Petra De Sutter becomes Rector of UGent: « We now want to prepare ourselves to be able to continue immediately » (Ghent)
The new rector and vice rector are treated to a warm applause. – © Fien Lakiere
Petra De Sutter will be the new rector of Ghent University. After a first round of voting, she achieved a large majority with students and staff. It was more exciting with the professors. « We did not dare to predict this outcome. »
Together with Herwig Reynaert, you achieved a majority of all four groups at UGent as a vice rector: staff, assistants, students and professors. Did you expect this?
De Sutter: “Dit was het best mogelijk scenario, de uitkomst waarop we gehoopt hadden. Deze meerderheid geeft ons een duidelijk mandaat. Anders was het een verdeelde universiteit geweest, en niemand had zin in volgende rondes en procedures. We zien het als boodschap dat de UGent’ers akkoord gaan met wat we op tafel gelegd hebben. Dat is niet onlogisch, we zijn met meer dan honderd mensen in gesprek gegaan om ons programma op te stellen. Nu komt het echte werk, met een grote verantwoordelijkheid om implement this policy effectively. ”
Among the professors, the majority with 55 percent was pretty narrow. How do you explain that score?
“It was expected that it would be fiftyfifty. We did not dare to predict this outcome. It was clear that there would be no substantive landslides. This result may be our emphasis on mental well -being and cross -border behavior, this lives much more among employees and students. There are other things, where the differences with Rik and Ilse also play a role (Rik van de Walle and Ilse Derluyn, ed.) were less large. We are not just going to turn the policy on education and research upside down. That was mainly about style, the way of leadership, that cultural change. «
What do you immediately start in October?
« We are not going to wait until October. Four years is relatively short, so we now want to prepare ourselves to be able to continue immediately. But that is why we are quickly going to work with people. Trust is the main thing for us. We want a work and study environment where people feel good. That’s how we should come to one story again. »
Petra de Sutter becomes rector with Herwig Reynaert as a vice sector. – © Alexander Meeuws
Is that the priority, the « UGent feeling »?
« Just like in any other institution, company or government, the ground is that there are shared values, and that there is a clear vision. My mailbox is full of proposals and ideas. Pluralism at our university is a big asset for me, so all those different ideas I see just like a strength, and not as something that we all have to do together.
The problem of cross -border behavior at UGent also continues to come back. Is this something we can ‘pay for’ in four years?
“I would rather leave such a term in politics. But I do notice how much this theme, and the negative way in which this enters the media, weighs on employees and students. I will not claim that this will be fully turned in four years, but I am determined to initiate a culture change. It must then tackle those involved, so that it does not happen above the heads. «
Have you already heard anything from Rik van de Walle?
« Rik has already congratulated us, for which I of course thanked him. In the coming period we will certainly sit together to see how things should go for current files, so that the transfer can go well. »
