In Memoriam Prof. em. dr. Els De Bens

Els was born in 1940 in Antwerp and studied Germanic Philology and Press and Communication Science at Ghent University. In 1973, she obtained her PhD in Press and Communication Science within the Faculty of Law under Prof. Dr. T. Luykx with the dissertation “The Censored Information Press in Belgium During the German Occupation (1940–1944).”

For many years, she was a professor and lecturer within the Department of Communication Sciences at UGent and is widely recognized as one of the founders of modern media studies in Flanders - alongside colleagues such as Dirk Voorhoof and Frieda Saeys. Her research focus evolved throughout her career: from in-depth analyses of the newspaper press - paying particular attention to the period around World War II - to studies on audiovisual media, media economics, media policy, and developments such as American influences and commercialization in European media.

In 1992, she helped establish the Faculty of Political & Social Sciences. During the university’s restructuring on October 1, 1992, Communication Sciences was separated from the former “seminars” within the Faculty of Law - including the Seminar for Communication Science, Seminar for Information Media, and Seminar for Media Law - and brought together in the new Department of Communication Sciences. Until 1992, Els was director-head of the former Seminar for Communication Science and became the first chair of the new Department of Communication Sciences (1992–1997) to subsequently take up the position of Dean (until 2000).

In 2004, she founded the research group MICT (Media, Innovation and Contemporary Technologies) within the then new research hub IBBT (later iMinds/imec), which has since grown into an interdisciplinary research group affiliated with the Department of Communication Sciences (Faculty of Political & Social Sciences) and the Department of Industrial Systems and Product Design (Faculty of Engineering and Architecture). In November 2005, Els retired, but she continued contributing to innovative research long after her official retirement. She closely followed the group’s move to De Krook- since 2017 one of Ghent’s most striking architectural landmarks, housing the public city library, UGent and imec offices and labs. The presence of the imec research group mict in De Krook underlines her role as a bridge between academia, industry, technology, and society - with a focus on innovation, co-creation, and societal relevance. Precisely the vision Els always pursued.

She also served as chair of the Flemish Media Council until February 2008 and was a member of various media policy committees. Els was active internationally as well. She was appointed visiting professor at several institutions including Berkeley, Moscow, Stellenbosch, Nuremberg, and Dortmund; co-editor of the European Journal of Communication (Sage, London); a member of several international academic networks such as the Euromedia Research Group; and participated in numerous international expert committees. In October 2009, she received an honorary doctorate from Lomonosov Moscow University for her longstanding collaboration with the Faculty of Journalism.

We remember Prof. Els De Bens with deep appreciation for her intellectual legacy, academic integrity, and lasting impact on generations of media scholars. Numerous students and researchers found in her an inspiring teacher, mentor, and colleague. May her contribution to science and public debate remain a source of inspiration.

Our thoughts are with her family, friends, and all who worked closely with her.

Above all, we will remember her as a woman with a warm and generous heart.

Exprese your condolences here.