The event “UK-Italy Exchange of Researchers in Trustworthy AI. A Blueprint for Future Collaboration?” will take place on Thursday, November 21 in Rome, at the British Embassy. The meeting aims to take stock of the “Trustworthy AI” short-term exchange programme, promoted by FAIR and the Alan Turing Institute, one year after the launch of researcher mobility between Italy and the United Kingdom.
The Italy–UK Short Stay Exchange Program for Researchers
FAIR – Future Artificial Intelligence Research, together with the Alan Turing Institute in London and in collaboration with the Science and Innovation Network (SIN) and the CINI Laboratory on Artificial Intelligence and Intelligent Systems, launched in spring 2023 the “Trustworthy AI – Short Stay Exchange Program for Researchers Italy–UK”, with the goal of strengthening international collaboration and fostering scientific dialogue between the two countries.
The programme held its first operational meeting in March 2023 among representatives of the participating institutions and was later officially presented during the third edition of Ital-IA, the national conference organized by CINI AIIS Lab in June 2023. The event featured contributions from Giuseppe De Pietro, President of the FAIR Foundation, and Allaine Cerwonka, Director of Turing International and Associate Director of AI for Science.
The TAI ShortStay programme represents the first scientific initiative born from the Bilateral Cooperation Agreement signed on April 27, 2023 in London by Prime Ministers Rishi Sunak and Giorgia Meloni. Beyond fostering internationalisation and collaboration, the initiative aims to promote technology transfer to address shared societal and industrial challenges.
Researchers involved in the programme
The exchange programme included the following FAIR researchers:
Andrea Galassi (RTD-A)
Host institution: City, University of London
Home institution: University of Bologna
Simone Formentin (Associate Professor)
Host institution: Imperial College London
Home institution: Politecnico di Milano
Andrea Brunello (Assistant Professor – tenure-track)
Host institution: University of Cambridge
Home institution: University of Udine
Michela Gravina (RTD-A)
Host institution: University College London (UCL) – Department of Computer Science
Home institution: University of Naples Federico II
Benedetta Flammini (PhD)
Host institution: Oxford Robotics Institute
Home institution: Politecnico di Milano
Sara Mongile (PhD)
Host institution: Heriot-Watt University and National Robotarium
Home institution: University of Genoa and Italian Institute of Technology (IIT)
Federico Ruggeri (Post-doc)
Host institution: Alan Turing Institute (ATI)
Home institution: University of Bologna
Federico Carmelo La Vattiata (Research Fellow)
Host institution: University College London (UCL), Department of Security and Crime Science
Home institution: University of Catania
Programme of the November 21 event
14:30 | Registration
15:00 | Welcome
15:05 | UK-IT Trustworthy AI Exchange of Researchers – The Story (so far)
Alessandra Ferraris, Head of Science and Innovation, British Embassy Rome
15:15 | Session 1 – Research Collaboration
Case studies – Life Sciences
Charles Harris, University of Cambridge with Sapienza University of Rome
Michela Gravina, University of Naples Federico II with University College London
Alex Cucco, Imperial College with University of Chieti
Panel discussion: impact, funding gaps, skills development
Allaine Cerwonka, Alan Turing Institute
Marco Conti, President of the Scientific Committee, FAIR Foundation, and researchers
Case studies – Machine Learning Applications
Sathiskumar Anusuya Ponnusami, City University London with Politecnico di Milano
Andrea Galassi, University of Bologna with University of London
16:15–16:45 | Coffee Break
16:45 | Session 1 (continued)
Panel discussion: Horizon Europe, tech transfer and innovation
Anna Freni Sterrantino, Alan Turing Institute
Rita Cucchiara, FAIR Foundation (tbc), and researchers
17:15 | Session 2 – The Future of AI Cooperation: Priorities, Investments and Opportunities
Alessia Acquaro, DSIT (UK)
Representative (tbc), Ministry of University and Research (Italy)
Panel discussion: joint priorities, support for cooperation and exchanges
Alessia Acquaro, DSIT
Allaine Cerwonka, Alan Turing Institute
Giuseppe De Pietro, FAIR Foundation
Conclusions
18:00–20:00 | Cocktail reception