Doctorats honoris causa

La professeure Françoise Smets, rectrice de l’Université catholique de Louvain,
Le professeur Michel Verleysen, vice-recteur du Secteur des sciences et technologies,
Les doyen·nes des facultés et les président·es d’instituts de recherche du Secteur des sciences et technologies, ont l’honneur de vous inviter à la cérémonie de remise des doctorats honoris causa du Secteur des sciences et technologies qui se tiendra le jeudi 27 février 2025.

Les personnes mises à l'honneur sont / The honorees are : 

• Joanna Bryson (Hertie School Berlin) 
  Marraine : Maider Llaguno (LOCI/LAB) ; parrain : Charles Pence (FIAL/ISP)
• Yves Moreau (KULeuven) 
  Marraine : Laura Symul (SC/LIDAM) ; parrain : François Toussaint (AGRO/ELI)
• Gaël Varoquaux (INRIA Saclay) 
  Marraine : Estelle Massart (EPL/ICTEAM) ; parrain : Benoît Macq (EPL/ICTEAM)
• Molly Wright Steenson (American Swedish Institute) 
  Marraine : Emilie Gobbo (LOCI/LAB) ; parrain : Damien Claeys (LOCI/LAB) 

English version below

PROGRAMME du 27 février 2025 :
17h00 : cérémonie de remise des doctorats honoris causa
18h30 : réception 
Lieu : "Ferme du Biéreau" à Louvain-la-Neuve Plan d'accès
Les professeur·es sont invité·es à porter la toge.
Inscription à la cérémonie et à la réception via ce formulaire en ligne. 
Date limite d’inscription : 24 février 2025.

PROGRAMME du 28 février 2025 :
Matin :
10h45-13h20 : conférence plénière et présentations autour de l’IA, l’éthique et la santé « Quels choix et usage de l’IA pour une science des données responsable en faveur du développement humain ? »
Lieu : Auditoire A2, Place des Sciences 2, 1348 Louvain-la-Neuve Plan
Inscription à la conférence du matin via ce formulaire en ligne. 
Date limite d’inscription : 24 février 2025.
 

Après-midi:
14h45-16h30 : ateliers thématiques sur l’utilisation et les implications sociétales de l’IA (places limitées, sur inscription)
Thèmes abordés: Accessibilité, propriété et transparence des données utilisées pour entraîner les modèles, Fiabilité et biais des modèles, risques et enjeux éthiques associé à l’usage de l’IA, Réflexions autour de la créativité et du rôle des IAs dans le processus de création, Sobriété digitale : les impacts de l’IA sur notre santé mentale et l’environnement
Lieu : Bibliothèque BST (1er étage) Place Louis Pasteur 2, 1348 Louvain-la-Neuve Plan
Inscription aux workshops de l'après-midi via ce formulaire en ligne. 
Date limite d’inscription : 20 février 2025.

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PROGRAM February 27, 2025:
5:00 pm: award ceremony for Doctorats honoris causa
6:30 pm: reception 
Location: at the "Ferme du Biéreau", Louvain-la-Neuve Map
Teachers are invited to wear togas.
Register for the ceremony and reception via this online form. 
Registration deadline : February 24

PROGRAM February 28, 2025:
Morning:
10:45 AM – 1:20 PM: Plenary Conference and Presentations on AI, Ethics, and Health "What Choices and Uses of AI for a Responsible Data Science Serving Human Development?"
Location: Auditorium A2, Place des Sciences 2, 1348 Louvain-la-Neuve Map
Register for the conference via this online form. 
Registration deadline : February 24.

Afternoon:
2:45 PM – 4:30 PM: Thematic Workshops on the Use and Societal Implications of AI (Limited seats, registration required)
Topics covered: Accessibility, ownership, and transparency of the data used to train AI models, Reliability and biases in AI models, ethical risks and challenges associated with their use, Reflections on creativity and the role of AI in the creative process, Digital sobriety: The impact of AI on mental health and the environment.
Location: BST Library (1st floor) Place Louis Pasteur 2, 1348 Louvain-la-Neuve Map
Register for the workshops via this online form. 
Registration deadline : February 20

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Descriptif des personnes mises à l'honneur/ Description of honorees :

Joanna Bryson 

She is professor of Ethics and Technology at the Hertie School of Berlin. She holds a Master of Science in artificial intelligence and a Master of Philosophy in psychology from the University of Edinburgh and a PhD from MIT. Her research is especially concerned with the introduction of ethics in information technologies such as AI and robotics, advocating transparency and accountability. She has been selected by the German government as one of its nine experts nominated to the Global Partnership on Artificial Intelligence, which aims to support and guide the responsible development of AI and facilitate international collaborations. Prof. Bryson would bring a welcome focus on the regulatory and ethical framework which is being developed to protect mankind from an anarchic techno‐centric growth of big data technologies. We envision to organize with her debates between students of the sectors of human sciences and of science and technology on the societal stakes of AI and related technology. For her continuous commitment to a technology which respects human social needs and ethics, we propose Prof. Bryson to be awarded a DHC. 
List of publications

Yves Moreau

                                                                                                                                                                                
Yves Moreau is professor at the Katholieke Universiteit Leuven. He develops computational strategies and tools for (1) data mining, statistics, and IT of genomic microarray and next‐generation sequencing data towards the diagnosis of congenital genetic disorders and (2) integrative data mining of omics data towards the identification of candidate disease genes. He aims at demonstrated clinical applicability of their methods and proven effectiveness in human genetics research. His long‐term goal is to extend their methods towards the identification of potential therapies for some congenital disorders. He is also a tech innovator interested in identifying relevant business models for emerging technologies and developing projects up to the precompetitive stage and the startup of university spin‐offs. He is a co‐founder of Data4S, a data mining company specialized in fraud detection and anti‐money laundering, which is now part of BAE Systems, Detica NetReveal. He is also a co‐founder of Cartagenia, specialized in ICT solutions for clinical genetic diagnosis.
Yves Moreau is engaged in a reflection on how information technology and artificial intelligence are transforming our world and on how to make sure this transformation is beneficial for all. In particular, he is actively pushing back against the emergence of surveillance
societies that has been made possible by such technological advances. Y. Moreau aims to establish a strong ethical awareness among data scientists, which is essential in the age of AI, mass surveillance, and large language models such as ChatGPT. He is the recipient of the Einstein Foundation Individual Award Winner 2023. 
List of publications

Gaël Varoquaux 

He is Director of Research at INRIA Saclay. He is 43 years old. After studying physics and obtaining a PhD in quantum physics, he turned to computer science and data analysis. Gaël Varoquaux's research focuses on the foundations of artificial intelligence, statistical learning, natural language processing and causal inference, as well as healthcare applications, with a particular emphasis on public health and epidemiology. He has worked at UC Berkeley, McGill University and the University of Florence. He received the INRIA innovation prize in 2019 and was appointed to the French government's artificial intelligence committee in 2023. Last year, he took part in a conference and seminar at UCLouvain. 
List of publications


Molly Wright Steenson

Molly Wright Steenson is a designer, author, professor, and international speaker. She is the president and CEO of the American Swedish Institute in Minneapolis, starting in July 2023. Molly’s research focuses on the intersection of design, architecture, AI, and ethics. At Carnegie Mellon University, where she has been on faculty since 2015, she is Vice Provost for Faculty, the K&L Gates Associate Professor of Ethics and Computational Technologies and an associate professor in the School of Design (courtesy appointment, School of Architecture). From 2018–21, she was Senior Associate Dean for Research for the College of Fine Arts. She is the author of Architectural Intelligence: How Designers and Architects Created the Digital Landscape (MIT Press, 2017), which tells the radical history of AI’s impact on design and architecture, and Bauhaus Futures (MIT Press, 2019), co‐edited with Laura Forlano & Mike Ananny. A web pioneer since 1994, she’s worked at groundbreaking design studios, consultancies, and Fortune 500 companies. She holds a PhD in Architecture from Princeton University, a master’s in environmental design (architectural history) from Yale School of Architecture, and a BA in German from the University of Wisconsin‐Madison with honors and distinction. From 2013–15, Molly was an assistant professor in the School of Journalism & Mass Communication at the University of Wisconsin‐Madison, where she taught digital studies, data visualization, and large lecture courses, and led Mellon‐funded research projects in the digital humanities. She was a professor at the Interaction Design Institute Ivrea in Ivrea, Italy in 2003–04, where she led the Connected Communities research group, and an adjunct professor at Art Center College of Design in Pasadena in the Media Design Practices Program from 2010–12. 
List of publications