The University of Liège has awarded the Belgian Francqui Chair 2008 to Professor Sophie Manigart. From January to March 2008, the Vlerick Leuven Gent Management School Professor of Finance will deliver a series of lectures at the University of Liège on 'Private equity and venture capital: an economic and entrepreneurial approach'.

Established in the 1930s by a wealthy Belgian family, the Francqui Foundation awards a prize each year to a deserving young scientist and provides funding to all Belgian universities to invite a professor from another Belgian university to deliver a series of lectures. These are the so-called Francqui Chairs, for which all faculties may submit an application. The Francqui Foundation enthusiastically received the application from the University of Liège nominating Prof Dr Sophie Manigart. It is a great honour to be selected for this Chair.

Prof Dr Sophie Manigart holds a degree in Civil Engineering and an MBA. She received her doctorate in Management from Ghent University. Dr. Manigart is a professor at Vlerick Leuven Gent Management School and at Ghent University. She is also currently the Programme Director of Vlerick's Master's in Financial Management. She did her doctoral studies at the University of Pennsylvania's Wharton School of Business (USA), and she is a specialist in the field of entrepreneurial financing. Prof Dr Manigart has been a Visiting Professor at London Business School for the course 'Financing the Entrepreneurial Business'.