Campus Geel will have a special start to the academic year on Thursday, October 8. At 11 AM, students from Thomas More will lay the first stone for their new campus, in the presence of Mayor Marlon Pareijn. Immediately after, the free student festival Hellow Yellow will kick off the new year, celebrating both the start of the academic year and the new campus.
The new campus is envisioned as more than just classrooms; it attracts students annually from the Kempen region, the rest of Flanders, and even from abroad. Mayor Marlon Pareijn emphasizes the importance of the university college for Geel: "Thomas More truly belongs to Geel. We are the education city of the Kempen, and we are proud of that. Students bring life to our streets, our cafes, and our associations. With this new campus, the university college anchors itself even more firmly in our city. I am therefore very pleased to lay this first stone."
Over the next six years, until 2031, Campus Geel will undergo a complete transformation. The result aims to be a warm, sustainable, and vibrant meeting place for thousands of students and staff, where studying, meeting, entrepreneurship, and relaxation converge.
The new campus already exists in virtual form: Thomas More researcher Ruben Kimpen recreated it in Fortnite based on the architects' 3D plans, while ICTS colleague Pieter Van Aerde built it in Lego. This model, with assistance from vzw Bricks & More, will be unveiled on October 8. Students will also design and 3D-print the actual facade elements for the future Create Cave, guided by Saint-Gobain Weber, turning the construction site into a classroom.
Fede Scheck, who earned her bachelor's degree in Agro- and Biotechnology: Animal Care this summer and is pursuing a new program in Geel, will literally contribute to the campus where she studies. She describes it as an incredible honor to give the starting signal. Niels Goorman, a third-year Chemistry student and chairman of the general student council, will also help build, symbolically placing the first stone in the hands of all students.
The renovated campus will become a 'second home' where students not only attend classes but also collaborate, play sports, have coffee, and meet friends. The new reception building will house all student services, and starting next academic year, the student restaurant will become the campus's living room, featuring a coffee bar, event space, and a rooftop terrace with green views. It's a campus to stay, even after classes.
Sustainability is key: the campus will become greener with nearly 1,500 solar panels on the roofs, an insulated shell, sustainable heating, and rainwater harvesting for toilets. Cyclists can comfortably park their bikes under the building. Sofie Mols, Director of Innovation and Internationalization at Thomas More, states: "Innovation forms the foundation of our education and research. With this building, that foundation is literally taking shape on our campus. Just as our students build their future here, we are building a place where that future can grow."
Following the first stone ceremony at 11 AM, the festival meadow opens at 4 PM for the sixth edition of Hellow Yellow, a festival for and by students from Thomas More and KU Leuven, featuring music, entertainment, and food. Press are welcome to play the game, view the Lego campus, and visit the construction site, with interviews available from, among others, Sofie Mols, the mayor, students Fede and Niels, and alumni.
