In the drop-down menu on the left, you find the eight different portraits.
In 2025, the University Foundation for Development Cooperation (USOS) will celebrate four decades of connection between the University of Antwerp and the Global South.
Since its establishment in 1985, students, professors, researchers and partner organisations have united around a shared commitment to global solidarity, academic exchange and social justice. This exhibition pays tribute to them and to the countless encounters that have shaped USOS and been shaped by USOS.
Eight portraits. One story.
Each individual has their own story, but they are all connected through USOS. You will see and hear everything from the founding of USOS in the 1980s, through years of research and cultural exchange, to the current mutual learning processes; from Belgium to Brazil, the Democratic Republic of Congo, India, Morocco, Nicaragua and Suriname.
Scan and listen
Each portrait has its own QR code. Scan it with your smartphone to listen to a short audio message from the person in the photo. Discover their individual story and reveal the collective story of USOS.
Looking back, looking ahead
This is more than a retrospective. It is an invitation. To reflect on how far we have come and to imagine what the future holds.
To the students and lecturers who dare to step out of their comfort zone. To all our partners who continue to contribute to knowledge and action, sometimes in difficult political and socio-economic circumstances. And to the future of international cooperation, based on respect, curiosity and care.
To 40 years of USOS. And to everything that is yet to come.
This exhibition has been made possible with funding from Global Minds of VLIRUOS.