Special Webinar Highlight: Bright Ideas – The Future of AI Research in Europe

Cosmina Stalidi
Jun 15
2 min read

As a key feature of Week 2: Building the Future with AI, the Bright Minds AI Summer Camp proudly hosted a special live webinar titled “Bright Ideas: The Future of AI Research in Europe.” Conducted via Zoom, this session brought together students from 10 schools across Jordan, the Republic of Moldova, Ukraine, Romania, and Turkey, uniting a culturally rich and diverse audience of future innovators.

This webinar was organized as part of the eTwinning project, a collaborative initiative coordinated by institutions in Romania and Turkey, designed to foster international STEM education with a focus on ethical, inclusive, and forward-looking AI.

Distinguished Guest Speakers: EU-Funded Research at the Forefront

We were honored to welcome four leading researchers from the University of Piraeus Research Center, each deeply involved in European Union-funded projects. These experts offered students an inside look into cutting-edge developments aligned with the EU’s priorities on trustworthy, ethical, and human-centric AI.

Dr. Aristeidis Farao

A principal researcher contributing to:

AIAS Project: Focused on robust, trustworthy AI systems.
ANTIDOTE Project: Centers on AI-based cybersecurity, particularly in critical sectors like healthcare.

Aikaterini Psichogyou

Key contributor to:

NITRO Project: Develops next-gen cybersecurity frameworks powered by AI for 5G/IoT infrastructures and cyber ranges.

Vaios Bolgouras

Researcher on:

cPAID Project: Designs platform-agnostic, cloud-based defense systems to combat adversarial AI threats.

Christian Lekka

Contributor to:

RESCALE Project: Aims to secure digital supply chains through holistic cybersecurity platforms enhanced with AI.

These projects represent not just the future of AI, but the active shaping of Europe’s digital resilience and ethical technological development.

Webinar Format & Student Engagement

The webinar was structured into two segments:

Expert Presentations – Each researcher presented their project, emphasizing real-world applications and technical innovations.
Live Q&A – Students were invited to engage directly via Zoom’s chat, screen share, and "raise hand" functions. This interactive session allowed them to explore topics such as:
- AI's role in cybersecurity
- Careers in tech research
- The ethics of autonomous systems

The session was both informative and empowering, connecting theoretical knowledge with professional practice in a highly relatable way.

Inspiring the Next Generation of Innovators

The event was a perfect embodiment of the Bright Minds mission: bridging STEM education, research, and international collaboration. For many students, this was their first interaction with real researchers in European projects, and it left them with newfound motivation and insight into the possibilities of AI careers.

🔗 Learn more about the full project here:👉 Bright Minds AI Summer Camp on ESEP