Hugo Thienpont receives VUB Prize for Societal Valorization

B-PHOT Director Hugo Thienpont has been awarded the Prize for Societal Valorization by the Research Council of Vrije Universiteit Brussel for his remarkable achievements in photonics and its impact on society.

On October 12, VUB honored Hugo Thienpont with an Entr'Acte by VUB Crosstalks. During this festive evening, Prof. Thienpont announced the plans for the brand-new STEAM Academy in Gooik. With this initiative, the VUB Hugo Thienpont Fund for STEAM was launched to engage young minds in science, technology, engineering, the arts, mathematics and medicine.

"VUB wants to give STEAM the attention it deserves", says Prof. Thienpont. "Gooik is the perfect location to do so. The academy will be a place to develop 21st-century skills with the Sustainable Development Goals in mind. Entrepreneurship will be stimulated, interdisciplinarity will be key. VUB offers a wide range of scientific disciplines thanks to the contributions of researchers and research groups of all VUB faculties. B-PHOT will coordinate these efforts."

During the evening, VUB also honored Akira Hiruma, chairman of the Board of Directors of Hamamatsu Photonics, as VUB Fellow. As the driving force behind the Hamamatsu Applied Photonics Innovation Chair, he supports the photonics innovation activities at VUB and B-PHOT. Thanks to the contributions of Akira Hiruma, VUB strengthens its ties with Japanese industry leaders and universities.

Pictures by Thierry Geenen (Vrije Universiteit Brussel).