CEAD Spring School 2026:
Rethinking Electrification – Powering the Electrified Everything
- News
From 3 to 8 May 2026, Hasselt University welcomed an international group of students for the fifth edition of the CEAD Spring School. Under the theme “Rethinking Electrification: Powering the Electrified Everything”, participants explored how electrification can contribute to a more sustainable and circular future.
The on-site week in Hasselt formed the heart of Circular Engineering Across Disciplines, better known as CEAD. Through lectures, workshops, company and research visits, and interdisciplinary teamwork, students were challenged to view electrification not as a purely technical solution, but as a complex system involving energy, materials, digital technologies, industry, and society.
- With CEAD, we want to give students an international learning experience that reflects the complexity of today’s sustainability challenges. Electrification is a key part of the transition, but it requires knowledge, creativity and cooperation across borders and disciplines.
says Prof Bart Vermang, Hasselt University and part of the organising team
Key Outcomes
During the week, students followed sessions on topics such as AI and the electricity grid, offshore energy, smart industry, power conversion systems, critical materials and recyclable solar module design.
The programme also took learning beyond the classroom. Visits to EnergyVille and Ch@teau Corda gave students the opportunity to connect academic insights with real-life applications in research and innovation.
The group’s diversity played an important role in the CEAD experience, bringing together students from different disciplines and countries. In team assignments, they worked on challenges linked to electrification and circular engineering, developing technical knowledge as well as intercultural and project skills.
CEAD is organised by the Faculty of Engineering Technology of Hasselt University, in collaboration with KU Leuven and the EURECA-PRO network, with support from VLAIO and Erasmus+ funding.
By focusing on electrification, CEAD 2026 addressed a theme that is both urgent and complex. The central message of the week remained clear: powering the future is not only about producing more clean electricity. It is about designing smarter, more circular and more responsible systems together.
For more information about the programme, speakers, learning activities and outcomes, please visit the official CEAD Spring School 2026 page on the Hasselt University website.
