Faculty Spotlight: Sebastian Veldman

Students rave about Sebastian Veldman’s courses that are taught in IE School of Science and Technology. Veldman bring his expertise as the XR Employee Experience & Productivity Global Lead at Accenture to the classroom. He also brings the full virtual reality experience to the students with imagination and enthusiasm. Veldman, who teaches in the Master in Business Analytics and Business Data and other programs, holds a Master’s in Business Communication and Digital Media. In 2019, he won the Webby Award for Best Use of Augmented Reality, with KLM Engineering & Maintenance and Microsoft HoloLens.

Get to know one of the Sci-Tech School’s top thought leaders.

What brought you to IE? Where were you before? And what keeps you here?

My partner is an IE Alumni, so I was very aware of IE’s innovative spirit, and I enjoyed seeing how they were pushing innovative technologies like VR into education. By October 2022, Vice Dean Guillermo de Haro Rodriguez, approached me to gauge my interest to start teaching at IE. I will never forget my partner’s face when I asked her if I should go for it.  She was so excited for me, and so I went and started my first-ever teaching experience. Besides IE, I also work full-time for Accenture, and thanks to the great support of Guillermo and IE, I managed to find a way to teach in my own personal time, whilst I continue to grow my career at Accenture. Looking back at 1 year of teaching at IE, I must say I am absolutely thrilled about all the things that my students and I have accomplished together. IE has opened the doors for me to apply the most innovative XR solutions to my teaching, which makes my journey at IE a truly inspiring and exciting learning journey. The energy and creativity that my students have shared with me, has pushed to continuously raise the bar on how to embed innovation technologies into the learning journey of students from all around the world.

Where do you work outside of IE and what is most exciting to you about this role in your professional career?

In my role at Accenture as Employee Experience and Productivity Global Lead, my mission is to incubate and scale solutions that enhance the worker experience. I deploy cutting-edge technologies, inspire clients and partners with thought leadership, and collaborate with industry teams to realize value at scale. The most exciting thing about my role at Accenture is that there truly is no limit to which industry or client we could be doing business with. If I take a look back at the last 5 years, I am proud to say that I have worked with the most innovative technology partners and diverse set of clients, ranging from designing the most exciting sports entertainment experiences to exploring the potential of doing business in space.

Have you ever had an a-ha moment while teaching that furthered your research? What was it?

I have witnessed in my classes the excitement and energy that innovative technologies like Virtual Reality are bringing to my students. Their engagement in class is amazing, I enjoy the lively dialogue with students. I am committed to making sure that the technology in my sessions is positioned in a way that enables my students to provoke their curiosity, share creative ideas and identify potential business opportunities.

What book do you wish your students would read before taking your class and why?

Matthew Ball's book, The Metaverse: and how it will revolutionize everything, delves into the profound concept of a digital universe where people can interact, create, and explore. Matthew offers a comprehensive analysis of the current state of the technologic, societal and business advances of the metaverse. The book explores the historical evolution of virtual worlds, the emerging technologies enabling the metaverse, and the far-reaching consequences it may have on society, entertainment, and the economy. A must read for students who will be taking part in my classes! 

Please name one of your articles or studies you feel addresses the most important issues for 2023? 

Accenture recently published two essential reports on the metaverse that shed light on its transformative potential and challenges, backed by the research of the World Economic Forum. 

The first report “Privacy and Safety in the Metaverse" - gives a comprehensive look at how we can safeguard user data, mitigate risks, and foster a secure digital environment in this immersive realm. The second report “Social Implications of the Metaverse" explores the profound impact of this new frontier on society, from economic opportunities to social dynamics. 

Whose research of your IE colleagues do you find interesting? Why?

I enjoy experiencing the bold push that IE is making with embedding AI into educational practices. With a clear lens on responsibility, I truly can feel the innovative spirit of the university, exploring uncharted terrain, and finding new impactful ways to elevate the learning journey of teachers and students. I enjoy following the updates from our dean, Ikhlaq Sidhu, his vision for bringing emerging technologies closer to education is truly inspiring, and motivates me to push the boundaries of my teaching.

Tell us one personal thing about yourself that none of your students know. A hobby, sport or talent? Strange fact? Unusual interest?

I am a big fan of electronic music and I used to DJ and organize music events together with my best friend while I was living in The Netherlands. Who knows, I might throw a party at IE one day!