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Most students at university, at least at Ghent university, are female, but higher up the ladder men still dominate the academic world. The glass ceiling is still very real, but the cracks are starting to show. What obstacles do we need to tackle to create equal chances for everybody? We gather four women around the table to share their views: vice-rector Mieke Van Herreweghe, dean Gita Deneckere (Faculty of Arts and Philosophy), professor Lieve Van Hoof (Department of History) and Ghent University honorary doctor Dame Mary Beard, professor of Classics at the University of Cambridge.

It has created inhuman situations and brought appalling scenes of destruction and barbarity, but the war in Ukraine has also had an unexpected effect that even the Russian president himself could not have predicted. “Putin has always considered Ukraine to be an artificial country. But with this war, he has singlehandedly succeeded in giving Ukrainians a new and very strong sense of national identity. And it’s a sense of identity that is decidedly anti-Russian”, explains Ghent University professor Aleksey Yudin, who himself has Ukrainian roots.

Is the way you perceive the war in Ukraine determined by the government? Does the press shape your opinion about the conflict or is it the other way around? Or is something else going on? Two professors of Communication Sciences at Ghent University examine the press coverage of the war in Ukraine and shed light on the way the West perceives war.

Urban companies are struggling to deal with their plastic waste. The PlastiCity project, which spans four countries, is looking for practical solutions to send their recycling percentage sky high. Ghent University engineer Gianni Vyncke is involved. “The aim is to recycle plastic into sustainable products for the city.”

Music is never far away in student life. Just think of cantuses and all kinds of other parties. But in some student associations, music plays an even more prominent role.

With a new Alumni Chapter in San Francisco, plus the Chapter in New York, Ghent University now has the opportunity to reach even more alumni in the US. After all, there are plenty of them. But what exactly are these two Alumni Chapters up to in the US? A discussion with the proud founding fathers Nicolas Polet and Wim Sohier.

The Ghent company Deliverect has become a ‘unicorn’ less than three years after its foundation. A term denoting exceptional, since this start-up is already worth more than a billion dollars. The secret to their overwhelming success, according to founders Jan Hollez and Zhong Xu? Timing and experience! And that experience all began at Ghent University.

The penis is everywhere: in ancient cave paintings, on toilet doors, in dick pics, and the phallus is also pretty popular in science and art. Why do female genitals deserve less attention, also in scientific investigations? This is the subject of the new exhibition at the GUM (Ghent University Museum).

Dirk Frimout wrote a letter to his 17-year-old self. What advice does he have for the young Dirk, as he takes his first step on a path towards unknown heights?

Ghent University is organizing internal elections at the end of April to appoint student representatives. Internal elections may not sound particularly exciting, but it is important for students to have representatives on the highest governing and advisory bodies. Why? That's what Professor Stijn Baert, politician Thijs Verbeurgt and student Ruxandra Bighiu tell us.

Who knows how your job will look within ten years? More importantly, will your job even exist? In a society that is changing rapidly it is hard to answer such questions. One thing’s for sure: studying does not stop once you have achieved your diploma. For years we were lagging behind in terms of lifelong learning. Fortunately things are now looking more promising.

He is one of the most defining characters in the history of Ghent University. His name was recently given to a foundation, set up by professors Marc Cools and Christophe Vandeviver. They believe that Nico Gunzburg is the perfect embodiment of what they are keen to achieve with the foundation.