Tim Van Aken is an educational supervisor and AI-expert at Katholiek Onderwijs Vlaanderen, the network organization that unites Catholic schools and educational institutions in Flanders and Brussels. In his role, he supports their network members in the areas of innovation and professionalisation in an international context and partnerships.
Before starting at Katholiek Onderwijs Vlaanderen, Tim obtained an engineering degree in brewing sciences and had a degree in cooking and a level 1 prevention advisor certificate. He started his career in 1998 as a cooking teacher for adults and in 2000 became the director of an adult education center (CVO), where he was involved in mergers that led to the formation of CVO Kisp, one of the larger players in East Flanders and parts of Antwerp.
Tim is involved in various projects and initiatives at Katholiek Onderwijs Vlaanderen (Catholic Education Flanders) within the possibilities of the European ERASMUS+ program. Every year, he is asked by the Flemish ERASMUS+ national agency to provide workshops on creating IMPACT based on change/innovation processes in schools.
As an AI-expert, Tim emphasizes the importance of equal opportunities when using AI in education. He points out that many AI applications have both free and paid versions, with students often opting for the free, but possibly more limited, version because they cannot afford a paid account. This can put equal opportunities under pressure.
