The impact of technology & AI in education

24 March 2026 - AE office, Leuven

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The path towards a data driven university: from start to acceleration

Technology and AI are reshaping education at an unprecedented pace. From data-driven decision-making to new learning models and smarter operations, educational institutions are at a turning point.

Join AE and leading voices from across Belgian education for an exclusive event where strategy, technology and real-world experience come together. Discover how institutions are navigating digital transformation today and how they can accelerate tomorrow.

Why attend?

This event is designed for IT and organisational leaders in education who want to move beyond theory and explore the real impact of technology and AI. Understand what education truly needs to succeed in a rapidly evolving digital landscape

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Gain inspiration from renowned thought leaders shaping the future of education

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Discover real-world cases from higher education institutions already on their data & AI journey

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Exchange insights with peers from universities, colleges, secondary and primary education

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Enjoy fine dining and high-quality networking in an inspiring setting

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This workshop will provide you with value if:

→ You are wondering if you need a data & AI strategy, or if you can just start with use-cases.

→ You want to know which skills or roles you need to valorise your data & AI investments.

→ ​You are struggeling with how you can get ROI out of data & AI.

→ You are unsure data & AI can mean for your type of business.

→ You are interested in creating a data & AI roadmap.
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This workshop is not the right fit if:

→ You already have a well-equipped Data & AI department.​

→ You already manage to align business with data & AI strategies.​

→ You already have a data & AI driven organization.

Discover our other resources

This workshop will provide you with value if:

 

→ You are wondering if you need a data & AI strategy, or if you can just start with use-cases.

→ You want to know which skills or roles you need to valorise your data & AI investments.
​
→ ​You are struggeling with how you can get ROI out of data & AI.

→ You are unsure data & AI can mean for your type of business.

→ You are interested in creating a data & AI roadmap.

 

When this workshop is not the right fit:

→ You already have a well-equipped Data & AI department.​

→ You already manage to align business with data & AI strategies.​

→ You already have a data & AI driven organization.

Discover our other resources →

What you can expect from our afternoon?

13h15 - 14h00

About becoming Data & AI driven and pragmatically creating value.​

An inspiration session on what works and what doesn’t. An approach which allows you to focus on business value.

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14h15 – 15h15​

Interactive data capability assessment​

Heavy assessments have their time and place. But our goal here is to map your current initiatives so you have a bird's-eye view of everything that is going on. In a fun and interactive way using a card game we developed in-house.

 

Outcome

Screenshot 2025-07-09 165356You'll receive the card game and all the insights that we collected during the session.

 

 

15h30 – 16h45​

Choose your data adventure

Together with our experts, we will take some time to deep-dive into one of these topics: 

  • Data & AI Strategy​
    How do I align my business objectives with my data & AI investments?
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  • Data & AI Portfolio / cases​
    How do I identify and prioritize data & AI use cases to support my business?
    ​
  • Data & AI Product working​
    How do I focus on business value creation without large investments?
    ​
  • Data & AI Capabilities​
    How do I solve specific data & AI related challenges, such as data quality, data management, data literacy, …

 

Outcome

An executive summary of improvement steps for your challenges ahead by AE experts.​

Everything we need for success

Brightspace

A perfect off-site venue with all the equipment to guide you through an inspiring and fruitful afternoon workshop with AE.​

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Real life use cases​

Different organizations, different approaches. There is no one-size fits all. However, they can inspire you to find your size.

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Five experts at your disposal.

Experts from different expertise domains within data & AI will be there to guide you. 

Vincent Verstraete AE TAELK

Vincent Verstraete
Enterprise architect

Jeroen Ruytings-1

Jeroen Ruytings
Data Platform Architect

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Gertjan Vanlook
AI strategist & Architect

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Emma Houben
Product owner 

Foto Emma workshop

Emma Houben
Product owner 

Speakers & thought leaders

Meet leading voices from Belgian education and innovation. Renowned keynote speakers and experienced decision-makers share their vision, practical insights and lessons learned on the impact of technology and AI in education.

Dirk Van Damme

Dirk Van Damme

International education consultant and expert
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Sofie Mols

Sofie Mols

Director of Innovation and International policy,
Thomas More
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Werner Jacobs

Werner Jacobs

Group CFO,
University of Antwerp
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Leen Van Rentergem

Leen Van Rentergem

CIO,
KULeuven
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Eric Pass

Eric Pass

General Administrator,
UHasselt
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Frederik D'hulster

Frederik D'hulster

President,
HOWEST
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Agenda

13:30

Welcome reception and appetisers

14:00

Keynote – A broader vision on education, technology & pedagogy
Dirk Van Damme

A forward-looking perspective on how education can evolve in a technology-driven society — beyond daily operational realities.

15:00

Keynote – Innovation in practice
Sofie Mols, Director of Innovation and International policy, Thomas More

We will explore how we use data-driven approaches to improve student success, moving from decisions based on gut feeling to data-informed policy making. In addition, we will address the ethical considerations that come with this shift.

Next, we will look at digital transformation and AI in education as a broader organisational change: what this means for leadership, educational services, and support teams in guiding departments. We will explore how this evolution positions the university college as a learning organisation.

15:45

Panel discussion – IT & Business in Education

Leading voices from Belgian higher education institutions discuss:

  • What does education really need today?
  • Where does data and AI add the most value? How can you become data-driven?
  • What are institutions already doing, and what still holds them back?
  • How do we manage change within education?

Panelists include:
Werner Jacobs (UA), Leen Van Rentergem (KU Leuven), Eric Pass (UHasselt), Frederik D’Hulster (HOWEST)

16:45

Data & AI transformation at UHasselt

A concrete customer case from UHasselt, illustrating how AE supports educational institutions on their journey towards becoming data-driven.

18:00

Dinner

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Practical details

Date
Tuesday, 24 March 2026
Starting at 13:30

Location
AE Leuven office
Interleuvenlaan 76
BE - 3001 Heverlee
> Directions

Register for the event