Ben Derudder, Professor of Urban Studies at KU Leuven Public Governance Institute and the Director of the KU Leuven Urban Studies Institute (LUSI), will hold a keynote "Beyond Town and Gown: What Roles for Universities in Urban Transformation?" on 30.9 at UniverCities 2026 Conference!
Derudder’s research focuses on the conceptualization, analysis, and governance of city networks, the emergence of polycentric urban regions, and urban analytics and modelling. He directs the KU Leuven Urban Studies Institute, which connects urban researchers and cities and boosts interdisciplinary collaborations.
UniverCities 2026 Conference on University–City Relations and Collaboration will be held on 29–30 September at the University of Helsinki, Finland. The call for papers is open and the submission deadline for abstracts is 1 June 2026. The registration will open soon.
More information on the conference site: