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  • Collaboration Circle: Transversal Skills and AI in Recruiter–Candidate–Recruitment Facilitator Relations

Collaboration Circle: Transversal Skills and AI in Recruiter–Candidate–Recruitment Facilitator Relations

Dates

  • Session 1: 31 March, 12:30–14:00 (CET)
  • Session 2: 7 April, 12:30–14:00 (CET)
  • Session 3: 14 April, 12:30–14:00 (CET)

Format: Online – Three interactive sessions

Language: English

Host university: UT Capitole, in collaboration with the Municipality of Toulouse

Application deadline: 10 March 2026

What is a Collaboration Circle?

Collaboration Circles are streamlined, three-session online workshop series designed to foster collaboration between university stakeholders (researchers, lecturers, administrative staff, students) and external partners.

Each Collaboration Circle is thematically focused to ensure targeted and relevant discussions around a shared societal challenge (e.g. labour markets, climate adaptation, housing, student life).

The primary objective of the Collaboration Circle format is to identify and formulate relevant research questions through a robust and collective problem definition process. By investing time in accurately defining problems, participants help ensure that subsequent research and innovation activities are well-targeted, impactful, and grounded in real needs.

Thematic Focus: Transversal Skills and AI Recruiter—Candidate—Recruitment Facilitator Relations

This edition of the ENGAGE.EU Collaboration Circle, hosted by UT Capitole and in close collaboration with the Municipality of Toulouse, will collectively explore how artificial intelligence is rapidly transforming recruitment processes, reshaping how recruiters, candidates, and recruitment facilitators interacts, make decisions, and assess skills. Specific questions to be discussed include but are not limited to:

  • What concrete challenges do recruiters, candidates, and mediators face in AI-supported recruitment processes? What consequences does each of these groups face?
  • Where do expectations, practices, and constraints diverge across roles?
  • Which transversal skills are critical for maintaining relational quality and human agency in AI-mediated labour markets? Which transversal skills appear to be relevant across sectors of activity?
  • How and under which conditions can AI be positioned as a support to human decision-making rather than a source of exclusion or mistrust? How can a meaningful role for humans be ensured in the relationship between candidates and companies?

This Collaboration Circle offers participants the opportunity to:

  • Contribute directly to the definition of concrete, practice-oriented research problems.
  • Shape future research and co-creation agendas at the intersection of AI, labour markets, and transversal skills.
  • Engage in structured dialogue with academic and non-academic stakeholders facing similar challenges from different perspectives.
  • Build connections that may lead to follow-up collaboration, including participation in other ENGAGE.EU Labs formats.

No advanced technical expertise in AI is required. The focus is on experience, practice, and problem definition, rather than on technical expertise.

Objectives and Expected Outcomes

By the end of the three sessions, participants will have:

  • Developed a shared understanding of key needs and challenges related to AI in recruitment.
  • Mapped existing resources, competencies, and practices across academic and partner organisations.
  • Co-defined a set of well-formulated, prioritised research questions grounded in real-world challenges.

These outputs will inform future research initiatives and collaborative formats, including ENGAGE.EU Labs formats, and contribute to longer-term engagement between universities and partners.

Session Overview

Before the sessions
Once participants have been selected, a shared collaborative document will be distributed to collect initial impressions, expectations, and perspectives on the topic.

Session 1
IDENTIFYING NEEDS AND CHALLENGES
31 March 2026, 12:30 – 14:00 (CET)
Participants share initial perspectives collected prior to the session and engage in guided discussions to surface key challenges across recruitment roles. Inputs are clustered into shared problem areas.

Session 2
RESOURCE MAPPING AND OPPORTUNITIES
7 April 2026, 12:30 – 14:00 (CET)
Participants collaboratively map existing resources (skills, tools, knowledge, networks) and identify gaps, complementarities, and opportunities for cross-sector collaboration.

Session 3
PROBLEM DEFINITION AND RESEARCH QUESTION FORMULATION
14 April, 12:30 -14:00 (CET)
Building on previous sessions, participants refine problem statements and formulate a set of priority research questions. These are discussed in plenary and validated as collective outputs.

For the Collaboration Circle to be effective and fruitful, active participation is essential.

Who can apply?

We welcome applications from:

  • University community: Master and undergraduate students, PhD candidates, administrative staff, researchers and lecturers working on or interested in AI, labour markets, skills, recruitment, education, or related fields.
  • External partners: Representatives from industry (e.g. HR, recruitment, digital services), public authorities, and civil society organisations engaged in employment, skills development, or digital transformation.

Application Requirements

Applications must be submitted in English and include:

  • University affiliation (department and role)
  • For students: please provide your student immatriculation number
  • Curriculum vitae
  • Short motivation letter (maximum 300 words) explaining interest in the topic and relevant experience

Please submit your application by completing the form at the bottom of this page until 10 March 2026.

Selection and Participation

Participants will be selected based on motivation and relevance of profile. Overall balance of academic and non-academic perspectives will be taken into account when selecting participants. Selected applicants are expected to actively contribute and to attend all three sessions whenever possible.

Questions

Contact Lea Ernst, Local Area Coordinator for Outreach ENGAGE.EU at UT Capitole : lea.ernst-schonberg-bourblanc@ut-capitole.fr


Disclaimers

Disclaimer 1: The calendar of the Collaboration Circle at UT Capitole might be incompatible with some academic calendars of Erasmus, Exchange Partners, Double Degree or other mobility programs. Students interested in both programs are kindly requested to check academic calendars accordingly.   

Disclaimer 2: Your email will be used to manage and facilitate your participation in the educational and/or extracurricular activities organized by the University.