“42’s educational model? Excellence without elitism!” — Stéphan Salberter, CEO of 42 Belgium
Stephan Salberter, CEO of 42 Belgium (formerly Campus 19), which comprises 42 Antwerp and 42 Brussels, shares with us what makes 42 stand out, and why he sees it as a truly human-centered educational model: one that encourages learners, nurtures autonomy, and reshapes how we think talent.
What is your favourite thing about being the director of 42 Belgium?
What I like the most about my position is being able to see the impact you have on the lives of students. Seeing them evolve, and meeting them again once they have a job. They all have life stories that stand out for me. For example, a student once told me with tears in his eyes how 42 helped him go from delivering burgers with Deliveroo to working in Tech.. I also remember a Ukrainian refugee who arrived at 42 Belgium at 17 and now is in an important role at a tech company.
What is your background?
I am a marketing and branding man! I worked for 25 years in finance where I was marketing, communications and sustainable development director for major banking brands in different countries around the world. At some point, I wanted to change and do something more purposeful, with a wider social impact. I created my own company to support the development of more community-based projects. My first project was with the co-founders of 42 Belgium, John Bogaerts and Ian Gallienne. What was supposed to be a few months’ assignment has turned into a 7-year adventure!. I also run a start-up incubator and a media company related to entrepreneurship and work as a freelancer on the side. You can say that I’m a man of many passions, hence this combination suits me perfectly.
What would you like to see in education in the future?
I would like education to be more inclusive, more flexible in terms of methodology and pathways, and to allow everyone to find their own way, while maintaining high standards. To me, 42 is a prime example of this, as it is excellence without elitism. I think we should draw inspiration from this in many other sectors!
What makes the Piscine experience unique at 42 Belgium?
What characterises the Piscine at 42 Belgium is the experience and the benevolence. It’s a bit of a special dynamic. The atmosphere ranges from highly festive to intensely studious, sometimes accompanied by a little pinch of chaos. At the end of the day, students create a group and discover the campus in their own way. What really comes to my mind is the benevolence and the will to help each other.
42 has 4 pillar values: Excellence, Ethics, Openness and Tech. Which one is the most important to you and why?
For me, ethics is the most important pillar. As future software engineers, our decisions directly affect society. Think about data protection, algorithmic bias, cybersecurity, responsible use of AI, sustainability, transparency…
Involving and centering ethics from the start of our training helps us build a sense of responsibility, understand the real impact of our choices, and create technologies that serve everyone. In a world where code affects millions of people every day, knowing how to code is not enough — we also need to know how to code in a fair, inclusive, and sustainable way.
