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​DINOSAURS ON CAMPUS
II
"BACK FORM EXTINCTION"
Dinosaurs On Campus II, is the follow-up event of the very successful 2023 edition of Dinosaurs On Campus at the Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB). Staying true to the original concept, this edition will feature an entertaining evening filled with short and powerful presentations, live music, film, sketches, book signing session and talks with international researchers (paleontologists, biologists, geologists, bio-engineers, philosophers, ecologists) and dinosaur enthusiasts about fossils and other wondrous animals from the Earth's geological past. This edition we will be focused on the concepts of extinction and de-extinction. Bringing back animals who have not roamed the planet since their demise millions of years ago. Science fiction you say? well not quite so. Come join us for some mind boggling insights into the latest experiments and de-extinction projects with:
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Love Dalén
(Bio-engineer and head of the Swedish Centre for Paleogenetics who worked on the project of bringing back the Dyre wolf)
Dick Mol
(Nickname: Sir Mammoth - Ice Age expert who dug-up fossil and frozen mammoths in the arctic permafrost)
Koen Stein
(Belgium's finest Dinosaur expert)
Anthonie Hellemond
(Palaeontologist and president of Palaeontologica Belgica)
Gustaaf Cornelis
(VUB Professor of ethics and philosophy)
Kim Roelants
(VUB Biologist specialised in genetics and amphibians)
Pim Kaskes
(VUB Geologist, Specialised in the K-Pg extinction)
Elias Goossens
(VUB Biologist specialised in ecology)
Maria Stuut
(Dutch Biologist and filmmaker)
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This event will gather plenty of international and in-house experts from different fields of research for a fascinating yet entertaining evening. The Dinosaurs on Campus event will also feature book signing sessions, a dino shop, film screenings, food and drinks by student association and debates with the audience. so make sure to arrive on time and bring cash for any purchases. Live music will be brought by a surprise act. and entertainment will be provided by the theater company (JKG Element) from Vilvoorde. The entire evening will be brought together by our most eloquent and charming master of ceremonies: DORIEN SCHOUPPE from the Royal Belgian Institute of Natural Science (RBINS).
-All talks will be in English-
PRACTICAL DETAILS
LOCATION: AUDITORIUM Q - VUB CAMPUS ETTERBEEK (Pleinlaan 2 B-1050 BRUSSELS)
DOORS: 18h00
START EVENT: 18h30 END: 23h00
PRICE: FREE ADMISSION BUT DONATIONS FOR RESEARCH ARE ENCOURAGED !
Koen Stein
Koen Stein is one of Belgium's finest dinosaur experts and has a highly reputed international academic track record. As co-organiser of this event, Koen will make sure that dinosaurs will be remain and important topic throughout the evening. Questions during the audience Q&A for Koen are more than welcome and especially those who would like to know more about the latest genetic revolutions in dinosaur paleontology from the last years or people who listen to the (video)podcast "Vogels zijn Dino's".
Love Dalén
Professor Dalén is head of the Centre for Paleogenetics in Stockholm (Sweden) and was an advisor on the Dyre Wolf project by the American company Colossal Biosciences. Anyone whe has seen the Game of Thrones series will surely know what a Dyre wolf is. If not, prof. Dalén will gladly inform you. Together with his team he tries to apply latest DNA technology to investigate the ecology and evolution of different species throughout the Pleistocene, and how past environmental changes have determined the distribution and abundance of organisms.
Anthonie Hellemond
As president of Palaeontologica Belgica and co-organiser of this event, Anthonie has been active for more than 25 years in Belgian paleontology Specialised in the early history of life on our planet as well as outreach, conservation, he is the perfect host to bring all the fields of expertise together. As an advocate for citizen science, open science, and ethics in paleontology Anthonie will be the moderator of the debate, making sure no subject is controversial or taboo for discussion.
Gustaaf Cornelis
is professor in philosophy of science at the VUB. His did his doctorate on relativistic cosmology. His research focuses on scientific integrity. He teaches (among other disciplines) scientific integrity, science communication, philosophical research skills, and philosophy of education. He is an esteemed member of the Ethical Committee for Animal Testing, Ethical Committee for the Social Sciences and the Humanities and Academic Secretary of the Faculty of Literature and Languages. We welcome him as a important voice in the ethical debate on de-extinction.
Kim Roelants
Professor Roelants is a Postdoctoral researcher at Vrije Universiteit Brussel, specialised in recurrent evolution of adhesive skin-secreted defence systems in amphibians. Besides his expertise in amphibians Kim Roelants also conducts multidisciplinary research to investigate evolutionary innovations and keeps himself updated on the latest microbiological and biochemical innovations. During the Dinosaurs on Campus event he will present an overview of the latest techniques and realizations in the domain of bio-engineering
Pim Kaskes
Is a postdoctoral researcher from the VUB and Natural History Museum of London. Pim will tell us everything on the catastrophic and cataclysmic events that occurred during the impact of the chicxulub meteor at the end of the Cretaceous. A recent study by Pim and his colleaugues, discovered that the dust and ash clouds after the impact played a very important role in the demise of the dinosaurs. During the event, Pim will talk about the different kind of extinctiond and their biological / ecological consequences
Elias Goossens
as a doctoral researcher from the WILD research lab within the Biology dept of the VUB, Elias has been studying ecological aspects of natural environments and is a strong advocate for the re-introduction of extinct species into modern habitats. Elias is passionate about paleontology, and wrote a thesis on The palaeoecology, life history and taphonomic model of mummified Trimerorhachis (Temnospondyli: Trimerorhachidae) from Early Permian of Texas.
Maria Stuut
Maria Stuut (born 1992) is a Dutch artist and filmmaker. She studied Biology and Social Sciences at the University of Amsterdam and Autonomous Design at KASK Ghent. Together with her brother Frederik Stuut, she has made several (short) films and documentaries, including Ebb (2020), Meeuwen Schreeuwen in het Weekend (2022) & De dag dat het zonlicht niet meer scheen (2025). This last one will be screened at the Dinosaurs On Campus event and talks about the extinction research that was performed by our own geologists, paleontologists and mathematicians in the USA.
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Dick Mol
And last but not least, Dick Mol has been a world-renowned expert on Ice-Age fauna from the Netherlands for many decades. As a passionate paleontologist he gladly shares his stories and insights on the fossil archive of the Pleistocene that can be found throughout the world. From the extraction of Ice cube mammoths in the unforgiving Siberian plains to the early mammoths from hot savannas of Africa. Dick will be a strong voice in the debate and certainly a wonderful addition to our panel of experts.
The ceremony will be led by our lovely master of ceremonies: Dorien Schouppe, science communicator at the RBINS (dinosaur museum in Brussels). A musical interludum will be performed by guest musicians which will be revealed later this year.
This event is made possible by the support of Following organisations :
Brussels Studentengenootschap 'Geen Taal Geen Vrijheid' (BSG)
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