Ombudsperson
The ombudsperson offers an informal and confidential way to resolve problems and complaints.
What can an ombudsperson help with?
The powers of a faculty ombudsperson extend to receiving students’ complaints and comments concerning the following matters:
- educational organisation
- exam schedule
- exam proceedings
- assessment of Master’s theses
- outcome of examiners’ meetings
- announcement of results
- monitoring of study progress based on exams
In the first place you need to address complaints to the faculty ombudsperson. Under certain conditions, you can contact the central ombudsperson.
Other complaints & suggestions
If you want to respond to issues in the daily life of our university, you can send an e-mail to feedback@vub.ac.be. This is the official contact address for feedback on our university policy and organisation.
The student information hub will treat your feedback with care and discretion from a professional customer relations service. It mediates between the parties involved, looks for a pragmatic solution and informs the university board if necessary.
Other matters:
- for technical defects: infradesk@vub.ac.be
- for notifications of sickness or absence: your faculty secretariat
- for general news and info: info@vub.be
- for unacceptable behavior: registration of unwanted inappropriate behaviour
Faculty ombudsperson
Each faculty has its own ombudsperson. If your faculty ombudsperson is involved in the conflict, you can contact the central ombudsperson.
Social Sciences & Solvay Business School
Prof. dr. Joke Bauwens
Telephone number
+32 2 614 85 81
Joke.Bauwens@vub.be
Medicine and Pharmacy
Prof. dr. Kristien De Paepe
Telephone number
+32 2 477 45 96
kdepaepe@vub.be
Engineering
Prof. dr. Danny Van Hemelrijck
Telephone number
+32 2 629 29 29
Danny.Van.Hemelrijck@vub.be
Languages and Humanities
Prof. dr. Dirk Vanden Berghe
Telephone number
+32 2 629 12 61
ombudspersoonlw@vub.be
Physical Education and Physiotherapy
Prof. dr. Dirk Aerenhouts
Telephone number
+32 2 629 27 33
Dirk.Aerenhouts@vub.be
Psychology and Educational Sciences
Prof. dr. Dominique Verté
Telephone number
+32 2 629 13 55
dominique.verte@vub.be
Law and Criminology
Prof. dr. Michel Maus
Telephone number
+32 2 629 25 50
Michel.Maus@vub.be
Science and Bio-engineering Sciences
Prof. Frank Canters
Telephone number
+32 2 629 33 81
frank.canters@vub.be
Ombudsperson for PhD candidates
The ombudsperson for PhD candidates is happy to help resolve issues in your research team or with your supervisor.
There are three ombudspersons at your service, one for each Doctoral School. Please note that you are free to choose one of these ombudspersons and not necessarily the one linked to your own Doctoral School. In our view, the ombudsperson of your own School has the most expertise in understanding your situation from a discipline-specific point of view, but if you rather like an opinion not that closely related to your field, this is also perfectly understandable. Please find information to contact each of our ombudspersons below. If you are unable to get into contact with (one of) them, please contact the Researcher Training & Development Office via phd@vub.be.
campus Etterbeek
Doctoral School of Human Sciences (DSh)
- Ombudsperson: Prof. Dr. Patrick Deboosere
- Office: Campus Etterbeek, Pleinlaan 5 room 2.05
- Telephone number: +32 2 614 81 23
- E-mail: Ombudsphd.dsh@vub.be
Doctoral School of Natural Sciences and (Bioscience) Engineering (NSE)
- Ombudsperson: Prof. Dr. Dominique Maes
- Office: Campus Etterbeek, building E, room E5.08
- Telephone number: +32 2 629 18 52
- E-mail: Ombudsphd.nse@vub.be
campus Jette
- Ombudsperson: Prof. Dr. Luc Bouwens
- Office: Campus Jette, building D, room D036 (ground floor)
- Telephone number: +32 2 477 44 05
- E-mail: ombudsphd.jette@vub.be
More information about the ombudsperson for doctoral students can be found in the Central PhD Regulations.
If you encounter personal problems that get in the way of performing your research, it might be a good idea to contact our Centre for Wellbeing. You can go on consultation free of charge.
Central ombudsperson
If your faculty ombudsperson is involved or absent you can turn to the central ombudsperson.
In the event that a faculty ombudsperson is involved in a conflict thus compromising independence and impartiality, or in the event of absence of the faculty ombudsperson, a student can turn to the central ombudsperson.
Besides that the central ombudsperson may also act in case of appeals against study progress decisions.
Contact information
Prof. dr. Dominique Maes
Telephone number
+32 2 629 18 52
centraleombudspersoon@vub.be
Contact information
Prof. dr. Koen Pardon (substitute)
Telephone number
+32 2 477 47 49
Koen.Pardon@vub.be
Ombudsperson Digital University
If you have any remarks or questions about the digital university or online teaching, make sure to contact the assigned person of your faculty.