Spend an afternoon exploring new ideas and perspectives in a series of engaging talks. This event brings together speakers from different disciplines to examine how creativity, governance, and language shape our understanding of the world. From using comics to challenge narratives about war to reevaluating democracy and uncovering the richness of Swahili, this is a great opportunity to expand your horizons.

14:00 - 14:30 Introduction

14:30 - 15:00 Dragana Radanović: "Drawing Comics as a Way to Rethink War Itself?"

15:00 - 15:30 Stef Kuypers: "Is Democracy Still Working?"

15:30 - 16:00 Felicitas Becker: "Why Swahili is a Great Language to Know?"

Da Vinci International School Antwerp
Verbondstraat 67
Antwerp, Antwerpen (nl), 2000
Belgium

Dragana Radanović

Researcher and visual storyteller

Dragana obtained her Bachelor’s degree in Animation and Visual Effects at the University of Novi Sad in Serbia and her Master’s degree in Graphic Storytelling at Luca School of Arts in Belgium. Currently, she works as a postdoctoral researcher at the Institute for Media Studies at KU Leuven and a teaching assistant at the Graphic Storytelling course at LUCA School of Arts in Brussels. Through artistic practice, she explores the intersection between knowledge production, activism, and comics. She is interested in children’s literature regarding difficult topics, unconventional children’s books and graphic narratives about marginalised experiences of the world. Dragana is a passionate advocate for enhancing the visibility of young comic authors in Serbia, which led her to co-found “Comic-Aunties” (Stripotetke), an organisation dedicated to improving the visibility of women and young authors in the world of comics.

Felicitas Becker

Professor of African History

Felicitas Becker is a historian of East Africa with a particular interest in the history of Islam, of the aftermath of slavery and of development. Her research has been published by Oxford and Cambridge University Presses and a variety of international journals. She worked at the School of Oriental and African Studies, London, Simon Fraser University, Vancouver, and the University of Cambridge. Her familiarity with Swahili is due to living in Tanzania for about three years, during which she travelled in areas of the country where English is not spoken. She has written extensively on topics such as the spread of Islam in rural Tanzania, the politics of poverty, and the Maji Maji War. Her books include Becoming Muslim in Mainland Tanzania (2008) and The Politics of Poverty in Africa (2019). Felicitas has lived and worked in Germany, the UK, Tanzania, Hungary, Canada, and the US, and she currently resides in Gent, Belgium.

Stef Kuypers

Monetary systems architect

Stef is a researcher and facilitator focused on how monetary systems shape behavior and society. He blends theory with hands-on workshops, helping participants experience the emotional and social impact of potential changes in these systems. Stef believes that connecting intellectual understanding with emotional insight leads to deeper conversations and better solutions. Originally from an IT and business background, Stef’s concerns about climate change led him to explore monetary systems as a key obstacle to sustainability. Through self-study in economics, sociology, and human behavior, he co-developed the Sustainable Money System (SuMSy) with Happonomy, designed to foster sustainable economic practices globally. Stef is passionate about creating positive change and believes that what seems impossible today can become reality tomorrow.