🎙️ Episode 1: Combining Excellence and Kindness

A conversation with Yves Moreau

When I first started dreaming about launching a podcast,

I wasn’t entirely sure what I was doing.

Would it work?

Would I find my voice as a host?

Would it matter?

But one thing I knew with absolute clarity:

My very first guest would be Yves Moreau.

Yves is a professor in electrical engineering at KU Leuven.

He’s internationally known for his work in artificial intelligence and for his powerful voice in the ethics of data.

But beyond all that, Yves is someone I’ve admired for years — not just for his brilliance, but for the way he combines intellectual clarity with integrity, and excellence with kindness.

Starting from your talents — and collaborating to grow your impact

One of the most meaningful parts of our conversation was about how change begins — not from trying to do everything, but from starting with your own unique talents.

Yves shared how one of his core strengths is his ability to formulate a clear vision on complex societal issues.

That’s where he begins.

But he also knows he cannot — and should not — do everything alone.

He’s honest about the fact that his energy isn’t infinite.

That his impact grows when he works with others who bring different strengths, different forms of energy, and complementary ways of working.

In his words, it’s not about “trying to fix the whole world yourself,” but about finding your place in the bigger picture — and using your voice where it matters most.

The permission to reflect

Another theme we explored was something I care deeply about:

the right — and the responsibility — to reflect.

Too often, we still hear the old story: “Engineers should just solve problems.

Stick to the numbers.

Don’t ask too many ethical questions.”

That culture — what Yves describes as “shut up and compute” — can silence some of the most important conversations we need to have.

But Yves makes a compelling case that engineers, scientists, and citizens alike need to go deeper.To ask:

• What problem are we solving?

• Why this problem?

• What is the world we want to build with this technology?

• And who gets to decide that?

These are big questions.

And asking them can feel overwhelming.

But Yves reminds us that it all starts with permission — the simple, radical act of allowing ourselves to think critically and ethically about the future.

A message I’ll never forget

At the end of the episode, I asked Yves a personal question:“What advice would you give me?”

He paused. Thought about it. And then he said:

“You are enough.”

I wasn’t expecting it.

And yet…

it landed right where I needed it to.

Because lately, that’s the exact sentence I’ve been whispering to myself

—over and over, like a quiet mantra.

To hear those same words, unprompted, from someone I admire so deeply

—was more than moving.

It felt like a kind of alignment.

And so, I offer the same words to you.

Whether you’re just starting your journey,

or right in the middle of it…

Whether you feel confident or uncertain…

Whether you’re overflowing with purpose or still searching…

You are enough.

🎧 Listen to the episode

I’m deeply honoured to launch The World of Liesbet with Yves Moreau.

This episode is a reflection on technology, ethics, energy, impact — and what it takes to grow into your role as an agent of change.

🔗 Listen now on Spotify: link

🌐 Learn more about Yves: www.yvesmoreau.net

If the episode resonated with you,

I’d love for you to share it,

follow the podcast,

or reach out to me via liesbetmpeeters.be.

Because the world doesn’t need more noise.

It needs more people who are willing to care — and to act from the inside out.

Thanks for being here.

– Liesbet