EUonAIR Symposium on the Ethics of Generative AI in Education and Research

From 8 to 10 June, the EUonAIR Symposium on the Ethics of Generative AI in Education and Research will take place at the Palazzo dei Congressi in Lugano and the USI-SUPSI East Campus. This international event is dedicated to the ethical, pedagogical and institutional implications of generative artificial intelligence in higher education and scientific research. The symposium, organised by the Scuola universitaria professionale della Svizzera italiana (SUPSI) and the Dalle Molle Institute for Artificial Intelligence (IDSIA USI-SUPSI) as part of the EUonAIR alliance’s Centre of Excellence in Responsible AI and Education, explores the ethical, pedagogical and institutional implications of generative AI in higher education and research. The programme includes open sessions with keynote speakers, thematic roundtables and a series of workshops dedicated to EUonAIR members.

The roundtables will address key domains where GenAI is already reshaping academic practices. Topics will range from the use of generative AI in learning design, to assessment, feedback, and academic integrity, as well as issues of support and collaboration in educational contexts. Additional discussions will focus on professional development and governance, and on the impact of GenAI on the processes and tasks of scientific research, encouraging a comprehensive reflection on how generative technologies affect both teaching and knowledge production. These open sessions are designed to engage a broad academic audience and promote shared understanding of responsible GenAI adoption.

The symposium reflects the broader mission of EUonAIR (European University on AI in Curricula, Smart UniverCity and (Return) Mobility), a European University Alliance funded under the Erasmus+ European Universities Initiative. EUonAIR brings together universities and partners across Europe with the aim of transforming higher education through responsible, human centred, and collaborative AI. By linking education, research, innovation, and governance, the alliance seeks to develop long term, ethically grounded approaches to AI that contribute to the European Education and Research Areas and support Europe’s digital and social transitions.

The symposium will open with a keynote address by Dr Lucilla Sioli, Director of the AI Office (DG CONNECT) at the European Commission, responsible for coordinating the European strategy on Artificial Intelligence, including the implementation of the AI Act and international cooperation for trustworthy AI serving the common good. Lucilla Sioli will be introduced by Prof. Emanuele Carpanzano, former Director of Research, Development and Knowledge Transfer at SUPSI and member of the management board of EUonAIR. Institutional greetings will be delivered by Prof. Andrea Rizzoli, Director of the Dalle Molle Institute for Artificial Intelligence (IDSIA USI-SUPSI) and member of the Alliance’s General Assembly.

Program and speakers

8 June 2026 - Palazzo dei Congressi di Lugano (room C)

• 12:30 Registration

• 13:00 Welcome and introduction
  Emanuele Carpanzano
  Lucilla Sioli
  Andrea Emilio Rizzoli
• 13:45 - 14:30 Tim Coughlan
• 14:30 - 15:15 Gerd Kortemeyer
• 15:15 - 15:30 Coffee Break
• 15:30 - 16:15 Tony Ross-Hellauer
• 16:15 - 17:00 Duygu Bektik

9 June 2026 – East Campus Est (room C1.04)

• 9:00 - 9:10 Introduction
• 9:10 - 9:55 Bart Rienties (online)
• 9:55 - 10:40 Charlotte Axelsson
• 10:40 - 11 Coffee break
• 11:00 - 11:45 Federico Cabitza
• 13:15 - 17:45 Round table – for EUonAIR members only
• 17:45 - 19:00 Apero for EUonAIR members only

10 June 2026 – East Campus Est (room C1.04)

• 9:00 - 9:10 Introduction
• 9:10 - 9:55 Mads Sørensen (online)
• 9:55 - 10:15 Coffee break
• 10:15 - 11:00 Silvia Milano
• 11:00 - 11:45 Final panel discussion
• 11:45 - 12:00 Closing remarks

Information and registration

The event, supported by a Movetia grant funded by the Swiss Confederation, will be held in English and will take place at the Palazzo dei Congressi in Lugano (Monday, June 8) and at the Lugano East Campus (Tuesday, June 9 and Wednesday, June 10).

Registration is open until 3 June 2026.