معرفی
Siegfried Nijssen is a Professor at the Department of Computer Science within the Faculty of Engineering Science at KU Leuven. He is a core member of the Declarative Languages and Artificial Intelligence (DTAI) research group at the Arenberg campus and affiliated with Leuven.AI, the university-wide Institute for Artificial Intelligence. His academic position is designated as 'professor BOF', reflecting a specialized research-focused appointment.
Nijssen's research centers on the integration of declarative programming paradigms with machine learning, particularly through constraint programming frameworks. Key focus areas include interpretable rule learning, neural-symbolic integration, and constraint-based optimization for combinatorial problems. His work bridges theoretical computer science with practical applications in bioacoustics, pandemic response modeling, and network analysis, emphasizing transparency and reliability in AI systems.
Analysis of his 2021-2024 publications reveals a strong trajectory toward interpretable AI, with significant contributions like RL-Net (combining neural networks with rule-based reasoning) and novel approaches to NP-hard optimization using structured perceptrons. His research consistently targets the intersection of symbolic reasoning and statistical learning, addressing critical challenges in constraint imposition, model explainability, and stochastic optimization.
Nijssen currently leads two major research initiatives: 'Declarative Languages for Imposing Constraints on Machine Learning Models' (2025-2027) and the long-term 'Declarative Programming for Machine Learning (DeclaLearn)' project (2025-2035), demonstrating sustained leadership and funding in his specialized domain. These projects extend his foundational work on constraint-based machine learning frameworks.
Based at the DTAI research group, Nijssen contributes to KU Leuven's AI ecosystem through collaborative research in logic programming, constraint solving, and data mining. His work with Leuven.AI positions him at the forefront of institutional efforts to advance trustworthy and constraint-aware artificial intelligence systems.
