Taking a logical perspective on problems
From January 2026, Balder ten Cate will join the IPN Board, representing the next generation of computer scientists. The associate professor at the Institute for Logic, Language and Computation of the University of Amsterdam brings in his wealth of international experience, both in academia and in industry. ‘As a passionate advocate for the growth and success of early-career researchers, I aim to amplify their voices within IPN.’
How did you get into computer science?
‘When I had to decide upon a course of study, VU Amsterdam had just started a new program on Artificial Intelligence. That appealed to me because of its broad nature. Since the program was brand new, it started out as a combination of existing courses from different departments. That fit me like a glove: besides having a side job as a software programmer during high school, I also took great interest in psychology, being the son of a therapist and an avid reader of the books on her bookshelves. I ended up graduating with a degree in AI and with a minor in psychology.’
How did you get involved in the field of logic that you are now active in?
Soon after starting my PhD research at the University of Amsterdam, in natural language semantics,,I became gripped by logic, a subject I was already introduced to during my undergraduate studies at the VU. I was attracted by the fact that it sits between different disciplines, namely mathematics, philosophy and computer science. The Institute for Logic, Language and Computation (ILLC), where I was doing my PhD, offered a very stimulating environment, since half the people are from the computer science department and half are from other areas such as the humanities. The common factor is logic, which we use to provide perspective on problems across different sciences. Eventually, I redirected my doctoral research toward mathematical logic.
After obtaining my PhD, I went back to artificial intelligence (AI), using techniques from logic to solve AI problems. It is precisely this type of combination of disciplines that fascinates me. ’
What is your current research about?
‘My research spans different applications of logic in computer science and artificial intelligence, with a particular focus on data management, knowledge representation, and machine learning. One of the types of questions I investigate has to do with the languages people use to query databases or to represent knowledge. Which assumptions underly them and what limitations do they have? The same type of questions can be asked about machine learning models.
My research often starts with an observation. For example, why do certain machine learning models work well on graph-structured problems? And under which circumstances will they perform badly? That research is partially empirical in nature, but also requires the creation of a theoretical framework, allowing us to describe how different variants of a model compare.’
How did your career develop after you obtained your PhD?
‘I was honored to receive a VENI grant from NWO shortly after getting my PhD, which allowed me to spend time as a postdoc in the Netherlands, as well as, afterwards, in France and in the United States. I ended up staying in the US, where I became an adjunct professor at UC Santa Cruz, and briefly at Stanford University. During that time, as a theorist doing data management research, I felt the need to better understand what challenges arise in the development of real database systems. To develop myself further, I started working as a consultant for LogicBlox, a data management and analytics platform company, for one day a week. I subsequently fully transitioned to industry as a computer scientist at LogicBlox, and, later, as a staff software engineer at Google.
In the end, I realized that I am an academic by heart. I love working with students, and I really value the fact that as a scientist you have a lot of freedom to define your own direction and organize your own work. That is why, when I came back to the Netherlands, I also returned to science. Transitioning from industry to academia is not always easy. Fortunately, for me, it was relatively smooth, as I was still publishing and supervising PhD students during my time as a software engineer at Google.’
Balder ten Cate is an associate professor at the Institute for Logic, Language and Computation (ILLC) at the University of Amsterdam. Before returning to academia in 2021, he was Staff Software Engineer at Google (2015-2021) and Computer Scientist at LogicBlox (2012-2015), while holding adjunct professor positions at UC Santa Cruz and Stanford. Ten Cate obtained his MSc in Artificial Intelligence in 2000 from VU Amsterdam, and his PhD in Logic in 2005 from University of Amsterdam.
Do you regret having left science for a while?
‘No, I really value my time in industry. I have gained a lot of experience and skills that also help me be a better scientist. But also, I can now explain to students about the differences between working in academia and working in industry, and thus help them in their career choices. In addition, I can also connect students to interesting industrial companies and research labs.
All in all, I think it would be good if people would be able to switch back and forth between industry and academia more easily. While working for a company, you gain experience that can be put to good use in science. And it really helps in building strong networks if you understand both sides of a collaborative effort.
In the US, it is common for PhD students to do internships. PhD students often use the summer periods to gain experience within industry. Of course, in the Netherlands, we have a different model when it comes to PhD studies, but I think that, if we can find ways to facilitate such internships, this would provide students with a valuable experience and can broaden their view on research and its possible impact.’
What is your ambition with your research?
`My overall ambition is to develop unified and streamlined solutions for querying, reasoning over, and learning from structured data. I am particularly interested in creating new methodologies that lower the barriers for users to interact with complex data systems. This involves supplementing traditional query languages with more interactive, example-driven approaches and integrating machine learning techniques to guide and support users. Beyond improving efficiency, this may also better align with the learning styles of the new generation of computer science and AI students, who increasingly benefit from exploratory, hands-on, and adaptive tools. Ultimately, I aim to combine rigorous technical methods with accessible, interactive approaches to make working with structured data more intuitive and powerful.’
Is that also why you decided to join the board of IPN?
‘IPN plays a critical role in the Dutch ICT research and education landscape. It unites the academic institutions on a natural level and advocates for high-quality agendas and policies to address societal challenges. My membership of the IPN board gives me the opportunity to contribute. Specifically, my role in the board is to represent the interests of the next generation researchers. Although I’m not an early-career researcher myself anymore, I am a fresh member of the Dutch ICT academic community after having spent over a decade working abroad and in industry. I am still re-establishing myself, and in that sense, I do know what challenges one faces in that stage of an academic career.
Another topic close to my heart is collaboration between industry and science, helping reduce barriers for more flexible mobility between academia and industry.
In addition, there are many forms of stress among young researchers. The starter grants were a good initiative to help young researchers kickstart their academic careers. We should make sure that such initiatives are not lost within the current political landscape.
Finally, I will be helping build mentorship and leadership programs such as the “future leaders” course program.
All in all, I find IPN a very valuable organization, especially because it helps disseminate relevant policy developments in government and NWO among computer scientists. In addition, issues are raised that are relevant for all computer science departments. I see IPN as a coordination platform, where we can learn from each other, make joint statements on issues, and lead initiatives that affect the whole field. As a board member, I hope I can make a meaningful impact, especially for young researchers.’