More than 250 Belgian students applied, but only eleven were selected. This summer, the Junior Orsi Fellows 2026 will travel to Harvard University and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) for a two-month research internship in some of the world’s most prestigious laboratories. Despite an increasingly complex international climate surrounding visas and access to the United States, all fellows are currently successfully completing their visa procedures.
With a record number of applications, the Junior Orsi Fellowships program now ranks among the fellowship programs with the highest number of applicants in Belgium, alongside BAEF.
The Junior Orsi Fellowship Program experienced strong growth in 2026. While 148 students applied last year, that number increased to more than 250 candidates from across Belgium this year.
The selected fellows represent the top tier of Belgian universities and study fields including medicine, engineering, veterinary medicine, artificial intelligence and computer science. During their stay in Boston, they will conduct research at Harvard and MIT in areas such as neurology, immunology, hematology, bioinformatics and healthcare AI.
The selection process was carried out by an independent international jury of ten experts.
The 2026 edition takes place at a time when international mobility toward the United States is becoming increasingly complex. Nevertheless, all fellows are successfully completing their visa procedures.
According to Junior Orsi, this highlights not only the quality of the selected students, but also the importance of international academic collaboration and talent development.
The fellowship program aims to give Belgian students the opportunity to gain experience at world-leading institutions at an early stage in their careers and to build bridges between Belgium and international research centers.
The fellowship program is organized by Junior Orsi, the student organization of Orsi Academy and this year receives additional support from new partners McKinsey & Company and HR One.
They join existing sponsors BNP Paribas Fortis, Belfius and Barco. Together with Friends of Orsi, they make the fellowships possible, providing 4,700 dollars per student.
With more than 500 members, Junior Orsi has grown in recent years into one of the largest student networks focused on innovation, technology and healthcare in Belgium.
The fellows were officially introduced on Wednesday evening, May 13, at Orsi Academy. During the event, invited guests, partners, sponsors and members of the press had the opportunity to meet the selected students, learn about their research projects and discover their ambitions at the intersection of science, technology and societal impact.
The Junior Orsi Fellowship Program is organised by Junior Orsi, the student organisation of Orsi Academy. With more than 500 members, Junior Orsi has grown into one of Belgium’s largest student networks at the intersection of healthcare, technology and innovation.
The 2026 fellowships are made possible thanks to the support of new partners McKinsey & Company and HR One, who join existing sponsors BNP Paribas Fortis, Belfius and Barco.
From: Hoogstraten, Antwerp
Sponsor: HR One
Anne-Sophie studies medicine at Cambridge University and combines strong academic results with experience in scientific writing and international programmes. She has already distinguished herself in several scientific competitions and developed a particular interest in immunology. This summer, she will continue that passion through research at Harvard/MIT.
From: Zwevegem, West Flanders
Sponsor: Barco
Anne-Sophie is a third-year medical student at KU Leuven and previously obtained a bachelor’s degree in Electrical Engineering. She has built research experience in nuclear medicine, radiobiology and data-driven healthcare and also attended a Summer School at Harvard University. This summer, she will focus on research in hematology.
From: Sint-Truiden, Limburg
Sponsor: Belfius
Anthony is a first-year master’s student in medicine and an honours student at KU Leuven. He has already conducted extensive research in thoracic surgery, published three scientific papers and serves as co-chair of the Leuven Society for Student-Researchers. This summer, he will conduct research at the MGH Transplant Center in Boston.
From: Overijse, Brussels
Sponsor: Honorary Fellow
Ari is pursuing a master’s degree in Mathematical Engineering at KU Leuven and has previously conducted research at leading institutions including MIT and Dartmouth. His interests lie at the intersection of artificial intelligence, logistics optimisation and materials science. He has also guided students in courses such as Linear Algebra and Numerical Methods. This summer, he will explore applications in cancer immunology.
From: Leuven, Flemish Brabant
Sponsor: Orsi Academy, Friends of Orsi
After completing a bachelor’s degree in Business Engineering at UCLouvain, Louis-David specialised in Data Science & Statistics, where he is currently achieving excellent results with a GPA of 3.96. He is involved in projects on chromatographic signal processing and data-driven modelling using neural differential equations. This summer, he will conduct research in virtual cell modelling.
From: Antwerp, Antwerp
Sponsor: McKinsey & Company
Marina is a first-year master’s student in medicine at KU Leuven and has already conducted research in experimental neurosurgery and neurology. She was previously a Research Fellow at the Mayo Clinic in the United States and has also been active as an Advocacy Leader at InciSioN and as a student assistant in transplant surgery at UZ Leuven. This summer, she will focus on research in neurology.
From: Kessel, Antwerp
Sponsor: Orsi Academy, Friends of Orsi
Noor is a second-year veterinary medicine student at the University of Antwerp and has built research experience in microbiology and phage therapy. She is also actively committed to climate and sustainability, including through the Climate Commission of the Flemish Youth Council. She reached the final of the European Young Voices in the Chemical Sciences for Sustainability essay competition. This summer, she will conduct research in radiation biology.
From: Izegem, West Flanders
Sponsor: BNP Paribas Fortis
Robbe graduated top of his class in Bio-Engineering Sciences, Cell & Gene cohort 2025 and is currently working as an FWO fellow on a PhD in bioinformatics and computational genomics. He received several awards for his master’s thesis and is working on publications related to his research. His focus is on modelling organ-specific ageing based on the circulating proteome.
From: De Pinte, East Flanders
Sponsor: Honorary Fellow
Robin is a dentist and final-year medical student at UGent. He has already published four scientific articles in maxillofacial research and also obtained a master’s degree in Healthcare Management and Policy. He is currently working on a PhD trajectory in this field and assists with oral and maxillofacial surgical procedures at UZ Gent.
From: Brasschaat, Antwerp
Sponsor: Orsi Academy, Friends of Orsi
Tibo graduated first in his year in the bachelor’s programme in Computer Science at the University of Antwerp, summa cum laude, while also completing the Honours Programme in Science. He is currently specialising in Data Science & AI and conducts research on large language models for software testing in safety-critical systems. This summer, he will work on bioinformatics and AI applications in healthcare.
From: Genk, Limburg
Sponsor: Orsi Academy, Friends of Orsi
Xabi is a second-year Computer Science student at KU Leuven and the founder of Tickety, a platform he grew to more than one million active users. He is also active as an investor at BRIKS and has a strong interest in venture capital, machine learning and cybersecurity. This summer, he will conduct research in biomedical informatics.
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