2026-06-17: New publication: Sporen van Kennis en Verbinding. Academisch erfgoed aan UHasselt

Sporen van kennis en verbinding (Traces of Knowledge and Connection) takes you on a journey through UHasselt’s academic heritage: tangible witnesses to curiosity, craftsmanship and perseverance - to the ways in which we asked questions, developed methods and shared knowledge.

This book brings together stories and objects that have helped shape our university: research and teaching in action, from laboratory instruments and collection items to maps, models, traditions and everyday traces of campus life. It shows that heritage is not a silent “collection of old things”, but a living memory that reveals how an academic community learns, experiments and evolves.

Its aim is twofold: to allow a broad audience to discover what often remains hidden, and to invite colleagues, students and alumni to recognise, preserve and share this heritage — as a source of inspiration for what UHasselt seeks to become tomorrow.

Be sure to take a look at our brand-new Academic Heritage Portal as well. Over the coming period, we will gradually add new objects, stories and themes to the portal. Do you have academic heritage yourself? Please let us know at dirk.schoenaers@uhasselt.be. We would be happy to come by, take a look at the object and learn more about the story behind it.

About the authors

Pieter Lernout is Head of the University Library. Together with staff members Dirk Schoenaers and Philip Speelmans (retired), he helped shape the UHasselt heritage project, which brings into view stories and objects from research, teaching and campus life, thereby strengthening the university’s shared memory.