Faculty of Science knows who the new dean will be

Hanjalic (54) was born in Sarajevo. He studied electrical engineering in Germany and obtained his PhD from Delft University of Technology in 1999.

The new dean of science made a name for himself with his research into AI technology for analysing and searching multimedia data, such as video and images. In 2012, he was appointed Antoni van Leeuwenhoek Professor, a privileged position with which Delft University rewards the greatest research talents.

In Delft, Hanjalic founded the renowned Delft Multimedia Information Retrieval Lab. This later grew into the Multimedia Computing section within the Intelligent Systems department. Hanjalic has headed that department for the past eight years.

More recently, Hanjalic's interest has shifted to research into leadership qualities within the academic world. His aim is to contribute to socially safe and “value-driven” academic environments that should be a breeding ground for strong scientific research with social impact, according to his profile page at TU Delft.

He elaborates on this in posts on LinkedIn, emphasising the importance of “transformational leadership” at universities. The idea is that leaders with a strong vision inspire team members and create a culture of innovation.

Great honour
“I consider it a great honour to become dean of this wonderful faculty,” said Hanjalic in a UU press release. "The Utrecht Faculty of Science is a leader both academically and socially, and I look forward to contributing to that as dean."

Hans Brug, chair of the Executive Board, is delighted with Hanjalic's appointment, he said in the same press release. "With Alan, our Faculty of Science will have a new dean focused on academic leadership as the foundation for achieving impact in education, research and society."