The Eindhoven university professor feels extremely honored to receive this award, but his feelings are also mixed. “The award is coupled to a chair and the condition is that you accept that position in Germany. This means that I will probably leave TU/e as of January 1st, 2018, but the formal negotiation process still has to take place,” says the professor of Information Systems.

An Alexander von Humboldt Professorship is intended to draw eminent scientists to Germany. Van der Aalst was nominated by RWTH Aachen University. Every German university can propose a number of eminent scientists and in each round three to five awards are granted. “At the end of last year they asked me whether I thought it was a good idea that they nominate me for the award. In addition, RWTH has created a special chair of Process & Data Science, with extra resources and positions,” says Van der Aalst. "This is precisely in line with my ambitions: doing research. Everything is already in place, all I need to do is say 'yes'."

While the 51-year-old university professor feels it is a pity that he has to leave TU/e, he sees the professorship as a “fantastic opportunity. RWTH is a really leading university and particularly strong in computer science. It is one of the few ‘Exzellenz/Elite Universities’. RWTH Computer Science is particularly strong - it is one of Germany's top three. And they are keen to invest in data science.”

Brain drain

He finds it regrettable that in the Netherlands more resources are not available to professors to fund their research. “This makes it difficult to conduct top-flight research in the Netherlands.” Van der Aalst stresses that “TU/e is and remains my alma mater and has given me terrific opportunities by appointing me at a young age to the posts of assistant professor, associate professor and, ultimately, professor. Similarly, I have greatly appreciated my appointment as Distinguished University Professor and the creation of the Data Science Center Eindhoven (DSC/e) around me. Most people today have warmly congratulated me, and then observed that it is a brain drain for TU/e.”

Even though he already has clear ideas about what he wants to work on in Germany, his priorities currently lie elsewhere. “If I leave Eindhoven, I don't want my transfer to leave anyone in the lurch. At the moment my main concern is to get everything well organized for my coworkers and PhD candidates.”

Rector Magnificus Frank Baaijens has expressed his pride at seeing the allocation of “this exceptional award to our professor. For years now he has been among the absolute elite in data science and now he is receiving the highest German science award. Accepting this award does mean, however, that his primary appointment must be at RWTH in Aachen. We are still in discussion with him about how he will remain involved at TU/e. We deeply regret that we will soon see another eminent scientist go abroad.” Previously Maaike Kroon left for Abu Dhabi.

Van der Aalst is one of the most frequently cited researchers in the field of computer science and electrical engineering. He is the only Dutch researcher ranked among the top 250 (in fourteenth position).