Veerle Van der Sluys

Since August 1, 2025 Veerle Van der Sluys takes on the role of General Director of LUCA School of Arts.

Veerle Van der Sluys (Doctor in Physics, Ghent University, 1995) has a passion for software development, web applications and new media applications. Her interest in technology development arose during her academic years as a PhD student and postdoctoral fellow at Ghent University. During this period she developed advanced computer simulations for nuclear reactions.

She left this academic environment in 1997 and lived in the United States with her family for several years. She kept on specializing in new technological developments and took additional courses at New Jersey Institute of Technology in Newark in computer science, Java and related web technologies. Back in Europe, she started working as a software architect for Case Consult (later USWeb/CKS Belgium ), AP&P and Actonomy. During this period she learned how to handle more complex software projects in practice.

Meanwhile she remained active in various research projects. Her academic background in combination with her technological knowledge allows her to play an essential role in the translation of research results into precise technology requirements.

Since June 2009  Veerle has been employed at LUCA School of Arts/Associated Faculty of Arts (KU Leuven). Her research and teaching mainly focuses on and stresses the important interplay of art, design and technology. From January 2016 till August 2024, she has been responsible for the LUCA-wide policy on artistic research in her role as Vice Dean Research. From April 2024 till August 2025 she was the Executive Director of the FilmEU Association vzw (the legal entity representing the FilmEU European University).