Peter Wennink (former CEO of ASML) - Panel Discussion on "The Role of Education in a Time of Rapid AI Change" | AISO Opening Night 2026/27

AISO is pleased to announce that Peter Wennink, former CEO of ASML, joins for the opening of the 2026/27 academic year.
On September 8, we open the academic year with a panel discussion, "The role of education in a time of rapid AI change," bringing Peter Wennink into conversation with students and university representatives.
Why does this matter now?
In September 2025, the demissionary cabinet of Prime Minister Schoof asked Wennink for an independent advisory report on the Netherlands' future earning capacity. His report, "The Road to Future Prosperity" presented in December 2025, is the Dutch adaptation of the Draghi Report. It calls for large scale investment now to protect prosperity and competitiveness.
That sets the direction, but does not answer all of the important questions: how do we develop the talent that can apply technological breakthroughs and transform society and the economy? The government's new Talent Strategy sets ambitious goals here, and students are not just the talent being prepared for that future, but are increasingly shaping it themselves through initiatives, entrepreneurship, and industry collaboration.
AISO, the Netherlands' leading AI student society, is one such initiative. On September 8, we bring these questions to Roeterseilandcampus and invite Peter Wennink to test his call for talent development against a student perspective, joined by a panel of university and student representatives.
The discussion will explore questions that sit at the heart of the Netherlands' talent challenge. Should technical education be the priority, or does AI need to become part of every faculty? What happens to students' freedom of study choice when education becomes increasingly demand-driven? And how does internationalisation affect the Netherlands' ability to adopt and apply new technologies?
Rather than simply asking what the Netherlands needs from its students, the evening asks a more fundamental question: what kind of environment and support do st