Social programme
| Sunday | Monday | Tuesday | Wednesday | |
| Morning | Opening session with keynote lectures and classical music | Shopping in Mechelen | ||
| Afternoon | Cultural sightseeing through Mechelen | Sightseeing through the historical part of Antwerp | ||
| Evening | Congress diner at Salons Van Dijck | Reception at town hall, followed by a concert of Scala & Kolacny brothers |
“Opening session with keynote lectures and classical music”
Prof. Ian Thompson, School of Engineering, University of Oxford (UK), will present a lecture on microbial waste to energy processes.
Prof. Jan Van Impe, Dept. of Chemical Engineering, Katholieke Universiteit Leuven (Belgium), will lecture on advanced control in chemical industry for improving safety and reducing the off-spec production.
Prof. Bushra Al-Duri, Dept. of Chemical Engineering, University of Birmingham (UK), will lecture on supercritical water oxidation for wastewater treatment
“Cultural sightseeing through Mechelen”
Even though you have seen Mechelen already, this tour takes you to a few of the most interesting and fascinating monuments and musea, such as:
“Schepenhuis Museum”
Medieval sculptures, religious figures and fine alabaster reliefs from the Renaissance tell their story. The meeting-room of the Great Council is well worth seeing, but the real highlight is the Besloten hofjes (enclosed gardens). You’ll only find them in Mechelen!
“Hof van Busleyden Museum”
Mechelen was famed for its gold leather, furniture, lace and sculptures. In this magnificent building you can admire the showpieces of the city’s artisanal crafts. The museum boasts several big names from the baroque to the twentieth century: Faydherbe, Bol, Wouters... And this is also where the only real Op-Sinjoorke lives!
“Toy Museum”
It’s not just children who come into their own in the Toy Museum. Adults of all ages will recall nostalgic youthful memories and awaken their inner child. You discover a unique collection of toys and interactive games. The themed exhibitions are delightful every time. It’s 7,500 m2 of watching and playing pleasure!
“Reception at town hall, followed by a concert of Scala & Kolacny brothers”
We have the honour Tuesday evening to invite you to a reception at the town hall of Mechelen. Afterwards, Scala & Kolacny Brothers will give a unique concert.
Scala & Kolacny Brothers (www.scalachoir.be)
In the Netherlands they are still a phenomenon, in Belgium a world act for years now. I am referring to the Scala & Kolacny Brothers choir from Aarschot, a small provincial town in Flanders, east of Louvain in Belgium.
Steven and Stijn Kolacny, respectively the pianist and the choir leader, and both classically trained musicians, have managed to have their choir scoring several hits on radio stations thanks to their excellent arrangements of songs of Nirvana, Radiohead, Lamb and Rammstein. ‘Paper Plane’ is Scala’s eighth album but the first one exclusively with their very own songs. This slightly affects the choir’s recognizable sound but the atmosphere and the class have remained. Those who refuse to accept that a girl choir can sing pop songs would better stop reading here. Indeed, it requires some openness of mind to appreciate the beautifully written and produced songs combining a slight classical touch with a psychedelic or modern electronic make-over. Koen Buyse, the front man of Zornik, himself got involved in this production. Something curious? Well, the atmosphere rather reminds me of Pink Floyd and The Polyphonic Spree and not at all of an old-fashioned choir in a parish church or dusty community centre. This is a top pop record!
Review in “OOR” magazine, by Willem Jongeneelen