Kris Van Heuckelom

Kris Van Heuckelom is a Professor of Cultural Studies and Polish Studies at KU Leuven, where he serves as Vice Dean for International Affairs. His academic journey began in the Campine region before moving to Leuven in 1994 to study Slavic languages and cultures. After completing his studies at the University of Warsaw (1998-1999), he earned his PhD in 2003 with a thesis on Nobel laureate Czesław Miłosz's poetry. His research spans multiple areas including Polish Modernism, migration studies, and Polish-Jewish relations. A pivotal moment in his career was his 2005-2006 fellowship at the University of Chicago, which inspired his work on migration and mobility in contemporary culture, culminating in his 2019 monograph "Polish Migrants in European Film 1918-2017." He currently teaches in various MA programs at KU Leuven and Brussels, including Cultural Studies, Western Literature, European Studies, and Translation. Beyond his academic work, he serves as secretary of the Flemish Association for General and Comparative Literary Studies, co-editor of Cahier voor Literatuurwetenschap, and co-director of the Leuven research group MDRN. He is also an accomplished literary translator from Polish to Dutch, having translated works by notable authors including Czesław Miłosz, Bruno Schulz, Adam Zagajewski, and Ryszard Krynicki.