Videos

Why is it that Muslim migrants seem to become more religious after arriving in Europe, in a secular society? That's what Saimum Parvez (VUB) is investigating. He's looking into the case of Bangladeshi migrants, by raising questions such as: how do they participate in religious rituals? Do they see themselves as religious? And what impact does migration have on their religion?

Every year, the Belgian police have the equivalent of some 3,600 officers absent due to sick leave. "That's as if there wasn't an officer in Antwerp and Ghent for a year," explains criminologist Celien De Stercke (UGent). Why is it that absence rates in the police have been higher than in other sectors for years? By looking at the sick absences from 2019, De Stercke got a better understanding of which groups within the police are especially absent for long periods and what factors play a role.

Societal enterprises, working on alleviating societal issues such as poverty, exclusion, and pollution, face many challenges. "They are often unrecognized, unsupported, and undervalued", says Stefan Chichevaliev (VUB). He is investigating how the current business environment affects the day-to-day operation of social enterprises. His goal is to identify what is needed to help these enterprises meet these challenges, to the benefit of the most vulnerable.

Our ageing population is not only growing but is also becoming more diverse. Labour migrants who came to Belgium last century are part of today's ageing population. Most older adults prefer to live at home for as long as possible, but what is 'home' to older adults with a migration background? To explore this, PhD researcher Micheline Phlix conducted 45 interviews with older migrants.

"Freeze your eggs, free your career". This was the headline on the cover of the business magazine Bloomberg Business a few years ago. The reasoning: women could freeze their eggs, to focus on their careers and then maybe have a child later. Sounds good for women's emancipation, but how do women themselves feel about it? Philosopher Michiel De Proost sat down with 21 women to find out.

For children with autism or attention or motor disorders, it is quite a challenge to participate in activities such as playing tag, taking a test, or staying over at a friend's house. Marieke Coussens and her colleagues mapped the barriers that such young children experience. This knowledge is important to be able to break down those barriers and really allow these children to participate.

Refugees, migrants and ethnic minorities face complex problems, such as trauma, a loss of social network as well as discrimination. As a result, this can lead to mental and drugs problems. But do these people receive equitable drug treatment when they need it, here in Flanders? That's what Charlotte De Kock (Ghent University) devotes her research to.

Did you know that in the Belgium Government there are 7 times more political workers than elected politicians? That is quite a lot more than in the Netherlands, where an elected official has about 3 political staff members. Why is that and is this beneficial for democracy? Pieter Moens (UGent) shines his light in this video.

Sending out lots of CVs is no guarantee of finding a good job. Yet much research still focuses on the quantity of job-seeking behaviour, the time and effort that job-seekers spend on their search. Jolien Stremersch (UGent) wants jobseekers to search smarter for a job, instead of harder.

"Human trafficking is, simply put, a trade in persons. People are the commodity and it's one of the fastest-growing forms of illegal trade in the world." Sarah Adeyinka's research focuses on the wellbeing of victims of human trafficking: what experiences did they have along the way? Where are they now? And how did they cope and still cope with these experiences of trauma? 

Research shows police spend only 60% of all patrol time in crime hotspots. Philipp M. Dau (UGent) uses data to analyze both police and crime hotspots. These new insights could help police departments more efficiently, guide officers while being on patrol and make our cities a safer place. 

Ever wondered why your smartphone seems to know everything about you? You talk to a friend on Whatsapp about getting a new coffee machine and suddenly you see online ads about coffee machines everywhere. What is happening and what can we do about this? Laura Drechsler (VUB - FWO) tells you more about data & data protection law in this video.