Connecting humans and nonhuman animals
The Belgian Centre for Human-Animal Studies (BeCHAS) is a collective connecting among others scholars, activists, artists, professionals and others who are involved and/or interested in the lives of nonhuman animals. We aim to centre nonhuman animals in our conversations by creating a platform for respectful and critical discussions.
Vision
BeCHAS was founded with a double aim: to bring people together and to spark conversation. Firstly, the people interested in, involved with, working with, caring for and thinking about the lives of nonhuman animals are scattered. Subsequently, they are often unaware of each other's initiatives and projects. By bringing them together, BeCHAS aims at growing a respectful community and foregrounds both nuance and cooperation. Secondly, many of the current conversations surrounding nonhuman animals take on the format of a debate. Coupled with themes like politics, ethics and sustainability of human-animal dynamics, these debates create a polarising climate. There is few space for active listening and searching for common ground. This is why BeCHAS aspires to create opportunities for respectful and critical discussions on the lives of nonhuman animals and their entanglements with human lives. This way, we can move forward to a more just world for humans and nonhumans alike.
Who are we?
BeCHAS was founded in 2025 by Marlies Bockstal (University of Canterbury, New Zealand and Ghent University), Marie Verstraete (Ghent University), Laura Goditiabois (Ghent University), Lille Dumortier (Hasselt University) and Aidan Soubry (Ghent University). They crossed paths through their mutual interest in human-animal dynamics and aspirations to establish a community. The name BeCHAS was inspired by the New Zealand Centre for Human-Animal Studies (NZCHAS).
Meet the BeCHAS-team
Marlies Bockstal
Marlies is a PhD student under the supervision of Professor Nik Taylor, as part of the New Zealand Centre for Human-Animal Studies at the University of Canterbury. Her PhD research is situated within the multi- and inter-disciplinary field of Human-Animal Studies. She focuses on the breeding practices of pedigree dogs, drawing from critical sociological, intersectional and (eco)feminist approaches.
Contact: marlies.bockstal@ugent.be
Lille Dumortier
Lille Dumortier is a PhD student at the Faculty of Business Economics at Hasselt University. Her doctoral project is situated within the newly emerging field of Animal Organisation Studies, which examines the uses and abuses of the intersection of animals and the broader theme of organising. Her attention within this field is directed to farmed animals in the animal industrial complex, specifically to chickens.
Contact: lille.dumortier@uhasselt.be
Marie Verstraete
Marie is a PhD student at Ghent University. She obtained a MSc in Sociology. Her research focuses on animals in education, specifically on the phenomenon of classroom animals in primary education in Flanders, Belgium. For a comprehensive understanding, she focuses on all actors present in the classroom: the teacher, the pupils and the nonhuman animals themselves.
Contact: m.verstraete@ugent.be
Laura Goditiabois
Laura Goditiabois is a PhD student at Ghent University, She obtained an MSc in criminology and in sociology. Her research interests mainly focus on human-animal relations, animal welfare, and animal rights. She was the recipient of the Marthe Versichelen award for her master’s thesis research, which examined discourses on animals in court cases involving slaughterhouses.
Contact: laura.goditiabois@ugent.be