{"id":5266,"date":"2025-03-24T12:22:14","date_gmt":"2025-03-24T11:22:14","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/yugening.com\/uat\/?post_type=yugis&p=5266"},"modified":"2025-05-09T09:12:36","modified_gmt":"2025-05-09T07:12:36","slug":"caroline-pauwels","status":"publish","type":"yugis","link":"https:\/\/yugening.com\/uat\/yugis\/caroline-pauwels\/","title":{"rendered":"Caroline Pauwels"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

A True Yunatic<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Some leaders don\u2019t command with volume – they inspire with warmth<\/strong>. Caroline Pauwels was one of those. As a philosopher, professor and former rector of the Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB), she didn\u2019t just run a university – she invited it to open up<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

She believed in a world where science, culture, dialogue and kindness<\/strong> could live side by side. Where ideas weren\u2019t just debate – but shared, shaped and celebrated together<\/strong>. Caroline saw education not as a system, but as a space for imagination, freedom and connection<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWe need more soft power. The soft power of dialogue, of wonder, of stories.\u201d<\/em> – Caroline Pauwels<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Inner Child<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Caroline never lost her inner child – she led with it<\/strong>. That child was curious, generous and full of questions that didn\u2019t always need answers. She was fascinated by people, ideas, books and possibilities. Even in her final years, battling illness, she continued to speak about hope, play and gentleness<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Her leadership was never loud – it was inviting<\/strong>. She reminded us that staying soft is not weakness, but wisdom<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“If you forget you were a child, you become an annoying big person.”<\/em> – Caroline Pauwels<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Tribbles<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Caroline\u2019s tribbles were acts of thoughtful impact:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    \n
  • Rector at VUB (02016\u201302022)<\/strong> \u2013 Where she championed openness, interdisciplinarity and radical kindness<\/strong>.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  • Her writings and talks<\/strong> \u2013 Always human, always layered with light and philosophy.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  • Her final project: Levenswerk<\/em><\/strong> \u2013 A reflection on life, joy and the power of staying curious until the very end.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  • Advocate for culture in science<\/strong> \u2013 She built bridges between disciplines, between people, between head and heart.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n

    Each tribble is a ripple of gentle transformation<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Connected with the Yuniverse<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

    Caroline saw the universe not as a machine, but as a story unfolding<\/strong> – one we write together. She believed in listening more deeply, in seeing the human thread running through everything<\/strong>, in choosing dialogue over division.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Her connection wasn\u2019t about theory – it was about presence, humility and shared meaning<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Is She Spiritual?<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

    Her spirituality was woven through curiosity, connection and care<\/strong>. She didn\u2019t speak in dogmas, but in questions. Not in commandments, but in acts of attention<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Caroline Pauwels reminds us that softness can be strength and wonder can be leadership<\/strong> – and that in a noisy world, a thoughtful voice can still echo the loudest.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

    A True Yunatic Some leaders don\u2019t command with volume – they inspire with warmth. Caroline Pauwels was one of those. As a philosopher, professor and former rector of the Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB), she didn\u2019t just run a university – she invited it to open up. She believed in a world where science, culture, dialogue […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"featured_media":5268,"template":"","yugis-cat":[33],"class_list":["post-5266","yugis","type-yugis","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","yugis-cat-inspirators-of-the-yuniverse"],"yoast_head":"\nCaroline Pauwels - Yugening<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"noindex, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"nl_BE\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Caroline Pauwels - Yugening\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"A True Yunatic Some leaders don\u2019t command with volume – they inspire with warmth. Caroline Pauwels was one of those. As a philosopher, professor and former rector of the Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB), she didn\u2019t just run a university – she invited it to open up. 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