The rector is the university's highest academic official and represents the university academically.
The Board of Governors appoints the rector for a four-year period, choosing from a list proposed by an electoral college made up of individuals from all of the university's levels.
Herman Van Goethem
Prof Herman Van Goethem, lawyer and historian, started as the new rector of the University of Antwerp on 1 October 2016. His second term of office started in September 2020 and runs until 2024. He is the third rector to head the unified University of Antwerp after Professors Francis Van Loon and Alain Verschoren.
Policy paper 2016 - 2020
The University of Antwerp in 2016-2020. Outlines for innovative policy (pdf, 554 kB)
Rectors UAntwerp
F.l.t.r.: Francis Van Loon, Alain Verschoren and Herman Van Goethem
Rector 2008-2016: Professor Alain Verschoren
Professor Alain Verschoren is the University of Antwerp's rector from 2008 until 2016.
He was also chair of the Antwerp University Association (until autumn 2013), the umbrella association which incorporates the University of Antwerp and four university colleges in Flanders' biggest city. Between 2002 and 2008, Alain Verschoren was chair of the University of Antwerp's Board of Governors.
Alain Verschoren holds a Master in Mathematics (University of Antwerp, 1976) and obtained his PhD in 1979.
Verschoren has been a full professor in the University of Antwerp's departments of Mathematics and Computer Science since 1986. His fields of research include non-communicative algebraic geometry, artificial intelligence, genetic algorithms, bioinformatics and proteomics. Verschoren has written over 150 books and research papers, which have been published in internationally recognised journals.
He is a visiting professor at over twenty universities.
Rector 2000-2008: Professor Francis Van Loon
Prof Francis Baron Van Loon is the University of Antwerp's rector from 2000 until 2008.
