Call for Applications:
ENGAGE.EU Think Tank June 2026
Topic: Responsible AI and Society
Date: 9-12 June 2026
Location: Toulouse Capitole University, France
Application deadline: 8 February 2026
Format: In-person, with two online onboarding sessions
Information Session
Sign-up for the Think Tank Information Session: Thursday, January 15th from 1pm-1:30pm CET. More information and registration HERE.
About the ENGAGE.EU Think Tank
ENGAGE.EU is an alliance of leading European universities in business, economics and social sciences, aiming to provide European citizens with the set of skills and competencies they need to face the current and future societal challenges.
The ENGAGE.EU Think Tanks provides a forum for intensive academic exchange. Researchers will exchange their ideas with colleagues from ENGAGE.EU partners and inform and learn from leading academic, industry and policy experts. Participants can build new research collaborations and launch new projects, papers, or funding applications.
The Think Tank 2026, Responsible AI and Society, invites researchers from multiple disciplines to collaborate on the impact of Artificial Intelligence (AI) on society through the lens of law, economics, business, algorithmic, data management, and more. Nowadays, the ubiquity of AI-based technology leads to various questions regarding the potential (positive and negative) impact that this technology can have in all fields of society (employment, democracy, justice, etc).
Core Research Themes
The Think Tank is aimed at exploring research opportunities related to the following key questions:
- Responsible AI: understanding and addressing the ethical, legal, and social implications of developing, regulating, and deploying AI systems.
- Fair AI: ensuring that AI systems operate equitably across different users, contexts, and social groups.
- Human-AI Interaction and Trust: how individuals, organisations, and institutions, perceive and interact with AI systems.
- Governance and Regulation of AI: a focus on regulatory, institutional, and organisational frameworks required to guide the responsible development and adoption of AI systems.
For a full description of Core Research Themes, please consult the programme (above).
Expected Outcomes
During the two online sessions and the research stay in Toulouse, participants will explore shared interests and build research projects with an international and interdisciplinary team of researchers specialized in similar research topics. In part, the Think Tank will be the start of the process of developing a distinct study area. Participants will gain new insights into current research developments, through keynotes, roundtables, and workshops.
The goal of the Think Tank is to establish an active network of scholars within ENGAGE.EU to develop a clear research agenda around Responsible AI, leading to an active and collaborative community of scholars, dedicated to the development of the field.
Who Can Participate?
The ENGAGE.EU Think Tank is open to senior and post-doctoral researchers affiliated with the universities of the ENGAGE EU alliance and who:
- explore topics related to core issues across different disciplines, e.g. law, economics, management, algorithmic, data governance etc.
- aim to share and develop their expertise in their field of research,
- are interested in collaborative and interdisciplinary dialogue,
- want to engage in an academic network which is developing the societal, regulatory, and/or ethical aspects of AI.
Online Onboarding
Two online onboarding sessions are a part of this Think Tank:
- Session 1: Tuesday, April 15, 2026 (afternoon)
- Session 2: Tuesday, May 19, 2026 (afternoon)
Think Tank Academic Hosts
- Jean-Guy Mailly, Junior Professor Chair AI, Data Algorithms and Law (IRIT, Toulouse Capitole University). Team LILaC: Model intelligent systems based on theories and techniques from knowledge representation, logic, game theory, argumentation, and verification techniques. | Profile
- Moncef Garouani, Associate Professor (IRIT, Toulouse Capitole University). Team SIG: Generalised Information Systems; automatic selection and parametrization of machine learning algorithms and Explainable Artificial Intelligence (XAI). | Profile
- Sandra Laporte, Professor of Marketing, Head of the Marketing Research Group TSM-R, EUF Junior Research Chair (Toulouse School of Management) | Profile
Application
The application deadline for this Think Tank is 8 February 2026.
- Complete the online application form (below)
- Submit a brief CV, including list of publications to the Think Tank contact point at your university (contact list provided below) by Sunday, February 8, 2026 (application deadline).
Application Form
Selection
Submitted applications will first be evaluated by each of the ENGAGE.EU partners and by the academic leads. A committee with representation from all partners, make the final selection.
Applications are evaluated according to the following criteria:
- Research quality and thematic relevance to responsible AI and society.
- Demonstrated interest in multidisciplinary collaboration.
- Motivation for joint research activities within and beyond the ENGAGE.EU network.
- Alignment with the Think Tank’s themes and potential societal contribution.
Final decisions also consider criteria for cohort composition, including but not limited to complementarity of research interests, disciplinary balance, institutional diversity and demographic diversity.
Selected participants will be funded by ENGAGE.EU
Contacts
ENGAGE.EU Local Contact Points
Applicants from the ENGAGE.EU alliance can contact their local university’s ENGAGE.EU team member for questions specifically related to their institution and this call:
Sirpa Aalto (sirpa.aalto@hanken.fi)
Aurora Alegiani (aalegiani@luiss.it)
Heather Arghandeh Paudler (heather.arghandeh.paudler@nhh.no)
Anna Caellas (acaellas@rectorat.url.edu)
James Small (j.s.small@tilburguniversity.edu)
Sati Cakar (sati.cakar@uni-mannheim.de)
Ekaterina Tosheva (etosheva@unwe.bg)
Myriam Greusard (myriam.greusard@ut-capitole.fr)
Karen Tinsner-Fuchs (karen.tinsner-fuchs@unisg.ch)
Note:
If applicable, participants shall be responsible for obtaining their own visas /student residence permit and completing the required immigration formalities, as well as for obtaining the travel documents and other related documents needed to pursue studies at the host university or another participating university.
During the events, participants shall be subject to the rules, regulations, policies, procedures, codes and norms which are in force at the host university.
Violation of host country law by the participant may subject the student to withdrawal of the immigration status and scholarship.
For any physical mobility related to the event, participants will be required to carry adequate health insurance and need to ensure that their insurance will cover the potential costs of health care during that period.