Professor Hoorn’s academic success began with a Burgen Scholarship from the Academia Europaea in 2001, awarded in recognition of his excellent academic achievements. He holds two Ph.D. degrees, the first in General and Comparative Literature concerning psychophysiological processing of literary metaphor in the brain (1996), and the second in Computing about the dynamics of change in large information systems (2006).
Professor Hoorn’s expertise in social robotics is well-recognised, as demonstrated by his receipt of the prestigious Huibregtsen Prize in 2020, bestowed by the Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences (KNAW). His work in scientific outreach was recognised with his receiving the Eureka Award from The Netherlands Organisation for Scientific Research in 2015 for the documentary
Alice Cares, which demonstrated Professor Hoorn’s ability to bridge the gap between complex scientific concepts and public understanding. In addition, KNAW awarded him the Pilot Science Appreciated Award in 2021 for his unceasing efforts to engage the public in scientific advancements. Professor Hoorn was also invited as a ‘luminary’ by the Dutch Royal House for lunch with the King and Queen of The Netherlands in 2021. Examples of his work have been showcased in the Museum Boijmans Van Beuningen (2015), Rijksmuseum Boerhaave (2022) and the Victoria & Albert Museum (2024).
Foundational to his current work are two monographs he wrote in 2010-2011 as a Lorentz Fellow, which solidified his reputation as a thought leader. Through his visionary leadership and ground-breaking research, Professor Hoorn continues to inspire and shape the future of AI, robotics and societal impact, making significant strides in enhancing human interaction with technology while improving people’s well-being.
Professor Hoorn also is a poet, painter and a draftsman.
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