Rik Van de Walle

Professor Rik Van de Walle has been rector of Ghent University since 1 October 2017. His term as rector runs until September 30, 2025. As rector , he is assisted by vice rector Mieke Van Herreweghe .

Rector Van de Walle was born in 1970 and holds degrees in civil physics and a doctorate in applied sciences: physics at the Faculty of Engineering and Architecture of Ghent University.

In 2001 he became a full-time teacher and founded the Multimedia Lab, one of the founding research groups of iMinds (imec since 2016). He became a full professor in 2004 and full professor in 2010. After a merger of Multimedia Lab with two other research groups, the lab was renamed Internet and Data Lab (IDLab).

From 2012 to 2017, Rik Van de Walle was dean of the Faculty of Engineering and Architecture.

Rector Van de Walle has been a member of the Royal Flemish Academy of Belgium for Science and the Arts (Technical Sciences class) since 2016. Since 2020, he has also been chairman of CESAER.