On 16 July, Djamila Aouada was elected Deputy Director of SnT at the University of Luxembourg. Known for her multidisciplinary research and international experience, Aouada brings a fresh perspective to the centre’s leadership team as she begins her five-year term.
Djamila Aouada brings impressive credentials to her new role. She joined SnT in 2009 as a founding member when it was just a startup team of a dozen researchers. Over the years, she has helped shape its remarkable growth into a leading research centre with 600 staff members. She will work closely with Yves Le Traon, the director of SnT since 2024.
Aouada established herself as a leading researcher in artificial intelligence and machine learning, now heading the Computer Vision, Imaging and Machine Intelligence (CVI2) research group. Her team tackles cutting-edge challenges in image analysis and artificial intelligence, including the timely issue of deepfake detection.
Her journey to this position reflects SnT’s international character. Originally from Algeria, Aouada pursued her engineering studies across continents—from her home country to the United States—before bringing her expertise to Luxembourg. She also gained valuable industry experience as a consultant before transitioning to academia.
Djamila Aouada commented: “Am deeply honored to have been elected Deputy Director of SnT. I am thankful to my colleagues for their trust! Your support means a great deal to me! I would like to express my sincere gratitude to Yves Le Traon for his trust and continued support. Working closely with him and the executive team over the past year has been an invaluable learning experience. I also thank our Rector, Prof. Jens Kreisel, for his confidence in me and for supporting my nomination. My deep appreciation goes also to Björn Ottersten, whose founding vision and leadership have shaped SnT into the world-class research center it is today.”
The new Vice Director also added: “Since joining SnT in its founding year, when we were a team of just about 20 people, I have grown together with the center. My path has taken me from a young researcher to a team leader, to Faculty member, and today to this key role of Deputy Director, while I continue leading the CVI2 research group.
‟ Having witnessed SnT’s transformation over the years, I feel a strong sense of responsibility to help guide its next phase of development.”
Deputy director at SnT
I am committed to fostering a healthy and supportive environment, one that empowers all of us to reach our shared goals of scientific excellence and meaningful impact on the local ecosystem and beyond.”
A cohesive team to drive SnT
Yves Le Traon brings a unique blend of academic and entrepreneurial expertise to his leadership role. A systems engineer trained in France, he joined SnT in 2009 and has been instrumental in shaping the institution’s innovation culture. His entrepreneurial spirit led him to co-found DataThings, a successful University of Luxembourg spin-off that develops advanced AI software for rapid, scalable decision-making. Le Traon served as deputy director from 2021 before stepping into the director role, bringing deep institutional knowledge and a proven track record of bridging research and industry.
Yves Le Traon proposed Aouada for the position in accordance with university statutes that allow center directors to appoint deputies for additional support. He commented “I am delighted with the appointment of Djamila Aouada as Deputy Director of SnT. She has been part of SnT since its very beginning and has played a key role in its development.
‟ Djamila Aouada was the first to lead a research group focused on Artificial Intelligence and Computer Vision”
Director at SnT
This helped shape SnT’s strategy in these areas. Her strong knowledge of our centre and the broader national and European research and industry scene makes her perfect to lead SnT in powering AI innovation ahead.”
SnT is the University of Luxembourg’s research centre for innovative digital technologies. With over hundreds of researchers from around the world, SnT addresses real-world problems in Autonomous Systems, Cybersecurity, FinTech, and Space Systems.
Its Partnership Programme connects fundamental and applied research with industry needs. It collaborates with over 70 global and local partners—from SES and PayPal to Google—creating solutions that benefit both business and society.
SnT’s world-class facilities include specialised labs for robotics, computer vision, and space research, where partners and researchers can experiment with self-driving cars or test lunar technologies. Since 2009, SnT’s researchers have launched multiple spin-offs and built lasting networks across academia and industry.