
Photo’s © Aurélien Goubau
Brussels2030 is pleased to announce the choice for Fatima Zibouh as the new co-mission holder alongside Jan Goossens. Appointed following an open selection procedure, Fatima Zibouh is an expert on diversity and inclusion issues. She is also involved in cultural issues in Brussels and completed her doctoral thesis on the cultural and artistic expressions of minorities in Brussels.
With her extensive research experience in the field of ethnicity and migration studies, Fatima Zibouh will undoubtedly bring a depth of analysis and expertise to the Brussels2030 team, particularly in the areas of managing cultural diversity in an urban context.
Jan Goossens
co-mission holder Brussels2030
“As we prepare Brussels’ candidacy for European Capital of Culture, we are very proud that Fatima is joining our team. We want to continue the transformation of our city driven by culture and civil society. With Fatima’s expertise and passion for diversity and inclusion, we are confident that we can realise this vision and create a truly inclusive cultural city project for all Brussels residents and visitors.”


Fatima Zibouh
newly appointed co-mission holder Brussels2030
“Passionate about Brussels, involved in civil society for 20 years and having completed my doctoral thesis on culture in Brussels, I am delighted to be able to contribute to the influence of our world city through this bid to become European Capital of Culture.”
Besides her academic achievements, Fatima Zibouh has also been a committed social entrepreneur in Brussels for over twenty years. Among other things, she co-founded W100, a platform of women, agents of change from all cultural and social backgrounds, from the four corners of the capital with the aim of creating links and amplifying the voices and actions of the women of Brussels. Among her many distinctions, she was named “Woman of Honour” of the University of Liège in 2010, received the Diwan Awards for Personality of the Year in 2014, and the Observatory of Cultural Policies prize for her doctoral research in 2014. More recently in 2021, she was selected as one of the 40 leaders under 40 by Belgium’s 40 under 40.
Rudi Vervoort, Minister-President of the Brussels-Capital Region: “Being the European Capital of Culture in 2030 is symbolic in several ways. First of all, to show the cultural abundance of our capital, to promote our artists and cultural actors, but also and above all, to take advantage of Belgium’s bicentenary year to trace the path of what culture will be in the future! With Fatima, we are enriching the work of a Brussels activist for and by its inhabitants. I have full confidence in Fatima and Jan to build a candidacy that enhances what is being done in Brussels in the field of culture while putting our artists at the heart of this project.”
Secretary of State for European and International Relations Pascal Smet: “I am delighted that Fatima Zibouh, a true Brussels citizen, has been appointed to bring the Brussels2030 team back together. Her dedication to culture and diversity will be essential in showing the rest of the world our unique and vibrant metropolitan cultural landscape. Jan and Fatima are the ideal duo to represent Brussels and it’s people.”
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