The Committee of International Relations (CDRI)

© M Van den Eeckhoudt

Its role

The CDRI’s role is to support the University authorities in defining the institution’s general policy at the international level.

The CDRI is a committee of the Board of Governors, provided with broad freedom of action. The Rector may submit to it any question on which he has to take a position or that arises from a request of ULB’s Board of Governors.

Its make-up

The CDRI is chaired by the Rector or in his absence by the Vice-Rector for European Policy and International Relations.

It is made up of members of the various parts of the university , with a view to achieving an equal balance between the academic staff in social sciences and the physical sciences. Members of the CDRI, however, do not represent their own “body” or faculties. They take part first and foremost as experts.

The CDRI has to work in this spirit, and this is why two experts from outside the ULB are invited onboard (currently Philippe Busquin and Louis Michel). Members of this committee are appointed for two years.

The CDRI working groups

The Committee for International Relations (CDRI) operates through three “working groups”: industrialised countries, emerging countries and developing countries.

Participation in the work of these groups is open to all interested researchers.

Each group comes together three times a year and organises its work based on the contribution and centres of interest of the various members, without any prior plan.

These groups feed the University’s international strategy in a bottom-up manner, while the CDRI and the Vice-Rector generate a top-down process.

• The “Industrialised Countries” tgroup works mainly on ULB’s relations with European countries (EU, EFTA, Balkans, Turkey) excluding Russia and the countries of the CIS, and other OECD countries, namely USA, Canada, Japan, South Korea, Australia, New Zealand.
  Chair person : Cécile VAN DE LEEMPUT
  Coordinator : Yvon Molinghen

• The “Emerging countries” group works on ULB’s relations with Russia, CIS countries, and such countries as China, India, Brazil, Mexico and South Africa.
  Chair person: Marie-Paule DELPLANCKE
  Coordinator : Jean-Louis MOORTGAT

• The Developing countries” group deals on a priority basis with the countries involved in University Development Committee (CCD) programmes and those of the Development Department (DGD).
  Chair persont : Mondher EL JAZIRI
  Deputy Chair :
  Coordinator : Gaëlle DUCARME

Since the structure seeks to be very flexible, the regional groups can create working subcommittees for a country, a group of countries or even an issue.

CDRI Coordination

Yvon Molinghen