| Position: | Full Professor Head of the XR Lab |
| Affiliation: | HEC-Management School University of Liege |
| Address: | Rue Louvrex, 14 (N1) B4000 Liege Belgium |
| Email: | M.Schyns @ uliege.be |
| Field: | Digital Business |
| Subfields: | Extended Reality, Machine Learning, Operations Research |
Michaël Schyns holds degrees in Computer Science and in Management Sciences. He is a full professor of Digital Business at HEC Liège-Management School of the University of Liège. His main fields of interest are eXtended Reality (XR), Business Analytics, Machine Learning, Operations Research, and new digital technologies for business. He is the head of a research and development lab in eXtended Reality.
Michaël Schyns’ current research focuses on the application of XR within business and society. As Principal Investigator, Michaël leads a team of about 15 people. The core research themes revolve around Intelligent Virtual Agents (IVAs) and workforce training. A unique feature of the lab is its multidisciplinary structure: half of the team consists of researchers, while the other half is composed of specialists trained in leading video game schools. This hybrid expertise enables us to design, develop, and deliver end-to-end, tailor-made advanced solutions entirely in-house. Since founding the lab ten years ago, the team has developed extensive expertise in applied research, fostering numerous national and international partnerships with corporations and educational institutions. The lab develops comprehensive XR solutions, including within the context of Interreg projects such as the "Digital Twin Academy", which created a synchronized digital replica of Liege Airport, and "4VIR-HEALTH," dedicated to healthcare promotion and training. Michaël actively contributes to the European-level strategy on 'Virtual Worlds and Web 4.0' as a representative of Belgium and as a Professor. Additionally, his lab develops XR tools to support the University’s educational strategy, including a flagship application for mastering public speaking.
As a Professor, Michaël places a strong emphasis on education and training. He teaches Digital Business at HEC Liège, covering subjects ranging from IT fundamentals to Machine Learning. He leads the Digital Business specialization, a unique dual-degree program allowing students to earn two Master’s degrees in Management and Computer Science. He currently serves as the President of the Business Engineering Master’s program and was previously the Director of Studies at HEC Liège.
Michaël is deeply involved in institutional governance. In addition to his academic and European roles, he is a member of the Administration board of HEC Liège ("Conseil de l’Ecole") and its Executive School. He previously served an eight-year term on the Board of Directors of the University of Liège and is a past President of the Belgian Operational Research Society.