Preface
This journey has been long and arduous, but I have finally reached an end. At
this end, I have a thesis that I am proud of, and I have learned a lot. As I look
back, I have been very fortunate to have had the support of many people, and I
would like to take this opportunity to thank them.
First and foremost, I would like to thank my supervisors, Sien and Matthew,
for their guidance and support throughout this journey. Sien has taught me
the importance of being thorough and meticulous, striving for diligence and
perfection from the get-go. I still remember how patiently she helped me with
my first paper, holding a Sunday afternoon call from her attic/home-office,
helping me hone the presentation and writing. Involving Matthew as the cosupervisor has been the best decision for my personal development, as he offered
a different perspective on my work, always challenging me to look at problems
from the lens of statistical theory and machine learning fundamentals. My
knee-jerk reaction to start implementing things as soon as possible was often
met with a “slow down, think about it first” from Matthew, which has been
invaluable in my development as a researcher. I am grateful to both of them
for their patience and understanding, and for giving me the freedom to explore
my own ideas and interests.
Next, a sincere thanks to my jury members, for taking the time to read my
thesis and for their valuable feedback. Furthermore, I would like to thank
het Vlaams Agentschap Innoveren & Ondernemen (VLAIO) for awarding the
Baekeland grant without which this PhD would not have been possible.
Pol & Bertrand, thanks for having me contribute to your dream to rid the
world of boring administrative processes and paperwork. Technically my bosses,
but in reality you are the embodiment of leadership by example, and I am
grateful for the many lessons I have learned from you. I am grateful for the
many opportunities you have given me to grow as a researcher and as a person.
Many thanks to my past and present colleagues at Contract.fit, for always

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