We have the address for the funeral home & the family on file If you're not happy with your card we'll send a replacement or refund your money Frankfort – Michael J. Van Leuven, 73, passed away on Tuesday, April 22, 2025. A celebration of life service will be held on Wednesday, April 30, 2025, at 3:00 p.m. with Dr. Bill Kincaid officiating. Military honors will be observed. A... View Obituary & Service Information Van Leuven created this Life Tributes page to make it easy to share your memories Send comfort and support when it's needed most Made with love by funeralOne New York City FC today announce that it has loaned forward Jovan Mijatovic to Oud-Heverlee (OH) Leuven of the Belgian Pro League through June 30 The Serbian forward arrived ahead of the 2024 season and made 17 appearances and scored a goal across all competitions for New York City The forward played a role in the club’s Leagues Cup quarterfinal run where he contributed with his first goal with the club and scored in the shootout against Mexican side F.C “We know Jovan is a super talented player with vast European experience we are all disappointed with his lack of playing time but know the level he is capable of reaching,” said Sporting Director David Lee “At this moment we believe that allowing Jovan to be exposed to play a key part in a competitive environment in Belgium’s top division will help further his development We look forward to following Jovan in Belgium the rest of the season and wish him all the best.” Mijatovic returns to Europe where prior to New York City the forward had amassed 95 professional career appearances most recently with Serbian club Red Star Belgrade in addition to UEFA Champions League and Europa League experience “I would like to thank everyone at New York City for welcoming me to the club last season Although we didn’t have the season I would have wanted I am excited at the opportunity to return to Europe and continue to work on my craft,” said forward Jovan Mijatović staff and my teammates; I wish them all the best as they start the new season.” Mijatović was called up by Serbia’s U-21 while with New York City The forward made four appearances and provided a goal and assist between a friendly and UEFA Euro U-21 Championship qualifying Transaction: New York City FC loan forward Jovan Mijatovic to OH Leuven through June 30 OneFootball's home page Search Settings Sign In But in retrospect it is good that it did not happen it is not the type of football I want to play‘ having made numerous appearances for the youth sides GBeNeFN | Ben Jackson Related NewsExclusive: Tottenham willing to pay €30-35m for 26-G/A West Ham & Everton target Jarrod Bowen salvages point for West Ham against much-changed Tottenham West Ham vs Tottenham LIVE: Premier League result, latest updates and reaction after derby draw Premier League Awards: Enciso stunner, Semenyo or Delap? Trent Alexander-Arnold announces Liverpool exit Trent Alexander-Arnold has confirmed that he will leave Liverpool this summer via a lengthy social media statement.The academy product is out of contract at Anfield at the end of the... Ruben Amorim worried about Man Utd's 'real dilemma' after record-extending loss which aims to decarbonise heating in the city Leuven was one of the first 15 cities across Europe to join Climate KIC’s Deep Demonstration of Healthy Mayor Mohamed Ridouani told us: “When we talk about improving the quality of life in Leuven by making the city healthy and green The other crucial factor is to demonstrate progress.”  Three neighbourhoods have been selected as Lighthouse Districts, each with their own unique context, to serve as real-world laboratories for testing new ideas. In these districts, the city is researching the feasibility of installing collective heating systems to serve multiple households, with the goal of reducing carbon emissions through renewable energy use and enhanced efficiency Feasibility studies for heat networks are complex and community needs at the neighbourhood level and spatial constraints like drilling space and water availability alongside the area’s social and economic profile including building ownership and rental patterns a comprehensive understanding of funding options is critical to bridge financial gaps Key steps to making green heating a reality include integrating green energy sources and installing underground pipe networks for heat delivery Adaptations on the consumer end will be equally essential as buildings themselves need upgrades to effectively utilise new types of heating systems The city administration realise that they’ll have to come up with a staggering amount of money to finance such a transition for the entire city a vital part of their Pilot City Activity is finding out where the money will come from “We’re really using these districts to research what kind of financial and legal structure we actually need to finance these green heat projects,” says Luca Lia a platform for structural cooperation in the city and knowledge institutions to accelerate the transition to a climate-neutral Leuven “We are also working on getting the projects to a point where they are interesting to private investors,” says Lia The feasibility studies in the lighthouse districts are currently financed by EU grant funding from the Pilot Cities Programme the projects will need to be financed from other sources it’s clear that it will have to come from a blended approach with public and private investments but the exact configuration remains to be seen Vanderlinden emphasises the need for a tax shift from electricity to gas in order to make green heat projects viable “One major barrier to the adoption of heat networks with individual heat pumps in Belgium is the stark difference between net electricity and gas prices higher electricity bills discourage households from transitioning to sustainable heating reducing levies on electricity while increasing them on fossil fuels like gas is urgently needed to make these solutions more attractive,” she says set to impose a carbon tax on fossil heating by 2027 quick action on taxation is critical in accelerating the feasibility of heat network projects this is not something the city expects to see anytime soon The tax difference is not the only obstacle The creation of a viable business case for heat networks remains challenging due to the significant upfront investment costs “Establishing the necessary infrastructure which is difficult to secure without long-term policy certainty and sufficient subsidies While a tax shift could improve the operational costs addressing the investment barriers is equally critical to making heat networks a viable and sustainable solution,” says Vanderlinden The success of green heat projects hinges on broad involvement from multiple players in the city and ensuring their continued commitment to and participation in such initiatives Leuven is now testing an innovative approach to ensure they secure such commitments: civic contracting Civic contracting is being trialled as an innovative way to engage the main stakeholders in Leuven by extensively mapping all relevant players involved in the green transition and formalising clear agreements with them It is an initiative spearheaded by Leuven 2030 with the city administration now exploring how it can work in the context of green heating civic contracting is being trialled on two levels: “On a more general level which we call actor-based civic contracting and then there’s the place-based model which focuses on specific places or districts we have selected.”  The civic contracting approach builds on Leuven’s previous work regarding stakeholder engagement the city and Leuven 2030 developed a roadmap that saw 15 key stakeholders formally sign on to a shared vision containing formal commitments from more than 25 stakeholders we’ve experienced an important insight as a result of our lighthouse districts: while we can conduct feasibility studies we must not overlook the residents living in the areas we’re studying They play a crucial role in this transition particularly when it comes to renovating their homes how can we effectively engage them in this process?” asks Vanderlinden The local energy cooperative ECoOB is the city’s key partner when it comes to engaging citizens in the Pilot City activity as they enable communication with residents in the neighbourhoods and enable their financial participation in the city’s climate transition Further efforts to engage residents are underway in the lighthouse districts through the integration of urban development initiatives with different climate themes. The Constantin Meunier street is one of the lighthouse districts and it also hosts a separate climate initiative on urban greening and depaving By simultaneously carrying out multiple climate projects in the same street the city administration is investigating the potential of integrating projects in the same area to maximise efficiency and build awareness of climate action and urban improvements locally The city has been experimenting with Climate KIC systemic approach for many years now “It’s beneficial to work on different climate themes in one neighbourhood we are trying to speak more to our colleagues from other departments so we can work more together which is time and money efficient,” says Vanderlinden These integrated efforts also contribute to mainstreaming climate action across the city government “Everything we’re doing there is something we can learn from even if we are not sure they will work,” says Vanderlinden they hope to use the insights from their Pilot City work to inform their broader climate strategy and develop a model for green heat transition that can be scaled across the city and replicated across Europe but we may just see another big bang from the Belgian city we support local governments and communities in creating scalable solutions to tackle climate challenges By showcasing diverse approaches—from citizen engagement and innovative financing to sustainable mobility and urban heat mitigation—this campaign amplifies the stories behind the systems change we’re helping to orchestrate Sign up to our newsletter to learn more about our work Web design TWK IIASA Biodiversity and Natural Resources Program Director has been awarded an honorary doctorate (Doctor Honoris Causa) by KU Leuven one of Europe's most renowned universities in recognition of his exceptional contributions to global research in agricultural The honorary degree was conferred at a ceremony in Leuven, Belgium on Wednesday, 23 April. Through this award, Havlík is joining a distinguished community of world leaders who received the same honor from KU Leuven, including most recently the Secretary-General of the United Nations, Antonio Gueterres The university is also celebrating its 600th anniversary this year Havlík is internationally recognized for his exemplary work in developing integrated assessment models of the land-use sector. His work on the IIASA Global Biosphere Management Model (GLOBIOM) has significantly advanced understanding of the interconnected challenges between the global economy This innovative model is widely used for policy assessments and development through scenario analysis informing both global research and high-level decision-making He has consistently been recognized among the World's most Highly Cited Researchers since 2018 and was ranked by Reuters as the sixth most influential climate scientist globally KU Leuven emphasized Havlík's pioneering leadership and his unwavering dedication to generating evidence-based solutions for sustainable food systems and climate resilience His work bridges fundamental science and real-world impact influencing international policy and inspiring a new generation of interdisciplinary researchers "I am deeply honored to receive this recognition from KU Leuven This award is not only a personal milestone but also a reflection of the power of collaboration as demonstrated through the numerous impactful joint outputs with KU Leuven colleagues under the leadership of Professor Miet Maertens and of the importance of science in driving sustainable solutions for our planet I share this honor with my colleagues at IIASA and across the global research community who are working tirelessly to shape a more resilient and equitable future," says Havlík IIASA congratulates Petr Havlík on this well-deserved recognition and celebrates the global impact of his research and leadership The wantaway striker got his desired move away from New York City FC officially joining Belgium's OH Leuven on loan through the end of June Jovan Mijatović said he was "waiting for Europe right now" earlier this month, and on January's final day, he got his desired move away from New York City FC. The 19-year-old striker is officially joining OH Leuven on loan through June 30 This departure has been almost a forgone conclusion since Mijatović was announced as absent from NYCFC's preseason preparations, with the team claiming he was "currently in Europe completing a training stint." That always felt like a thinly veiled confirmation that Mijatović wouldn't be returning to MLS for a second season The highly-regarded striker joined NYCFC in February 2024 for a reported $8.6 million transfer fee one of the most expensive players ever purchased by New York City Yet Mijatović's 2024 season was not a good one with the young forward making only 15 appearances totaling 434 minutes of game time in all competitions for NYCFC Mijatović also played twice at Belson Stadium for NYCFC II during the US Open Cup failing to register a goal or assist against a pair of USL Championship teams His winter has been a chaotic one, as Mijatović also struck a pedestrian with his car on a Belgrade street and left her in critical condition. That was followed up by a swirl of transfer rumors with teams like PSV Eindhoven in the Netherlands and RSC Anderlecht in Belgium mentioned as having potential interest Florian Plettenberg of Sky Germany also indicated Bundesliga clubs had an eye on Mijatović, though Tom Bogert also reports that City Football Group was hesitant to loan Mijatović out with a purchase option included in any loan deal CFG is said to still highly value Mijatović despite the rough year in New York City they preferred a straight loan with no buy-option so they could hold onto the teenager they recently paid multiple millions of dollars to sign NYCFC now find themselves down one striker though Alonso Martínez and Mounsef Bakrar look set to remain and be expected to carry the load at the No 9 Mijatović arrived promising to score many goals but never found his shooting boots in MLS His tenure with NYCFC was not a smooth one and included a mysterious absence caused by work visa complications his grandmother publicly complaining about his playing time on Instagram and Jovan himself posting cryptic things on social media about his lack of minutes He'll now join OH Leuven in Belgium looking to re-establish himself as one of the next great young strikers coming out of Europe He won't be remembered that way for his performances with NYCFC but maybe things will go more smoothly for him in Belgium OH Leuven don't have the cachet of Anderlecht Located in the 10th-largest city in Belgium OH Leuven currently sit 12th in the 16-team Juplier Pro League You can read the full release from New York City FC announcing Mijatović's departure below Your fuego source for 2025 NYCFC transfer news and sketchy tweets before the MLS transfer window closes The biggest things to know about 26-year-old Australian midfielder Aiden O'Neill who just joined NYCFC on a contract through the 2028 season brings experience and leadership to the New York City midfield The 26-year-old Australian midfielder will move from Belgium's Standard Liege to NYCFC for a reported €2.5 million transfer fee A lethal low strike from Julián Fernández and a strong showing from a shorthanded defense propelled New York City FC to a 1-0 win over FC Cincinnati at Citi Field The stalemate was almost broken by 14-year-old McKenna Whitham of Gotham FC but the game finished scoreless as Chicago Stars FC go home with a point Thoughts on New York City FC's second straight win and the potential to make it a three-match streak next weekend A first-half goal from Julián Fernández set the tone as New York City won their fifth game of the season on a rainy Sunday in Queens The University’s historic insignia features on the reverse as proven by the longevity and resilience of the Catholic University of Leuven and the Catholic University of Louvain which this year celebrates six centuries since its founding KU Leuven Katholieke- Universiteit has become one of Europe's oldest universities the honour of being the oldest university in the Low Countries and the oldest extant Catholic university in the world UC Louvain - Universite Catholique also officially became the first French-speaking University in Belgium in 1968 it was Pope Martin V who issued a papal bull in December 1425 founding the University in Leuven as a Studium Generale This university then became institutionally independent of the local ecclesiastical hierarchy Although the University of Leuven was abolished by decree in October 1797 and as a result of the French Revolutionary War what remained of the university's movable property and books were requisitioned for the École centrale in Brussels This was the immediate official and legal successor and inheritor of the old University The first attempt to found a successor university in the nineteenth-century was the secular State University of Leuven in 1817 until 1835 and where many professors of the old University taught The successor institution received further papal recognition and authorisation in November 1834 with a papal brief in December 1833 from Pope Gregory XVI This resulted in the private Catholic University of Leuven founded with the intention of restoring the confessional Catholic pre-Revolutionary traditions of learning The dispute over national linguistic preference and dominance was resolved in June 1968 when the Dutch-language section of the university separated into the independent Katholieke Universiteit Leuven The French-speaking part of the university known as the Université catholique de Louvain new campus in Wallonia which was named Louvain-la-Neuve (New Leuven) farther south in the French-speaking part of the Province of Brabant research collaborations and student exchanges between the two sister universities take place with increasing frequency the 600th anniversary will be celebrated by both universities with events The coin is produced by the Royal Dutch Mint at their facilities in Houten Netherlands in association with the Royal Belgian Mint and is designed by Iris Bruijns The reverse side depicts the Leuven Sedes sapientiae statue of the Holy Mary holding the young Jesus on her lap and is centred the upper circle features the text and motto of the University SEDES SAPIENTIAE ORA PRO NOBIS (Seat of Wisdom closer into the circle is the commemorative text UCLOUVAIN 1425 2025 KU LEUVEN The lower circle is filled with scientifically inspired linear drawings focusing on the latest technology offered by the Universities into this and the next century The obverse side includes an effigy of HM King Philip designed by Royal Belgian Mint artisan Luc Luycx facing right along with his crowned monogram placed to the right and text surrounding the likeness of the King which reads BELGIE – BELGIQUE – BELGIEN representing the official three languages of Belgium The denomination 20 EURO is placed below the primary design and the year of issue 2025 is shown in a vertical direction Each coin is encapsulated and presented in a custom case and accompanied with a certificate of authenticity. For additional information, please visit the e-webshop of Herdenkingsmunten / Pieces commemoratives - Collector Coins Download the Greysheet app for access to pricing Subscribe to RQ Red Book Quarterly for the industry's most respected pricing and to read more articles just like this The Royal Mint remembers VE-Day with commemorative coins featuring a special design first seen in 1995 The FNMT - Real Casa de la Moneda launch their annual face-value silver commemorative coins The Monnaie de Paris continues their tribute to events leading up to the end of the Second World War Email: support@greysheet.com Keep up with information updates and partner information. Enter your e-mail and subscribe to our newsletter. ​CategoriesCategoriesEnglishJUSTICEHundreds gather in Leuven to protest against controversial rape case ruling3 April 2025 Hundreds of people gathered in Leuven on Thursday to protest against a recent controversial ruling in a rape case the criminal court in Leuven found a medical student guilty of rape but imposed no punishment The verdict sparked outrage and led to street protests in both Leuven and Ghent. Many demonstrators in Leuven carried signs with slogans referring to the judge's reasons for suspending the 24-year-old student's sentence "Women are also talented and committed" and "His degree over our dignity" were some of the signs of the people who gathered at the Herbert Hooverplein at around 18:00 "I don't know a single friend who hasn't been assaulted at least once," said Tess a 20-year-old student at the University Colleges Leuven-Limburg who joined the protest But when someone has the courage to talk about it a 28-year-old master's student at KU Leuven "It's not right for a judge to suspend a sentence because of someone's education and age," she said "The victims have to be taken seriously "We want to show that sexually inappropriate behaviour is not OK No woman should ever be a victim of sexual violence again," they said "It is also unacceptable that someone who has the prospect of a supposedly good career gets away with it while someone else who does not have the same career does not." The public prosecutor's office in Leuven announced on Tuesday that it had lodged an appeal against the rape verdict saying it was "inappropriate" that the student's sentence had been suspended The fact that the public prosecutor's office called for calm and serenity was no reason for De Boe not to go ahead with the protest "This is a form of serenity," she said giving them the opportunity to tell their story It is important to continue this struggle." #FlandersNewsService | © BELGA PHOTO JILL DELSAUX Copy linkGet updates in your mailboxYour email addressSubscribeBy clicking "Subscribe" I confirm I have read and agree to the Privacy Policy rapid and high-quality information 24 hours a day from Belgium and abroad to all Belgian media not to mention entertainment and lifestyle our journalists and press photographers produce hundreds of photos and news stories Since the end of March 2022 English has been added as a language businesses and various organisations that need reliable information Belga News Agency also offers a comprehensive range of corporate services to meet all their communication needs www.belganewsagency.eu Reporting by Lili Bayer and Andrew Gray; Editing by Leslie Adler and Rod Nickel Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles., opens new tab , opens new tab Browse an unrivalled portfolio of real-time and historical market data and insights from worldwide sources and experts. , opens new tabScreen for heightened risk individual and entities globally to help uncover hidden risks in business relationships and human networks. © 2025 Reuters. 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After Noa-Lynn Van Leuven made history this weekend as the first out trans competitor to participate in the Grand Slam of Darts reigning darts world champion Luke Humphries offered words of support to be honest — I’ve only met her once before at the Women’s World Matchplay The Grand Slam of Darts is an invitational tournament for players who have either won major titles in the sport or are ranked highly in their respective countries The tournament allows both men and women to play; this year She does what she does and she can play terrific darts They can never make the right choice anyway people say they should go right and vice versa but there is no point at all in continuing to argue.” says that he doesn’t get “too involved in politics” and instead just sees Van Leuven as his opponent “I just look at her as a darts player,” he said she is doing what she is allowed to do." ''Always said I would stop playing when the enjoyment has gone from playing think the present issues with the ladies game that time is getting closer." Of course, Hedman is probably — Miranda Priestley voice — blithely unaware that earlier this year, a study in the British Journal of Sports Medicine found that trans women don’t have any physical advantage in sports competition against their cis counterparts and may A Trans Darts Player Is Speaking Out After Cis Women Refused to Compete Against Her“I just want to do what I love to do.”"We took legal advice and we took some ideas from policy that other sports bodies the IOC and other governing bodies have put in place," Porter told Sky Sports we came up with a policy that we believe to be fair We respect the fact that not everybody agrees with that and we accept that it's not a unanimously accepted position.” Porter said that people have only become more upset with the policy given Van Leuven’s recent success “Noa-Lynn's started to achieve more success in recent years hence the opposition to her has become more vocal it's something we respect but ultimately we have a policy in place and it's one that we're comfortable with." Get the best of what’s queer. Sign up for Them’s weekly newsletter here. KU Leuven and UCLouvain have jointly awarded an honorary doctorate to the United Nations as part of their 600th anniversary celebrations Secretary-General António Guterres accepted the honorary doctorate on behalf of the organisation the sister universities acknowledge the UN’s pivotal role in protecting the most vulnerable members of society and its ongoing efforts to reform and innovate Founded in 1945, the United Nations is an international intergovernmental organisation currently comprising 193 member states Its mission is guided by the goals and principles enshrined in its founding charter: peace and security The UN upholds fundamental values such as human dignity These principles are closely aligned with the academic and social mission of KU Leuven and UCLouvain; institutions which are equally committed to advancing knowledge and promoting international cooperation as cornerstones of a better world the ninth Secretary-General of the United Nations will accept the honorary doctorate on behalf of the organisation the United Nations has made an indispensable contribution to building a more peaceful and just world,’ emphasises Françoise Smets ‘The UN plays a crucial role in defending human rights and human dignity ‘The world today demonstrates an ever-growing need for an effective and inclusive universal organisation such as the UN,’ adds Luc Sels ‘This honorary doctorate recognises the importance of continued commitment to fundamental human rights and the promotion of multilateral cooperation in addressing both current and future global challenges the UN has pursued these goals with unwavering dedication The honorary doctorate is jointly promoted by both Rectors and forms part of the 600th anniversary celebrations On 28 May 2015, KU Leuven awarded an honorary doctorate to Ban Ki-moon, the then UN Secretary-General, recognising his role as a diplomatic bridge-builder on the world stage. Pictures: © KU Leuven - Michael De Lausnay Dutch player Noa-Lynn van Leuven became the first transgender woman to compete at the PDC World Darts Championship on Tuesday although her run ended at the first hurdle with a 3-1 defeat to compatriot Kevin Doets Van Leuven took the first set after Doets struggled with his doubles both players showed their nerves as they each took multiple turns to check out It ended with Doets finding double one with his 33rd dart before he went onto win the set Doets eventually took the two remaining sets including throwing six perfect darts to start a leg in the final set that produced a short-lived opportunity at a nine-darter It was really hard," Doets told Sky Sports "Every World Championships there is a leg like that Noa-Lynn van Leuven's journey at the World Darts Championship ended in the first round on Tuesday. Steven Paston/PA Images via Getty ImagesVan Leuven has won four events in the PDC's Women's Series in the past two years It is her first appearance at the year's World Championship including being booed by the crowd at the Grand Slam of Darts where she made her first appearance in November "[This] crowd were amazing though," Doets added we recognize that we cannot solve the world’s healthcare challenges alone but that breakthroughs will result from the use of new technologies as well as open collaboration and partnerships we believe that collaboration serves as a catalyst for advancement in science discovery That is why we work hard to find great partners The power of collaborations in fostering innovation cannot be understated It’s about enabling diverse expertise to converge and tackle complex challenges from multiple angles and technology experts join forces they can work with agility and leverage unique resources and experiences all of which can expedite the journey from concept to innovation collaborations often come with their own set of challenges priorities and ways of working can create friction leading to misunderstandings or misaligned expectations Building trust is essential to navigate these complexities It requires open communication and a willingness to empathize with one another’s perspectives By fostering an environment where both parties feel valued and heard we can collaboratively address these hurdles paving the way for more successful partnerships I believe that trust is something we have established with KU Leuven a world leading university and partner to UCB At the heart of this partnership is a shared commitment to transforming cutting-edge scientific discoveries into therapeutic solutions The collaboration brings together complementary skills and expertise provided by each partner creative and experimental expertise of academia with the strategic and operational capabilities of pharma The strength of the UCB-KU Leuven partnership is built on a foundation of trust and shared objectives essential for nurturing an environment where innovative ideas can thrive exemplifies how partnerships can drive scientific thinking to accelerate progress towards new innovations Find out more about our passion for innovation here.  All rights reserved. Last updated on: January Looking to access paid articles across multiple policy topics Interested in policy insights for EU professional organisations KU Leuven is advocating for a standalone FP10 with increased funding and strong support for fundamental research Underwritten Produced with financial support from an organization or individual yet not approved by the underwriter before or after publication one of Belgium's leading academic institutions has cautioned that imposing a short-term competitiveness logic on European research funding without proper safeguards could undermine Europe’s long-term innovation capacity On 19 February, the European Parliament’s Committee on Industry, Research, and Energy (ITRE) adopted a report calling for a significantly higher budget and simplified funding mechanisms for an upcoming 10th Research Framework Programme (FP10) The European Parliament will vote on the proposal in the upcoming plenary session on 11 March The report emphasised the need for increased funding and stronger cross-border collaboration to maintain the EU’s competitive edge in science and technology KU Leuven stated its preference for a standalone FP10 with a stable “Including research and innovation (R&I) funding in a European Competitiveness Fund (ECF) would not necessarily solve Europe’s competitiveness problem and means losing a framework programme with a proven track record,” said Jan D’hooge vice-rector of research policy at KU Leuven D’hooge told Euractiv: “The ECF may create new challenges if not implemented with sufficient safeguards for budget stability the independence of the European Research Council (ERC) According to Belgian MEP Wouter Beke (EPP) Belgium spent approximately 3.35% of its GPD on research and development and Flemish research spending remains among the best in Europe we must continue on this path and further invest in that European channel ensuring it goes hand in hand with ample support for businesses and research institutions something that is already working quite well today,” Beke told Euractiv KU Leuven highlighted  that Horizon Europe accounts for nearly 10% of its total R&I budget KU Leuven has received a €277.2M net contribution for participation in 465 Horizon Europe projects but too many excellent ideas still go unfunded and excellence should always remain the key criterion for evaluation.” D’hooge also stressed the need to reduce bureaucracy in FP10 He noted: “We need more calls for small to medium-sized consortia with smaller project budgets Large-scale projects are much more complex to manage from start to finish and you risk diverting resources away from actual research activities towards more complex proposal writing grant preparation or governance processes.” KU Leuven supports the European Commission’s plans to move towards less prescriptive and bottom-up topics in the next work programmes especially for the collaborative projects in Pillar II “This would allow researchers to focus on what they do best: research Rather than deciphering intricate call texts and trying to squeeze their expertise into predefined topics researchers would have room for flexibility and creativity to tackle complex challenges in the most innovative and impactful way possible,” said D’hooge Balancing competitiveness and fundamental research While there is growing momentum behind integrating FP10 into a larger European Competitiveness Fund Beke has voiced concerns about the potential consequences for fundamental research “Although the idea of one large competitiveness fund sounds appealing “We still do not know exactly what it would entail and it must not come at the expense of ground-breaking fundamental research.” Horizon Europe has currently allocated €93.4 billion over the 2021–2027 period but Beke argues that a more substantial budget is required to maintain Europe’s research leadership “It is absolutely crucial to boost the budget Horizon Europe’s current allocation must be increased This European Framework Programme is a key pillar of our research area and represents the Union’s commitment to the goal of investing 3% of GDP in R&D It truly helps attract talent and retain cutting-edge research in Europe,” he remarked While acknowledging the difficulty in achieving the proposed 75% funding target for eligible projects Beke insisted that the EU must strive for significant improvements “I cannot yet say whether that 75% target is truly achievable the current contribution remains suboptimal That is why we now call for FP10 to be granted a budget of at least €220 billion ensuring that the Union’s share moves toward the 3% goal.” The EU continues to lag behind the US and China in R&D investment compared to 3.5% in the US and 2.4% in China addressing this gap requires a clear and bold strategy “When Mario Draghi starts his report by highlighting the innovation gap Innovation is the very foundation upon which our prosperity is built across all sectors,” said Beke KU Leuven sees the return of British universities to Horizon Europe as a positive development The university said “[we have] always advocated for the UK’s swift association to Horizon Europe because it is a win-win for everyone Now that our British colleagues are back on board they have quite a lot of catching up to do so I am not too worried about losing our hard-earned first place as a higher education institution in Horizon Europe And if British universities soon rise to the top in the FP again that would still be a scenario from which KU Leuven benefits.” ​CategoriesCategoriesEnglishCULTURESound art festival Hear Here returns to Leuven with 15 installations at historic sites24 April 2025 The second edition of Hear Here a sound art festival organised by the STUK arts centre the festival features 15 installations at nine heritage sites linked to KU Leuven which is celebrating its 600th anniversary this year Hear Here returns as a citywide initiative that combines contemporary sound art with historical settings "It wasn't originally intended to be a recurring event," says curator Gilles Helsen "but we saw how well the mix of heritage and art resonated The accessibility and distributed locations made it feel inclusive and engaging." This year's highlights include an installation of resonating bells There will be a piece by German sound art pioneer Christina Kubisch in which bonsai trees "communicate" via electromagnetic waves in the conservatory of Hollands Colleg and a meditative organ installation using inflatable textile bags by Anouk Kellner in the recently restored KADOC chapel The full walk takes approximately 2.5 hours and begins and ends at STUK on Naamsestraat but guided tours - including themed options such as Apéritif or Meditation - require registration #FlandersNewsService | STUK arts centre in Leuven © BELGA PHOTO JASPER JACOBS ​CategoriesCategoriesEnglishPOLITICS, WORLD, SOCIETYKU Leuven and UCLouvain award honorary doctorate to United Nations21 March 2025 The KU Leuven and UCLouvain universities have on Friday awarded an honorary doctorate to the United Nations (UN) Secretary-General António Guterres came to receive the recognition in person The universities initially wanted to award the honorary doctorate personally to Guterres for his role within the organisation the Portuguese insisted on awarding it to the entire UN his dedication to the UN and his leadership qualities,” declared KU Leuven rector Luc Sels honoured the UN for its fight against poverty They also gave Guterres credit for raising global financial issues within the UN and for starting discussions around a permanent seat for African countries on the UN Security Council Smets and Sels also criticised the current developments in the United States “How is it possible that the world has been turned upside down in eight weeks The disruptive and destabilising effect of the discourse and actions of the current US president cannot go unmentioned,” they said that a strong UN is needed to deliver on its mission This honorary doctorate is our modest contribution to that end.” While the UN is celebrating its 80th anniversary this year the KU Leuven and UCLouvain may blow out 600 candles this year #FlandersNewsService | KU Leuven and UCLouvain rectors Luc Sels and Françoise Smets and UN Secretary-General António Guterres © BELGA PHOTO ERIC LALMAND As the historic town of Leuven strives to become carbon neutral it is transforming how its building are made – and demolished Are there lessons for the rest of the world after a career fixing roofs and laying bricks Sempels is plying a new trade: “urban mining” She and her crew of six still dress and talk like builders but their focus now revolves less around construction than dismantling “I love it when I can go to work and learn something new,” says the 43-year-old pointing to a pile of laminate floor tiles in the corner of the terrace house that she is helping to strip “Like how to break wooden floors without actually breaking them.” aims to reduce material consumption and be “more mindful of the limits of the planet” The idea’s chief protagonist is Thomas Van Oppens a member of Belgium’s Green party and the city’s deputy mayor looking out over a rippling tide of rooftops towards the city’s medieval centre he maps out a glowing vision of Leuven’s future when everything from kitchen waste to surplus factory heat will be captured His mantra runs: “What enters the city stays in the city.” ‘I love it when I can learn something new’ … Kelly Sempels Photograph: Judith Jockel/The GuardianBehind Van Oppens’ eco-tinged optimism lies a more sober realisation that the city’s circular ambitions require a pragmatic footing the decision to give initial priority to the city’s built environment “Our ambition as a city is to become carbon neutral [by 2050],” he says “And if you purely look at the impact on climate buildings play a very large part.” According to the European Commission about 40% of energy consumed in the EU is used in buildings while more than a third of the EU’s energy-related greenhouse gas emissions come from buildings This process of looking starts even before Sempels and her urban mining squad turn up with their wrenches Working closely with architects and developers the city’s urban planning department sets out to identify which properties are scheduled for demolition and assess what might be salvageable The commission has funded various pilots to identify reusable materials using 3D scanners and other digital wizardry, but for now the process essentially amounts to a quick once-over by a materials recovery expert. In Leuven’s case, that job falls to Materialenbank a non-profit initiative that promotes the recovery and resale of building waste that would otherwise head for the skip Standing next to Sempels in the now half-dismantled living room in Leuven’s Kessel-Lo district is Materialenbank’s logistics and urban mining manager Ward Verstappen Pointing to the hallway and two ground floor rooms he runs through the most in-demand items: bricks plus carpentry items such as doors and window frames Eco-tinged optimism … deputy mayor Thomas Van Oppens Photograph: Judith Jockel/The GuardianWith some quick sanding-down or a fresh dab of lacquer some of the salvaged objects can be reused like-for-like or where safety regulations don’t allow it then “downcycling” is the next best option he says: think steel girders being repurposed as scaffolding or roof tiles as a material for internal walls The two-up-two-down homes are part of a prewar residential block close to Leuven’s rail station that the city council has earmarked for demolition to add green space and ease traffic congestion They comprise some of the 30 or so houses and garages that Materialenbank anticipates “mining” in the year ahead rehabilitating people is as important as reusing materials initiatives exist to promote a “social economy” that puts people over profits Sempels is a beneficiary of the approach: she took the job after a lengthy stint without work as did the other Belgian national in her crew All are employed by Wonen en Werken (Living and Working) a social enterprise that delivers a variety of public-oriented services with salaries partly subsidised by the Flemish government we work with people who are longtime unemployed and have a lot of issues outside work … Sure but they also have their capabilities,” says Patrick Wauters Salvaged timber for sale at Materialenbank Photograph: Judith Jockel/The GuardianA similar interplay between social and environmental goals plays out at the edge-of-town warehouse where Materialenbank is based The hangar-like facility has a large space for cleaning up and storing the demolition materials but also workshop areas that local craftspeople and entrepreneurs can use to manufacture objects from the rescued materials who is setting up a micro-enterprise manufacturing climbing-wall holds from leftover wood After a friend told him about Materialenbank he now comes regularly to hone his skills and kickstart his business “I used to use old wood my dad had lying around or I’d go dumpster diving for old furniture I get to use the equipment and I use material that would otherwise be really expensive,” he says is as an intermediary between the suppliers of Leuven’s building waste and property developers and builders the initiative has seen its annual sales increase more than tenfold says coordinator August Smessaert: “It’s difficult for trucks with heavy loads to come and go and the gates in aren’t that high … It’s possible that we could be [recovering] more than 5,000 tonnes by 2030.” One answer is not to cart everything back to the warehouse and instead persuade buyers to pick it up direct from from where it’s being “mined” but it’s harder for other materials where more restoration work is needed or where buying new is as cheap or cheaper Working on a reclaimed panel at Materialenbank Photograph: Judith Jockel/The GuardianSo Materialenbank tends to prioritise collecting wood as the demand is high and margins reasonable Not only are building contractors suspicious of new ideas but they also like the certainty that comes from buying new the city council has struck up a deal with three of Leuven’s largest institutions: the 600-year-old KU Leuven university University Hospitals Leuven (Belgium’s largest hospital) All three have committed not only to work with Materialenbank to provide waste materials but also to incorporate recovered items into future construction and renovation when the university teaching hospital decided to build a student “chillout zone” and admin area its works division looked at the reuse market for options The results are two recently completed facilities built mostly from materials destined for the dump A store room at the Kringwinkel secondhand shop in Leuven Photograph: Judith Jockel/The GuardianIn the view of Paul Lodewijckx the hospital’s head for new builds and labs items with a previous life bring character to a place both sourced from beech trees felled by a storm The pine beams in the mezzanine come from dismantled pallets while the kitchen units are made from fibreboard cast-offs from Imec’s offices Lodewijckx’s favourite is the long walnut and MDF table in the chill-out area It was part of an exhibition at the art museum Leuven boasts other examples. In the historic centre is a quirky, multi-level wooden structure used for urban sports and cultural events; it had served as part of the city’s velodrome. Meanwhile, three recently renovated social housing flats close to the city’s De Bruul Park are equipped with new beds, floors, kitchen units and cupboards made from recycled wood. Read moreAs full of potential as Leuven’s various circular construction initiatives are, most are effectively pilot projects. So, what will it take to make good Van Oppens’ vision of a fully circular utopia? Tougher legislation would help. The commission’s proposed circular economy act could feasibly place reuse obligations on all builders And other European cities have set their own circular requirements has mandated that all public buildings be built with at least 25% recycled concrete or other aggregates it will require a shift in mindset among all the city’s residents – not just its builders People’s natural instinct needs to shift from throwing away their old stuff to thinking how they or others might find a use for it an engineering graduate who works as coordinator at Maakleerplek a multi-use centre dedicated to repair and reuse It’s located in the shadow of two former grain silos owned by brewer Stella Artois The Kringwinkel secondhand store in Leuven Photograph: Judith Jockel/The GuardianAt the heart of the centre is a large maker-space facility full of 3D printers plus racks of carpentry tools and boxes of broken Perspex cheeseboards and handiwork of the hundreds of schoolchildren who regularly use the centre we take kids canoeing on the canal to collect plastic trash and we use what we find back here in the workshop,” Vaes says Maakleerplek is also home to a small clothing repair venture staffed by immigrants a textile room with knitting machines for local people to learn basic tailoring residents can rent everything from ladders to power drills The centre is just one of a crop of repair cafes thrift shops and similar reuse initiatives now cropping up around the city These schemes are slowly but surely changing public perceptions of the reuse economy from something that carried “a bit of stigma” to something “kind of cool” Satisfied customer Sofie de Brouwer at Kringwinkel wearing her €8 winter coat and holding her €4 handbag Photograph: Judith Jockel/The GuardianThat who regularly pops into the Kringwinkel secondhand store in downtown Leuven when doing her weekly supermarket shop Part of a chain of four such stores in the city operated by the social enterprise ViTeS it feels every bit like a department store – in which all the stock is preloved “I tell all my friends to come here,” says de Brouwer who is wearing a winter jacket (€8) and leopard-print handbag (€4) bought on previous visits it’s all chosen for you and it’s all the same Back in the soon-to-be-demolished terrace house in Kessel-Lo Sempels is similarly won over by the possibilities of a circular approach to waste She pulls out her phone and proudly shows pictures of a new council-installed unit for storing dustbins on the street It’s made from wooden planks that she helped salvage “It makes me happy when I see what they [the salvage materials] become,” she adds has launched the Digital Twin for Smart and Sustainable Products Chair to promote methodological research stimulate innovations in industrial applications disseminate results and support educational activities within the field of digital twin technologies The Chair will focus on industrial electromechanical systems applications and recent developments in transport vehicles This Chair will push boundaries and develop solutions for various societal industrial and technological challenges through interdisciplinary collaboration and specific partnerships the Chair supports knowledge dissemination about Digital Twin methodologies and aims to inspire future leaders by offering new application possibilities Siemens Digital Industries Software (left) and Luc Sels Rector of the KU Leuven (right) © Filip Van Loock “Siemens is donating the Chair in honor of KU Leuven’s 600th anniversary in 2025 highlighting a long-standing partnership that has fostered industrial innovation and academic excellence,” said Jean-Claude Ercolanelli we are set to explore the frontiers of digital twin technologies promising to bring revolutionary solutions to real-world challenges This initiative underscores a mutual commitment to advancing technological and educational boundaries for a more sustainable world.” we can further strengthen the ecosystem around developing and using Digital Twin in the manufacturing industry we can ensure that mechatronic products are designed and managed more effectively," said Professor Frank Naets To learn more about the chair visit https://www.kuleuven.be/fundraising/how-to-support/chairs/siemens-chair-digital-twins-for-smart-and-sustainable-products To learn more about KU Leuven’s Mechatronic Systems Dynamics research programs, visit https://www.mech.kuleuven.be/en/mod/research-areas Note: A list of relevant Siemens trademarks can be found here Other trademarks belong to their respective owners Siemens Digital Industries Software PR Team Press ReleaseallSiemens to transform engineering workforce of the future with new industry credential program May 13 Press ReleaseallSiemens Xcelerator as a Service expands across product lifecycle with new cloud services for design Press ReleaseallSony and Siemens to enable Immersive Engineering with new spatial content creation system designed with and for Siemens Xcelerator May 13 The Belgian university KU Leuven has uncovered a critical security flaw that exposes computer servers worldwide to potential hacker attacks The vulnerability affects approximately 4 million users For their research the KU Leuven team conducted comprehensive testing on computer servers a research group within the Department of Computer Science transmitted harmless test data packets to millions of devices globally to assess their security These packets were encapsulated using a tunnelling protocol to evaluate the resilience of tunnelling hosts or servers These servers function as crucial connectors between computer networks Servers that accepted these test packets were identified as vulnerable The researchers identified several methods through which hackers could potentially exploit these vulnerable servers some new types of attacks were also discovered: The researchers specifically mentioned two companies with vulnerable servers. Japanese telecommunications provider SoftBank, owner of chipmaker Arm, which produces chips for the mobile market. Recently, SoftBank has expanded into AI investments, acquiring Graphcore and forming a partnership with OpenAI Also read: After Arm adventure, SoftBank acquires British AI firm Graphcore China Mobile was also named as having significant vulnerabilities The affected servers were primarily distributed across China The researchers also conducted domestic checks in Belgium which led them to contact telecom provider Telenet regarding vulnerable tunnelling hosts on their customer networks The research team has already notified the owners of vulnerable infrastructure They recommend thorough configuration reviews of tunnelling hosts and suggest configuring servers to accept packets exclusively from trusted IP addresses “But using a protocol that provides authentication and encryption is even more secure,” they say “Commonly used protocols are IP in IP and GRE (Generic Routing Encapsulation) but those protocols don’t allow encryption or sender verification,” says Professor Mathy Vanhoef affiliated with KU Leuven Internet Protocol Security must be implemented as an additional layer and this is precisely where the problem lies: this extra security is often omitted we found more than 3.5 million vulnerable hosts working with IPv4 addresses but also more than 700,000 using the newer IPv6 addresses.” Tip: Interpol takes tens of thousands of malicious IP addresses and servers offline Techzine focusses on IT professionals and business decision makers by publishing the latest IT news and background stories The goal is to help IT professionals get acquainted with new innovative products and services but also to offer in-depth information to help them understand products and services better © 2025 Dolphin Publications B.V.All rights reserved The first trans woman to feature at the PDC world darts championship says she just wants to play Up on the stage Noa-Lynn van Leuven held her head high Tried to maintain her focus amid the cacophony of derision and disdain being flung her way by the crowd before your favourite patriotic news outlet gets too excited Van Leuven was simply paying the public penalty that awaits all players when they start a leg with two 180s and then miss the seventh dart of an attempted nine-dart finish Just a normal thing that happens all the time is Van Leuven’s very presence at Alexandra Palace this year the sight of the world No 144 losing to the world No 51 in the first round would scarcely merit much comment outside of the Netherlands That context being death threats on a daily basis. Vicious messages on social media. Even now, the Professional Darts Corporation has to switch off comments every time it posts about her on X But the 28-year-old from Heemskerk has long since accustomed herself to the savage gaze take solace in the simplicity and the sincerity of three darts and a target “It’s just a great game,” she said in the wake of her defeat Noa-Lynn van Leuven is consoled after losing her match against Kevin Doets Photograph: Tom Jenkins/The GuardianVan Leuven will not stop with landmark victories against men on the Challenge Tour added to multiple wins in the Women’s Series and would have averaged over 90 but for a farcical leg in the second Doets eventually clinched it in 33 darts after a fiesta of missed doubles and it proved a pivotal moment in the match Doets swept to a 3-1 win and a second-round meeting with Michael Smith she will go to Q-School next month in an attempt to win a professional tour card for the first time “I stopped playing darts for a few years because I was unhappy with myself,” Van Leuven said He’s got so much more experience than I do I guess that that’s what made the difference this game.” I was expecting a lot of bad behaviour from the crowd today,” Doets said “But I don’t think I heard a single boo for her And it has been from within darts that Van Leuven has found some of her strongest support Luke Humphries and Michael van Gerwen have stood up for her Non-darts people – with a faint veneer of snobbery – often find this solidarity surprising But then this has always been a sport where everyone is welcome Where it doesn’t matter where you come from All that matters is the three darts in your hand Fallon Sherrock narrowly lost 3-2 to Ryan Meikle who will face Luke Littler in the second round Photograph: Tom Jenkins/The GuardianSherrock knows that better than anyone having so memorably reached the last 32 here on her debut appearance five years ago before going to the quarter-finals of the Grand Slam in 2021 But the magic is summoned a little more rarely these days she was beaten 3-2 by Ryan Meikle in a scruffy game The left-handed Meikle will become Luke Littler’s first opponent at this tournament and unless he shows significant improvement his chances are slim to nil We also got the biggest shock of the tournament so far De Decker has been on a stunning autumn streak and might have expected a shot at the Premier League next year That feels a more remote prospect now after a meek performance under the bright lights even if Woodhouse – a reliable performer at Pro Tour level – was one of the toughest draws he could have got first up Peter Wright sneaked through a bruising encounter against the hotly tipped Wesley Plaisier to set up a third-round tie against the in-form Jermaine Wattimena Plaisier missed eight darts to win the second set outscored Wright in the averages by four points That said: the last time Wright survived an early scare like this Bart, co-founder of Media52 and Professor of Journalism oversees IO+, events, and Laio. A journalist at heart, he keeps writing as many stories as possible. began his keynote at the Clusters meet Regions event in Eindhoven Debackere, who also serves as Vice Chairman of Leuven MindGate (Belgium), drew from decades of experience in building one of Europe’s most vibrant innovation ecosystems. His message was both pragmatic and aspirational: clusters matter - and they must be built deliberately, collaboratively, and with a long-term view. Returning from the U.S. early in his career, Debackere was struck by the differences in how ecosystems evolved. “In Boston, the environment takes care of everything you do in that cluster organization,” he recalled. “But Europe is different. And today, I think we can be proud to be different.” That difference lies in Europe's ability to build linkages, not only within clusters but also between them. “Clusters must connect to one another,” he stressed. “Because no single region has everything. Complementarity is key.” This philosophy is already evident in initiatives like the Eindhoven-Leuven-Aachen triangle, a cross-border cluster collaboration that originated two decades ago. “It’s probably getting more and more important going forward, given what should happen between clusters.” Throughout his talk, Debackere returned to the concept of “cognitive spillovers” - the mutual enrichment that occurs when science and business interact. “When we marry science and business, and that’s what a cluster organization should do, it’s not just about organizing research,” he said. “It’s about creating cognitive spillovers that enhance both science and innovation.” Koenraad Debackere, KU Leuven © Bram Saeys Research shows that university groups collaborating with industry produce better science. “Definitely in areas like technology, engineering, and electronics,” he noted. This insight has guided Leuven’s approach for decades. “Clusters are foundational in making sure that scientists and businesses meet one another, formally and informally. That’s why we organize regular meetings at Leuven MindGate. We look for entrepreneurial scientists and entrepreneurial businesses. Entrepreneurship is the critical link between the two.” But science and entrepreneurship alone are not enough. “Clusters are both digital and physical,” Debackere emphasized. “You need proximity. Lab space, office space, meeting space, incubator space, it all has to come together.” Capital is another critical pillar. “We often look to government for subsidies, but what really matters is that we become attractive to venture capital and equity investors.” Leuven’s success in this regard is evident: over the past 25 years, it has become home to more than 20 private equity and VC funds. A sophisticated approach to intellectual property matches this financial strength. “It’s not just about patents anymore,” Debackere explained. “It’s about copyrights, data ownership, and how you manage IP in an age of AI and data-driven innovation.” "A better position in the global semiconductor sector is crucial for our strategic autonomy, earning power and solving societal challenges," said Rector Silvia Lenaerts. If there’s one theme Debackere returned to most passionately, it’s talent. “Talent, talent, talent,” he said. “How do you attract young, smart, entrepreneurial people? How do you keep established professionals? How do you draw in serial entrepreneurs?” The answer, again, lies in creating a vibrant ecosystem. “If your cluster is dynamic and connected, talent will come. But you have to make space for students, too. In Leuven, we realized 15 years ago that our students were our most underutilized resource.” That realization led to initiatives like Academics for Companies, where students consult with local businesses, and Academics for Development, where they help startups with prototype development. “It’s about building communities of students, entrepreneurs, and scientists,” Debackere said. “That’s how you grow a cluster.” Ultimately, clusters are judged by outcomes. “A scientific paper signals that knowledge is being developed,” Debackere acknowledged. “But a product, taken to market, is the real test.” Leuven’s track record speaks volumes, with spin-offs and spin-outs thriving in sectors from semiconductors and biotech to medical devices and cybersecurity. “It’s not just about starting companies,” he added. “It’s about scaling them. That’s what supports European competitiveness.” In closing, Debackere urged Europe’s regions to think beyond their borders. “We come from an era of big corporate R&D campuses. Today we live in a networked system, one where clusters must connect.” He cited a recent MIT study highlighting the importance of closing value chain gaps through cluster collaboration. “You need clinical expertise from Leiden, cardiovascular research from Maastricht. You need components from one place and system integration from another. This is where Europe can shine - if we connect the dots.” Quoting French poet Paul Morin, he offered a final piece of wisdom: “Le temps n’accepte pas ce qui se fait sans lui” - time does not accept what is done without taking time. “Don’t get frustrated,” Debackere advised. “Take the long view. That’s how you build ecosystems that last.” an independent journalism platform where the future of the Netherlands takes shape and innovators come together KU Leuven in Belgium is using IP from SureCore to reduce dynamic power in an AI chip by 40% The PowerMiser IP was used in a 16nm FinFET process and can reduce dynamic power by up to 50% and static/leakage power by up to 20% compared to foundry and other SRAM solutions is planning a 7nm variant of the technology “People forget that the initial drivers for the 16nm node were mobile and HPC solutions and hence most of the IP developed for this node was optimised for performance not power,” said said Paul Wells “Today 16nm could almost be considered to be a mature node with many millions of devices in the field Forward-thinking application developers are now looking to exploit this node’s improved density This is where our PowerMiser SRAM can bring huge benefits by enabling challenging power budgets to be delivered.” “We licensed sureCore’s PowerMiser IP because we wanted to create a novel neural processing accelerator chip for AI applications The chip has very high computational processing needs such devices naturally also have significant power consumption characteristics,” said Professor Wim Dehaene at KU Leuven who is working in the MICAS research division of KU Leuven’s electrical engineering department MICAS last year developed a digital in-memory computing (DIMC) for vision recognition which uses substantial amounts of SRAM memory The HUNBN 16 nm FinFET chip demonstrates a complete IMC based accelerator It shows that DIMC is an energy-friendly alternative for classic accelerators especially when the model is moderately sized and can fit at once on the chip This gave a neural network chip with a best efficiency of 24 TOPS/W at 4bit quantisation and 30 frames/s performance www.micas.be; www.surecore.com ​CategoriesCategoriesEnglishCULTURE, EDUCATIONBritish writer and presenter Stephen Fry receives honorary doctorate from KU Leuven28 March 2025 British writer actor and storyteller Sir Stephen Fry has on Friday received an honorary doctorate from KU Leuven university's faculty of arts Dean Liesbet Heyvaert honoured Fry amongst others for his efforts to break taboos around sexuality and for his lifelong dedication to the English language Sir Stephen Fry received the honorary doctorate for his mastery of the art of storytelling his contribution to the public debate on a wide range of often sensitive topics and his talent for sharing complex insights in a fascinating way with the broad public With his modern interpretations of Greek mythology he has for example brought ancient stories back to life for all ages Dean Liesbet Heyvaert of the faculty of arts praised his love for language and literature and the way he manages to reach a broad audience using a wide range of platforms and media his significant cultural baggage and his disarming openness Stephen Fry shows us the true power of language,” said Heyvaert “He is not afraid to tackle difficult topics Fry talked about how he was unpopular as a child and had a terrible time at school until he discovered the wonders of language "Just because you leave the walls of this glorious town and university doesn’t mean you have to forget being a student #FlandersNewsService | KU Leuven rector Luc Sels and British writer and presenter Sir Stephen Fry © BELGA PHOTO JAMES ARTHUR GEKIERE Pope Francis’ first full day here in Brussels began with a meeting with the King and Prime Minister in the Royal Palace of Laeken Both praised the Pope for his commitment to intercultural dialogue and his care for the poor They also took the opportunity to reflect on the ongoing harm caused the sex abuse scandal within the Catholic Church which was particularly keenly felt in Belgium The King referred to this as an “unspeakable tragedy” that took “far too long” to come to light the Pope described it as ”our shame and humiliation” and stressed that the Church must “make every effort” to ensure that nothing of the kind can ever happen again In a long and thoughtful address to the Pope reflected on Leuven’s dual identity as both rooted in the Catholic tradition and open to the modern world It is precisely this independence which perhaps constitutes our greatest value to the Church a centre of critical and fair reflection that inspires but also challenges the Catholic community A centre of reflection that also dares to challenge society on the basis of this Christian worldview.” came one of the most hotly anticipated moments of the trip: the Pope’s private meeting with survivors of clerical sexual abuse for the victims “to share their personal stories and suffering with the Holy Father as well as to express their expectations for the Church’s continued efforts in combating the scourge of abuse.” Speaking to the Dutch-language newspaper De Morgen directly after the meeting one of the survivors said that the Pope “spoke with his heart” Thank you for reading our article. You can keep up-to-date by subscribing to our daily newsletter. Just click here Jan Vandekerckhove ran 771 kilometres in five days to break the record of one of the most unique and challenging footraces in the world – but his competitor broke the record again Running 6.7 kilometres in an hour might not sound very challenging But the Backyard Ultra requires you to do it over and over and over until you are the last one standing Should you finish your 6.7 kilometres in less than an hour you can use the time until the next hour comes around to drink Backyard Ultras take place all over the world with the top performers being invited to the individual world championship in Tennessee in the autumn The Backyard record was broken last year at the team championship by three Belgians He has taken part in the local edition in Retie he and Lukasz Wrobel of Poland were the only ones left following 59 laps with both completing 115 laps – a new world record being celebrated in the Backyard Ultra community around the world Only 12 people in the world have broke the 100-lap barrier five days of this exhausting physical exertion took its toll leading Vandekerckhove to get confused and lose his way on the course He completed the lap – but not within the hour leaving Wrobel to run away with the new world record of 116 laps “That fact that I didn’t win is really just a detail for me,” said Vandekerckhove but it’s the same routine: A hour block where you run and then repeat it – a whole lot of times in this case.” Sofie Vandoninck was cheering him on after every round he did surprisingly well for so long of a time,” she said “It was only the last day that he began to lose concentration and clarity.” Competitors don’t have time for more than a few minutes of sleep during each round Vanderkerkhove got about two hours of sleep over the five days “The final afternoon I was for sure less alert and talking got harder,” confirms Vandekerckhove And then I ran the wrong way in the forest The men’s performances surprised even the originators of the race in the US who note that usually records are broken during the world championships Whether Vandekerckhove will be invited to the individual championship in the US remains to be seen: While Wrobel technically won there’s a good chance that Vandekerckhove will be chosen with one of the event’s wild cards Subject to the Terms of usage of UN Photo UN Photo materials are available free of charge for news purposes only UN Photo materials may not be sold or redistributed to third parties without the prior written consent of the UN or the UN entity which is source of the UN Photo material All users of UN Photo materials must provide due credit to the United Nations or any UN entity source(s) in their use and broadcast of UN Photo materials You can find monuments at all sorts of geographically notable points, from a country's highest point to a continent's most southwestern. While most of these markers are relatively recent, some date back much further. The midpoint marker of Leuven is one of the oldest in the world The Middelpunt van Leuven is an unassuming stone bollard with a zero carved into it that sits outside of a clothing store Most sources will tell you that it dates back to 1975 when it was installed in this spot by Mannen van het jaar (Men of the Year) a club that groups its members by the number their birth year ends in this was a project by the Men of the '0' (anyone born in a year that ended in zero: 1900 They felt that they had a poetic connection to the zero point.  But the group did not make the stone or identify the location they simply installed it in a new location after its original location a few dozen meters to the south became a road.  The same group found historical photos of the stone It is not known precisely how much older the stone is A pair of 19th-century granite markers symbolically record where the state boundaries of New York A quirky monument to the 49th parallel in downtown Prešov This metal monument marking the middle of Belgium represents three regions coming together to form one country The geographic midpoint of the Dutch-speaking part of Belgium An iron monument on the 120th meridian as surveyed one of only four marking the boundary between Nevada and California north of Lake Tahoe This mysterious marker puzzles pedestrians and infuriates geographers A monument in the Belarusian city of Polotsk claims to mark the exact midpoint of the European continent banana producers are facing major challenges improving the resilience of their plantation banana producers cannot use conventional plant breeding methods to improve the plant in collaboration with the Alliance of Bioversity International-CIAT has developed a new way to genetically modify bananas without adding any foreign DNA to the plant Regulation of CRISPR technology to improve crops is currently under consideration for approval by the European Council Bananas are the most important fruit crop worldwide and are a vital part of the diet of more than 400 million people in the Global South Because the bananas we consume do not have seeds farmers must propagate banana plants by using cuttings or ‘suckers’ to establish plantations The high level of genetic uniformity means that all our bananas look and taste more or less the same but the downside is that they are susceptible to the same diseases and weather conditions Climate change is creating ever greater challenges for banana producers to protect their plantations Professor of Crop Biotechnics Hervé Vanderschuren Genetic mutations constantly arise in both plants and animals a cattle breed in which a spontaneous mutation led to strong muscle growth Farmers selected animals with this mutation for breeding to maintain the trait in their herds and achieve a higher meat production This ‘conventional’ and widely used method of crop improvement is not possible in bananas due to their sterility ‘We need to develop new and innovative ways to protect banana crops against the challenges of today and tomorrow,’ says Vanderschuren ‘That’s why we looked for a way to modify banana DNA that complies with the strict European regulations on genetically edited crops.’ jointly developed at the KU Leuven Laboratory of Tropical Crop Improvement by KU Leuven and the Alliance of Bioversity International-CIAT does not introduce any foreign DNA into the banana This is the key criterion in European legislation and the main reason why the commercialisation of genetically modified organisms has not yet been permitted The method will help to untap the potential of genetic innovation in banana and other vegetatively propagated crops such as potato and cassava Our technique is based on the CRISPR method and modifies a single letter in the genetic code The mutation could have also occurred naturally Several crop varieties improved with the CRISPR technologies are in the process of commercialisation in countries outside Europe ‘Europe cannot stay behind in the search for innovative ways to safely improve crops,' says Vanderschuren the European Parliament voted positively for CRISPR technology for crop improvement the European Council is reviewing whether CRISPR technology can be used on crops for consumption Thanks to the research of Professor Vanderschuren’s team at KU Leuven and in collaboration with the Alliance of Bioversity International-CIAT a safe method is now in place to precisely adapt sterile tropical crops They are currently investigating the genetic diversity of bananas to identify the genetic modifications could be beneficial for producers ‘Under the International Treaty on Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture the Alliance of Bioversity International-CIAT is entrusted to manage the world’s largest banana collection holding over 1,700 varieties in the genebank allows the fulfillment of the legal obligation to conserve and make available banana accessions on behalf of the global community We will compare their genetic codes to identify mutations that may provide certain desirable traits such as disease resistance,’ Vanderschuren explains On the second day of his Apostolic Journey to Belgium on Friday Pope Francis traveled from Brussels to Leuven to meet with the EU nation’s university professors The encounter took place at the Catholic University of Leuven the Pope reflected on the need for Catholic universities to offer integral formation for students so that they may learn to interpret the present and plan for the future drive the search for ideas and inspiration “It is a fine thing to view universities as generating culture and ideas,” he added “but above all as promoting the passion for seeking truth In their mission to bring the Gospel to culture Catholic universities must “expand the boundaries of knowledge,” he said creating a “critical space that both understands and speaks about life.” Pope Francis said our modern society seems to refuse to seek the truth and has lost the passion for searching looking only for comfort that ends up making everything equal and relative This outlook results in an “intellectual weariness” that closes us in on ourselves “There is likewise the danger of being attracted to an easy effortless and comfortable ‘faith’ that does not call anything into question,” he added Another kind of boundary that must be overcome relates to a “soulless rationalism” that reduces everything to what is material and visible which responds to such fundamental questions as: Why am I alive The Pope urged university professors to ask God for the grace to “widen our borders,” citing a Biblical story from the Book of Chronicles about a man named Jabez (1 Chron 4:10) drives us forward and invites us to “remain an open windown onto today’s world.” Pope Francis also praised the Catholic University of Leuven for welcoming refugees in their search for a better home and truth “What we need is a culture that expands boundaries and avoids ‘sectarianism’ or exalting oneself above others,” he said “We need a culture immersed as good ‘leaven’ within our world contributing to the common good of humanity.” Pope Francis concluded by inviting university professors to help build a compassionate and inclusive culture that cares for the weak “Keep this flame alive; expand boundaries!” he said and do not allow your enthusiasm to wane lest you yield to intellectual lethargy.”