09u45 - Herman Van Rompuy – Former President of the European Council Reflecting on Europe’s founding values—democracy, inclusivity, human rights—and how we can reconnect with them today.
10u30 - Wim Dries – Mayor of Genk & Andrea Wilkinson, PhD Design / Senior Researcher at LUCA School of Arts Moderated by Khalid Sellam A dual reflection on Van Rompuy’s keynote from both a local governance and design perspective.
11u00 - Peter Scholten – Professor, Erasmus University Rotterdam Exploring new societal perspectives for municipalities and the role of local leadership.
13u15 - Tomas Baum – Polarization Expert, General Director of Kazerne Dossin
Mastering polarization. Tomas Baum is an expert in addressing polarisation and conflict. He supports organisations and professionals in understanding tensions, managing them, and translating them into strategic responses. He also works as director of Kazerne Dossin, working at the intersection of history commemoration and human rights. With a background in philosophy, he combines strategic insight with practical experience in policy and communication. Since 2019, he has been the Belgian partner of Inside Polarisation - Bart Brandsma
Anja Van Hout, Lead Expert AoCoE. The URBACT network developed methods to strengthen the bond between citizens and local governments. Moderator: Khalid Sellam.