AIDA: Maximising efforts toward accessible AI education and research

AIDA (International AI Doctoral Academy) is a non-profit organization comprising academic and industrial partners. It receives support from the European Networks of Excellence AI4Media, ELISE, TAILOR, HumanE-AI NET, and VISION CSA. AIDA’s primary aim is to enhance accessibility to AI education and research.

Its key objectives include:

• Coordinating educational and training activities in AI for PhD and postdoc students among AIDA partners.
• Establishing itself as a global reference point for all matters related to AI education and research.
• Developing mechanisms for the sharing of educational resources in the field of PhD-level AI across universities.
• Paving the way for future efforts aimed at creating a charter for European universities to share, accredit, and recognize PhD education credits in AI.

In line with these objectives, AIDA has undertaken significant efforts to maximize the impact and user engagement in AI education and research excellence.

More concretely, AIDA’s vision is to:

• Cultivate a new generation of AI talents in Europe.
• Establish itself as a leading reference in AI education.
• Operate with a focus on realism and ensure long-term sustainability.

In this context, AIDA is a strong advocate for providing free access to AI educational resources and materials. The expansion of its AI offerings can be summarized as follows:

• A comprehensive PhD studies catalog consisting of 28 short courses, 32 semester courses, and 8 seasonal schools.
• A fully developed PhD curriculum encompassing 30 AI-focused modules.
• A highly sought-after AI Excellence Lecture Series, featuring 35 lectures so far  and attracting more than 4,450 participants.
• An AI-oriented catalog of 12 Sponsored Events, including conferences, workshops, and other activities designed to unite the global AI community.
• Three successful AI Mellontology Symposia held annually (in 2021, 2022, and 2023) with participation from over 400 individuals.
• Over 90 resources available in its Educational Resource Repository.
• A substantial exchange program known as the AI4Media Junior Fellows Exchange Programme featuring 70 secondments.

These figures reflect significant growth due to AIDA’s effective communication and dissemination practices. Depending on the context, AIDA selectively or publicly communicates and disseminates its efforts and directs offerings to relevant groups of recipients. This is primarily achieved through the use of social media and mailing lists.

Focusing on the user, the primary beneficiary of free access to AI education and research, AIDA has improved and enhanced its website to promote transparency, attractiveness, user-friendliness, and content enrichment.

In summary, these efforts have maximized the impact and user engagement of AIDA’s offerings, bringing it closer to establishing itself as an authority and a one-stop-shop for AI excellence in Europe.

For interested readers, becoming an AIDA member is possible by following the links below:

• How to Become an AIDA Member (for organizations)
• Guide for AIDA Lecturers (for lecturers)
• Guide for AIDA Students (for students)

Author: George Bouchagiar (AUTH)