Importance of Economic Diplomacy recognised in appointment of new VUB Fellow Claire Tillekaerts

Claire Tillekaerts, CEO of Flanders Investment and Trade (FIT), today became a VUB Fellow at a ceremony at the Concert Noble in Brussels. Tillekaerts was nominated by the Brussels Diplomatic Academy of the VUB (BDA), in honour of her contribution to Economic Diplomacy. Under her leadership and internationalisation strategy, FIT has become a highly respected …
Photograph of 4 women and 5 men standing in front of a screen with logos of the Brussels Diplomatic Academy and Thetys Naval and the words Brussels Maritime Talks Labour Rights at Sea.

Bringing Humanity Back to the Oceans: Brussels Maritime Talks – Labour at Sea

On 4 November 2025, the Brussels Diplomatic Academy (BDA), in partnership with Téthys Naval, hosted the inaugural Brussels Maritime Talk (BMT) at the Vrije Universiteit Brussel. Entitled “Labour at Sea: A Human Rights Perspective,” the event marked an important step in maritime dialogue — placing the realities of life and labour at sea within the …