Opening remarks

09:30 to 10:00 AM
Studio 4

We were thrilled to kick off the day with inspiring opening remarks, officially opening the conference and setting the tone for the discussions ahead. The opening featured addresses from the rectors or research vice-rectors of Université Libre de Bruxelles (ULB) and Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB), highlighting the collaborative spirit between these two Brussels universities and underscoring the importance of the event’s theme, "AI, a Public Good?".

Meet the speakers

  • Jan Danckaert

    Rector of the Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB)

    Jan Danckaert is the rector of the Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB). He has been a professor in the Sciences and (Bio)Engineering since 2005, where he teaches physics and photonics courses at the master's level. His research focuses on semiconductor laser dynamics and nonlinear dynamics in biological systems. Danckaert co-founded the Applied Physics research group and has contributed to over 100 scientific publications.

  • Annemie Schaus

    Rector of the Université Libre de Bruxelles (ULB)

    Annemie Schaus is the rector of the Université Libre de Bruxelles (ULB) and a professor at the Faculty of Law and Criminology, specializing in public law and the protection of fundamental rights. She coordinates the Clinic for Rights and Liberties, which won the Socrates Prize in 2019.

    Schaus remains active as a lawyer at the Brussels Bar and has worked with human rights organizations, including the European Centre for Constitutional and Human Rights (ECCHR) in Berlin and the Center for Constitutional Rights in New York.

  • Cecile Huet

    EUROPEAN AI OFFICE - European Commission - DG CNECT Head of Unit "Excellence in AI & Robotics"

    Cécile Huet is Deputy Head of the Unit “Robotics and Artificial Intelligence” at the European Commission. This unit funds and assists beneficial robotics and AI developments within Europe.

    Cécile joined the unit since its creation in 2004. Previously, she worked for the industry in signal processing after a post-doc at the University of California Santa Barbara and a PhD at University of Nice Sophia Antipolis.

    In 2015, she has been selected as one of the “25 women in robotics you need to know about”.