Joris De Schutter received the M.Sc. degree in mechanical engineering from KU Leuven, Belgium, in 1980, the M.Sc. degree from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, in 1981, and the Ph.D. degree in mechanical engineering, also from KU Leuven, in 1986. Following work as a control systems engineer in industry, in 1986, he became a Lecturer in the Department of Mechanical Engineering, KU Leuven, where he has been a Full Professor since 1995. He teaches courses in kinematics and dynamics of machinery, control, robotics and optimization.

His research interests include sensor-based robot control and programming, multi-sensor fusion and estimation for model building, motion control and optimization of mechanical and mechatronic drive systems, and human motion modeling.