbia University in the laboratory of Prof. Dr. Philip De Jager and Dr. Elizabeth Bradshaw whom I met during my time at HMS. I feel confident and excited to start my second postdoctoral training in the new Center for Translational and Computational Neuro-immunology & the Multiple Sclerosis Clinical Care and Research Center.

Thank you very much to the Francqui Foundation, Mr. Landon CLay and B.A.E.F. for this unforgettable inspiring experience!

Augustin COSSE – Postdoctoral research in Mathematics – UCLouvain – to NYU, Courant Institute – Prof. Bruce Kleiner

Sander GOVERS – Postdoctoral research on the Patterns and heterogeneity in bacterial growth – KULeuven – to Yale University, dept. of Molecular, Cellular and Developmental Biology, Microbial Pathogenesis Section – Prof. Jacobs-Wagner.

Cleo GOYVAERTS – Postdoctoral research to Explore and modulate intratumoral myeloid celles – VUB – to Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, Oncological Science Department, The Tisch Cancer and Immunology Institute – Prof. Miriam Merad

From the end of 2015 I started working as a postdoctoral fellow (funded by Kom op tegen Kanker 2016-2019) at the laboratory of Molecular and Cellular Therapy (LMCT) at the VUB in the framework of antitumor immunotherapy. In that year however, I noticed a lack of drive, enthusiasm and confidence to believe in myself as a valuable scientist. Furthermore, the LMCT was the lab where I conducted my master and PhD thesis, so it felt difficult to come up with novel ideas and project applications in that same lab. On the 7^th of November 2016, I left off to NYC, in the hope to learn new techniques, broaden my professional network and hopefully even find my drive for science back…

When I started my research stay in the laboratories of Profs. Brian Brown and Miriam Merad at the Tisch Cancer Institute of Mount Sinai Icahn School of Medicine, I immediately realized that there was a lot for me to learn. Both professors are extremely passionate and clever scientists, which had a contagious effect on me. Furthermore, via them I had the opportunity to meet and learn from other experts in the field of antitumor immunology such as Profs. Joshua Brody, Nina Bhardwaj and Hélène Salmon. Moreover, working side-by-side with driven scientists from all over the world, was an eye-opening experience.

As such I learned new techniques (confocal microscopy, formation of 3D spheroids for in vitro cancer research, CRISPR-Cas9 technology,etc.) as well as about new software tools to analyze data (FlowJo, Fiji, Imaris,…). Additionally, the numerous labmeetings, seminars and conferences broadened my knowledge and critical way of scientific analysis. To exemplify the benefits listed above; when I applied for an FWO grant (Krediet aan Navorsers) in 2016, I wasn’t honored. When I applied again in 2017, using my new skills, way of thinking and network, I received a positive answer, allowing me to start working on my own project at the VUB. So not only did I learn new techniques and broaden my professional network, but I also found my passion for science back. The latter not only substantiate my eager to continue my postdoctoral research project, but are also invaluable to mentor and motivate young scientists at the VUB.  

Besides the superlatives on the professional level, I cannot end this report without thanking you for what this opportunity did to my personal well-being. 

 

2015-2016

Frédéric BOUCHE – Postdoctoral research on flowering time control in brachypodium distachyon – ULg – to University of Wisconsin, Biochemistry dept. – Prof. R. Amasino

Nicolas LECONTE – Postdoctoral research on transport and hall physics in strained graphene – UCLouvain – to University of Texas at Austin, Dept. of Physics – Prof. R. Hazeltine

Thomas MERTENS (Landon Clay-Francqui Fellow) – Postdoctoral research in theoretical high-energy physics : string theory – UGent – to Princeton University – Dept. of physics – Prof. H. Verlinde – Our work focused on holography in a specific model of a two-dimensional dilaton-gravity theory in Anti-de-Sitter space. It turned out this model is very important for the low-energy description of one-dimensional quantum mechanical Sachdev-Ye-Kitaev (SYK) models, which have attracted a lot of attention recently. In particular, we analyzed the model and deduced boundary reparametrization equations in terms of so-called Schwarzian derivatives. We also applied this formalism to study a two-dimensional evaporating black hole. Our findings have been published in the peer-reviewed journal JHEP as JHEP 1607 (2016) 139.
I am extremely grateful to the Francqui Foundation for its support during this time, which has been very important in building my scientific career.

Jérémy ODENT – Postdoctoral research in smart polymeric materials – UMons – to Cornell University, College of engineering – Prof. E. P. Giannelis – Dynamic polymer systems, where specific bonds or interactions can selectively undergo reversible breaking and restoration under certain conditions have been the focus. We thereby developed organic-inorganic hybrids consisting of a soft polymeric canopy bound to a well-defined nanoparticle core by ionic interactions. The rapid exchange between the ionically modified nanoparticles and the polymeric canopy ultimately provides the opportunities for multi-responsive properties. Building on this ionic motif, we first showed that conventional, non-responsive PLA can endow shape-memory behavior by blending commercial PLA with imidazolium-terminated glassy PLA and rubbery P[CL-co-LA] oligomers and adding anionic silica nanoparticles (DOI: 10.1021/acs.macromol.7b00195). During the stay, we further extended the design to polymeric materials based on imidazolium-functionalized polyurethane canopy and ionic sulfonated silica nanoparticles (DOI: 10.1039/c7ta04101b). All in all, the ionic nanocomposites lead to a unique property profile that combines simultaneous improvements in stiffness, toughness and extensibility as well as return to the normal state after deformation including shape-memory and self-healing. Finally, the fabrication of large-scale 3D objects using stereolithography were addressed (DOI: 10.1002/adfm.201701807).

Maud QUINZIN – Postdoctoral research on conservation genomics and evolutionary biology – ULB – to Yale University, Yale Institute for biospheric studies – Prof. A. Caccone

Neil SAAD – Postdoctoral research on infectious disease and vaccine epidemiology – UGent – to Yale University, School of Public Health – Dr. Virginia Pitzer

Bram VANDEKERCKHOVE – Postdoctoral research on cognitive neuroscience of language processing – UA – to Tufts University, Dept. of psychology – Prof. G. Kuperberg

 

2014-2015

Jana ASSELMAN – Postdoctoral research in Ecological and environmental genomics – UGent – to University of Notre Dame, dept. of Biological Science – Prof. M. Pfrender – The project focused on the effects of pollution and climate change on the important freshwater species the water flea, Daphnia. During the stay, the effects of different types of stressors (arsenic, salt, cyanobacteria, …) on populations of different water fleas were studied. Indeed, water fleas are used as a standard species for ecological risk assessments of many chemicals. Within the project molecular methods were used to study the effects of chemical and natural stressors. Specifically, we used sequencing to look at both gene expression and epigenetic effects. The results show that epigenetic mechanisms play an important role in the response of the water flea in stressful and polluted environments. The results also provided new insights into the genome and transcriptome structure of different water flea species. This research stay led to collaboration with other research groups (Indiana University (USA), Birmingham University (UK) and various publications in international scientific journals ( https://www.nature.com/articles/sdata201630 , https://academic.oup.com/gbe/article/8/4/1185/2574101 http://www.g3journal.org/content/7/5/1405 )

Nele CALLEBAUT – Postdoctoral research in Theoretical physics : gauge-gravity duality – UGent – to Princeton University, dept. of Physics: Joseph Henry laboratories – Prof. S. Gubser

Pieter COULIER – Postdoctoral research on the solution of large scale computing problems – KULeuven – to Stanford University Mechanical and Engineering Dept. Prof. E. Darve
Pieter’s postdoctoral research at Stanford University focused on the development of fast linear algebra algorithms for the solution of large scale computing problems. Many numerical methods in science and engineering involve solving linear systems of equations; traditional solution methods for such systems requires a computational cost that becomes prohibitive for large matrices, however. There is consequently a strong need to develop more efficient numerical solvers, and many efforts in this direction have been made during the past 40 years. During his research stay at Stanford, Pieter created and implemented the first of its kind solver with linear complexity, and he demonstrated that this solver outperforms existing state-of-the-art methods for several important problems. This new method is expected to have a large impact on many applications in science and engineering, in which performing linear algebra operations is the critical computational bottleneck. Pieter’s stay at Stanford has also been successful in terms of establishing interdisciplinary research collaborations, both at Stanford itself (Department of Aeronautics and Astronautics, Department of Chemical Engineering) and elsewhere (Courant Institute of Mathematical Sciences at New York University, U.S. Army Research Laboratory, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, Nagoya University, University of Texas at Austin).

Benjamin DELATTE – Posdoctoral research in Epigenetic editing of the p16INK4A promotor – ULB – to La Jolla Institute for Allergy & Immunology – Prof. A. Rao

Anne-Catherine HEUSKIN – Postdoctoral research on the Clustering model in cells exposed to HZE particles – FUNDP – to UC Berkely, Cancer System Biology – Prof. S. Costes
Estimating cancer risk from space radiation has been an ongoing challenge for decades primarily because most of the reported epidemiological data on radiation-induced risks are derived from studies of atomic bomb survivors who were exposed to an acute dose of gamma rays instead of chronic high-LET cosmic radiation. In the frame of this post doc research, we introduced a formalism using cellular automata to model the long-term effects of ionizing radiation in human breast for different radiation qualities. This approach lays the groundwork for further investigation into the impact of chronic low-dose exposure, inter-individual variation and more complex space radiation scenarios.

Audrey MAUDOUX (Landon Clay-Francqui Fellow) – Posdoctoral research on the Neuromodulation effect on tinnitus – ULg – to Georgetown University, Medical Center – Prof. J. Rauschecker

Kim VAN LIEFFERINGE – Postdoctoral research in Classical archaeology – UGent – to Stanford University, Archeology Center – Prof. I. Morris

Jiayun ZHOU – Postdoctoral research on integrated study of gas dynamics in sea ice – ULB – to Duke University, division of Earth and Ocean Sciences – Prof. Nicolas Cassar

 

2013-2014

Klaas BENTEIN – Doctoraat Taalkunde – Ugent – to University of Michigan – Dept. of classical studies – Prof. A. Verhoogt – Postdoctoral research in Papyrology, linguistics

Erlinde CORNELIS (Collen-Francqui Fellow) – Doctoraat “Two-sided messages for nonprofit communication” – UGent to San Diego State University – Dept. of Marketing – D. Schwartz – Postdoctoral research in Health communication/Social marketing

Jan-Walter DE NEVE (Collen-Francqui Fellow) – Postdoctoral research in Immunology & infectious diseases – ULB – to Harvard University – Graduate Studies – Public Health (M.P.H./Ph.D.) – As a Collen-Francqui Fellow, I completed the Masters in Public Health (MPH) degree at Harvard University’s School of Public Health. The MPH program is an intense, accelerated program of nine months, mostly geared towards junior and mid-career physicians as well as other medical professionals. It provides the opportunity to take basic coursework in most areas of public health, including biostatistics, epidemiology and social and behavioral sciences research; and an exciting ‘practicum’ where I was able to put learned theory and skills into practice. The flexibility of the program allowed me to take additional coursework of personal interest, including in global health, the economics of healthcare, and public health law. In total, I took about a dozen classes over the course of the year. Within the MPH program, my chosen concentration was ‘Global Health and Population’. This chosen area of interest is mostly focused on improving the health of disadvantaged populations worldwide. In addition, the MPH program has allowed me to further develop a research project, which looks at the link between formal schooling and health outcomes in low-resource settings. In particular, we assessed the causal effect of additional secondary schooling on HIV infection risk in sub-Saharan Africa. The results of this work are now published here: http://www.thelancet.com/journals/langlo/article/PIIS2214-109X(15)00087-X/fulltext

Simon DE RIJCK (Landon Clay-Francqui Fellow) – MS in de fysica en de sterrekunde – Ugent/Uppsala – to University of Texas Austin – PhD in Elementary Particle Physics or Nuclear Physics

Bernd LANNAU (Collen-Francqui Fellow) – Master in geneeskunde – UGent – to University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine – Dept. of Plastic surgery – Prof. P. Rubin – Postdoctoral research in Plastic surgery – lipofilling

Olivier SARTENAER – Doctorat en philosophie – UCLouvain/Cambridge – to Columbia University – Dept. Of Philosophy – M.S. Quarato – Postdoctoral research in the Philosophy of science.

Tom SERCU – MS in data science – Ugent/Stüttgart- to NYU – MS in Computer science, focus on machine learning – As  Francqui Foundation Fellow I studied in the MS in Data Science at New York University (NYU) from 2013 to 2015. This 2-year masters program has allowed me to specialize in my domain of interest, machine learning (specifically deep learning) through courses and research. Specifically I worked on a IARPA-funded speech recognition project, Babel, in collaboration with IBM Research and under supervision of Yann LeCun (Silver Professor at NYU and Director of AI Research at Facebook). This work resulted in my first paper,  “Very Deep Multilingual Convolutional Neural Networks for LVCSR” (http://arxiv.org/abs/1509.08967), which will be published at the International Conference on Acoustics, Speech and Signal Processing (ICASSP). I graduated in May 2015 and started a research position at IBM Watson in the TJ Watson Research Center. I am extremely grateful for the financial support of the Francqui Foundation to enable me to start my career as a researcher.

Laurent SLITS (Collen-Francqui Fellow), Master in Business Engineering, Master in International Management and Master in Law – UCLouvain to Columbia University – LL.M. in Corporate, Financial & International Economic Law.  During the academic year 2013-2014, Laurent was a Collen-Francqui Fellow at Columbia Law School where he received an LL.M. (Master of Laws) and was named a Harlan Fiske Stone Scholar.  During his time at Columbia, Laurent specialized in corporate, financial and international economic law.  He read Corporations with Prof. Milhaupt, studied Law and Finance Theories with Prof. Pistor, and Legal Philosophy with Prof. Raz.  He also completed classes in American Contract Law with Prof. Thel, International Economic Law with Prof. Bradford and followed a seminar on the main issues on Global Regulatory Reform with Prof. Greene.  Laurent wrote a research paper on the main regulatory issues associated with Bitcoin, a stateless virtual currency.

Lawrence VERHELST (Collen-Francqui Fellow) Master in de rechten – KULeuven – to Harvard University – LL.M.

Jean-Charles WIJNANDTS – Master en sciences économiques – Ulg – to University of Pennsylvania – PhD in Economics

 

2012-2013

Eliran BOKSENBOJM (Collen-Francqui Fellow) – PhD student in Theoretical Physics-Research in non-equilibrium Stastistical Mechanics – KULeuven – to Harvard University – Dept. of applied Mathematics Prof. L. Mahadevan – Postdoc. Res.in Soft Matter Physics and Econophysics.

Aurelie BUFFIN – PhD « Food flow and stock management in an ant colony » – ULB – to Arizona State University – Prof. S. Pratt – Postdoc. Res. on the cooperative transport in ants

Ludovic D’AURIA (Collen-Francqui Fellow) – PhD Biomedical Science – UCLouvain – to Harvard Medical School – Children’s Hospital Boston – Prof. Dr. W. Lencer – Postdoc. Res. on the sphingolipid roles in bacterial toxin invasion.

Sophie DELWAIDE – Master Private Law – ULB – to University of Chicago – LLM in Financial Law.

Jurgen GOOSSENS – PhD in Law – UGent – to Yale University – LLM Public law (comparative) constitutional law

Karel GOOSSENS (Collen-Francqui Fellow)  – Dr. in chemistry – KULeuven – toUniversity of Texas – Austin – Prof. Bielawski – Postdoc. Res. in Chemistry : Graphene-based carbocatalysts and hybrid catalysts

Robbe GORIS (Collen-Francqui Fellow) Doctor of Psychology – KULeuven – to NYU – Center for Neural Science – Prof. A. Movshon – Postdoc. Res. on how the brain processes visual perception.

Delphine GRYNBERG – PhD in Psychological Science – UCLouvain – to Michigan University – Research Center for Group Dynamics – Interdisciplinary program on empathy and altruism research – Prof. S. Konrath – Postdoc. Res. on the effect of closeness on empathy of pain.

David OYEN (Collen-Francqui Fellow) PhD : Bio-ingineering in chemistry – VUB – to The Scripps Research Institute – Dept. of Molecular Biology – Prof. P. Wright – Postdoc. Res. on the role of Dynamics in Dihydrofolate reductase (DHFR) catalysis

 

2011-2012

Géraldine BRICHANT (Francqui Collen Fellow) – Dr. in Biomedical Sciences – ULg – to Yale University Dept.of Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility – Prof. Taylor – Post-doc. res. on Endometriosis, a gynaecologic condition

Richard COPIN – Dr. in Immunology and Microbiology – FUNDP – to NYU School of Medicine – Div. of infectious Diseases – Prof. J. Ernst – Postdoc. res. in Adaptive Immune System – Hostpathogen Relationship

Malika DEKKICHE – Doctorat en Langues et Littérature – ULg
to University of Chicago – Prof. John E. Woods – Dept.of History, Near Eastern Languages and Civilizations – Post-doc. res. in Islamic Studies – War and diplomacy between Egypt and Iran in the XC century

Laurence DELLE VIGNE (Francqui Collen Fellow) – Dr. in Medicine – UCL – to Scripps Research Institute – Prof. Brunhilde Felding-Habermann – Post-doc. res. in Obstetrics and Gynaecology

Thomas DERMINE – Bachelor in Political Sciences, Bachelor in Business Engineering, Master in Business Economics – *ULB *- to *Harvard University *John F. Kennedy School of Government – M. Sc. in Public Administration – General training on public decision-making process and tools. Graduate research at Harvard Mossavar-Rahmani Center for Business and Government on the application of ‘social impact bonds’, innovative partnership mechanisms to fund and improve the efficiency of social services in continental Europe

Thomas MARICHAL (Francqui Collen Fellow) – Dr. en Médecine Vétérinaire – ULg – to Stanford University – Medical Center, dept. of Pathology – Prof. Stephen Galli – Post-doc. res. in Immunology, whith special emphasis on innate immune cell biology and allergy

Anaïs PERILLEUX (Francqui Collen Fellow) – Dr. in Microfinance – UMons – to Yale University Dept. of Economics – Prof. T. Guinnane – Postdoc. res. in Micro-economic analysis on lessons that can be learnt from history for financial cooperatives

Jordi QUOIDBACH (Francqui Collen Fellow) – Dr. in Psychological Sciences – ULg – to Harvard Univesity Dept. of Psychology – Prof. D. Gilbert – Post-doc. res. in Hedonic Psychology

Cédric ROLIN – PhD en Sciences de l’ingénieur – UCL – to University of Michigan – Optoelectronic Components and Materials – Prof. S. Forrest – Post-doc. res. in Material Sciences in the field of Organic Vapor Phase Deposition

Maarten VAN ACKER – Dr. in Engineering – on Infrastructure Design and Urbanization – KUL – to Parsons School of Design Strategies in New-York – Dean Miodrag Mitrasinovic – Postdoc. res. on the threshold between urbanism, urbanization and infrastructure design

Thanks to the Francqui Fellowship of the BAEF dr. Maarten Van Acker could stay at Parsons – The New School for Design in New York. Under the supervision of Dean Miodrag Mitrasinovic Maarten continued as a postdoc. researcher his study of the interface between architecture, urban planning and infrastructure design. Research was conducted on the relationship between the urban history and contemporary challenges of the urban design, the urbanization of New York and the United States in general. In the first semester Maarten also gave guest lectures calledInclusive Urbanism: urban ecologies or Sunset Park to the Department of the School of Design Strategies New York, in cooperation with the Atlantis project partners of the KULeuven, IUAV and the TUEindhoven. In the second semester Maarten gave guest lectures on Theory of Urban Format Parsons School of Constructed Environments, in the Master of Architecture Program. During this year Maarten could also prepare the public publication of his doctoral thesis. « From Flux to Frame » will be published by Leuven University Press and Cornell University Press. Maarten was also regularly a guest at The Graduate School of Architecture, Planning and Preservation of Columbia University as a jury member for the Master’s theses or interim studio presentations. Maarten also had a recurring section in RUIMTE, the journal of the Association for Spatial Planning and Urban Design. In these articles, he reflects about the U.S. planning culture and innovative urban projects.

Barbara VINCK – Master English-latin – UGent – to Columbia University – PhD in Latin

 

2010-2011

Thomas BITOUN (Landon T. Clay Fellow) – Doctor in Mathemactics – ULB – to Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) – Prof. R. Bezrukavnikov – Post-doc. res. in Mathematics

Thomas DECLERCK – Master in law – KUL – naar NYU – L.L.M. in international law, with particular emphasis on corporate social responsibility – I have had the privilege of studying at New York University (NYU) from August 2010 until May 2011, and obtaining a Master of Laws in International Legal Studies. Needless to say, studying as well as living in New York has been a truly extra-ordinary experience.  NYU Law carried my particular preference, for its outstanding reputation in the field of international law as well as for its innovative approach to it, and it has never ceased to amaze me. By constantly encouraging reflection and debate with academics and practicioners “from the field”, as well as among students themselves, NYU did not just enhance my understanding of international law, it has drastically changed many of my (mis)perceptions of it. Throughout the year, the university and its rich array of extra-curricular activites has exposed me to people and ideas that continue to challenge the narrative.  Through courses such as “The Law of International Organizations”, “Law and Practice of the United Nations”, “Constitutional Law of War and Foreign Affairs” and “International Trade Law: the Law of the WTO and NAFTA”, I believe to have acquired a critical comprehension of international law, better understanding international law within the global arena as well as within the US domestic sphere; perceiving its strengths, weaknesses and its often surprisingly vast potentials for abuse. In some of those courses, such as an intimate seminar on the United Nations, I have had the exceptional opportunity to be supervised in own academic writing by eminent practicioners, all bringing in their own experience from the diplomatic and international legal field.  In making my choice for NYU, I was strongly attracted by the flexibility it offers in its academic programs, allowing every student to shape his own academic experience. This has allowed me to supplement my program, specialized in the study of international law, with skill-oriented courses such as “Alternative Dispute Resolution” or “International Litigation”. In the latter, I have had the opportunity to brief, argue and judge a simulated case in human rights litigation, together with fellow students from all over the world, and assisted by international experts in the field. At the same time, other courses have brought me the substantive knowledge of legal disciplines previously unknown to me, such as “International Business Transactions”, “Admiralty Law”, and the law of counter-terrorism and preventive detention. NYU really is, as its pledges to say, a university in and of the city, and in and of the world. By offering an unprecedented array of opportunities and activities outside the university’s walls, be it related to the practice of international law or not, it has made discovering the “city that never sleeps” all the more attractive. Living within a community that is so diverse, I have met people from all over the world, some of whom I can now call true friends.  I am very thankful to the Francqui Foundation for offering me the opportunity to live such an unforgettable year, and am proud to call myself a Franqui Fellow.

Simon DE STERCKE – Master of Electromechanical Engineering – UGent – to Yale University – School of Forestry & Environmental Studies – MS in the field of Energy and Environment

François JOURET – Dr. in Medecine, surgery, delivery – UCL – to Yale University – Dept. of Cellular and Molecular Physiology – Post-doc.res. in Cellular and Molecular Physiology-Nephrology

Veerle REUMERS – Dr. in Biomedical sciences – KUL – to Massachusetts general Hospital– East – Prof. B. Hyman – Post-doc. res. in Medical Sciences

Daan STRUYVEN – Ingenieur de Gestion – ULB – to Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) – PhD in Economics – I had the privilege to start my PhD in economics while being a BAEF Francqui Fellow. This fellowship has allowed me to acquire deeper knowledge in economics during classes, to meet inspiring classmates and to launch several projects (on the role of government in managing liquidity and solvency of the financial sector) in the US, the UK, Belgium and Germany. The primary objective of the 1^st year is to acquire extensive skills in micro-, and macroeconomics and statistics as the starting point for efficient later research. I also took field classes in Behavioral, International and Public Economics. In January I contributed to the project “Carry Trade & The Implied Volatility Puzzle” of Ricardo Caballero (the MIT Ford International Professor of Economics and Fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences). In the spring I discovered the astonishing availability and energy of the MIT faculty to think about students’ research. During discussions with Antoinette Schoar (the Michael Koerner ’49 Professor of Entrepreneurial Finance) and Michael Greenstone (the 3M Professor of Environmental Economics and former Chief Economist of President’s Obama Council of Economic Advisers), I launched the project “Leverage & deadweight losses: Belgium’s allowance for corporate equity experiment”. In this project I would like to estimate the financial instability cost to society that governments cause by sponsoring debt by using a natural experiment. Over the summer François Koulischer (Université Libre de Bruxelles) and I initiated the project “Central Bank Liquidity Auctions and Collateral Quality”. In this project Ivan Werning (The MIT Professor of macro-economics listed as one of the top 8 young economists in the world by The Economist) and Estelle Cantillon (FNRS Research Associate at ECARES) provided us with advice. François and I examine if central banks should accept low-quality collateral when lending to banks. We also study how central banks might eventually do this optimally (i.e. at which interest rates and at which haircuts). To benefit from the experience of experts at Central Banks, François and I stayed at Oxford University (with Prof. Paul Klemperer – who designed the Bank of England’s product mix auction) as well as in Frankfurt at the European Central Bank.

Julie VAN BOGAERT – Doctor in linguistics – UGent – to UC Santa Barbara – Prof. Dr. Sandra Thompson – Post-doc. res. in Linguistics – Spending a year as a visiting scholar at the University of California, Santa Barbara (UCSB) was an incredibly stimulating and rewarding experience that will continue to enrich my research for many years to come. I assimilated plenty of new insights, approaches and ideas participating in graduate seminars, attending colloquia, discussing my research with my sponsor, Prof. Dr. Sandra A. Thompson, and exchanging ideas and experiences with other faculty and researchers. I couldn’t have wished for a better research environment to work on my postdoctoral project on evidentiality than UCSB’s Linguistics Department, which, in keeping with its pledge to ‘unity in diversity’, at one level ties in neatly with my own research background while at the same time keeping me on my toes by introducing me to several cutting-edge trends, methodologies and research avenues.

Bart VAN DER SCHUEREN – Doctor of Medical Sciences – KUL – to University of Columbia, New York Obesity Research Center, Prof. dr. B. Laferrère – Post-doc. res. in Medical Sciences – Endocrinology

Ben VAN ROMPUY – Doctor in Law – VUB – to Georgetown University – Law Center – Post-doc. res. in the area of comparative US/EC antitrust law

 

2009-2010

Cécile ABRAMOWICZ – Master in Law – ULB to Harvard University -L.L.M. in Business Law

Jacques BENATAR – Master in mathematics – VUB  to UCLA –  PhD in Mathematics

Thien DANG-VU – Dr. in medecine – ULg to Harvard Medical School, Professor

1. ELLENBOGEN– Post-doc.res. in Sleep and Sleep Medicine

Julie FAVRIL – Master in Law – KUL to NY University – L.L.M in International Legal studies. From August 2009 until May 2010, I had the honor of studying at NYU School of law, where I obtained my LL.M. in International Legal Studies. This University carried my particular preference, because of her excellent reputation in the field of international law. In order to get familiar with the Common Law system and the Socratic teaching method, we first got immersed in a course on ‘Introduction to US Law’. Subsequently, I could broaden my interest and deepen my knowledge thanks to the endless range of courses on European and international law. Throughout the year, I enrolled in extremely interesting classes on ‘Humanitarian Law of Armed Conflicts’, ‘Public International Law’, ‘Human Rights’, ‘European Contract Law’ and ‘European Union Economic and Constitutional Law’, all taught by the most prominent authorities in their respective fields. Moreover, in the context of the more intensive seminars ‘Transitional Justice’ and ‘Law and Practice of the United Nations’, I wrote two papers, entitled ‘Children’s right to remedies in post-conflict situations’ and ‘A six-prong evaluation of the Iraqi and Afghan sanction regimes’. Moreover, thanks to the flexibility of the program, I was able to supplement my specialized LL.M. with more general law courses, such as ‘US Legal Methodology’ and ‘Alternative Dispute Resolution’, both offering a lot of practical skills. Next to my required course program, I also participated in the activities of ‘Law Students for Human Rights’ and the ‘NYU Model United Nations Society’. In combination with NYU’s rich array of extra-curricular activities, and the cultural program in ‘the city that never sleeps’, this has not only been an extraordinarily instructive, but also unique experience. In completion of this unforgettable year, I will be reinforcing the Belgian Permanent Mission to the United Nations during the European Presidency.

Koen HOORNAERT – Master in Law – UGent to Georgetown University – L.L.M. in International Legal Studies

Simon KNAPEN – Master in Physics – KUL to Rutgers University – PhD in Theoretical High Energy Physics

Erik QUAEGHEBEUR – Civil engeneer in Physics. – UG to Carnegie Mellon, University of Pittsburgh, Professor Teddy Seidenfeld – Post-doc. res. in the domains of uncertainty modeling, probability theory.My research focuses on the development and the use of theories for modeling uncertainty that are more expressive than the classical theories of probability. The aim is to create tools that allow for imprecision in probabilistic inference and indeterminacy in decision making when the available information is insufficient to obtain precise inferences and unique decisions. At Carnegie Mellon’s Department of Philosophy, I benefited from Teddy Seidenfeld’s extensive experience in this specific domain, decision making, and the foundations of statistics. The interaction with the other members of the department opened my eyes to the connections with social choice theory and formal epistemology. During my stay, my research focused on finitary characterizations of coherence for lower previsions (resulting in a paper presented at the Uncertainty in Artificial Intelligence conference), desirability (resulting in a book chapter), state classification for imprecise Markov chains, and completely monotone outer approximations of lower previsions. Other professional activities included my duties as secretary of the Society for Imprecise Probability: Theories and Applications, and co-organizing a workshop at Columbia University, New York City. I obtained a postdoctoral research position at Ghent University that starts October 1st, 2010.

Joris VANDENDRIESSCHE – Master in modern History – KUL to University of Minnesota– MA in History of Science and Medecine – At the University of Minnesota, he studied at the History of Science, Medicine, and Technology department. He participated in various research seminars, including the seminar on methods of research in the history of science (prof. Sally Gregory Kohlstedt), on early modern medicine (prof. Jole Shackelford) and on the development of germ theories in the nineteenth century (prof. Susan Jones). During the academic year, he also presented his research at the Midwest Junto for the History of Science in Norman, Oklahoma, and attended the annual meeting of the American Association for the History of Medicine (AAHM) in Rochester, Minnesota. His master’s thesis, supervised by prof. Jennifer Gunn, focused on the manuscripts of the French surgeon Antoine Pamard (1763-1827), which are being preserved at the Wangensteen Library in Minneapolis. The research project examined the construction of professional identity in the learned culture of the early nineteenth century. In October 2010, he will start doctoral research funded by a Ph.D Fellowship of the Research Foundation – Flanders (FWO) at the Katholieke Universiteit Leuven (KUL) under the supervision of prof. Kaat Wils. The research project examines nineteenth-century scientific medicine in an urban context and studies the scientific practices and urban embedment of medical societies in Belgium, from 1830 to 1914.

Olivier van der HAEGEN (Landon T. Clay Fellow) – Graduate of Law – FUSL/UCL – to University of Chicago – L.L.M. in International and Corporate law – He spent the academic year 2009-2010 at the University of Chicago, where he obtained the degree of Masters of Laws (LL.M.). Unlike most law schools in the US, the University of Chicago Law School does not offer specialized LL.M. programs in particular fields of law. The class of foreign students is rather small, and each of them is invited to choose courses in the wide curriculum offered to American law students, allowing a tailor-made and individualized academic experience. Olivier studied the federal regulation of securities, took classes on corporate control, business transactions, and followed a seminar on international financial regulation and legal aspects of the financial crisis (the latter was given by Kenneth Dam, former Deputy Secretary of the US Treasury). He completed this education by taking courses related to both litigation and legal theory. He was introduced to the theory and practice of American class actions, he wrote a research paper in the field of international commercial arbitration, and he interested himself in Anglo-Saxon jurisprudence (taught, amongst others, by Franco-American professor Bernard Harcourt). He is a trainee at the Brussels Bar and works for the litigation and arbitration department of Linklaters in Brussels.

Vincent WENS – PhD in Theoretical Physics – ULB to Princeton University – Group of Theoretical Physics – Professor C. Callan – My researches focus on theoretical and mathematical aspects of quantum gauge theories, which are not only of uttermost importance in high energy particle physics, but also in string theory and pure mathematics as well. This web of relationships offers powerful perspectives and methods to study each of these areas, and is therefore a major research direction within theoretical physics. My own researches carried out during this year concern the generalization of the microscopic approach to supersymmetric gauge theories, that was developped during my PhD thesis with F. Ferrari. This is a first-principle approach based on supersymmetry, localization and instanton calculus (methods at the origin of – and inspired by – the connection with mathematics) to compute exactly certain path integrals. This formalism can therefore be used to derive exact results (including non-perturbative and strong coupling effects) in supersymmetric gauge theories, and check certain special instances of the duality with strings.

 

2008-2009

Lena DE MOL – Graduate Language and Literature – UGent to University at Buffalo, State University of New York  – PhD in Linguistics

Leslie HERMAN – Graduate Chemical Science – ULB  to University of Wisconsin – Post-doc. research in ultrafast Chemistry, in the field of the dynamics of chemical reactions in the femtoseconod time domain.  My post-doctoral stay in the University of Wisconsin-Madison, where the winter is almost as famous as the research, gave me the opportunity to join Professor F. Fleming Crim’s lab. The fundamental research I was involved in was dedicated to the study of ultrafast dynamics of compounds as stilbene and photochromic molecules, which are excellent model for the development of molecular devices. The femtosecond laser spectroscopy affords to obtain crucial information on excited state dynamics on a very short time scale, thanks to a three beam experiment, respectively a first infrared pulse, than a second ultraviolet or visible pulse, and then a continuum. This experiment, called ViMP, « Vibrationally Mediated Photoizomerisation », done for the first time in solution, could lead to address how to vibrationally control an electronic excited state dynamic.

Jean-Philippe LANSBERG – Doctor in Exact Science – ULg to Stanford University, SLAC Stanford Linear Accelarator Center –  Post-doc.research in Particle Physics

Julien MARNEFFE – Graduate of Law  – UCL to Georgetown University MA. or PhD in Conflict Resolution – In August 2008, I started a 2-year graduate program in Conflict Resolution at Georgetown University. The first semester was dedicated to core courses: Conflict Resolution Theory introducing the main authors and topics in the field of conflict resolution – from peacekeeping to women in peacebuilding and the role of cultural differences in conflict resolution; Introduction to Conflict Resolution Skills providing a practice-orientated approach to conflict resolution through various tools, such as facilitation, mediation, conflict analysis; Multiculturalism, Democracy and Intergroup Relations addressing issues of conflict between individuals, social groups and states from a psychological dimension; finally, enfin, Negotiationsthrough which negotiation principles and strategies were introduced from a theoretical and practical perspective. I also undertook a introductory course to Arabic, which I pursued in the spring.  The second semester allowed students to develop more specific expertise and skills through a large panel of optional courses in conflict resolution and related fields, such as: Managing Organizational Conflicts focusing on issues of conflicts within organizations, from private corporations to international organizations; Introduction to Humanitarian Crises during which I studied civil-military and humanitarian/military relations during humanitarian crises; Evaluation and Conflict Resolution providing an overview of tools for conflict resolution evaluation, with a focus on project evaluation; finally, Stability Operations which addressed the major challenges and highlighted lessons learned with regard to stability operations, from Bosnia to Afghanistan. Throughout the academic year, I worked as research assistant for Professor Lise M. Howard, from the Department of Government at Georgetown University. My research focused on peacekeeping operations and on US-UN relations.  My second year will focus on UN peacekeeping operations, which will constitute the subject of my graduate thesis. I am considering undertaking a PhD on UN peacekeeping operations and/or joining the UN Department of Peacekeeping Operations, in New York or in field missions.

Vincent MERCKX – Doctor in Biology – KUL to UC of Berkeley – Burns Lab. – Post.doc. research in the Molecular Ecology of Mycorrhiza and mycoheterotrophic plants

Nathalie RYCKAERT – Graduate of Law – UCL to New York University – L.L.M. in Corporate law and Corporate governance.

An SAVEYN – Bio Ingeneer in Agronomy – UGent to UC Berkeley, Center for Stable Isotope Biogeochemistry – Post-doc. research in Physiological plant ecology

Elke VANDENDRIESSCHE – Graduate of Law – UGent to University of Chicago – L.L.M. in Corporate and Financial Market Law

Pieter VANHOVE – Graduate Language and Literature  – KUL to Columbia University – MA in Italian Studies – On May 20, 2009 Pieter Vanhove obtained his M.A. in Italian at Columbia University. Among other courses, he took the well-known intensive lectura Dantis with Professor T. Barolini. He also took part in a creative writing class with poet and critic P. Valesio as well in a theory seminar with famous researcher A. Compagnon (currently holder of the literature chair at the Collège de France). After obtaining his degree, he began an internship with writer and journalist Nina Burleigh of the Columbia School of Journalism. Together with her, he is researching a possible best-selling book publication on a notorious Italian murder case. In October 2009 he will start writing his Ph.D. on Pier Paolo Pasolini’s theatre. Currently he is also examining the possibility of a so-called “co-tutelle de thèse” between Columbia and KULeuven.

Alexandre ZENON – PhD in Medicine-Lab. of Neurophysiology – UCL to Salk Institute for Biological studies, San Diego  – Post-doc. research in Neurosciences

 

2007-2008

Marco BENATAR – Graduate of Law – VUB to New York University, N.Y.U. School of Law, New York – In the academic year 2007-2008, I pursued the LL.M. in International Legal Studies at New York University School of Law. During my stay, I devoted most of my curriculum to the fields of public international law and legal theory.  In the first semester I took two courses, the first was an introduction to international monetary law taught by a Swiss visiting scholar, Professor Mario Giovanoli and the second, taught by Professor Frank Upham, addressed the relationship between law and fostering development in the third world. Besides course work, I enrolled in two seminars. In Recourse to Force in International Law, co-taught by Professor Thomas Franck and Professor Miriam Sapiro, I studied the role that international legal norms play in curtailing interstate hostilities. In addition, I wrote a research paper analyzing the legality of cyber attacks. The seminar Chinese Attitudes toward International Law organized by Professor Jerome Cohen gave me the opportunity to make a comparative assessment of Western and Chinese perceptions of the law of nations. My essay addressed the China-Taiwan conflict and possibilities for peaceful dispute resolution.  In the second semester, I followed lectures by Professor Liam Murphy in which we read and discussed 8 great classics of modern moral and political theory ranging from Hobbes to Nagel. I supplemented my theoretical studies with an intensive course taught by Professor Jeremy Waldron on the concept of “Rule of Law”. With regards to international law, I took a comprehensive general course on the topic by Professor Benedict Kingsbury aimed at teaching methods for critically analyzing the law of nations and applying it to practical situations. Furthermore, I enrolled in a seminar taught by Professor Santiago Villalpando in which I studied the importance, functioning and work of the UN International Law Commission located in Geneva. For this seminar I wrote a research paper on the effect of armed conflicts on treaties.  I partook in several extracurricular activities. In the context of the Research Associateship Program, I was matched up with Professor David Golove. This program allows for students to interact with a law faculty member in a meaningful way and gain insight into the world of academia. In addition, I served as graduate editor of the NYU Journal of International Law & Politics, a student-run legal publication dedicated to a vast array of topics in private and public international law. Finally, I assisted in drafting the second edition of the NYU Guide to Foreign and International Legal Citation as committee co-chair for European law.

Ann Sofie CLOOTS – Graduate of Law – KUL to Columbia University, School of Law – New York – During this academic year, I pursue an LL.M (Masters in Law).  This one year programme allowed me to specialize in the field of International Law and Human Rights, and area in which I would like to pursue a Ph.D. later on. During my studies at Columbia, I was able to take a wide spectrum of classes in various subfields of International Law. Last semester, my classes included Global Constitutionalism, taught by Professor Michael Doyle, who has been Under-Secretary of the United Nations; United Nations Peacekeeping, by Professor Roy Lee, who was Secretary for the Rome Conference on the International Criminal Court; Transitional Justice, by Professor Graeme Simpson, of the New York-based International Center for Transitional Justice, and a colloquium organised by Professor George Fletcher, with a variety of renowned speakers, such as Professor Antonio Cassese. This semester, I am following the Global Governance class of¨Professor José Alvarez; the seminar Transnational business and Human Rights by Professor Anthony Ewing; the seminar Globalization and Human Rights by the Belgian Professor Olivier De Schutter, who has been appointed U.N. Special Rapporteur on the Right to Food. In addition, I am member of the Human Rights Clinic by Professor Peter Rosenblum, for which I am working on projects in the DRC. One of those projects includes advising the DRC government in their renegotiations of the mining contracts, in the hope of ensuring that the Congolese people will benefit more from their natural resources. I also work as a Research Assistant for Professor Lee. In addition, I am a member of the Graduation Committee, Class Gift Committee, and Columbia International Law Society.

Liesbeth DE BLEEKER – Graduate Roman Literature – KUL to New York University

Bruno FORMENT – Graduate Sciences of Art – UGent to Thornton School of Music at the University of Southern California – Los Angeles – From October 2007 to September 2008, as postdoctoral scholar, he continues his explorations on opera seria, the dominant form of Italian opera in the eighteenth century. First of all, he fleshes out chapters from his doctoral dissertation ‘La terra, il cielo e l’inferno.’ The representation and reception of Greco-Roman mythology in opera seria (Ghent University, 2007) for essays (e.g. article in Rivista italiana di musicologia, 2008; book chapter in Ancient Drama in Music for the Modern Stage, Oxford UP, 2009) and conference papers (New York, Portland and Los Angeles). He furthermore lays the basis for a study on the role of memory in the production and reception of Niccolò Jommelli’s early operas (c. 1740-57). His work has recently been awarded by the American Society for Eighteenth-Century Studies and the Goldberg Early Music journal. Bruno Forment also receives support as Fulbright-Hays Fellow of the Commission for Educational Exchange between the USA, Belgium, and Luxembourg.

François GERARD – Graduate of Economical Sciences – UCL to University of California,  Berkeley Department of Economics – He could join the Ph.D. program in Economics. This first year of the program aims mainly to teach the knowledge and the mathematical and statistical techniques that will help Ph.D. students afterwards to carry out their own research well. Nonetheless, beyond the classes, he could enjoy the availability of the department faculty; with the support of Professor George Akerlof (Nobel Prize 2001) he could start to define a future thesis project motivated by the work of Professor Matthew Rabin (Clark Medalist) in Psychological Economics, entitled Contribution to the micro-foundations of the decision making process for environmental issues: social norms and procrastination. In short, the idea is to incorporate some psychological and social dimensions, too often neglected in economics, within the economic theories applied to environmental issues.  Also, for a class in Economic History, he focused on the study of the corporate income tax competition between European countries, trying to understand why those countries started suddenly in the eighties to level down those rates. In addition, during this first year he had the pleasure to meet Professor Edward Miguel, a passionate professor in Development Economics (member of the Poverty Action Lab) and Political Economy, for whom he will work this summer in Kenya and next year in Berkeley as a research assistant.

Filip OOSTERLINCK – Civil Engineer Chemistry – KUL to Yale University Department History of Medecine and Science During my stay (August 2007 – June 2008), I have been enrolled in a one year Master program in the History of Science and Medicine. Before coming to the States I had obtained a PhD in Chemical Engineering, a bachelor in History, and worked in the Materials Science Centre of DSM, a word-wide player in the performance materials sector. During that time I had become interested in how science policy and social-economic contexts (e.g. the current trend to environmentalism) plays a role in what kind of science is developed. Therefore I wanted to acquaint myself better with the History of Science, in order to better understand these trends. Currently I’m working on a paper on the ‘history of science policy in the USA’ and a master thesis on the ‘history of Green Chemistry’.

Nicholas SERGEANT – Electrotechnical Civil Engineer – KUL to University of Stanford for a PhD in Nanotechnology

Michiel VANHOUTTE – Civil Engineer Physics – UGent to Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), Dept. of Materials Science and Engineering (DMSE) – He started there the graduate program in Materials Science and Engineering in September 2007.  Within this program, he follows the Electronic, Photonic and Magnetic Materials option.  This option focuses on the design and fabrication of new materials and devices through the understanding and control of the interplay between the electronic, magnetic and optical properties of the materials, their micro- and nanostructure and their processing method.  This program leads to a PhD after fiver years.  He is a part of the Electronic Materials Research Group (EMAT) led by Professor Lionel C. Kimerling.  EMAT actively explores the field of silicon-based microphotonics, a technology that promotes the integration of electronic and optical devices for applications including telecommunications, computation and imaging.  He is working on a project to develop a silicon-based laser.

Bart VAN WASSENHOVE – Graduate of History – UGent to University of Chicago in the Classics Department since September 2007, where he participate in the interdisciplinary ‘Program in the Ancient Mediterranean World’, which combines study and research in the history, literature, art and philosophy of the ancient world. At this moment, he is predominantly concerned with the fulfilment of my course and research requirements, in order to obtain his Master degree. Among his courses and research seminars, he can already mention: ‘Roman Stoicism’, ‘State and Subject in the Roman Empire’, ‘Herodotus book V’, ‘Survey of Greek Literature: Prose’ and ‘Boethius’. Further, in December of last year, he presented a research paper, which he wrote for his course on ‘Roman Stoicism’ (working title: ‘Shameful Grief: Emotional Rhetoric in Senecan consolation’) at a conference in London, entitled ‘Acts of Consolation: Approaches to Loss and Sorrow from Cicero to Shakespeare’. A revised version of his essay will normally appear in the forthcoming proceedings of this conference.

Eva WUYTS – Civil Engineer Physics – UGent to University of Chicago for a MS-PhD in Astronomy

 

2006-2007

Isolde BELIEN – Graduate of Geology – UGent to University of Oregon – Physical volcanology Prof. Katharine Cashman, who is considered one of the best in the volcanological community worldwide. She studies fluid dynamics of volcanic systems, focusing mainly on the physical interactions of the solid, liquid and gas phases in magma and how this influences magma movement in volcanic conduits and controls the style and explosivity of volcanic eruptions. Her research on bubble – crystal interactions in volcanic systems has already earned her an invited talk at an international scientific meeting, before the end of the second year of her PhD, as well as widespread interest from researchers in volcanology and mathematical modeling, and an inter-university collaboration.

Koen DE TEMMERMAN – Graduate Linguistic- Literature  : Latin & Greek – UGent to Stanford University, Department of Classics (October 2006 – September 2007). The narratological, rhetorical and physiognomical construction of character in ancient fiction and biography.

Grégory DRIESSENS – Graduate Biomedical Sciences – ULB to University of Chicago –Identify the signaling pathway involved in the glucose dependence for the CD8+T cell effector functions.

Pieter EVERAERTS – Civil Engineer Physics – UGent to Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Sofie POLLIN – Electrotechnical Civil Engineer – KUL to University of California Berkeley

Patrick REYNAERT – Electrotechnical Civil engineer – KUL – went to the Berkeley Wireless Research Center, a research unit of the EE department of the University of California at Berkeley, from August 2007 till June 2008.  During this period, he was a post-doctoral researcher with the group of Prof. Ali Niknejad where he did research on analog integrated circuits for 60GHz, an important frequency band for future wireless communication systems. A 60GHz differential power amplifier was developed in a 90nm CMOS technology. Compared to the state of the art, the implemented power amplifier achieved a higher output power (+12dBm) and operated from a lower supply voltage (1V). By using integrated transformers, the chip-area was reduced to the bare minimum. The integrated circuit was presented at the renowned International Solid-State Circuits Conference in San Francisco in February 2008.  Currently, he is an associate professor at the Catholic University of Leuven. Within the MICAS research division of the Electrical Engineering Department (ESAT), he is leading the research on analog integrated circuits for mm-wave applications, and the research on RF power amplifiers.

Hans SAVEYN – Dr of Applied Biological Sciences – UGent to Delaware University – Cationic polymer adsorption and desorption kinetics from sludge.  Synthetic cationic polymers are widely used in conditioning of wastewater and industrial sludges, prior to mechanical dewatering. An important class of these polymers, based on copolymers of acrylamide and quaternised dimethylaminoethyl acrylate (DMAEA-Q), is known to be prone to hydrolysis, thereby releasing choline chloride. The adsorption and desorption kinetics of polymer were monitored in an extended study based on a model sludge suspension, together with the evolution in physico-chemical characteristics and dewatering behaviour of the sludge. The results of this study suggested that hydrolysis of the adsorbed polymer initially promotes additional adsorption of polymer from the solution phase, thereby improving the network strength and increasing filterability. However, hydrolysis of the adsorbed polymer ultimately leads to a weakening of the sludge floc network strength and deteriorating filterability.

Ellen SIMON – Graduate Linguistics – UGent to University of Massachusetts – Phonology

Lieven VANDERVEKEN – Doctor Neuroscience/Neurobiology – KUL

Demmy VERBEKE – Graduate Linguistics – KUL to Harvard University Department of History

 

2005-2006

Christian BEHRENT – Graduate of Law – ULg to Univesity of Yale

Annekatrien LENAERTS – Graduate of Law – FUNDP to Harvard Law School

An PAENHUYSEN – Graduate of History – KUL to Berkeley University

Min REUCHAMPS – Graduate of Political Sciences – ULg – Was admitted to the Master’s of Arts program in Political Science at Boston University in September 2005. He took eight graduate courses at the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences. In October 2006, he passed the Comprehensive Exams in Comparatives Politics, Political Theory, and European Integration. While in Boston, Min submitted two articles for publication. The first one, « La parité linguistique au sein du conseil des ministres », was submitted to the Belgian journal Res Publica. This paper is a revised version of his bachelor’s thesis. The second article deals with gacaca jurisdictions in Rwanda and was submitted to the international review Human Rights Quarterly. It is entitled « What Justice for Rwanda? Gacaca versus Truth Commission? ». A third article, exploring the relationship between referendum and European Identity, « Referendum as a Tool for Building European Identity. The Case of Belgium, Luxembourg, and The Netherlands », will shortly be sent to the electronic journal European Integration Online Papers. Since October 2006, Min is Aspirant du Fonds National de la Recherche Scientifique in the Department of Political Science at the Université de Liège where he prepares a doctoral dissertation on Belgian, Canadian, and South African federalism.

Bernard SWARTENBROEKX – Graduate of Economical, Social and Political sciences – KUL to University of Harvard

Matthias TROFFAES – Physics Engineer – UGent to Carnegie Mellon University

Cedric VOLANTI – Graduate of Animal Biology Sciences – ULg to Harvard University

Kris VAN DEN BOGAERT – Graduate of Biomedical Sciences – UA to University of Minnesota Stem Cell Institute from June 1^st, 2005 until December 10^th, 2005. During this period, she performed research in the framework of a previously existing project studying gene therapy applications using Multipotent Adult Progenitor Cells (MAPCs). As she was not experienced yet in culturing MAPCs, she started with a training session in order to learn all techniques required to isolate MAPCs from the bone marrow of mice, culture the MAPC cell lines and differentiate them towards mesodermal, endodermal and neuroectodermal cell types. After this education, she initiated the MAPC-based gene therapy research. The specific aims of this study are: (I) In vitro correction of the FANCC (Fanconi Anemie C) gene by homologous recombination in MAPCs isolated from a FANCC knock-out mouse; (II) Transplantation of the corrected cells in the FANCC knock-out mouse; (III) Isolation of MAPCs from the bone marrow of human FANCC patients and in vitro correction by homologous recombination.  In order to determine whether the genetically corrected MAPCs will contribute to the hematopoietic system in the FANCC-/- mouse after transplantation, she first tested if this is possible with wild-type MAPCs. She injected wild-type MAPCs derived from a GFP-transgenic mouse into sublethally irradiated FANCC-/- mice. Eight to 10 weeks after transplantation she analysed the percentage of donor-derived GFP+ CD45+ cells in the bone marrow of these mice. To increase the obtained percentages, she further optimized the experimental conditions. These results are the basis for future transplantation experiments with ex vivo genetically corrected FANCC-/- MAPCs in FANCC-/- mice, a project that she’s continuing at the Stem Cell Institute of the K.U.Leuven.

Koen VERMEIR – Graduate of physics – KUL to Cornell and Harvard University

Henk WYMEERSCH – Civil Engineer Computer Sciences – UGent to Massachusettes Institute of Technology (MIT) Laboratory for Information and Decision Systems (LIDS) (October 2005 – September 2006).  During both the fall and spring terms he was a guest-lecturer for the graduate course “Statistics for Scientists and Engineers” at MIT.  His research activities consisted mainly of supervising Ph.D. students at LIDS. His research dealt with algorithm design in digital communication systems for (a) non-linear satellite channels, (b) multi-user detection in OFDMA systems, in collaboration with Qualcomm Inc, and (c) localization of users in wireless networks. This research has led to a number of publications in scientific journals, as well as two provisional patents.  During the same period, Henk Wymeersch also wrote the book “Iterative Receiver Design”, with an expected publication date of September 2007 (Cambridge University Press).  He is also involved in the execution and evaluation of multiple scientific projects, both within MIT and in collaboration with other universities (such as Princeton and UC Berkeley).  His research on iterative algorithms was recently awarded the Alcatel Bell Scientific Award. Henk Wymeersch is currently a postdoctoral associate at MIT.

 

2004-2005

Goedele DE CLERCK – Graduate of Literature – UA/UGent  to Gallaudet University, Washington DC – I am happy to look vack on a fruitfull year that enabled me to bring my research on an international level and build a worldwide network of experts in Deaf Cultural Studies.  Both in spring and fall 2005, I was guest lecturer in the International Development Master class « Community Development with People with Disabilities in Developing Countries », presenting my PhD researche on Flemish deaf empowerment.  I hope to apply the knowledge that I gathered at Gallaudet University to contribute to the establishment of a Master’s program in Deaf Studies at Belgian Universities.  I plan to graduate in 2007 and I will be proud to be the first Belgian deaf person to receive a PhD with a dissertation on deaf culture.

Sylvie DENUYT – Engineer of electrotechnics – VUB to Harvard University

Dagmar DIVJAK – Dr. in Literature – Russian and Slavonic Studies – KUL to University of Carolina

Charles-Henri MASSA – Graduate of Law – ULg to Harvard University

Abdul G. NOURY – Graduate of Economical Sciences – Dr. in Economics – ULB to University of California, Berkeley – During its stay, he has worked with Professor Gérard Roland (UC Berkeley) and Professor Simon Hix (London school of Economics) on the behaviour of vote for the European Parliament. The results of its researches are the followings:

– Enlargement and the European Parliament, 2004 (with Gérard Roland), in Campos N. et J. Fidrmuc (eds.), Political Economy of Transition and Development : Institutions, Politics and Policies, ZEI Studies in European Economics and Law, Boston/Dordrecht/London : Kluwer Academic Publishers.

– Politics not Economic Interests : Determinants of Migration Policies in the European Union (with Simon Hix), 2007, International Migration Review.

– Dimensions of Politics in the European Parliament (with Simon Hix et Gérard Roland), American Journal of Political Science, 2006.

– Democratic Politics in the European Parliament, 2007 Cambridge University Press (with S. Hix and G. Roland).  This book obtained the Richard F. Fenno Award 2008, which by American political science association is granted. Moreover he organiserd an international conference at the University of California, Berkeley „Legislative Behavior in Europe, US, and Beyond, on 25 and 26 February 2005.

Karen PAULEWYN – Dr. in Medical Sciences – KUL to Minneapolis University

Bart RAEYMAEKERS – Industrial Engineer – UGent/VUB to University of California, San Diego

Johannes SPINNEWIJN – Graudate of Economical Sciences – ULB to MIT, Boston

Mathieu STIENON – Graduate of Mathematical Sciences – ULB to Penn State University

Geert VERMEULEN – Electrotechnical Civil engineer Mecanics – KUL

Nathalie WAHL – Graduate of Mathematics – ULB to University of Chicago

 

2003-2004

Stéphanie BIJTTEBIER – Graduate of Literature – Ugent to Boston University – PhD in American literature, investigating the connection between American Literature and regionalism

Laurent BLAVIER – Graudate of Law – ULg – Master of Laws (LL.M.)

Sofie COOLS – Graduate of Law – KUL to Harvard University – LL.M. degree and expect to focus on international financial law

Nicolas GALOPPO von BORRIES – Civil engineer electrotechnics – KUL – Graduate study in computer grahics and animation, consisting of a PhD degree

Sabrina INOWLOCKI – Graduate of Classical Philology – ULB to Harvard Divinity School – Flavius Josephus use of citations in his against apion, Post-doctoral research

Valérie MATAGNE – Graduate of Biological Sciences – animal orientation – ULg to Primate Research Center (ONPRC), Portland Oregon – The project concerns the screening and characterization of overexpressed gene(s) found in patients suffering from Rett syndrome.  The experimental methodes will allow a steady knowledge of molecular biology techniques and an integrative approach of the disease (from gene to in vitro cultured cells to mutant mice displaying Rett-like syndrome).  This project involves a post-doctoral position.

Bob NAGLER – Civil engineer electrotechnics – VUB to Berkeley University – Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory – Intend to do research in the field of High Energy Photonics, Particle Accelerators and Plasma Physics.

Willem VAN DE WIELE – Graduate of Law – UGent to New York University, Law School – subject : Law – Degree : Master of Laws (LL.M.)

Cedric VAN DEN BORREN – Graduate of Law – ULB to Harvard University – Banking and Finance Law

Korneel VAN DEN BROEK – Physical Civil engineer – UGent to Harvard University – He will register for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in Physics.  Specialize in high-energy physics with a special interest for string theory

 

2002-2003

Arne DE BOEVER – Graduate Language and Literature – KUL to Columbia University, New York – English and Comparative Literature

Laurent DEMANET – Civil Engineer Applied mathematics – UCL to California Institute of Technology – Mathematic, informatic 

Tine HEREMANS – Graduate of Law – KUL to Cornell University – Torts, product liability, contracts, law and social change, cyberspace, law and American Legal Theory

Jan Maarten LEENKNEGT – Civil Engineer Architecture – KUL to Columbia UniversityUrban design

Joris MORBEE – Civil engineer electrotechnics – UGent to Stanford University, California Management Science and Engineering 

Lieve TEUGELS – Graduate of Chemistry – KUL to University of Chicago – General Chemistry

Isabelle VAN DAMME – Graduate of Law – UGent to Georgetown University Law Center, Washington D.C. – International Trade Law and Antitrust/Competition Law

Wim VANDENBERGHE – Doctor of medecine, surgery and delivery – KUL to University of California, San Francisco – Stargazin en het neuronaal transport van ampa-receptoren

Klaas VANSTEENHUYSE – Graduate of Archeology – KUL to Temple University, Philadelphia – Social-politic structure from Laat Minoïsch I Kreta (ca. 1600-1400 v.Chr.)

Frederik J. VERVAET – Graduate of History – UGent to University of California, Berkeley – Herdefinitie van de publiekrechtelijke natuur en de volmachten van Julius Caesar als dictator, de triumvirirei publicae constituendae (Octavianus, Marcus Antonius en Aemilius Lepidus) en Keizer Augustus en zijn opvolgers tot en met Flavius Vespasianus.

 

2001-2002

Mohammed BENTIRES-ALJ – Graduate of pharmaceutical sciences – ULg to Harvard University – Role fo Gabe2 in breast cancer molecular biology – cancer – signal transduction

Paul-Olivier DEHAYE – Graduate mathematics – ULB to Princeton University – Pure mathematics

Eva-Maria ERAUW – Graduate of law – UGent to Harvard University – Corporate Law

Karina MARTINS GISTELINCK – Graduate of law – KUL to Harvard University – Antitrustlaw

Maureen HEYMANS – Civil engineer of mathematics – UCL to Stanford University – Computer science 

Ruth LOOS – Graduate of physical éducation – KUL to Human genomics laboratory duPennington Biomedical Research Center – L’identifaction des gènes responsables de l’inactivité physique

Thibaut PARTSCH – Engineer of law – ULg  to Harvard University – Financial field

Tom SCHOUWENAARS – Civil eng.electrotechnics – KUL to Stanford University – Field of autonomous spacecraft and scientific space missions

Bart VAN COMPERNOLLE – Civil engineer physicist – UGent to University of California, Los Angeles department Physics and Astronomy

Jan VRANCKX – Chirurgien reconstructif – KUL to Brigham hospital – Harvard Medical School à Boston – Tissue engineering and gene therapy for wound repair

2000-2001

Pieter ABBEEL – Civil engineer electrotechnical option electronic computer systems – KUL

Jan DE MOT – Civil engineer mechanic robotic – KUL to Massachussets Institute of Technology (M.I.T.), Boston Laboratory for Information and decision systems (LIDS)

Hans DOOMS – Doctor of sciences molecular biology group – UGent to University of California, San Francisco

Sigrid LAMBERT – Graduate of sinology – KUL 

Erika RUBOSEVA – Doctor of medecine, surgery and delivery – ULB to Stanford University– Magnetic resonance imaging monitoring of chemotherpeutic drug delivery

Alain VANDERPOORTEN – Agronomical engineer – FUSAGX

Els VERBRAKEL – Civil engineer architecture – KUL  to Graduate School of Architecture Columbia University, New York 

Annelies VERDOOLAEGE  – Graduate of African languages and culture – UGent to State University of New York at Albany

 

1999-2000    

Carl D’HALLUIN – Civil engineer electronic – KUL  to University of California, Berkeley –Mathematics

Florence LEBON – Graduate of chemical sciences – FUNDP to University of California, San Francisco Biochemestry and biophysics : inhibition HIV

Roemer LEMAITRE – Graduate of law – KUL to Harvard University – International Law, human law rights and comparative constitutional law

Curt SCHURGERS – Civil engineer of electronic – KUL to University of California, Los Angeles – Systèmes de communication et les réseaux ad-hoc peu coûteux en énergie

Robby STOKS – Graduate of biology – UA to Dartmouth College New Hampshire – Recherche évolutionnaire-écologique sur les Zygoptères 

Kris TIRI – Civil engineer electronic micro-electronic – KUL to University of California, Los Angeles – Bluetooth-project

Ivo VANDEN BERGHE  – Doctor spec. pathology – KUL to Brigham and Women’s Hospital Harvard University, Boston  – Human pathology

Gaëtan VERHOOSEL – Graduate of law – KUL to Columbia University International –Economic Law

Pieter VERMEERSCH – Graduate of geology – VUB and Gent University to Massachussets Insitute of Technology (M.I.T.) Cambridge – Thermal evolution of compositionally stratified earth, including plates

 

1998-1999    

David DAEMS – Doctor of chemical sciences – ULB to Rutgers University – Statistal Physics

Karen MACOURS – Bio-engineer of agriculture – KUL to University of California, Berkeley – Agricultural Economy and natural resources

Séverine RENARD – Graduate of psychology et educational science – UCL to Biology Department of the Georgia State University – Neurobiolgy program

Arnout SCHURMANS – Graduate of archeology – KUL to Arizona State University – Anthropology

Jan TAVERNIER – Graduate of ancient history and Middle East history  – KUL to University of Chicago Department Near Eastern Languages and Civilisations

Bjorn TUYPENS – Graduate of economics – UCL to Yale University – Monetary economics and finance

Anne VERHULST – Civil engineer electronic – KUL to Stanford University, California – La réalisation expérimentale d’un quantum computer basé sur des principes de nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR)

 

1997-1998   

Christophe COUVREUR – Civil engineer electrican – UCL to University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign – Statistical Signal and Array Processing (SSAP)

Martin DERAUX – Graduate of mathematics – ULB to University of Utah, Salt Lake City –Department Mathematics

Dirk ELEWAUT – Doctor of medecine – UGent to University of California, San Diego –Characterization of signal transduction pathways in intestinal epithelial cells in response of bacterial invasion

Luc MACHIELS – Civil engineer of applied mathematics – UCL to Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge

Luc MERTENS – Graduate Germanic philology – KUL to Mayo Clinic in Rochester

Dominique VANWIJNSBERGHE – Graduate of History of Art – UCL and Leuven toPrinceton University, Department of Art and Archaeology

Didier VERMEIREN – Civil engineer of electronic and telecommunations – ULB to Stanford University – Scientific Computing & Computational Mathematics

Katelijn VLEUGELS – Civil engineer of electronic (Micro-eletronic) KUL to Stanford University

 

1996-1997            

Benoît WALTREGNY – Graduate of Law – ULg

Thierry ARNOULD – Doctor of sciences – FUNDP to Harvard Medical School, Boston – Autosomal Dominant Polycystic Diesease (ADPKD) Polykystose renal

Valérie BADA – Graduate of germanic philology – ULg to Harvard – Comparative Literature

Gisèle DEBLANDRE – Doctor of chemical sciences  – ULB to Salk Insitute for Biological Studies, San Diego Developmental neurobiology

Mireille DELHASE – Doctor of medical sciences – ULg/VUB to University of California, San Diego, School of Medicine, La Jolla – Tissue specific expression of growth hormone and prolactin genes

Pierre VANDERHAEGHEN – Doctor of medecine, surgery and delivery – ULB to Harvard Medical School Dept of Cell Biology, Boston, Massachusetts – La genèse des connexions neuronales

Lieven VANDERSYPEN – Civil engineer electrical engineer – KUL  to University of Stanford – Bulk Spin Quantum Computation : Toward Large-Scale Quantum Computation

Kris WAGNER – Graduate of law – KUL to Harvard Law School, Cambridge, Massachusetts –Philosophy of law and theory

Benoît WALTREGNY – Graduate of law – ULg to Harvard University – International Commercial Law

 

1995-1996

Johannes VAN BIESEBROECK – Graduate of economical sciences – KUL

Michiel DEHAENE – Civil engineer architect – KUL to Harvard University Graduate School of Design – Urban design.

Bruno FUKS – Graduate of Botanical sciences – ULB to Rutgers University

Florence JAUMOTTE – Graduate and Master of economical and social sciences – FUNDP to University of Harvard – Macroeconomy, microeconomy and econometry.

Philip JOOS – Graduate of economical sciences – Master of Finance – UGent to Graduate School of Business, University of Stanford – Financial economy, econometry, microeconomy.

Géraldine NOLENS – Graduate of Law – KUL to University of Chicago – Law and Economics – Common Law.

Catherine SADZOT – Doctor of sciences – ULg to Stanford University – Immediate Early protein IE63.

Frederik VERMEULEN – Master of Science in electrical engineering – KUL to Stanford Universty – Computer system.

Thierry ARNOULD – Doctor of sciences – FUNDP to Department of Nephrology, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Harvard Medical School, Boston – Autosomal dominant polycistck disease.

Valérie BADA – Graduate of germanic philology – ULg to University of Harvard – Compared literature.

 

1994-1995

Véronique ARNOULD – Doctor of Medicine (Ophalmology) – UCL

Nicole HUYGHE – Bio-engineer of agriculture – UGent

Karlien VANDERHEYDEN – Graduate of Psychology – UGent

Bert DEBUSSCHERE – Civil Engineer – KUL to University of Wisconsin, Madison – Mechanical engineering

Kristin HENRARD – Graduate of Law – KUL to Harvard University – Islamic law – European Law

Alain JOUSTEN – Graduate of economics – ULg to Massachusetts Institute of Technology(MIT), Cambridge – Microeconomy, macroeconomy, econometry.

Philippe MONTFORT – Doctor of economics – UCL to Harvard University, Littauer Center, Department of Economics – Exchange rate passtrough.

Herman VAN DE STRAETE – Civil engineer of mechanical and electrotechnical – KUL to Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Boston – Robotics

 

1993-1994

Gert MOREEL – Graduate of germanic philology – UGent

Frank BRISARD – Graduate in Germanic philology – UA to University of San Diego -Cognitivie linguistic.

Jonas DEROO – Graduate of Law – UGent to Harvard Law School – Payment systems – Loss Allocation for funds transfer error under artcle 4A of the Uniform Commercial Code.

Didier JACOBS – Graduate of economical sciences – UCL to Harvard Kennedy School – Public managment

Marianne MEDOT – Doctor of Medicine – ULg to Wound Healing and Reparative Biology

Koenraad NORGA – Doctor of Medicine – Obsterics surgery – KUL to Division of Pediatric Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA – Interleukine-3

Stefaan SONCK – Civil Engineer (electrotechnical-mechanical) – KUL to University of Stanford, California – Aerospace Robotics

Kathleen VERELST – Graduate of Law – UA and Catholic University of Leuven to University of Michigan, Ann Arbor – Constitutional Law – Commercial Transactions – Property Law – Intellectual Property Law – Business Transactions.

 

1992-1993

Hendrik BOURGEOIS – Graduate of Law – UGent

Siska VANDENDRIESSCHE – Graduate of oriental philology – UGent

Rudi VANDER VENNET – Graduate of economical sciences – UGent

Stefaan DECKMYN – Graduate of Law – KUL to University of Chicago, The Law School Corporate finance, law and economics, law and literature.

Jacques LASUDRY – Doctor of Medicine – ULB to Department of Ophtalmology and Visual Sciences at the University of Winsconsin, Madison, Medical School – Experimental retinoblastoma.

Claire MARTIN – Ingénieur Civil Electricien – Faculté Polytechnique de Mons to University of Stanford, department Electrical Engineering – Telecommunication.

Johan MEEUSEN – Doctor of Law – UA to University of California at Berkeley – LL.M.-thesis

Piet VAN NUFFEL – Graduate of Law – KUL to Harvard Law School, Cambridge, Massachusetts – The Settlement of Trade Disputes in a North American Free Trade Area : How International trade rules can be enforced.

 

1991-1992

Anne-Françoise DELWAIDE – Graduate of Law – ULg to Harvard Law School – Finance – International Commercial Law.

Miguel COTTON – Graduate of Law – UCL to Columbia Law School – Business Law.

Eric DE BIE – Graduate of Law and notary – UA  to University of Michigan – Constitutional Law – Society Law.

Hilde DE WEERDT – Graduate of Sinology – KUL – East Asian Languages and Civilizations.

Christine JACOBS – Graduate of Biochemistry – ULg to Washington University, school of Medicine, Saint-Louis – Molecular microbiology.

Frederik MAES – Electrotechnical Civil Engineer – KUL to Leland Stanford Junior University – Microelectronics

Stephane PALLAGE – Graduate of Business Administration – ULg to Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh – Banking sector.

Jan VAN LANCKER – Graduate of Law – UGent to University of Michigan Law School

 

1990-1991

Bart EECKHOUT – Graduate of Germanic Philology – Ugent to Columbia University, New York – American poetry.

Alain FRANCOIS – Graduate of Law – VUB to University of Michigan – Resisting squeez-outs in American (and Belgian) Law.

Laurent GARZANITI – Graduate of Law – ULg to Columbia University, New York

Iris SMORODINSKY – Graduate of Language and linguistic – ULB to Yale University – Phonetic – phonology, syntax and historical linguistic.

Johan STOOP – Agronomical Engineer – KUL to North Carolina State University – Agronomy and biotechnology

Jan TYTGAT – Doctor of pharmaceutical sciences – KUL – Voltage sensors.

Peter VANDENBERGHE – Doctor of Medicine – KUL

Amaryllis VERHOEVEN – Graduate of Law – KUL to Harvard Law School, Boston – Constitutional and Federal Law.

 

1989-1990

François-Xavier RENARD – Electrical Civil Engineer – FUCAM to Case Western Reserve University – Systems Engineering.

Jan VAN MIEGHEM – Electrotechnical Civil Engineer – KUL to Stanford University – Accounts – Finance – Marketing.

Koen VAN ROMPAY – Doctor of Veterinary medicine – UA and UGent to Comparative Pathology, California

Jan WOUTERS – Graduate of Law – UA to Yale Law School, New Haven – Commercial Law Society Law – Financial Law – Antitrust law, banking law, contracts, international institutions, law & economics of corporate takeovers, legal aspects of finance, securities regulation.

Koen COPPENHOLLE – Graduate of Law – KUL

 

1988-1989

Françoise BEAUFAYS – Mechanical and Electrical Civil Engineer – ULB to Stanford University, California – Telecommunication – Treatment of signal and linear control.

Gert CAUWENBERGHS – Civil Engineer – VUB to California Institute of Technology – Jet Propulsion – VLSI systems

Marc FYON – Graduate of Law and Economics – UCL to University of California, Los Angeles – Society law and financial law.

Frank SMETS – Graduate of Economics – UGent to Yale University Macroeconomics – Econometrics – Economic History of Europe.

Yves VAN GERVEN – Graduate of Law – KUL to Harvard Law School – Society Law – Banking law.

Catharina VAN SANTVLIET – Graduate of Law – KUL to Harvard Law School – Corporations – Economic Analysis of Law – Debt restructuring – The abuse of minority shareholders in close corporations.

 

1987-1988

Axel CLEEREMANS – Graduate of Psychological and Pedagogical sciences – ULB to Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, PA.

Michel GOEMANS – Civil Engineer – UCL to Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), Cambridge, USA – Combinative optimisation

Thomas SCHRANS – Civil Electrotechnical Engineer – UGent to California Institute of Technology – Opto-electronic.

Marianne VOS de WAEL – Graduate of Economics  – ULg to University of California, Berkeley – Finance – International Finance.

Ann-Sophie CREMERS – Doctor of Roman philology – KUL

Guy LIPPENS – Physician Civil Engineer – UGent

 

1986-1987

Pierre ETIENNE – Civil Engineer of Applied Mathematics – UCL to University of Chicago – Business Administration, finance, future contracts and options.

Bruno HOLTHOF – Doctor of Medicine – KUL to University of Harvard, Harvard Business School – Medical economy.

Alexis HOUSEN – Graduate of Germanic Philology (english linguistic) – VUB to University of California, Los Angeles – Teaching English as a second language, applied linguistics.

Koen VANHAERENTS – Graduate of Law – KUL to Boalt Hall School of Law, Berkeley – Economic and fiscal law.

Paul WAER – Graduate of Law – UA to Harvard Law School East Asian Legal Studies Program.

 

1985-1986

Yves DEVILLE – Graduate en Master of Date Base – FUNDP to University of Syracuse – Computer Science.

Katia FERRIERE – Electrical Civil Engineer – ULg to University of Colorado, Boulder – Physics, astrophysics.

Anne FREMAULT – Graduate of Modern History (specialisation socio-economy) – UA andKUL to University of Pennsylvania – Economical sciences.

Jacques LAWARREE – Graduate and Master of Economical Sciences – ULg to University of California, Berkeley

Wim LEEMANS – Electro-Mechanical Engineer – VUB to University of California, Los Angeles – Plasma Beat Wave Accelerator.

 

1984-1985

Marianne BAUDINET – Electrical (Electronic) Civil Engineer – ULg to University of Stanford, California – Data processing.

Anne-Marie BOLLEN – Graduate of Dentistry – VUB to University of Michigan – Orthodontics.

Michael FAURE – Graduate of Law – University of Antwerp – Graduate of Criminology – UGent to Law School of the University of Chicago – Economic analyse of law.

Daniel JULIN – Mechanical-Eletrical Civil Engineer – ULB to Carnegie Mellon University – Data Base.

 

1982-1983

Filip ABRAHAM – Graduate of Economics – KUL to University of Michigan – Macroeconomics consequences of negociations between federations and European consultants with particulary applications for Belgium.

Filip DE LY – Graduate of Law – UGent to Harvard Law School – Economic, financial and commercial law.

Pascal PETTEAU – Mechanical Civil Engineer – FUCAM to University of Stanford.

Etienne DENOËL – Electrical Civil Engineer – UCL to University of Southern California – Image Processing.

Mathias DEWATRIPONT (Francqui Prize 1998)– Graduate of Economics – Master of Econometrics – ULB to University of Harvard – Microeconomy, macroeconomy, economy of work.

 

1981-1982

Martha KALFF – Graduate of zoology – FUNDP to Columbia University, New York – Cellular Biology

Fernand KEULENEER – Graduate of Law en Economics – KUL to Yale University, Connecticut – Civil Law

Patrick RABAU – Graduate of Mathematics – UCL to University of Minnesota, Minneapolis

 

1980-1981

Benoit de LHONEUX – Agricultural Engineer – UCL to State University of New York, College of Environmetal Science and Forestry, Syracuse, New York – Electronical microscopy

Geert DE SOETE – Graduate of Theoretical Psychology – UGent to University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, N.C. – Quantitative psychology.

Joël WINKIN – Graduate of Law – ULg to Columbia University, School of Law, New York – General economical law

 

1979-1980

Michel DE BRUYN – Civil Geological Engineer – FUCAM to University of Texas, Austin – Numerical simulation of a Gas influx in a Kicking well – Science in Petroleum Engineering.

Filip DIERCKX – Graduate of Law – ua to Harvard Law School, Cambridge – Economics and Public Policy – Corporations – Antitrust Law, Accountancy for lawyers and International Taxation 1 and 2.

Willy ZWAENEPOEL – Electronics Civil Engineer – UGent to Stanford University, California – Computer Science.

 

1978-1979

Raymond DENECKERE – Graduate of Applied economic sciences – UA  to University of Chicago – Theoretical economy

Eric SCHLOSSER – Mechanical-Electrical Engineer – ULB to Harvard Graduate School, Boston, Massachusetts – Business Administration.

Peter STEVENS – Electrical Engineer – UGent to Harvard University – Computer Sciences.

 

1977-1978

Paul LEMMENS – Graduate of Law – KUL to Northwestern University, School of Law, Chicago, Illinois – Parte communications between persons outside an administrative agency and persons within the agency.

Marguerite SEQUARIS-DELIEGE – Graduate of Law – ULg to Columbia University, New York – Antitrust, regulated indistrues, business torts – International Law, international banking and monetary law.

José STUYCK – Orthopedic surgeon – Dr. in medicine – KUL to Temple University, Philadelphia – Neurophysiology

 

1976-1977

Pierre MEYERS – Graduate of Business Administration – ULg to Harvard University – Finance

Philippe SIMILON – Physician Engineer – ULg to Princeton University

 

1975-1976

Francis BERX – Civil Mechanic Engineer – KUL to Stanford University, California – Industrial engineering – Systems analysis and synthesis

Jean-Claude DEBONGNIE – Doctor of Medicine – UCL to GI UNIT Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minnesota

Luc MARY-RABINE – Doctor of Medicine – ULg to Columbia University

 

1974-1975

Franciscus DE SCHUTTER – Electrical Engineer – UGent to Rutgers University, New Brunswich, New Jersey – Computer en engineering

Georges HEYEN – Civil Chemical Engineer – ULg to University of Texas, Austin – Concept Mark III

Erik VERRIEST – Civil Electrical Engineer – UGent  to Stanford University, California – Interconnections, square-root