René van Woudenberg

Prof. René van Woudenberg is a Full Professor at the Faculty of Humanities of Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam. He serves as Principal Investigator in major research projects such as 'Science Beyond Scientism' and 'The Epistemic Responsibilities of the University'. His ancillary role includes being a board member of Stichting Zonneweelde since 2017.

His research focuses on epistemology, ethics, and the philosophy of science. Key themes include non-causal explanations in the humanities, epistemic responsibilities of universities, and ethical implications of AI like ChatGPT. He has contributed to interdisciplinary dialogues bridging philosophy with science and societal issues.

• Recent work addresses academic integrity and authorship norms in the AI era
• Explores the role of universities in fostering critical thinking and epistemic virtues
• Engages with historical texts through philosophical analysis (e.g., Multatuli's Max Havelaar)

Recipient of significant grants from the Templeton World Charity Foundation, including €1.75M for epistemic responsibility research. Active in organizing international conferences on topics like hermeneutics and epistemic virtues in education.

Teaches courses on philosophical and historical aspects of the humanities, epistemology of reading, and advanced philosophy tutorials.