UNWE hosted the first international doctoral conference ENGAGE.EU - Building FAIR AI: Combating Algorithmic Bias for Inclusive Innovation in Europe
The University of National and World Economy hosted the first international doctoral conference of ENGAGE.EU – Building Fair AI: Combatting Algorithmic Bias for Inclusive Innovation in Europe, organized by a team of five doctoral students from partner universities in the European alliance.
The event brought together young researchers from several European universities, who discussed the impact of artificial intelligence on the economy, society and institutional systems. The conference was opened by the Rector of the UNWE, Prof. Dr. Dimitar Dimitrov, who is the Chairman of the Governing Board of the European Alliance ENGAGE.EU. A special guest was H.E. Marie Dumoulin, Ambassador of France to Bulgaria. Official guests were Assoc. Prof. Dr. Miroslav Dimitrov, Dean of the Faculty of Law, Prof. Dr. Nadya Mironova, Dean of the Faculty of Management and Administration, and Céline Branqui, Attaché for Institutional Cooperation at the French Institute in Bulgaria. The forum was moderated by journalist Viktoria Petrova.
The conference focused on the fair and responsible application of AI technologies, the role of innovation and building trust in digital solutions, in the context of sustainable development.
The organizers of from the UNWE’s side are Adriyan Dinev, doctoral student from the Department of Marketing and Strategic Planning, Tsvetanka Paunova, doctoral student in the Department of Private Law, Miroslav Mihaylov, doctoral student in the Department of Regional Development and their fellow doctoral students Nohaila El Mouden Jaadouni (ESADE/Ramon Llull University, Spain) and Bernard Al Osta (Université Toulouse Capitole, France).
“The conference, initiated by PhD students from Bulgaria, Spain and France, is the result of international academic cooperation between several European universities within the framework of the ENGAGE.EU alliance and aims to build a bridge between scientific research and practical applications through an interdisciplinary approach, uniting researchers and young professionals from fields such as law, marketing and public administration,” said Victoria Petrova in her introductory address.
“The current conference, dedicated to artificial intelligence, fair regulations and its responsible use, is an excellent example of how European universities can work together, guided by common values. That is why we have gathered here representatives of different national academic communities, prominent scientists and colleagues from different institutions. I am convinced that this will create an excellent basis for future projects and joint initiatives in science and education,” said the Rector, Prof. Dr. Dimitar Dimitrov, and added: “Our university is an ideal platform for such initiatives, including in the field of artificial intelligence. Last year, we established an Institute for Artificial Intelligence in Economics, we are developing master’s programs and numerous disciplines related to AI. We also have a large AI-based data centre, which allows for even greater synergy with ENGAGE.EU partners.” The Rector concluded with the words: “Use all channels – websites, social networks, media. Within our alliance, we are constantly looking for ways to have real societal impact, because the public needs to know what is happening and what results we are achieving.”
“I would like to express my support for this conference, organized by young researchers from three European universities, including the University of Toulouse, and to extend my warmest congratulations to this remarkable team. Doctoral studies are not only a period of mastering scientific methods and acquiring knowledge, but it is also a unique opportunity to learn to work in a team, to create contacts, to organize events and to take on responsibilities that shape our academic and professional maturity. Events such as this conference are essential not only for maintaining a living science, but also for the effective communication of scientific discoveries. It would be a mistake to consider that the organizational and human aspects of scientific work are secondary; on the contrary, they are at the very heart of scientific life and are key to the development of every young scientist,” said H.E. Marie Dumoulin, Ambassador of France to Bulgaria.
The thematic panels on the first day included various topics, such as “Intellectual Property and Copyright in the Context of Artificial Intelligence”, with the participation of Prof. Dr. Zhivko Draganov, PhD student Tsvetanka Paunova and Asst. Prof. Dr. Antitsa Geneva – “AI-mediated shopping and changes in consumer behaviour caused by generative artificial intelligence”, with the participation of Assoc. Prof. Dr. Elena Kostadinova and PhD student Adriyan Dinev. The third panel was led by Asst. Prof. Dr. Krasimir Petkov, who presented the project Digital Citizenship Education – Learn, Connect, Engage, Thrive, dedicated to the ethical aspects of new technologies. The fourth panel, organized by PhD student Miroslav Mihaylov and Prof. Dr. Frederic Santamaria (Université Grenoble Alpes), focused on regional development and innovation through examples of successful practices from France.
On the second day, a discussion was held on SDG 16 and the equitable application of artificial intelligence, led by PhD student Nohaila El Mouden Jaadouni, with the participation of David Falcon, Asst. Dr. Antitsa Geneva and Tsvetanka Paunova, discussing the ethical and social dimensions of AI. The final panel, with the participation of representatives of AI Cluster Bulgaria, focused on the practical aspects of implementing artificial intelligence in business and society, with examples from the IT sector and medicine. Within the framework of the program, participants presented short scientific presentations related to the Sustainable Development Goals SDG 9 and SDG 16.
