The European Campus of City-Universities (EC2U Alliance) successfully hosted on the 10th of November 2025 a high-impact online workshop, “AI Tools in Scientific Research”, designed to equip its Ph.D. community with essential future-proof skills. Organized by the Alexandru Ioan Cuza University of Iași (UAIC) within Work Package 6 and the Virtual Institute for Sustainable Cities and Communities (VISCC), the event received an overwhelming 700+ applications from doctoral students across the Alliance.

The massive turnout underscores the urgent need for training in Artificial Intelligence (AI) as the technology rapidly transforms the academic and research landscape.

The workshop, which was framed as an “essential skills upgrade”, focused on practical applications of AI to accelerate research processes, enhance data analysis, and improve the dissemination of findings.

Professor Nicoleta Popa, Vice-Rector for international relations and academic and research partnerships of UAIC, highlighted the strategic importance of the event: “The exceptional response to this workshop is a powerful testament to the value of the EC2U Alliance and our Virtual Institutes. By focusing on cutting-edge, interdisciplinary topics like AI, we are directly fostering the next generation of researchers needed to solve the complex challenges of Sustainable Cities and Communities (SDG 11).”

The dedicated involvement of the local organizing team of Alexandru Ioan Cuza University of Iași ensured the success of the event. Associate Professor Lucian Sfîcă, UAIC representative in WP6, not only served as the workshop moderator, but also played a key role in shaping the conceptual design of the workshop and successfully connecting the local initiative to the broader objectives of the EC2U Alliance. This effort was supported by Petronela Spiridon-Ursu, the local EC2U coordinator at UAIC, who skillfully managed the large-scale administrative needs and essential communication with the over 700+ applications.

The session featured expertise from multiple EC2U partner universities, promoting academic cooperation and knowledge transfer across the Alliance. Key sessions included:

  • Using artificial intelligence in education and research (Professor  Adrian Iftene, Vice-Rector for digitalisation, student and alumni affairs, and the cooperation with the socio-economic stakeholders, UAIC)
  • From search to synthesis: Supercharging your Ph.D. literature survey with AI (Associate Professor Eugenio Rodrigues, University of Coimbra)
  • Lost in translation – from research to audience reach (Lecturer Lucian Roșu, UAIC)

Professor Manuel Gameiro, WP6-Leader from the University of Coimbra, opened the event by emphasizing that the training directly supports the mission of the EC2U Virtual Institutes to build sustainable, safe, and resilient cities.

The integration of AI tools is vital for analyzing the large-scale data required to optimize urban planning, resource management, and climate change risk reduction.

The success of the workshop significantly boosts the visibility and standing of the EC2U Virtual Institutes as leading hubs for advanced research training in Europe.

The European Campus of City-Universities (EC2U Alliance) is a multi-cultural and multi-lingual Alliance consisting of nine long-standing, education-and-research-led, locally and globally engaged universities from nine cities across Europe. The Alliance aims to create a European university that will promote common European values and a greatly enhanced quality of life for its communities. The Virtual Institute for Sustainable Cities and Communities (VISCC) is one of seven thematic institutes established within the Alliance to address critical UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) through coordinated research, education, and innovation (https://ec2u.eu/researchers).