Dirk Devroey is a faculty professor at Vrije Universiteit Brussel , specializing in General Practice and Chronic Care. He leads the Brussels Interdisciplinary Research Centre for Migration and Minorities (PRIM) and serves as advisor to the Belgian Federal Government's Minister of Health (2015-2018). His work spans cardiovascular prevention, integrated care models, and cross-cultural healthcare research. Developed complex interventions for advance care planning in general practice Investigated medication adherence in Vietnamese hypertension patients Conducted policy-driven cervical cancer screening trials With an h-index of 19 (Scopus), he received the Marcel Vastesaeger Award (2003) and has supervised multiple Master's theses. His recent research focuses on COPD biomarkers, burnout prevention in medical education, and scaling integrated care across European contexts through projects like SCIROCCO.
Peter Bursens is a full professor of Political Science at the Department of Political Science, Faculty of Social Sciences, University of Antwerp, a position held since 2010. He is a senior member of the Politics and Public Governance Research Group (P&PG) and affiliated with the GOVTRUST Center of Excellence focusing on trust in multilevel governance systems. His academic roles extend to teaching at the Antwerp Management School and the Institute for Sustainable Development and Environment. He obtained his Ph.D. in Political Science from the University of Antwerp in 1999. Professor Bursens' research centers on European decision-making processes, Europeanization dynamics, federalism structures, and democratic legitimacy within multilevel political systems. As holder of a Jean Monnet Chair on 'skills teaching in European Union Studies', he develops simulation games and assessment tools for political science curricula. His work is embedded in the GOVTRUST Center of Excellence examining trust mechanisms across governance levels. Jean Monnet Chair (European Commission) He served as program director and vice-dean for education from 2012-2018, teaching European integration and multilevel political systems across Bachelor and Master programs in Political Science and International Relations. His extensive administrative involvement includes chairing the Examination Board for Bachelor Political Science and serving on the Education Committee of the Faculty of Social Sciences. Professor Bursens maintains governance roles across 15+ committees including the Faculty Council of Social Sciences, Departmental Council of Political Sciences, and Council of the Institute for Environment and Sustainable Development, reflecting deep institutional engagement.
Sophie Manigart is a Full Professor of Corporate Finance at Vlerick Business School and Ghent University. She holds a Master's in Electronic Engineering and a PhD in Management from Ghent University, with additional training in General Management from Vlerick. Her primary research focuses on venture capital, private equity, business angels, and crowdfunding, with emphasis on entrepreneurial finance's real-world applications. As an educator, she teaches across Masters, MBA, and executive programs, co-developing online courses like FAST and Finance Essentials with colleagues Mathieu Luypaert and Wouter De Maeseneire. She also serves as a guest professor at ESMT Berlin and TIAS Netherlands, alongside past roles at London Business School and IE Spain. Her advisory work includes roles on the investment committee of the Baekeland Fund and boards of AXA Belgium, BW Ryhove, Ovinto, and EnergyVision. She co-founded Belgium's first business angel network, BAN Vlaanderen, and advises governments and organizations like InvestEurope and the European Parliament on financial policy. In academic leadership, she serves as an Associate Editor for Entrepreneurship Theory and Practice and editorial board member for Journal of Business Venturing , Strategic Entrepreneurship Journal , and Venture Capital Journal .
Robin Lemmens is a Professor at the Faculty of Medicine, KU Leuven, and leads the Laboratory of Neurobiology (VIB-KU Leuven). He serves as head of Academic Consultants Training in Specialist Medicine and Program Director of the POC Medical Specialist in Training. His affiliations include the LBI - KU Leuven Brain Institute and membership in multiple institutional committees including the Metaforum Steering Committee and Faculty Council of Medicine. Dr. Lemmens' research focuses on stroke neurology with particular expertise in neuroimaging, cerebrovascular diseases, and endovascular therapy. His work spans ischemic stroke management, anticoagulation therapy, intracerebral hemorrhage, and advanced imaging techniques for stroke diagnosis and treatment planning. Current research explores AI applications in stroke imaging, optimal timing of anticoagulation after stroke, and endovascular therapy in extended time windows. Analysis of recent publications reveals a strong emphasis on translational stroke research with significant contributions to clinical trial methodology. Key themes include validation of imaging biomarkers, optimization of thrombolytic and anticoagulant therapies, and development of AI tools for stroke lesion segmentation. His work frequently appears in high-impact journals including Stroke , Neurology , and The Lancet . Dr. Lemmens supervises research projects and students, with recent supervision including Oosterbos, C. on peroneal nerve entrapment research. His grant portfolio includes multiple active projects totaling millions in funding, with recent grants focusing on secondary stroke prevention, comprehensive stroke management systems, and AI for stroke outcome prediction. He leads the Laboratory of Neurobiology at VIB-KU Leuven, which collaborates extensively with international stroke research networks. Current research directions include developing patient-centered stroke care pathways, advanced imaging techniques for early ischemic changes, and personalized stroke diagnostics and treatment protocols.
Stijn Viaene is a Full Professor at KU Leuven and Partner at Vlerick Business School, specializing in digital transformation, IT management, and business process innovation. He holds a Doctorate in Information Systems Management from KU Leuven and serves as Programme Director of Take The Lead. His research focuses on leveraging technology (big data, AI, blockchain) for enterprise digitalization, with a strong emphasis on leadership, agility, and business-IT alignment. He is the author of Digital Transformation Know How: Connecting digital transformation, agility and leadership and teaches across MBA, Executive Development, and Digital Leadership programs. Recent work explores AI-driven leadership, blockchain platforms for sustainability, and intra-organizational labor platforms. He also serves as Jury President for the Data News Awards and Board Member at Herita vzw. Education: Doctor in Information Systems Management (KU Leuven). Research interests include digital innovation ecosystems, process management, and governance frameworks for digital value creation. His articles address topics such as ambidextrous ERP systems, paradox management in transformations, and open innovation in public administration. Advising & Grants: Involved in multiple industry-public sector collaborations. Notable projects include blockchain-based water trade platforms and frameworks for sustainable digital ecosystems. His work bridges academic research with practical business applications through case-based teaching and action design research methodologies. Labs/Teams: Active in Vlerick’s Digital Transformation and IT Management research groups, contributing to initiatives like the Digital Leadership programme and strategic consulting for global organizations.
Dr. Maria Verhoeff is an Assistant Professor of Historical Theology and Vice Dean of Education at the Evangelical Theological Faculty, Leuven. She holds a PhD in Theology and Religious Studies (2016) and has held roles including Academic Vice Dean for Research (2018-2022) and Policy Advisor (2014-2018). Her academic work focuses on the intersection of Early Christianity, Patristics, and the Philosophy of Friendship. Education PhD in Theology and Religious Studies (2016), ETF Leuven NOSTER Certificate (2013), ETF Leuven PhD Program Master of Specialized Studies in Theology (2009), KU Leuven Degree in Theology (2006), ETF Leuven Preparatory Scientific Education (2000), Jacobus Fruytier School, Netherlands Maria Verhoeff's research explores the theological and ethical dimensions of friendship in John Chrysostom's writings, emphasizing communal salvation and the social nature of Christian identity. Her work reinterprets Chrysostom's use of economic metaphors in almsgiving and the pedagogical role of celestial imagery in soteriology. She connects Graeco-Roman euergetism with Judeo-Christian gift-giving traditions to frame divine relationships. Her publications highlight a trajectory from Chrysostom's moral formation through friendship to the ecclesiastical leadership models in early Christianity. She analyzes how celestial imagery and debt metaphors serve as tools for Christian mystagogy and social soteriology, prioritizing community over individual virtue cultivation.
Wim Van Lancker is an Associate Professor in Social Work and Social Policy at KU Leuven's Faculty of Social Sciences, specifically within the Education Policy, Sociology department. He is affiliated with the Centre for Sociological Research (CESO) and holds multiple leadership positions including programme director of POC Sociologie and membership on the Council of the Faculty of Social Sciences. Van Lancker is also active in several research institutes including KIES – KU Leuven Institute for Energy and Society and L-C&Y - KU Leuven Child & Youth Institute. His research focuses on the welfare state, examining the interaction between the design of, public attitudes towards, and outcomes of social policies and social work interventions. Van Lancker's work spans critical contemporary issues including poverty, inequality, family policy, social investment, climate transition impacts, and welfare state measurement. His research employs diverse methodologies from qualitative inquiries to advanced regression methods and randomized controlled trials, addressing challenges such as climate change, migration, digitalization, and aging populations. Van Lancker has published extensively in top-tier journals including American Sociological Review, Journal of European Social Policy, and Social Science Research. His publications reveal a consistent focus on comparative welfare state analysis, with particular attention to poverty measurement, family policy effects, and social inequality patterns across European countries. World's Top 2% scientists (Stanford University) Member of the Young Academy of the Royal Flemish Academy of Belgium for Science and Arts Co-editor of The Palgrave Handbook of Family Policy Recipient of European Research Council funding for the rEUsilience project Van Lancker actively supervises students and contributes to policy debates through frequent media appearances and parliamentary testimony. He leads numerous research projects funded through Horizon Europe, national research councils, and institutional grants, with a current focus on understanding poverty cycles, climate transition social impacts, and welfare system responsiveness. His work bridges academic research with practical policy applications, notably through the Permanente Vorming Armoede & Participatie educational program for poverty policy professionals. As part of the rEUsilience project consortium, Van Lancker contributes to developing innovative measurement tools for family resilience across European welfare states. His work with the Herman Deleeck Centre for Social Policy and other European research networks demonstrates his commitment to comparative analysis of social policy effectiveness across different institutional contexts.
Samuel Fiorini is Associate Professor in the Department of Mathematics at the Université libre de Bruxelles (ULB) , member of the Algebra and Combinatorics group (CP 216). His research centres on polyhedral combinatorics, extended formulations, combinatorial optimisation and approximation algorithms , with frequent overlap into structural graph theory. Research in depth: Fiorini’s work explores how high-dimensional polytopes can sometimes be expressed compactly through extended formulations, proving exponential lower bounds when they cannot. He has contributed new approximation algorithms for classical problems such as vertex cover, clique transversal and odd-cycle packing, and has advanced the understanding of sorting and entropy in partially ordered sets. His papers often combine tools from graph minors, communication complexity and polyhedral theory. Scientific recognition: Best Paper Award, 44th ACM Symposium on Theory of Computing (STOC 2012) Programme committees: FOCS, IPCO, APPROX, STACS, WAOA Organiser, Sixth Cargese Workshop on Combinatorial Optimization Advising & grants: He currently supervises PhD students Carole Muller and Matthew Drescher and has mentored six completed PhDs as well as more than a dozen post-doctoral researchers. His group has been supported by an ERC starting grant and other national and international projects focusing on polyhedral approaches to hard optimisation problems. Lab & team: Fiorini leads a vibrant team within the Algebra and Combinatorics cluster at ULB, maintaining active collaborations with researchers worldwide and hosting frequent visitors working on discrete optimisation and polyhedral combinatorics.
Anne Collard is a Researcher at the Institute for Research in Didactics and Education within the Faculty of Education and Training Sciences at the University of Namur (UNamur) . Her work focuses on digital media literacy, academic literacies, and critical education in artificial intelligence and robotics. Education : Degree and aggregation in Romance Philology (FUNDP and UCL), Special Bachelor of Theology (UCL), Diploma in Bookselling (UCL), Coaching Certification (BAO) Collard’s research explores the integration of digital tools in education, including formative assessment systems using ICT, media literacy for global citizenship, and critical approaches to recommendation algorithms. She is involved in projects like PUNCH 3.0 and LITME@WORK , emphasizing collaborative and distance work competencies. Her recent publications address topics such as AI education through role-playing games, conceptual metaphors in robotics, and the ethical implications of algorithmic datafication in media infrastructures. She actively contributes to interdisciplinary workshops and conferences on digital literacy.
Hakan Ergun serves as an Associate Professor at KU Leuven's Faculty of Engineering Science within the Department of Electrical Engineering (ESAT). He leads the Subdivisie EnergyVille Electa - Ergun and holds key roles in EnergyVille initiatives, including membership in the Division EnergyVille and the Council of the Faculty of Engineering Science. His research focuses on power systems engineering with specialization in HVDC grid technology, renewable energy integration, and stochastic optimization. Current projects include predictive maintenance for wind farms, congestion management for offshore HVDC grids, and development of hybrid AC/DC grid software tools. His work addresses critical challenges in grid resilience, uncertainty modeling, and multi-national offshore grid coordination. Recent publications demonstrate strong trends in hybrid AC/DC grid optimization under uncertainty, with emphasis on stochastic programming, polynomial chaos expansion, and risk-based operational models. Key themes include offshore grid protection, frequency stability with energy storage, and spatio-temporal variability in power system planning. Ergun actively supervises doctoral candidates including K. Phillips and C.K. Jat. His research portfolio includes significant EU-funded projects such as CROCODILE (Cross-border Coordination of Offshore Grids) and advanced HVDC grid development initiatives with multi-year funding through 2028-2029. He directs the EnergyVille Electa subdivision focused on electrical energy systems applications, collaborating with industry partners on real-world grid implementation challenges. Current work emphasizes practical solutions for multi-GW offshore energy hubs and resilient power systems leveraging HVDC transmission flexibility.
Chang Zhu is a Professor at the Department of Educational Sciences at Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB), where he serves as Director of the LEAD Academic Network , EU-China Higher Education Research Center , and ALO-OBL Academy . He is also a Guest Professor at Yan'an University and Convenor of the International Research Network on Digital Academic Leadership under the World Education Research Association (WERA). Education : Doctorate in Educational Sciences His research interests focus on innovations in higher education , digital academic leadership , online and blended learning , and teacher competencies in technology adoption . Current projects include EU-funded leadership development models and digital pedagogy initiatives for educators. Recent scientific publications emphasize university governance frameworks , leadership development in international contexts , and technology integration in teaching , with a growing body of work on digital media literacy in primary education. Scientific Awards : Award Excellent Project Leader Achievements (IUC Mzumbe University, Tanzania, 2024) Best Poster Award (2017) ETHE High Impact Award (2024) PhD Supervision : 34 completed and 9 ongoing PhD projects on topics like blended learning, digital leadership, and educational technology Committee Roles : International Policy Council (VUB) VLOR working group on Higher Education Policy
Dimitri Van Landuyt serves as an Associate Professor in the Department of Computer Science at KU Leuven , affiliated with the Information Systems Engineering Research Group (LIRIS) . He leads and co-promotes multiple high-impact research projects focused on security and privacy engineering, including initiatives on model-driven security risk analysis , privacy by design , and IoT security . His work spans GDPR compliance, synthetic data management, and threat modeling innovations. Academic Leadership : Member of the Council of FEB and Campus Council Leuven/Kortrijk Research Pillars : Privacy threat modeling, security automation, IoT systems, GDPR technical implementation His publications demonstrate expertise in privacy-enhancing technologies, with recent work analyzing LLM applications in threat modeling, developing tree-based privacy analysis frameworks, and creating adaptive trust management architectures. He explores serious games for security training, synthetic data quantification standards, and runtime threat assessment mechanisms. Dimitri contributes to educational programs through courses in ICT Service Management , Security & Privacy by Design , and Research Methodologies . He supervises student research while collaborating with industry and academia on data protection challenges.
Prof. Ruben Vanderlinde is a faculty member at Ghent University , Belgium, with a focus on Education and Teacher Training . His research spans Team Teaching , Educational Technology (ICT) , Professional Development , and Inclusion , often utilizing video-based observation and self-determination theory . He has co-authored over 257 publications in Social Sciences, emphasizing diversity , educational policy , and teacher educators' researcherly disposition . Recent work includes large-scale studies on teachers’ self-efficacy in team teaching (2025) and ICT integration in primary education (2025). His 2025 articles analyze collaborative pedagogy , cluster analysis of teaching behavior , and curriculum coherence in teacher education. Vanderlinde also co-edited the ESTAFETT project (2025), providing policy recommendations for team teaching. He supervises PhDs in areas like diversity-responsive teaching and technology in early childhood education . Notable students include Yuqiao Luo (2024) and Benjamin Ponet (2021) . His collaborations with Hanne Tack (67 papers) and Johan van Braak (37 papers) highlight his interdisciplinary approach.
Nathalie Aelterman is a prominent researcher at Ghent University specializing in educational psychology with a focus on motivation, self-determination theory, and physical education. Her extensive publication record demonstrates deep engagement with teacher-student dynamics, motivational processes, and educational interventions across multiple contexts from primary education to higher education and sports settings. Her research interests center on understanding motivational mechanisms through self-determination theory, particularly examining how teachers' and coaches' styles influence student and athlete motivation. She investigates autonomy support, need satisfaction, and the interplay between psychological needs and behavioral outcomes in educational environments. Her work frequently employs both quantitative and qualitative methodologies to develop and validate assessment tools for measuring motivational climates. Analysis of her recent publications reveals consistent focus on circumplex modeling of motivating/demotivating behaviors, longitudinal motivational shifts, and the application of self-determination theory across diverse educational contexts including physical education, speech therapy, and nonprofit volunteer management. Her work bridges theoretical frameworks with practical educational applications. Nathalie Aelterman actively collaborates with leading researchers at Ghent University, particularly with Leen Haerens and Maarten Vansteenkiste, contributing to a robust research program in educational motivation. Her work includes developing and evaluating training programs for teachers and coaches to foster need-supportive interactions. She has contributed significantly to understanding how educational professionals can create environments that foster intrinsic motivation, examining everything from classroom rules internalization to the psychological needs of university teachers. Her research extends beyond traditional educational settings to sports coaching and volunteer management contexts.
Lenka Benova is a Professor and Unit Head in Reproductive and Maternal Health at the University of Antwerp. Her research focuses on health-seeking behavior, maternal health, and healthcare equity in low- and middle-income countries. She holds advanced degrees from the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine (MSc Demography/Health, PhD Population Health) and an MA in Middle East Studies from the American University in Cairo. Dr. Benova has extensive field experience, including roles with Médecins Sans Frontières and leadership in eldercare startups. Her work emphasizes methodological innovation, such as using geospatial tools to assess healthcare access and analyzing large-scale demographic datasets. She actively contributes to global health policy through evidence-based research on maternal mortality, violence against women, and the impacts of climate change on perinatal outcomes. Her publications span over 180 peer-reviewed articles, with recent focus areas including emergency obstetric care access, stillbirth mortality patterns, and the intersection of intimate partner violence with maternal mental health. She supervises PhD students and teaches on Masters programs, emphasizing translational research that bridges academic inquiry with real-world health system challenges.
