Geert Jan Houben, Professor of Web Information Systems at the Faculty of Electrical Engineering, Mathematics and Computer Science (EEMCS) was made an Officer of the Order of Orange Nassau in Bergschenhoek/Lansingerland.
Professor Houben is an international pioneer in data, web engineering and AI. He has played a key role in the field of web engineering, which focuses on building reliable web applications for end users, such as web shops or online ticket booking sites. Professor Houben recognised early on the importance of data and the opportunities for artificial intelligence.
Houben has been Professor of Web Information Systems at TU Delft since 2008. The Web Information Systems section he founded has now grown to 30 people and is an
international leader in research, education and innovation in the field of data and artificial intelligence. Professor Houben’s teaching and research takes place in close collaboration with societal and industry partners, including IBM, Cognizant, Twitter, SAIL Amsterdam and DSM, and has led to start-ups such as Twitcident.
As Director of Education, Professor Houben worked hard to improve the quality of all programmes offered by the faculty between 2017 and 2021. He also played a crucial role at the time of the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic, when overnight all of TU Delft’s on-campus education had to be transferred to online education, including labs and exams.
Professor Houben is more aware than most of the enormous impact that artificial intelligence will have on society. In his view, this will lead to new interdisciplinary research challenges that need to be addressed together with societal partners. Since 2021, Professor Houben has been Pro Vice Rector of AI, Data and Digitalisation at TU Delft. In this position, he coordinates research, education and innovation in the field of AI, data and digitalisation. Professor Houben is the driving force behind this initiative, which he develops with passion and energy, both inside and outside the university.