Belgium’s Oldest University Elects First-Ever Female Rector

A candidate who emerged from the base, she will succeed Luc Sels. ...

Belgium’s oldest university elects first-ever female rector

KU Leuven is breaking fresh grounds after 600 years.

Severine Vermeire has been elected as the new rector of KU Leuven. This means that the university will have a woman at the helm for the first time in its 600-year history. In the second round of voting, she won with almost 52 percent of vice-rector Tine Baelmans. As of 1 August, Vermeire will succeed the current rector Luc Sels.

Professor of gastrointestinal diseases Severine Vermeire will be the new rector of KU Leuven. Vermeire won with 51.9 percent of the votes, beating vice-rector Tine Baelmans, who got 46.9 percent. She will succeed Luc Sels, who was rector for the past 8 years.

17:14 The gastroenterologist Séverine Vermeire (54), unknown to the general public, can call herself rector of KU Leuven for the next four years. She made it by profiling herself as the 'candidate of the...