Ghent (Brussels Morning Newspaper) – Ghent University rector Petra De Sutter declined a late 2025 US trade mission under President Trump, citing restrictive policies and linking her decision to the September 2025 Charlie Kirk shooting.
As VRT News reported, Ghent University’s new rector, Petra De Sutter, has decided not to travel to the United States for the upcoming trade mission. She explained that the decision was made after looking closely at the rules and climate under President Donald Trump.
De Sutter said that her presence in the US would not go unnoticed and would likely be taken as a political signal. She stressed that she does not want to send such a message. According to her, the choice is personal and not political. The university will still be represented, as Vice Rector Herwig Reynaert will join the mission in her place.
“It’s with a heavy heart, because the United States is a fantastic country,”
De Sutter says.
“But in the current circumstances, this seems the wisest decision.”
What made Petra De Sutter decline the US mission after the Kirk shooting?
In the same discussion, De Sutter reacted to the shooting of conservative activist Charlie Kirk, who was killed on a university campus during a public debate. She described the case as disturbing and said it shows how the US has entered what she called an
“autocratic regime.”
According to her, the attack proves that academic freedom and free expression are now under serious pressure. She added that violence linked to political debate puts speakers, students, and academics at risk.
“The United States has moved far from the role it once played as a leader in human rights and multilateralism.”
UGent rector Petra De Sutter
Ghent University rector Petra De Sutter has issued criticism of the policies in the United States under President Donald Trump. She said that scientific and academic work is being limited by political dogmas, including the ban on climate research and the rejection of gender studies.
She stated that such limitations represent a definitive rupture from the country’s previous position as an appreciated worldwide supporter of human rights and international cooperation. De Sutter referred to the U.S. as having shifted from a recognised leader in democracy and academic freedom to one that is undermining important fields of study.
“America must stop this evolution towards dictatorship and once again show respect for the rule of law and human rights.”
De Sutter.
De Sutter added that Ghent University must take a different approach by keeping dialogue and open debate.
“Extreme positions are never defensible, but otherwise, the conversation should be able to take place here in full force. If it cannot happen at the university, where can it?”
She said.
Petra De Sutter became rector of Ghent University in September 2025, the first woman in the university’s history to take the role. She earlier served as Belgium’s Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Public Administration and State-Owned Enterprises from October 2020 until mid-2025. Before that, she was a member of the European Parliament between 2014 and 2019, where she worked on issues of equality and human rights.
