Willy Calewaert Lecture Series
Dr. Alex Channon (University of Brighton, UK) has been awarded the Willy Calewaert Chair for 2026. He will deliver a series of lectures on Martial Arts, Culture and Society between February and May 2026. The Willy Calewaert Chair examines socially relevant topics and disseminates liberal humanist thought through education. VUB collaborates with deMens.nu for this purpose.
18 February 2026: Lecture 1: Martial arts, violence and consent, including a practical workshop on Love Fighting Hate Violence
4 March 2026: Lecture 2: Martial arts and risk
22 April 2026: Lecture 3: Martial arts, gender and sexuality
20 May 2026: Lecture 4: Martial arts, health and therapy
21 May 2026: Lecture 5: Martial arts studies as academic field
The lecture series will be part of the course Sport and Society (Physical Education and Movement Sciences programme, Faculty of LK) and is hosted by the new Centre for Martial Arts and Sciences (CEMAS) at the VUB.