100 Notable alumni of
Ghent University
Updated:
Ghent University is 395th in the world, 136th in Europe, and 2nd in Belgium by aggregated alumni prominence. Below is the list of 100 notable alumni from Ghent University sorted by their wiki pages popularity. The directory includes famous graduates and former students along with research and academic staff. 1 individual affiliated with Ghent University won Nobel Prizes in Physiology or Medicine.
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Joseph Plateau
- Occupations
- physicistuniversity teachermathematicianacademic
- Biography
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Joseph Antoine Ferdinand Plateau was a Belgian physicist and mathematician. He was one of the first people to demonstrate the illusion of a moving image. To do this, he used counterrotating disks with repeating drawn images in small increments of motion on one and regularly spaced slits in the other. He called this device of 1832 the phenakistiscope.
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Guy Verhofstadt
- Occupations
- politician
- Biography
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Guy Maurice Marie Louise Verhofstadt is a Belgian liberal politician and an advocate of a Federal Europe. He is a former prime minister of Belgium. He has been a member of the European Parliament (MEP) from Belgium since 2009.
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Maurice Maeterlinck
- Occupations
- poetessayisttranslatorphilosopherwriter
- Biography
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Maurice Polydore Marie Bernard Maeterlinck, also known as Count (or Comte) Maeterlinck from 1932, was a Belgian playwright, poet, and essayist who was Flemish but wrote in French. He was awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1911 "in appreciation of his many-sided literary activities, and especially of his dramatic works, which are distinguished by a wealth of imagination and by a poetic fancy, which reveals, sometimes in the guise of a fairy tale, a deep inspiration, while in a mysterious way they appeal to the readers' own feelings and stimulate their imaginations". The main themes in his work are death and the meaning of life. He was a leading member of La Jeune Belgique group and his plays form an important part of the Symbolist movement. In later life, Maeterlinck faced credible accusations of plagiarism.
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August Kekulé
- Occupations
- pedagogueuniversity teacherchemist
- Biography
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Friedrich August Kekulé, later Friedrich August Kekule von Stradonitz, was a German organic chemist. From the 1850s until his death, Kekulé was one of the most prominent chemists in Europe, especially in theoretical chemistry. He was the principal founder of the theory of chemical structure and in particular the Kekulé structure of benzene.
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Jacques Rogge
- Occupations
- rugby union playerinternational forum participantphysicianpoliticiansurgeon
- Biography
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Jacques Jean Marie Rogge, Count Rogge was a Belgian sports administrator and physician who served as the eighth President of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) from 2001 to 2013. In 2013, Rogge became the IOC's Honorary President, a lifetime position, which he held until his death in 2021.
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Henry van de Velde
- Occupations
- jewelry designeruniversity teacherpainterengineerarchitect
- Biography
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Henry Clemens van de Velde was a Belgian painter, architect, interior designer, and art theorist. Together with Victor Horta and Paul Hankar, he is considered one of the founders of Art Nouveau in Belgium. He worked in Paris with Samuel Bing, the founder of the first gallery of Art Nouveau in Paris. Van de Velde spent the most important part of his career in Germany and became a major figure in the German Jugendstil. He had a decisive influence on German architecture and design at the beginning of the 20th century.
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Petra De Sutter
- Occupations
- international forum participantphysiciangynaecologistuniversity teacherpolitician
- Biography
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Petra De Sutter is a Belgian gynaecologist and politician, currently serving as federal Deputy Prime Minister.
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Leo Baekeland
- Enrolled in Ghent University
- Studied in 1882
- Occupations
- inventorchemist
- Biography
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Leo Hendrik Baekeland was a Belgian chemist. He is best known for the inventions of Velox photographic paper in 1893, and Bakelite in 1907. He has been called "The Father of the Plastics Industry" for his invention of Bakelite, an inexpensive, non-flammable and versatile plastic, which marked the beginning of the modern plastics industry.
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Ovide Decroly
- Occupations
- teacherpsychiatristpsychologistneurologistphysician
- Biography
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Jean-Ovide Decroly was a Belgian teacher and psychologist.
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Adolphe Quetelet
- Occupations
- sociologistbotanistmathematicianastronomerstatistician
- Biography
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Lambert Adolphe Jacques Quetelet FRSF or FRSE was a Belgian astronomer, mathematician, statistician and sociologist who founded and directed the Brussels Observatory and was influential in introducing statistical methods to the social sciences. His name is sometimes spelled with an accent as Quételet.
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Adolf von Baeyer
- Occupations
- university teacherchemist
- Biography
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Johann Friedrich Wilhelm Adolf von Baeyer was a German chemist who synthesised indigo and developed a nomenclature for cyclic compounds (that was subsequently extended and adopted as part of the IUPAC organic nomenclature). He was ennobled in the Kingdom of Bavaria in 1885 and was the 1905 recipient of the Nobel Prize in Chemistry.
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Peter Piot
- Enrolled in Ghent University
- In 1974 graduated with Doctor of Medicine
- Occupations
- university teachermicrobiologistvirologistpoliticianphysician
- Biography
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Sir Peter Karel, Baron Piot, KCMG, FRCP, FFPH, FMedSci is a Belgian-British microbiologist known for his research into Ebola and AIDS.
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Sjokz
- Occupations
- journalistpresenter
- Biography
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Eefje Depoortere, known professionally as Sjokz, is a Belgian television presenter, reporter, and esports player who is currently the host of the League of Legends European Championship. She has also hosted multiple League of Legends World Championships.
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Robert Cailliau
- Occupations
- programmerwritercomputer scientistengineer
- Biography
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Robert Cailliau is a Belgian informatics engineer, computer scientist and author who proposed the first (pre-www) hypertext system for CERN in 1987 and collaborated with Tim Berners-Lee on the World Wide Web (jointly winning the ACM Software System Award) from before it got its name. He designed the historical logo of the WWW, organized the first International World Wide Web Conference at CERN in 1994 and helped transfer Web development from CERN to the global Web consortium in 1995. Together with Dr. James Gillies, Cailliau wrote How the Web Was Born, the first book-length account of the origins of the World Wide Web.
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Paul Janssen
- Occupations
- physician
- Biography
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Paul Adriaan Jan, Baron Janssen was a Belgian physician. He was the founder of Janssen Pharmaceutica, a pharmaceutical company with over 20,000 employees which is now a subsidiary of Johnson & Johnson.
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Paul Bulcke
- Occupations
- entrepreneurinternational forum participant
- Biography
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Paul Bulcke is a Belgian businessman who is the chairman and former CEO of Nestlé.
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Yves Leterme
- Occupations
- international forum participantpoliticiandiplomat
- Biography
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Yves Camille Désiré Leterme is a Belgian politician, a leader of the Christian Democratic and Flemish party (CD&V). He was the prime minister of Belgium, from November 2009 to December 2011.
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Jean-Pierre Van Rossem
- Occupations
- economistwriterpolitician
- Biography
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Jean-Pierre Van Rossem was a Belgian stock market guru, economist, econometrician, convicted fraudster, author, philosopher, public figure, politician, and member of the Belgian and Flemish Parliaments.
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Marc Coucke
- Occupations
- businesspersoncommissioner
- Biography
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Marc Coucke is a Belgian businessman, multimillionaire and media figure. Founder of former BEL20 pharmaceutical company Omega Pharma, he has spread his business interests across several sectors including art, through his company Kamacoucka, and sports, through the co-ownership and sponsorship of the UCI ProTeam Soudal–Quick-Step cycling team, sponsorship of French Ligue 1 side Lille OSC and as major share holder of Belgian Pro League team Anderlecht.
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Herman Brusselmans
- Occupations
- writerplaywrightpoetassociation football playercolumnist
- Biography
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Herman Frans Martha Brusselmans is a Belgian novelist, poet, playwright and columnist. He lives in Ghent. He is one of the best-selling authors in Flanders, but controversial at the same time for his profane language and offensive comedy.
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Conner Rousseau
- Occupations
- politician
- Biography
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Conner Rousseau is a Belgian politician who is the chairman of the social-democratic Flemish Vooruit party (formerly known as the sp.a). He became its chairman in November 2019 at the age of 26.
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Fernand Khnopff
- Occupations
- sculptorvisual artistpainterphilosopherwriter
- Biography
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Fernand Edmond Jean Marie Khnopff was a Belgian symbolist painter.
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Noémie Wolfs
- Occupations
- composersinger
- Biography
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Noémie Maria Alexis Ghislaine Wolfs, better known as Noémie Wolfs from Scherpenheuvel-Zichem is a Belgian singer.
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Tiesj Benoot
- Occupations
- sport cyclist
- Biography
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Tiesj Benoot is a Belgian cyclist, who currently rides for UCI WorldTeam Team Jumbo–Visma.
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Daniel Varujan
- Enrolled in Ghent University
- Studied in 1905-1909
- Occupations
- poetwriter
- Biography
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Daniel Varoujan was an Armenian poet of the early 20th century. At the age of 31, when he was reaching international stature, he was deported and murdered by the Young Turk government, as part of the officially planned and executed Armenian genocide.
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Geert Bourgeois
- Occupations
- lawyerinternational forum participantpolitician
- Biography
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Geert Albert Bourgeois is a Belgian politician of the New Flemish Alliance (N-VA), which he founded in 2001, who is currently serving as a Member of the European Parliament since 2019. He previously served as the Minister-President of Flanders from 2014 to 2019. Prior to this, he was a member of the federal Chamber of Representatives for the People's Union from 1995 to 2001, and then for the N-VA from 2001 to 2004. He has been involved in local and regional politics in Flanders since 1976.
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Lieven Scheire
- Enrolled in Ghent University
- Studied in 2000-2004
- Occupations
- television presenterWikipediancolumnistcabaret artist
- Biography
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Lieven Scheire is a Belgian comedian, mainly known for being a member of Neveneffecten.
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Dirk Frimout
- Occupations
- astrophysicistengineerastronautastronomerphysicist
- Biography
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Dirk Dries David Damiaan, Viscount Frimout is an astrophysicist for the European Space Agency. He flew aboard NASA Space Shuttle mission STS-45 as a payload specialist, making him the first Belgian in space.
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Philippe Herreweghe
- Occupations
- conductorchoir directormusiciancomposer
- Biography
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Philippe Maria François Herreweghe, Knight Herreweghe is a Belgian conductor and choirmaster.
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José Alejandrino
- Occupations
- politicianminister
- Biography
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José Cándido Alejandrino y Magdangal was a Philippine Republican Army general during the Philippine Revolution and the Philippine–American War.
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George Sarton
- Occupations
- university teacherhistorianchemist
- Biography
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George Alfred Leon Sarton was a Belgian-born American chemist and historian. He is considered the founder of the discipline of the history of science as an independent field of study. His most influential works were the Introduction to the History of Science, which consists of three volumes and 4,296 pages and the journal Isis. Sarton ultimately aimed to achieve an integrated philosophy of science that provided a connection between the sciences and the humanities, which he referred to as "the new humanism".
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Georges Rodenbach
- Occupations
- novelistjournalistplaywrightpoet lawyerpoet
- Biography
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Georges Raymond Constantin Rodenbach was a Belgian Symbolist poet and novelist.
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Ben Weyts
- Occupations
- politician
- Biography
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Ben Weyts is a Belgian politician of the New Flemish Alliance (N-VA). He has been a Vice Minister-President of Flanders in the Jambon Government since 2019, and serves as the Flemish minister for Animal Welfare, the Brussels Periphery, Education, and Sport. He previously served in the Homans and Bourgeois governments from 2014 to 2019. He was a member of the Chamber of Representatives from 2008 to 2014.
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Dries Van Langenhove
- Occupations
- political scientistpoliticianpipefitter
- Biography
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Dries Van Langenhove is a Belgian far-right political activist and former politician.
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Tom Lanoye
- Occupations
- columnistwriterperforming artistplaywrightopinion journalist
- Biography
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Tom Lanoye was born on 27 August 1958 in the Belgian city Sint Niklaas. He is a novelist, poet, columnist, screenwriter and playwright. He is one of the most widely read and honoured authors in his language area (the Netherlands and Flanders), and makes regular appearances at all the major European theatre festivals.
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Leo Tindemans
- Enrolled in Ghent University
- Studied in 1944-1946
- Occupations
- politicianjournalistdiplomat
- Biography
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Leonard Clemence "Leo" Tindemans was a Belgian politician. He served as the prime minister of Belgium serving from 25 April 1974 until he resigned as minister on 20 October 1978. He was a member of the Christian Democratic and Flemish party.
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Meyrem Almaci
- Occupations
- politician
- Biography
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Meyrem Almaci is a Belgian politician from Flanders and member of the ecological party Groen. On 10 June 2007, she was elected to the Belgian Chamber of Representatives for the first time. She was re-elected in 2010 and in 2014 when she also became the president of Groen. In 2019 she left the Belgian parliament and was elected in the Flemish Parliament.
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Carolus Clusius
- Occupations
- university teacherzoologistphysicianbotanisttranslator
- Biography
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Charles de l'Écluse, L'Escluse, or Carolus Clusius, seigneur de Watènes, was an Artois doctor and pioneering botanist, perhaps the most influential of all 16th-century scientific horticulturists.
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Joke Schauvliege
- Occupations
- lawyerpolitician
- Biography
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Joke Schauvliege is a Belgian politician from Flanders.
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René Jacobs
- Occupations
- musiciancomposerconductorsingeropera singer
- Biography
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René Jacobs is a Belgian musician. He came to fame as a countertenor, but later in his career he became known as a conductor of baroque and classical opera.
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Hilde Crevits
- Enrolled in Ghent University
- Graduated with licentiate in jurisprudence
- Occupations
- politician
- Biography
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Hilde Urbanie Julia Crevits is a Belgian politician from Flanders and member of the Christian Democratic and Flemish party who is currently the Flemish minister of Economy, Innovation, Work, Social economy and Agriculture.
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Etienne Vermeersch
- Occupations
- university teacherphilosopher
- Biography
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Etienne Vermeersch was a Belgian moral philosopher, skeptic, opinion maker and debater. He is one of the founding fathers of the abortion, euthanasia law, and the Law on Patients' Rights in Belgium. Vermeersch became an atheist after five years with the Society of Jesus (Jesuits). Later he became a philosophical materialist. In January 2008, Vermeersch was chosen by hundred prominent Flemings as the most influential intellectual of Flanders. He died in a hospital in Ghent on 18 January 2019 by euthanasia after a long illness.
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Catherine De Bolle
- Enrolled in Ghent University
- 1988-1993 graduated with law degree
- Occupations
- police officerinternational forum participant
- Biography
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Catherine De Bolle is the executive director of Europol, succeeding Rob Wainwright whose term expired on 1 May 2018. Before that she was the chief commissioner of the Belgian federal police (1 March 2012–1 May 2018) and chief of the police of zone Ninove (2001–2012).
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Pierre François Verhulst
- Occupations
- mathematicianuniversity teacher
- Biography
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Pierre François Verhulst was a Belgian mathematician and a doctor in number theory from the University of Ghent in 1825. He is best known for the logistic growth model.
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Maarten Boudry
- Occupations
- philosopher
- Biography
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Maarten Boudry is a Dutch-speaking Belgian philosopher and skeptic. He has been a researcher and teaching member of the Department of Philosophy and Moral Sciences at Ghent University since 2006. To date, he has published over 30 articles in various philosophy of science journals.
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Johan Vande Lanotte
- Occupations
- lawyeruniversity teacherpoliticianjurist
- Biography
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Johan Cyrille Corneel Vande Lanotte is a Belgian politician. He is a member of the SP.A, and became its party president on 15 October 2005. He handed down his leadership positions after the SP.A lost in the 2007 general election. Between 1995 and 2014, he served more than 13 years as Deputy Prime Minister, the longest period for a Flemish socialist after WW II. In his last term he served as the Minister of Economy, Consumer affairs and North Sea in the Di Rupo I Government. With the formation of a new Centre-Right federal government, which excluded his party, Johan Vande Lanotte returned to local politics in October 2014 in Ostend, where he took up his position as alderman for the economy and tourism at Ostend City Council. From August 2015 until the end of 2018 Vande Lanotte was the mayor of Ostend. During his political career he continued to work as a professor at the University of Ghent, specialized in Constitutional Law and Human Rights. Since 2019, he is a lawyer (senior legal advisor) in the law office Van Steenbrugge in Gent. He was the initiator of the Turkey Tribunal held in Geneva in September 2021
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Dries Buytaert
- Enrolled in Ghent University
- 2003-2008 graduated with Doctor of Philosophy
- Occupations
- programmerinternational forum participantcomputer scientistengineer
- Biography
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Dries Buytaert is a Belgian open-source software programmer. He is the founder and lead developer of the Drupal content management system. He also serves as the CTO of Acquia.
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Tinne Van der Straeten
- Occupations
- lawyerpolitician
- Biography
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Tinne Van der Straeten is a Belgian politician who has been serving as Minister of Energy in the De Croo Government since October 2020. She is a member of the Groen party. She previously served in the Chamber of Representatives for Brussels-Halle-Vilvoorde from 2007 to 2010 and later for Brussels from 2019 until 2020, when she resigned to become energy minister.
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Philippe De Backer
- Occupations
- officialinternational forum participantpolitician
- Biography
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Philippe De Backer is an Open Vld politician and was a Member of the European Parliament (MEP) from September 2011 until April 2016, when he became Secretary of State in the Michel Government.
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Corneille Heymans
- Occupations
- toxicologistphysiologistphysicianpharmacologistuniversity teacher
- Biography
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Corneille Jean François Heymans was a Belgian physiologist. He studied at the Jesuit College of Saint Barbara and then at Ghent University, where he obtained a doctor's degree in 1920.
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Freya Van den Bossche
- Occupations
- politician
- Biography
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Freya Van den Bossche is a Belgian (Flemish) politician and daughter of prominent former Belgian politician Luc Van den Bossche. She is member of the SP.a political party, and she was Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Budget and Consumer Protection in the Belgian federal government. She was the youngest ever minister appointed in Belgium.
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Siegfried Bracke
- Occupations
- journalisttelevision presenterphilologistpolitician
- Biography
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Siegfried Theofiel Hortense Bracke is a former Belgian politician and is affiliated to the N-VA. He was elected as a member of the Belgian Chamber of Representatives in 2010. Bracke was born in Ghent. Before his political career he had a long career as a journalist, working for the VRT (Vlaamse Radio- en Televisieomroep - the primary Flemish-Belgian broadcasting company), hosting various politics-related shows such as Villa Politica and Bracke en Crabbé. He is a supporter of Orangism. After the elections in 2019 he ended his political career.
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John Crombez
- Occupations
- politicianeconomist
- Biography
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John Crombez is a Belgian politician. He has been leader of the Socialist Party Differently (sp.a) since 2015. In the Di Rupo Government (2011–2014) he was Secretary of State for combatting fraud.
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Mathias De Clercq
- Occupations
- lawyerpolitician
- Biography
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Mathias Toon Cecil Willy De Clercq, esq. is a Belgian politician. He is a member of the Flemish liberal party. At the moment he is the mayor of Ghent. From 2007 until 2014, he was a federal representative, and from 2014 until 2019, he was a Flemish representative. From 2007 until 2019, he was a schepen in Ghent. He belongs to the social liberal wing of his party.
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Ramos de Azevedo
- Occupations
- entrepreneuruniversity teacherarchitectengineer
- Biography
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Francisco de Paula Ramos de Azevedo was a Brazilian architect, known for designing various buildings and landmarks in São Paulo, such as the Teatro Municipal, the Mercado Municipal and the Pinacoteca. He was one of the founders and director of the University of São Paulo's Polytechnical School.
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Willy De Clercq
- Occupations
- lawyerpoliticianuniversity teacher
- Biography
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Willy Clarisse Elvire Hector, Viscount De Clercq was a Belgian liberal politician.
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Egbert Lachaert
- Occupations
- politician
- Biography
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Egbert R. Lachaert is a Belgian lawyer, politician and party chairman of the Open VLD.
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Karel Van Miert
- Occupations
- university teacherpolitician
- Biography
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Karel Antonius Lucia Maria van Miert was a Flemish politician of the Different Socialist Party and official of the European Commission.
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Gustave Rolin-Jaequemyns
- Occupations
- juristpoliticiandiplomat
- Biography
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Gustave Henri Ange Hippolyte Rolin-Jaequemyns was a Belgian lawyer, diplomat and Minister of the Interior (1878–1884) as a member of the Unitarian Liberal Party. Together with the Swiss jurist Gustave Moynier, he founded the Institut de Droit International and became its first Honorary President.
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Gerard Mortier
- Occupations
- dramaturgeintendant
- Biography
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Gerard Alfons August, Baron Mortier was a Belgian opera director and administrator of Flemish origin.
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Charles Étienne Brasseur de Bourbourg
- Enrolled in Ghent University
- Studied philosophy and theology
- Occupations
- philologistwriteranthropologistethnographerCatholic priest
- Biography
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Abbé Charles-Étienne Brasseur de Bourbourg was a noted French writer, ethnographer, historian, archaeologist, and Catholic priest. He became a specialist in Mesoamerican studies, travelling extensively in the region. His writings, publications, and recovery of historical documents contributed much to knowledge of the region's languages, writing, history and culture, particularly those of the Maya and Aztec civilizations. However, his speculations concerning relationships between the ancient Maya and the lost continent of Atlantis inspired Ignatius L. Donnelly and encouraged the pseudo-science of Mayanism.
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Erwin Mortier
- Occupations
- novelistjournalistpoetcolumnistwriter
- Biography
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Erwin Mortier is a Dutch-language Belgian author. Spending his youth in Hansbeke, he later moved to nearby Ghent, where he became city poet (2005–2006).
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Dirk Verhofstadt
- Occupations
- philosopherwriterpolitician
- Biography
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Dirk Verhofstadt is a Belgian social liberal (Rawlsian) theorist and younger brother of former Belgian Prime Minister and former ALDE European Parliament Leader Guy Verhofstadt. He has a keen interest in political philosophy, and his philosophical outlook is influenced by Karl Popper, John Stuart Mill, Cesare Beccaria, Thomas Paine, Amartya Sen and Martha Nussbaum.
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Franz Cumont
- Occupations
- historianhistorian of religionuniversity teacherepigraphercurator
- Biography
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Franz-Valéry-Marie Cumont was a Belgian archaeologist and historian, a philologist and student of epigraphy, who brought these often isolated specialties to bear on the syncretic mystery religions of Late Antiquity, notably Mithraism.
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Jan Blommaert
- Occupations
- anthropologistuniversity teacherlinguist
- Biography
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Jan Blommaert was a Belgian sociolinguist and linguistic anthropologist, Professor of Language, Culture and Globalization and Director of the Babylon Center at Tilburg University, the Netherlands. He also held appointments at Ghent University (Belgium) and University of the Western Cape (South Africa). He was considered to be one of the world's most prominent sociolinguists and linguistic anthropologists, who had contributed substantially to sociolinguistic globalization theory that focuses on historical as well as contemporary patterns of the spread of languages and forms of literacy, and on lasting and new forms of inequality emerging from globalization processes.
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Alicja Gescinska
- Enrolled in Ghent University
- Studied in 2007
- Occupations
- writerphilosopher
- Biography
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Alicja Anna Gescinska is a Polish-Belgian philosopher.
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Suzanne Lilar
- Occupations
- journalistliterary criticlawyeressayistphilosopher
- Biography
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Baroness Suzanne Lilar was a Flemish Belgian essayist, novelist, and playwright writing in French. She was the wife of the Belgian Minister of Justice Albert Lilar and mother of the writer Françoise Mallet-Joris and the art historian Marie Fredericq-Lilar.
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Vincent Van Peteghem
- Occupations
- university teacherpolitician
- Biography
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Vincent Van Peteghem is a Belgian economist and politician of CD&V who has been serving as Minister of Finance in the government of Prime Minister Alexander De Croo since 1 October 2020. He was a member of the Chamber of Representatives of Belgium from 2014 until 2020.
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Marleen Temmerman
- Occupations
- obstetricianphysiciangynaecologistuniversity teacherpolitician
- Biography
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Marleen Temmerman is a Belgian gynaecologist, professor and former Senator, currently heading the Centre of Excellence in Women and Child Health at Aga Khan University in Nairobi, Kenya.
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Maxime De Winne
- Occupations
- actorperforming artist
- Biography
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Maxime De Winne is a Flemish actor and theatre producer.
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Johan Daisne
- Occupations
- librarianscreenwriterwriterpoet
- Biography
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Johan Daisne was the pseudonym of Flemish author Herman Thiery. Born in Ghent, Belgium, he attended the Koninklijk Atheneum before studying Economics and Slavic languages at Ghent University, receiving his doctorate in 1936. In 1945 he was appointed chief librarian of the city of Ghent.
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Robert van Genechten
- Enrolled in Ghent University
- Studied jurisprudence
- Occupations
- university teacherpoliticianeconomistjuristlawyer
- Biography
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Robert van Genechten was a Belgian-born Dutch politician and writer and a leading collaborator during the German occupation of the Netherlands.
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Karel van de Woestijne
- Occupations
- journalistuniversity teacherwriterpoet
- Biography
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Carolus Petrus Eduardus Maria "Karel" van de Woestijne was a Flemish writer and brother of the painter Gustave van de Woestijne. He went to highschool at the Koninklijk Athenaeum (E:Royal Athenaeum) at the Ottogracht in Ghent. He also studied Germanic philology at the University of Ghent, where he came into contact with French symbolism. He lived at Sint-Martens-Latem from April 1900 up to January 1904, and from April 1905 up to November 1906. Here he wrote Laetemsche brieven over de lente, for his friend Adolf Herckenrath (1901). In 1907 he moved to Brussels, and in 1915 he moved to Pamel, where he wrote De leemen torens together with Herman Teirlinck.
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Luis Cruls
- Occupations
- astronomer
- Biography
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Luíz Cruls or Luís Cruls or Louis Ferdinand Cruls was a Belgian-Brazilian astronomer and geodesist. He was Director of the Brazilian National Observatory from 1881 to 1908, led the commission charged with the survey and selection of a future site for the capital of Brazil in the Central Plateau, and was co-discoverer of the Great Comet of 1882. Cruls was also an active proponent of efforts to accurately measure solar parallax and towards that end led a Brazilian team in their observations of 1882 Transit of Venus in Punta Arenas, Chile.
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Fientje Moerman
- Occupations
- lawyerpolitician
- Biography
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Joséphine Rebecca Marie Julienne Bertha "Fientje" Moerman is a Belgian liberal politician and currently a judge on the Constitutional Court of Belgium.
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Bruno Tobback
- Occupations
- politician
- Biography
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Bruno Tobback was the president of the Flemish socialist party Different Socialist Party (SP.A) from 2011 to 2015. He was Minister of Environment and Pensions in the Belgian federal government from 2004 until 2007. He is the son of former minister and former mayor of Leuven Louis Tobback. He is a Licentiate in Law (Vrije Universiteit Brussel, 1992) and a Licentiate in Social and Economic Law (UGent, 1994). He was a member of the Flemish Parliament from 1995 to 2004.
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Marc Van Montagu
- Occupations
- university teachermolecular biologist
- Biography
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Marc, Baron Van Montagu is a Belgian molecular biologist. He was full professor and director of the Laboratory of Genetics at the faculty of Sciences at Ghent University (Belgium) and scientific director of the Genetics Department of the Flanders Interuniversity Institute for Biotechnology (VIB). Together with Jozef Schell he founded the biotech company Plant Genetic Systems Inc. (Belgium) in 1982, of which he was Scientific Director and member of the board of Directors. Van Montagu was also involved in founding the biotech company CropDesign, of which he was a board member from 1998 to 2004. He is president of the Public Research and Regulation Initiative (PRRI).
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Marcel Minnaert
- Occupations
- university teacherEsperantistastrophysicistpoliticianastronomer
- Biography
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Marcel Gilles Jozef Minnaert was a Dutch astronomer of Belgian origin. He was born in Bruges and died in Utrecht. He is notable for his contributions to astronomy and physics and for a popular book on meteorological optics: Light and colour in the open air, first published in English in 1940.
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Annelies Verbeke
- Occupations
- playwrightscreenwriterwriter
- Biography
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Annelies Verbeke is a Belgian author who writes in Dutch. She made her name with the novel Slaap! (Sleep!) which has been translated into several languages.
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Joseph Guislain
- Occupations
- psychiatristphysicianuniversity teacher
- Biography
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Joseph Guislain was a Belgian physician and a pioneer in psychiatry.
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Ward Ruyslinck
- Occupations
- poetwriterautobiographer
- Biography
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Raymond De Belser, pseudonym Ward Ruyslinck, was a Belgian writer. He is the son of Leo De Belser and Germaine Nauwelaers. His father was a librarian at an oil company, and Ward Ruyslinck grew up in a Roman Catholic family. During the Second World War, the family moved to Mortsel.
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Pol Van Den Driessche
- Occupations
- journalistpolitician
- Biography
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Pol Van Den Driessche is a Belgian ex-journalist, writer and politician.
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Maurice Lippens
- Occupations
- lawyerpolitician
- Biography
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Maurice Auguste Count Lippens was a noble Belgian businessman, politician, and colonial civil servant and lawyer.
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Victor Alter
- Occupations
- opinion journalistpoliticiantrade unionistengineer
- Biography
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Victor Alter was a Polish Jewish socialist activist and Bund publicist, and a member of the executive committee of the Second International.
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Hans Bonte
- Occupations
- politician
- Biography
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Hans Bonte is a Belgian politician and has been a federal representative since 1995 (for the constituency of Brussels-Halle-Vilvoorde). He is a member of Vooruit (formerly SP.A), the Flemish social-democratic party.
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Edilberto Evangelista
- Occupations
- civil engineer
- Biography
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Edilberto Evangelista was a Filipino civil engineer and a revolutionary.
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Franz Hellens
- Occupations
- poetwriter
- Biography
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Franz Hellens, born Frédéric van Ermengem was a prolific Belgian novelist, poet and critic. Although of Flemish descent, he wrote entirely in French, and lived in Paris from 1947 to 1971. He was nominated for the Nobel Prize in Literature four times.
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Jean Van Houtte
- Occupations
- lawyerbankerpoliticianeconomist
- Biography
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Jean Marie Joseph, Baron Van Houtte (17 March 1907 – 23 May 1991) was a Belgian politician who served as the prime minister of Belgium from 1952 to 1954.
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Geert Lambert
- Occupations
- lawyerpolitician
- Biography
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Geert Lambert is a Belgian politician and lawyer. He was the president of Spirit, a Flemish political party, from 2004 until 2007, when he was succeeded by Bettina Geysen. In 2003 he became a member of the Chamber of Representatives, where he headed the Spirit fraction, and following the 2007 Belgian federal election held on 10 June 2007, he became a directly elected member of the Belgian Senate.
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Piet Vanthemsche
- Occupations
- civil servant
- Biography
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Piet, Baron Vanthemsche is a Belgian veterinary surgeon and civil servant. In 2008, he succeeded Noël Devisch as President of the Boerenbond (E: Catholic Belgian Farmers Union) in Leuven.
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Boudewijn Bouckaert
- Occupations
- juristpoliticianuniversity teacher
- Biography
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Boudewijn Bouckaert is a Belgian law professor, a member of the Flemish Movement, and a libertarian conservative thinker and politician. He was a Member of the Flemish Parliament for the liberal party List Dedecker. He is also a former president of the Belgian classical liberal think tanks Nova Civitas, Cassandra and Libera!.
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Alexandra Colen
- Occupations
- politician
- Biography
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Alexandra Maria Catherine Colen is a Belgian politician. She was member of the Belgian Chamber of Representatives for the Vlaams Belang party from 21 May 1995 until May 2014. She holds a PhD in linguistics, and is known for her advocacy of strict Catholic ethics.
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Peter Vanvelthoven
- Occupations
- lawyerpolitician
- Biography
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Peter Karel Alexander Vanvelthoven is a Belgian politician and member of the SP.A. He is the son of politician Louis Vanvelthoven. He became the Federal Minister for Employment, charged with the Informatisation of the State, in 2005 after Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Budget Johan Vande Lanotte left the Federal Government to become the President of the Different Socialist Party (SP.A).
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Lode Craeybeckx
- Occupations
- journalistpolitician
- Biography
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Lode Craeybeckx served as mayor of Antwerp, Belgium from 1947 until his death in 1976, becoming the longest-serving mayor of the city in its history.
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Wim Blockmans
- Occupations
- medievalistuniversity teacherhistory teacheracademichistorian
- Biography
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Willem Pieter Blockmans was Professor of Medieval History at Leiden University between 1987 and 2010. He earned a PhD from the University of Ghent. He has been Rector of the Netherlands Institute for Advanced Study since September 2002. He has published extensively on late medieval and early modern state power.
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Marleen Vanderpoorten
- Occupations
- politician
- Biography
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Marleen Caroline Valère Vanderpoorten Belgian politician from Flanders and member of the Flemish Liberals and Democrats (VLD). She is a daughter of Herman Vanderpoorten and a granddaughter of Arthur Vanderpoorten. She obtained a degree in history from the University of Ghent (Ghent, Belgium).
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Paul de Wispelaere
- Occupations
- literary criticwriteruniversity teacher
- Biography
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Paul de Wispelaere was a Flemish writer.
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Freddy Willockx
- Occupations
- economistwriterpolitician
- Biography
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Frederik A. A. Willockx is a Belgian socialist politician, member of the Flemish Different Socialist Party.
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Hendrik Cornelis
- Occupations
- politician
- Biography
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Hendrik "Rik" Cornelis was a Belgian colonial civil servant who served as the final Governor-General of the Belgian Congo from 1958 to 1960. His term ended with the independence of the Republic of the Congo.
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François Laurent
- Occupations
- historianjuristuniversity teacherwriterlawyer
- Biography
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François Laurent was a Belgian historian and jurisconsult.
