Gripping moment of commemoration for the deceased Caroline Pauwels during Theater Aan Zee

“The death of Caroline leaves the VUB with great sadness”, says Karsten De Clerck, chairman of the board of directors of the VUB. “She was a warm and engaging personality. A great source of inspiration with a clear vision. Her commitment applied not only to the VUB, but to society as a whole,” says De Clerck.

“We will miss Caroline at the VUB enormously, but we will always carry her in our hearts,” adds current rector Jan Danckaert. “Caroline has made the VUB a warm, connected and compassionate university. Connecting the VUB with the international, diverse and multilingual character of Brussels was a priority for her.”

Second female rector

In 2016, Pauwels succeeded Paul De Knop as Rector of the VUB, as the second female Rector of the University of Brussels (after Els Witte). She then indicated that she would make the VUB a “very urban but also very multicultural university”, “an institution that is really written on a human scale”. She also argued for more co-creation, breaking down hierarchies and walls. “We need to move towards a collaborative society in which the global and local, but also students and professors are linked.”

Stomach and esophageal cancer

In the summer of 2019, Pauwels was told that she had stomach and esophagus cancer. She continued to work and was elected for a second term as rector, starting in 2020. On February 23, however, she announced that she would have to quit because she was battling serious illness. When announcing her departure, Pauwels emphasized the beauty of the rectoral assignment. “Serving a university by striving for quality education and distinctive scientific research is without doubt a privilege, because it is a task that invariably focuses on new generations of students and therefore on the future of society,” she said.

Tribute to TAZ

Following the death of Caroline, who was guest curator at Theater Aan Zee last year, the closing evening on Saturday was dominated by her. At 6 pm a commemoration was held on the central square of Theater Aan Zee. “Farewell, ardent defender of free speech and amazement. The sudden death of guest curator Caroline Pauwels touches us deeply. The collaboration with her was one to never forget. Lots of warmth to everyone who loves her,” it sounds at TAZ.