8 minute read
REBEL WITH A CAUSE
Professor Yves Persoons is no stranger to the readers of this magazine. In addition to being the editor-in-chief of ConnectING and the author of numerous articles, he was also Head of Communications at KU Leuven Group T Campus for almost 40 years. He was the driving force behind the recruitment campaigns that put the former Group T University College on the map. Since 1 October 2024 Yves is professor emeritus. The perfect moment to discuss with him his experiences, career highlights, the evolution of engineering technology over the years, and his future as a professor emeritus.
With a father who graduated as an engineer from the Catholic University College Sint-Lieven in Ghent (now KU Leuven Ghent) and a mother who was a mathematics teacher, Yves grew up in a family where science and maths were seen as the ideal path, and engineers were held in high regard. However, it soon became clear that this was not meant for Yves. His true interests and passion lay in (classical) languages and writing. His brothers also chose different paths: one became a fashion designer and the other an architect. Architecture was barely acceptable to Persoons senior, who himself worked as an engineer and was head of the Development Department at Unilever (Iglo-Ola).
Hallmark
In 1986, many wondered, “What is a Germanic philologist and Doctor of Arts and Philosophy doing among the engineers at Group T?” Few could have predicted that Yves would dedicate nearly forty years of his career to them.
After completing his PhD in Arts and Philosophy at the University of Antwerp, Yves had to wait a year for an assistant position in Dutch linguistics at the same university. In the meantime, he applied for the role of ‘language expert’ at Group T. “I was destined to end up with engineers again”, Yves says with a grin. His task was to modernize the unpopular language courses within the program, aligning them more with what engineers need in practice. The language courses remained, but the focus shifted to communication skills, emphasizing presentations, reporting, meetings, and job interviews. This became the hallmark of the then Group T University College, distinguishing it from other engineering programs. The combination of Technology, Management, and Communication became the flagship and success formula of Group T’s engineering education.
Marketing & Communication
In no time, Yves was pulled from the communication classroom to focus on the marketing and communication strategy for Group T. Under his leadership, the open days events were transformed, bringing about a more personalized and immersive experience for potential students. The number of events tripled, and the student population grew so rapidly that the old campus soon became too small.
Before long, Yves was also tasked with Group T’s recruitment campaigns, which were developed in collaboration with major advertising agencies. A new world opened up for him, leading to high-profile campaigns such as “Aux armes, engineers!” and “Rebels with a cause”. These were golden times for Group T, and Yves decided to stay in Leuven. What he hadn’t planned for, happened: his career took a new turn.
Career Highlights
Reflecting on his career, Yves points to several memorable “firsts”: The first open door day, the first Entrepreneurs’ Day, and the first graduation ceremony held at Leuven’s City Theatre, all of which took place during his initial academic year (1986-87). However, for Yves, the real standout is the internationalization of Group T. Following a brief visit by a delegation from the Chinese Ministry of Education to Leuven, the then-director received an invitation to join Prince Filip’s trade mission to China. This trip laid the groundwork for connections with Chinese universities, ultimately transforming Group T into the international campus it is today, with over 80 nationalities.
Another major highlight in his career was the launch of the international study trips for students, which began in 1989. “At the time, people joked that the T in Group T stood for Travel”, Yves recalls. “But these trips gave students invaluable opportunities to broaden their horizons.” It began with study trips to the United States, where groups of 250 students visited major cities, universities, and companies. After the fall of the Berlin Wall, the trips expanded to Russia, and from 2000 onward, largescale trips to China became a tradition-briefly interrupted by the pandemic but thankfully resumed this year.
Yves’ face lights up when discussing the creation of the Solar Team. In 2003, student Rafael Janssens had the chance to travel with TU Delft’s Nuna Solar Team to Australia and asked Group T to sponsor his plane tickets. “Internally, there was no green light, but we secretly funded his trip from the marketing budget in exchange for him wearing a Group T cap during the race”, Yves says with a smile. Rafael returned full of enthusiasm and succeeded in forming Group T’s own Solar Team. In 2005, they entered their first race and finished seventh. The rest is history. Since then, they’ve become world champions twice and European champions as well. Currently, there are eight other student teams active.”
Another milestone was the opening of the new building on Andreas Vesaliusstraat in late 1995. The concept was designed around a continuous spiral hallway that connects classrooms, auditoriums, labs, and offices, facilitating easy communication throughout the space. Once again, communication took centre stage. For the grand opening, renowned Belgian composer Piet Swerts was commissioned to write the Vesalius Overture-an event so unique that KU Leuven is now replicating it for its 600th anniversary, though with a different composer.
Fulfillment & Motivation
Naturally, when speaking to someone who has devoted nearly 40 years to passionately promoting Campus Group T, the question of where Yves finds his fulfillment and motivation arises. Yves explains: “I find that fulfillment every day; it’s not just in isolated moments. Working with colleagues is essential. Martine Groffils, with whom I worked from 1986 to 2017, played a significant role. She managed the practical matters, which allowed me to focus on developing ideas further.” Yves also mentions Director De Graeve of the former Group T University College. “He was a visionary who set high standards. It was expected that you would come up with new ideas and make progress, such as increasing enrollments. Any decline meant it was over. It’s different now. No one is held accountable for decreasing numbers, even though these are concerning developments.”
Yves also found great satisfaction in the two major curriculum reforms that he was closely involved with. The first dates back to 2004 during the Group T University College era, and the second was the program reform within the Faculty of Engineering Technology 16 years later. He is still proud of his vision text, “Engineer: from the Most Attractive Profession to the Most Attractive Study,” published In 2019.
In 2016, the faculty magazine ConnectING was launched, and Yves was appointed as Editor-in-Chief. Writing has been a great source of inspiration for Yves: “Everyone likes to share their story, but few enjoy writing. Listening to stories and sharing them with others energizes me. The interviews are always educational, those of and about entrepreneurial engineers.
Engineering Experience
Throughout his career, Yves has witnessed the evolving role of the engineer. When he began, engineers were primarily seen as technicians, and Group T was almost the only institution that offered a broader education, integrating skills like communication and entrepreneurship.
The development of the Engineering Experiences has played a significant role in this evolution. These experiences developed into a methodology where students learn to independently seek out solutions, fostering entrepreneurial engineers. “We must not forget that we technology, students need to focus on the ‘how’ as much as the ‘what’ to seize opportunities. That’s exactly what the Engineering Experiences facilitate”, Yves explains.
For Yves, the ideal is the T-Engineer, where the T represents both depth and breadth. He cites the Solar Team as an example: “Look at the innovations within the Solar Team; the technical aspects are optimized, which adds depth. At the same time, they address climate issues, science communication, and raise public awareness about green energy. That represents the broadening aspect.” His advice to (future) engineers is: “Model yourself on the T and work collaboratively. You may go faster alone, but you’ll get further together.”
Post Retirement Mission
After his retirement, Yves will remain involved with Group T Campus and De Nayer Campus, where he has been managing communications on an interim basis since last year. His initial focus will be on ensuring continuity. As Yves says, “Your success depends on the success of your successor.” Additionally, he will remain involved with alumni activities as a member of the steering committees on both campuses and as a board member of Alumni Ingenieurs KU Leuven. On top of that he will keep contributing editorial content for the magazine ConnectING.
In his spare time, Yves writes for the Heemkundige Kring of Gooik, his place of upbringing. He has written articles on various topics, including his fellow townsman Monsignor Jan-Baptist Abbeloos, the ‘rebellious’ rector of KU Leuven (1887-1898). Perhaps a book about him is on the horizon? Yves is also intrigued by the Leuven ‘Gilde van Ambachten en Neringen,’ the predecessor of the Group T University College, as a captivating subject. With a bit of luck, we’ll continue to be able to read much more from Yves in the future.
Hettie de Kruijf
