Antwerp Crisis Conversations: Governing Crisis Network

We are excited to invite you to the fifth event in the thought-provoking series, “Antwerp Crisis Conversations,” hosted by the Chair of Crisis Governance* on October 14th. This event offers a unique opportunity to engage in vital discussions on crisis management and governance, exploring key insights and strategies essential for today’s organizations.

Governing Crisis Networks: Supra-Regional Coordination

Speakers: Niels Bouwens & Dr. Steven van den Oord

This session will focus on the challenges of supra-regional coordination within the Belgian fire services. Coordination across fire zones raises complex questions of governance, legitimacy, and effectiveness, especially in times of crisis. To explore this theme, they will examine three concrete cases: Legitimacy, Education and Training, and Crisis Management. Each case highlights specific coordination challenges that transcend individual fire zones, shedding light on the dynamics of collaboration in critical contexts.

As an analytical lens, they draw on Henry Mintzberg’s work on organizational design to structure their discussion, offering both theoretical and practical insights into how crisis networks are governed when they transcend established boundaries.

This conversation provides a unique opportunity to reflect on the evolving role of the fire services in Belgium and to engage with peers on the broader implications of above-zone crisis governance.

Niels Bouwens is Coordinator of Netwerk Brandweer.

Steven van den Oord is Assistant Professor of Organization Studies at Tilburg University and Research Fellow at the Chair of Crisis Governance at the University of Antwerp. He also serves as a Visiting Lecturer at both the University of Antwerp and Antwerp Management School. Steven earned his Ph.D. in Applied Economics from the University of Antwerp and studied Organization Studies at Tilburg University.

He combines teaching and research, lecturing on management and organizational studies, as well as interorganizational relations and networks. He supervises students from bachelor’s to executive master’s level and currently mentors two Ph.D. candidates working on network accountability, social value creation, and network membership.

Steven has extensive experience in social science research, often in collaboration with public and private partners. His research focuses on organizational networks—how they are designed, governed, developed, and assessed in terms of effectiveness. His work has been published in leading academic journals, professional outlets, and books, including Public Administration Review, Journal of International Education in Business, Journal of Change Management, Frontiers in Big Data, and Case Studies on Transport Policy.

Practical info

Date & Time: Tuesday, October 14, 2025, from 16:00 to 19:00
Pricing (excl. VAT)**:

• Standard ticket: €50
• UAntwerp/AMS Alumni or Partners of the Chair: €35
  (including members of Port of Antwerp-Bruges, Fire Department Zone Antwerp, PM, and Brussels Airport Company)

Location

Antwerp Management School, Boogkeers 5, 2000 Antwerp

How to get there?

Contact

• Do you have questions? Please contact Brit Vankrinkelen britt.vankrinkelen@student.uantwerpen.be
  
  

*About the Antwerp Crisis Conversations Series

The University of Antwerp's Faculty of Business and Economics established the Chair of Crisis Governance in 2023 to explore and develop innovative approaches to crisis management. The goal is to reconcile the dynamic, evolving nature of crises with governance principles traditionally focused on stability and predictability.

In an era where crises transcend traditional boundaries, demanding adaptive governance and inter-organizational collaboration, the “Antwerp Crisis Conversations” series seeks to explore these challenges. By bridging theory with practice, the series provides deep insights into crisis dynamics and actionable strategies for professionals across industries.

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Pricing - Invoicing
Due to the change of payment policies, payments by invoice are no longer possible. An EventBrite invoice can be received after payment is made via one of the suggested options. To obtain the invoice, select ‘Register as business’, provide your invoice details and it will be sent together with an event ticket.
Payment via invoice is possible for group registrations (starting from 5 people from 1 company) or tickets priced above €250.