"As the VUB wants to be a warm and connected community, we are making room for compassion and a place for grief ."
The Monument of Comfort, a place of silence
You do not not find consolation in the hectic of everyday life. Students and staff who need contemplation or a comforting conversation at a difficult moment can find a quiet place at the Monument of Comfort. The monument was unveiled on 19 November 2019, during a ceremony at which the declaration of intent to make the VUB a compassionate university was signed. The statue represents a person covering someone with a cloak: a gesture of support and sympathy. Here, the university holds an annual 'Moment of Comfort' to which all VUBers are welcome.
Consoling actions
Compassion is a human trait. Yet sometimes we take someone's suffering more lightly than we’d prefer. Support and sympathy can be expressed in many ways. Through activities we want to make everyone at VUB aware of this.
See our consoling actions
Tangible initiatives
As a compassionate university, we want to be attentive to all those going through difficult times. In order to make our community aware of this, we organise awareness campaigns, produce guides and manuals and carry out relevant scientific research.
Survival Guide for students
To help our students during the corona epidemic and to show them ways to cope with negative feelings, our Student Counselling Service published a survival guide. It is still useful today.
Tips for dealing with grief
How to approach someone who is grieving? What if you are grieving yourself? Grief is a complex issue, and it is not always clear how to deal with it, both towards others and when you are dealing with a heavy loss yourself. To give staff and students something to hold on to, 'grief guides' were drawn up with tips and information on the grieving process and how to give it a place in the framework. Discover them below.
Our expertise centre
Our expertise centre COCO wants to play a pioneering role in the development, implementation, and evaluation of the Compassionate Communities model in Flanders, Belgium, Europe, and beyond.
Contact
Do you have an idea that could make a difference within Compassionate University? Or is there something you would like to share? All input is more than welcome, in any way possible. So, do not hesitate and contact us!
Contact details: Jeroen De Samblancx (Jeroen.De.Samblancx@vub.be) and Sarah Dury (Sarah.Dury@vub.be)
Do you need a listening ear or expert advice? Then contact the Brussels University Consultation Center (BRUCC).