Eduard Fosch-Villaronga

Principal Investigator

Short biography

Dr. Eduard Fosch-Villaronga Ph.D. LL.M M.A. is Associate Professor and Director of Research at the eLaw Center for Law and Digital Technologies at Leiden University (NL). Eduard is an ERC Laureate and investigates the legal and regulatory aspects of robot and AI technologies.  

Long biography

Dr. Eduard Fosch-Villaronga Ph.D. LL.M M.A. is an Associate Professor and Director of Research at the eLaw Center for Law and Digital Technologies at Leiden University (NL). Eduard is an ERC Laureate who investigates the legal and regulatory aspects of robot and AI technologies, focusing on healthcare, governance, diversity, and privacy. Eduard Fosch-Villaronga is also the PI of eLaw's contribution to the Horizon Europe BIAS Project: Mitigating Diversity Biases of AI in the Labour Market. In 2023, Eduard received the EU Safety Product Gold Award for his contribution to making robots safer by including diversity considerations. Eduard is part of the Royal Netherlands Standardization Institute (NEN) as an expert and the International Standard Organization (ISO) as a committee member in the ISO/TC 299/WG 2 laying down Safety Requirements for Service Robots (ISO/CD 13482), and is member of the Member of the Working Group on Consumer Product Safety at the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNACTD). 

Eduard Fosch-Villaronga was assistant professor at eLaw during 2021-2022. During this time, Eduard was the Principal Investigator of PROPELLING (2021-2022), an FSTP from the H2020 Eurobench project, a project using robot testing zones to support evidence-based robot policies. He is also the co-leader of the Gendering Algorithms project, an interdisciplinary pilot project exploring the functioning, effects, and governance policies of AI-based gender classification systems. In 2021, he was the PI of LIAISON, an FSTP from the H2020 COVR project that aims to link robot development and policymaking to reduce the complexity of robot legal compliance. Eduard was also the co-leader of the Ethical, Legal, and Societal Aspects Working Group at the H2020 Cost Action 16116 on Wearable Robots and currently participates actively in the Social Responsibility Working Group at the H2020 Cost Action 19121 GoodBrother. In 2020 and 2022, Eduard served the European Commission in the Sub-Group on Artificial Intelligence (AI), connected products, and other new challenges in product safety to the Consumer Safety Network (CSN) to revise the General Product Safety Directive.

Eduard co-edited the book Law and Artificial Intelligence together with Prof. Bart Custers, co-wrote the book AI for Healthcare Robotics with Hadassah Drukarch and published it with CRC Press; and wrote the book Robots, Healthcare, and the Law. Regulating Automation in Personal Care with Routledge and is interested in human-robot interaction, responsible innovation, and the future of law.

Previously, he was the recipient of a personal Marie Skłodowska-Curie Postdoctoral Researcher under the COFUND LEaDing Fellows at the eLaw Center for Law and Digital Technologies at Leiden University (NL) (Jan 2019-Dec 2020). He also was a postdoc at the Microsoft Cloud Computing Research Center at Queen Mary University of London (the UK, 2018) investigating the legal implications of cloud robotics and at the University of Twente (NL, 2017) as a postdoc, exploring iterative regulatory modes for robot governance. Eduard Fosch-Villaronga holds an Erasmus Mundus Joint Doctorate (EMJD) in Law, Science, and Technology coordinated by the University of Bologna (IT, 2017), an LL.M. from the University of Toulouse (FR, 2012), an MA from the Autonomous University of Madrid (ES), and an LL.B. from the Autonomous University of Barcelona (CAT, 2011). Eduard is also a qualified lawyer in Spain, fluent in Catalan, Spanish, English, Italian, and French, and his publications are available online. 

Antoni Mut Piña

Postdoctoral Researcher

Short biography

Antoni Mut Piña is a postdoctoral researcher at the eLaw Center for Law and Digital Technologies at Leiden University, where he contributes to the ERC StG Safe and Sound on science for robot policy. 

Long biography

Antoni Mut Piña is a postdoctoral researcher at the eLaw Center for Law and Digital Technologies at Leiden University, where he contributes to the ERC StG Safe and Sound on science for robot policy. Antoni is part of the Royal Netherlands Standardization Institute (NEN) as an observer and the International Standard Organization (ISO) in the ISO/TC 299/WG 2 laying down Safety Requirements for Service Robots (ISO/CD 13482). In Antoni completed his doctoral studies at the University of Barcelona in the Department of Private Law, where his research focuses on empirical legal analysis, exploring consumer behavior and the impact of regulatory policies through advanced data analysis techniques such as statistical modeling and econometrics. He holds bachelor's degrees in Law and Business Administration from the University of Barcelona, a master's in Political Analysis, and training in Applied Data Science. Antoni has contributed to research projects such as "Consumer, Vulnerability, and Sustainable Housing," funded by the Spanish Ministry of Science and Innovation. He has published work on consumer vulnerability and its intersection with financial market regulation. His academic contributions have been presented at various international conferences, and he has received scholarships to conduct his research, including a Pre-doctoral Research Grant from the Spanish State Research Agency (FPI).

Mohammed Raiz Shaffique

Ph.D. Candidate

Short biography

Mohammed Raiz Shaffique is a Researcher and PhD candidate at eLaw - Center for Law and Digital Technologies. He is conducting research on Age Assurance and Online Child Safety, as part of the Better Internet for Kids+ initiative of the European Union. He is doing his PhD on Law and Robotics (Physical Assistant Robots) as part of the ERC StG SAFE & Sound project.

Long biography

Mohammed Raiz Shaffique is a Researcher and PhD candidate at eLaw - Center for Law and Digital Technologies. He is conducting research on Age Assurance and Online Child Safety, as part of the Better Internet for Kids+ initiative of the European Union. He is doing his PhD on Law and Robotics (Physical Assistant Robots) as part of the ERC StG SAFE & Sound project. As part of his PhD, he is analysing how data relevant for policy decisions can be generated through testing of physical assistant robots in robot testing zones, in order to address gaps and dissonances associated with regulations governing such robots.

Prior to working in Leiden University, Raiz was a student of the Advanced Master in Law and Digital Technologies (2022-23) at the University, which program he graduated as Summa Cum Laude and Valedictorian (1st in Class). He wrote his Master's Thesis on the Cyber Resilience Act Proposal of the EU and how it addresses cybersecurity of IoT devices.

Raiz is an India qualified Lawyer with 6 years of professional experience. His areas of expertise include Cyber Law compliance, White-Collar Crimes and Dispute Resolution. He has also co-authored a book titled ‘White-Collar Crimes in India: Contemporary Issues and Complexities’, which was published by Thomson Reuters in July 2021.

Marie Schwed Shenker

Ph.D. Candidate

Short biography

Marie Schwed Shenker M.A. is a PhD candidate at eLaw – Center for Law and Digital Technologies. She is conducting research on Law and Robotics (Social Assistive Robots) as part of the ERC StG SAFE & Sound project.

Long biography

Marie Schwed Shenker M.A. is a PhD candidate at eLaw – Center for Law and Digital Technologies.
She is conducting research on Law and Robotics (Social Assistive Robots) as part of the ERC StG SAFE & Sound project.

Preceding her position at Leiden University, Marie pursued academic endeavors at the Hebrew University in Jerusalem, focusing on Practical Criminology. Her Master Thesis delved into an examination of stereotypes portraying female prisoners in television and exploring the role of language in fostering radicalization within groups. Furthermore, Marie earned her degree from Tel Aviv University, specializing in Sociology and Anthropology. Her qualitative research at this institution encompassed an investigation into ethical considerations within MDA (Magen David Adom) Youth Volunteering, as well as an exploration of generational disparities in contemporary Japan.