About
Stefan Decker is a full University Professor (Universitätsprofessor) at RWTH Aachen University, Germany, where he heads the Chair of Information Systems and Databases (Informatik 5) within the Faculty of Mathematics, Computer Science and Natural Sciences. He is actively involved in teaching, research, and the supervision of numerous ongoing and completed doctoral, master’s, and bachelor theses.
Education & Academic Background
- Doctorate (Dr. rer. pol.) – field of Information Systems or related (exact institution/year not stated in text).
- Appointed as University Professor and Chair of Information Systems and Databases at RWTH Aachen University.
Research Interests
Prof. Decker’s work lies at the intersection of databases, knowledge graphs, semantic web technologies, data science, and cybersecurity. He investigates architectures and algorithms for large-scale, privacy-preserving, decentralized data analytics, develops ontology-driven information systems, and explores the use of large language models (LLMs) for educational technology, anomaly detection, and incident-response playbooks. Additional focal areas include smart energy systems, mixed-reality learning environments, FAIR data principles, and federated machine learning.
Scientific Contributions & Trends
His recent publications (2022-2025) demonstrate a clear trend toward explainable AI, LLM-enhanced systems, secure data spaces, and semantic interoperability. Key contributions include novel anomaly-detection frameworks for encrypted power-grid communications, knowledge-graph-driven chatbots for higher-education support, and methodological advances in decentralized analytics and FAIR data sharing. These works are disseminated in top-tier venues such as AAAI, IEEE ISGT Europe, ESWC, IDEAL, and various Springer LNCS and IEEE Transactions.
Supervision & Grants
- Doctoral Theses Advised:
A. T. Neumann – “Chatbots as professional companions in large-scale community information systems” (2024)
S. M. Welten – “Methods for practical data sharing and decentralized analytics” (2025) - Master’s Theses Co-Advised:
A. R. Küsters – “Object-centric process constraints using variable bindings” (2025) - Additionally supervising more than 30 ongoing bachelor, master, and doctoral projects covering topics such as LLM-driven cybersecurity playbooks, knowledge-graph construction for German law, privacy-preserving analytics in smart grids, and mixed-reality learning agents.
- Principal investigator or senior researcher in large collaborative projects including NFDI4DS, WestAI, champI4.0ns and several EU/national initiatives on sovereign data spaces and AI services.
Labs & Teams
Prof. Decker leads the Information Systems & Databases (DBIS) Research Group. The group operates well-equipped laboratories for knowledge-graph engineering, mixed-reality applications, privacy-enhancing technologies, and secure distributed analytics. Current team size exceeds 30 researchers including PhD candidates, postdocs, and scientific programmers, supported by national and EU funding streams.
