Pieter Ballon

Pieter Ballon, vice-rector for Research

Professor Pieter Ballon, professor in the Department of Communication Sciences, will become vice-rector for Research. As director of SMIT (Studies in Media, Innovation & Technology), a joint research centre of VUB and imec, he leads one of Europe’s largest social science research groups on digital media and smart technology. He is also co-founder of the European Network of Living Labs and the Hannah Arendt Institute. He succeeds Karin Vanderkerken as vice-rector for Research. “Whether it’s artificial intelligence, sustainability, cancer or fertility research, VUB has always pioneered ground-breaking and relevant research,” he says. “We are going to strengthen that even more.”