Sign up for the anniversary celebration
You can attend the full event or parts of it
USOS is celebrating its 40th anniversary, and we want to celebrate it with you! On this special day in the beautiful Hof van Liere, we are bringing together participants, former participants, supporters and friends of USOS for an intergenerational gathering.
In the presence of nine international partner representatives, we will look back on four decades of cooperation. We will also celebrate our student activities and reflect together on the core values that USOS continues to promote.
Expect a day full of inspiring conversations, new and old connections, good food, dancing and partying! 🎶🥂
The event is open to everyone.
The host of the evening programme is Esohe Weyden. She is a writer, poet, presenter and lawyer. She works as a mandate assistant and doctoral researcher in family property law at the University of Antwerp, where she was campus poet from 2021 to 2023. From 2025 to 2027, she is the city poet of Antwerp. Picture by Jonathan Ramael
Afternoon: workshops and presentations
1:30 p.m.: Doors open
2:00 p.m.: Welcome
2:30 p.m.: Parallel sessions - Round 1
Choice of:
- Panel discussion by partner representatives from the Global South on the added value of USOS student exchanges (English)
- Panel discussion by former participants about their engagement as a result of the exchange (Dutch)
- Exposures in the curriculum? Introduction to Community Service Learning at UAntwerp by Gerlinde Verbist (Dutch)
- Lecture on vulnerable leadership by Marc Desmet SJ (Dutch)
16:15: Parallel sessions - Round 2
The partner representatives from the Global South talk about the USOS collaboration and how it is tailored to the social challenges in their region or country. In each session there will be room for discussion about forms of cooperation and solidarity with the respective country.
Choice of:
- DR Congo (Bukavu)
- Nicaragua
- Suriname and Brazil (Recife) - Studio ISTT UAntwerp
- India (Delhi and Ranchi)
- Morocco (Oujda)
€10 (free for students)
Walking dinner
6:00 p.m. Walking dinner. Buffet with drinks
€40 (€20 for students)
Evening: panel discussion and launch of the Koen De Feyter Solidarity Fund
19:30 Welcome by city poet Esohe Weyden
19:40 Speeches by representatives of USOS, University of Antwerp and the Flemish-Dutch region of Jesuits
20:00 Plenary panel discussion on the impact of USOS
Round 1 with former participants
Round 2 with partner representatives
21:00 Announcement of the Koen De Feyter Solidarity Fund for partner universities in crisis situations
21:30 Reception
22:00 (optional) Afterparty at Gate15
Partner representatives present
- DR Congo – Université Catholique de Bukavu (UCB), Odile Bapolisi Ndjovu & Toussaint Bacishoga Bahiga
- India
- National Law University Delhi (NLUD), Sophy K.J.
- Xavier Institute of Social Service (XISS Ranchi), Anant Kumar
- St. Xavier's College, Robert Pradeep Kujur, S.J.
- Morocco – Université Mohammed Premier (UMP), Abdellatif Maamri
- Nicaragua – former Universidad Centroamericana (UCA), Nitlapan, Marlon Howking
- Suriname – Anton de Kom Universiteit van Suriname, Jonathan Imang
- Brazil – Universidade Católica de Pernambuco, Múcio Vasconcellos