Piet Desmet

Full Professor in Language, Education & Technology at KU Leuven and imec | Chair of multiple Boards | Former Vice rector KU Leuven & KU Leuven Kulak / Academic Director KU Leuven Bruges (2017-2025)

Kortrijk, Flemish Region, Belgium

About

🎓 Full Professor | Educational Technologist | EdTech Innovator | Former Vice-Rector As a full professor and former Vice-Rector at KU Leuven and KU Leuven Kulak, I combine academic depth with a passion for digital innovation in education. I lead the interdisciplinary research group ITEC and serve as academic director of the imec Smart Education program, where we leverage technology to make learning smarter, more personalized, and inclusive. My expertise lies at the intersection of language acquisition, AI, learning analytics, and personalized learning. As former coordinator of KU Leuven’s strategic action plan Going Digital and initiator of projects like i-Learn, I work toward sustainable digital transformation in education. I believe technology is not an end in itself, but a powerful tool to fundamentally improve teaching and learning. My mission: to build bridges between research, practice, and policy to support every learner in reaching their full potential. 📌 Areas of interest: EdTech | AI in Education | Blended Learning | Learning Analytics | Language Technology | Education Policy

Experience

  • az groeninge (9 yrs)
    • Chair of the Board of Directors
      Feb 2026 - Present · 6 mos

    • Board Member
      Aug 2017 - Present · 9 yrs

  • Président du Conseil d'administration at Université de Lille
    Dec 2025 - Present · 8 mos

  • Coordinator itec & Head Language, Education & Technology at Itec, imec research group at KU Leuven
    2007 - Present · 19 yrs 7 mos

  • KU Leuven (32 yrs 7 mos)
    • Full Professor of French and Applied Linguistics
      2006 - Present · 20 yrs 7 mos

    • Vice Rector KU Leuven (responsible for Educational Technology)
      Aug 2017 - Jul 2025 · 8 yrs

    • Professor
      2003 - 2006 · 3 yrs

  • Chair of the Board of Directors at Focus-WTV vzw
    Jan 2025 - Present · 1 yr 7 mos