Gunnar Declerck

Gunnar Declerck is an Associate Professor at the University of Technology of Compiègne (UTC), affiliated with the COSTECH research unit (EA 2223), where he leads the CRED team (Cognitive Research and Enactive Design). He holds joint academic appointments in the Technology and Human Sciences department (TSH), teaching philosophy, cognitive science, and research methodology to engineering students, master’s candidates, and doctoral researchers. His work bridges philosophy, phenomenology, cognitive science, and technology, focusing on perception, embodiment, and the philosophical foundations of artificial intelligence and ontology engineering.

Education:

• Engineering degree in Computer Science, UTC (2002)
• DEA in Human Sciences and Cognitive Technologies, UTC (2004)
• PhD in Philosophy, UTC (2010)

Research Interests: His research explores:

1. Perception’s phenomenological and cognitive mechanisms, emphasizing embodied cognition and 4E approaches (embodied, embedded, enactive, extended)
2. Formalization of knowledge in AI and ontology engineering, particularly in biomedical contexts
3. Technology’s role in shaping human experience, including sensory substitution systems and telepresence
4. Climate crisis projections and interdisciplinary approaches to future scenarios

His work critiques objectivist and information-processing paradigms, advocating for narrative and enactive frameworks to understand perception and technology’s societal impacts.

Key Contributions: Declerck has pioneered instrumentalist approaches to computational ontology design and led projects on pharmacovigilance systems (e.g., EU-funded SALUS and PROTECT). He co-directs a thesis on climate crisis projections and has developed teaching programs like the PHITECO minor, integrating philosophy, technology, and cognition.

Labs/Teams: He co-founded and directed the CRED team (2018–2022), fostering interdisciplinary research in cognitive technologies and design. His work interfaces with clinical partners (e.g., CHU Compiègne) and involves collaborations in AI ethics, medical informatics, and human-technology interaction.