What Does It Mean to Be a Researcher-in-Residence in EdTech?
By Natalia Kucirkova, Director of the International Centre for EdTech Impact
Reflections on Being a Researcher-in-Residence at the Belgium EdTech Station
A Researcher-in-Residence collaborates closely with organizations to apply academic expertise to real-world challenges, typically through research-driven insights and strategic support. While the structure and focus of research residencies vary, an EdTech research residence experience can support EdTech companies in building a strong evidence base, foster collaboration, and enhance product development. Here, I share some reflections on this role and its broader significance, drawing on my time as a Researcher-in-Residence at the Belgium EdTech Station.
Supporting the research base of EdTech companies
One of my key roles at Belgium EdTech Station is supporting companies in capacity-building around evidence generation. Many EdTech founders recognize the importance of demonstrating the impact of their products, but they often struggle with how to build a portfolio of evidence that is meaningful to investors, schools, and policymakers. My approach emphasizes the need for diverse research methods depending on the company's stage and evaluation needs. Early-stage companies, for instance, benefit from exploratory case studies and user feedback, while more mature products require rigorous trials and long-term impact assessments.
Research should not just be effectively conducted but also communicated. I guide companies on how to leverage international certifications to communicate their research credibility to schools and decision-makers. In an increasingly evidence-driven edtech market, this transparency can make the difference between an investor’s or policy-maker’s selection of the tool.
My tasks as a researcher in residence therefore include providing support, examples and connections relevant to effective research and its communication, through a series of workshops and mentoring sessions with the local EdTech companies.
Kortrijk, February, 2025
EdTech Station Belgium serves as a dynamic hub that bridges the gap between innovative edtech companies and academic institutions. Located in Kortrijk, it provides a unique ecosystem where edtech companies, researchers, and educational institutions collaborate to drive innovation in education. The station supports early-stage companies by offering a range of services, including mentorship, capacity-building, networking opportunities, and access to research expertise. Through its close connections with KU Leuven and other academic institutions, EdTech Station bridges the gap between academic research and practical applications, helping edtech startups build evidence-based solutions that can scale and make a lasting impact on education.
Photo: Natalia Kucirkova (ICEI Director) with Thomas Van Cauwenberghe (Station Chief) and Annelies Volckaert (Research and innovation)
Working Hand-in-Hand with the University
What sets Belgium EdTech Station apart is its close collaboration with the KU Leuven University and its imec research group. This group specializes in educational technology, focusing on the design, development, and assessment of digital tools for personalized and collaborative learning. Its interdisciplinary work spans instructional psychology, learning analytics, machine learning, and language technology. While its primary focus is technology-enhanced education and training, its research also extends to media and healthcare applications. Similarly to edtech station philosophy, high-quality, research-based design is key to inform the learning behind all technologies. Edtech is thus a vertical running across also health tech and fintech.
For me, this residency is a natural continuation of my academic work with various organizations, and I am particularly excited to deepen my collaboration with KU Leuven’s projects on digital personalized learning. These partnerships ensure that research does not stay in academic journals but is actively shaping the future of education.
A Model for Academia-Industry Partnerships
It is rare to see such strong academic-industry partnerships in EdTech as in Belgium. The partnerships provide invaluable opportunities for both companies and researchers. This model allows for cutting-edge research to powerfully inform product development while giving academics a front-row seat to the realities of edtech innovation. Other national edtech organizations would greatly benefit from fostering similar collaborations and I hope to see more initiatives like this emerge globally.