TLDR: Dr. Francien Dechesne has been appointed as Professor to the endowed chair of ‘Data and AI for the Rule of Law’ at Tilburg University, effective November 1, 2025. This significant appointment, funded by the Research and Documentation Centre (WODC) of the Ministry of Justice and Security, underscores the increasing focus on the legal, ethical, and governance aspects of artificial intelligence within the justice and security domain.
Tilburg University has announced the appointment of Dr. Francien Dechesne as Professor to the endowed chair of ‘Data and AI for the Rule of Law’, effective November 1, 2025. This strategic move highlights the growing importance of addressing the complex interplay between artificial intelligence and legal frameworks.
The new chair is a collaborative initiative between the Tilburg School of Humanities and Digital Sciences (TSHD) and the Tilburg Law School (TLS), with TSHD serving as the coordinating faculty. It will be housed within the Department of Intelligent Systems at TSHD. The establishment of this chair is made possible through funding from the Research and Documentation Centre (WODC) of the Ministry of Justice and Security, reflecting a strong commitment to integrating high-quality scientific knowledge into the fair implementation and application of data and AI within the broad justice and security sector. The WODC emphasizes the need for careful implementation, noting that ‘carelessness can lead to social unrest and undermine trust in AI systems and the government, as happened in the Toeslagenaffaire (Childcare Benefits Scandal).’
Dr. Dechesne brings a rich interdisciplinary background to this role, with expertise spanning computer science, mathematics, and philosophy. She previously served as Associate Professor of Ethics and Digital Technologies at Leiden University Law School’s eLaw Center for Law and Digital Technologies. Her academic journey includes a PhD in mathematical logic from Tilburg University and Eindhoven University of Technology in 2005, followed by research on formal methods for verifying security protocols and ethics in information technology at Eindhoven University of Technology and Delft University of Technology, respectively. She also studied mathematics and philosophy at Radboud University Nijmegen.
In her new capacity, Professor Dechesne will concentrate on the responsible application of AI within the justice and security domain, with a particular emphasis on the associated legal, ethical, and governance issues. Her research interests encompass ethical, legal, and societal requirements for digital technologies, AI and society, responsible data analysis, cybersecurity, and privacy by design. She has a keen interest in AI applications within law, public safety, tax administration, and education.
Commenting on her appointment, Professor Dechesne stated, ‘My 10 years of research and teaching experience at eLaw in the field of law and digital technology enable me to operate perfectly in the domain of the WODC. The positioning of the chair between the Cognitive Science and AI department and the Tilburg Institute for Law, Technology, and Society (TILT) reflects my interdisciplinary profile.’ She also expressed her sentiment about returning to her alma mater, adding, ‘I find it special to partly return to the university where I defended my dissertation, at the intersection of philosophy in Tilburg and computer science in Eindhoven.’ She hopes her dual roles will foster positive cooperation between Tilburg and Leiden universities.
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Tilburg University colleagues warmly welcomed Professor Dechesne, noting, ‘Her practical experience, combined with her academic career marked by an unmistakable openness to multidisciplinary collaboration, makes her a most welcome colleague who will bring great added value to both the research teams at TSHD and TLS and to the broader research area. We warmly welcome colleague Dechesne and wish her every success!’
