At the end of May, EMILDAI students will attend the annual summer school, which will last one week and will be organised each year by a different partner university.
Attendance at the summer school is compulsory for EMILDAI students and open to EMILDAI alumni.
The first EMILDAI Summer School took place from 8 to 11 May 2023 in Dublin, Ireland, held at Dublin City University (DCU) and organised by the EMILDAI Consortium. The week-long Summer School was titled: Digital Sovereignty and Green Transition: EU Challenges in Times of War and Energy Crisis.
Day one took place at ADAPT Centre, Trinity College Dublin, with part one of the Student Research Symposium, followed by an evening networking event.
Day two began with a EMILDAI Student Feedback Session, followed by a DCU Institutional Welcome from Prof Derek Hand, Dean of the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences, and Prof Jennifer Bruton, Dean of the Faculty of Engineering and Computing.
The hybrid symposium that followed was devoted to the topic: Understanding Digital Sovereignty, with sessions on Ambitions and Challenges and Transnational Effects.
Two students announced the name of their cohort: the Mouton Dijkstra Cohort. Named after two inspiring figures from Europe and the US: Melba Roy Mouton, Head Mathematician at NASA, and Edsgar W Dijkstra, programmer and Turing Award winner.
Day three featured a symposium on Reconciling Digital Sovereignty and Green Transition, with sessions on Civil Society Demands and Public Actors’ Responsibility and Towards a Sustainable and Sovereign Digital Economy? Each symposium was followed by engaging, positive and productive questions and debate, and online interaction was encouraged with the Twitter hashtag #EMILDAIsummerschool23.
The evening event was a Walking Tour of Dublin’s Internet Infrastructure, led by Dr Paul O’Neill of the ADAPT Centre. The group met at Grand Canal Dock and visited dockland sites related to the tech sector in Ireland.
Day four featured part two of the Student Research Symposium, and concluded with the Student Prize Award Ceremony. Prizes were won by Alba Perez Victorio for her talk on “A product or an agent? A merits-based critique of the proposal for the AI Liability Directive”; Larissa de Lima e Campos for her talk on “Can Brazilians forget the right to be forgotten”; Emiliano Vitaliani with his talk on “Community” in the digital realm”.
DCU President, Prof Daire Keogh, spoke about how EMILDAI students are showing leadership in the field of data, AI, and law.
The EMILDAI Summer School 2024, titled “Rethinking Digital Platform Regulation: Challenges and Future Perspectives,” took place in Pisa, Italy, from June 11th to June 14th, 2024. This four-day event gathered students, academics, and industry professionals to engage in an in-depth exploration of the evolving regulatory landscape for digital platforms.
The programme included a series of Master Student Research Symposia, where students presented their work on topics ranging from blockchain technology and AI-driven hiring practices to data privacy and the impact of the GDPR. There were also multiple panel discussions addressing critical issues like the regulation of digital labour platforms, cryptocurrency taxation, and the implications of AI on freedom of expression and democracy. Key sessions also included the launch of the EPILDAI Network, feedback sessions, and a doctoral colloquium focusing on cutting-edge research in digital law and AI.
The event offered rich opportunities for networking, interdisciplinary learning, and the exchange of innovative ideas, culminating in a Student Prize Award Ceremony.
The EMILDAI Summer School 2025, titled “Artificial Intelligence and Cybersecurity in Europe Sovereignty, Democracy and Rights,” took place in León, Spain, from June 30th 2025 to July 4th, 2025. The EMILDAI Summer School 2025 brought together students, academics, and professionals from across Europe for a week of in-depth discussions on the intersection of AI, cybersecurity, sovereignty, democracy, and human rights. Hosted by the Universidad de León, the programme combined high-level academic panels, student research presentations, and cultural activities in the heart of León.
Throughout the week, participants explored topics such as AI governance, digital sovereignty, electoral cybersecurity, and human rights in the digital age, through a series of doctoral colloquia, research symposia, and expert panels featuring leading voices from partner universities and institutions.
The event also included visits to the Castilla y León Supercomputing Centre (SCAYLE) and the Spanish National Cybersecurity Centre (INCIBE), offering participants valuable insights into Spain’s digital infrastructure and cybersecurity ecosystem.
Beyond academic exchange, the summer school fostered community and collaboration among EMILDAI students through networking events, cultural tours of León’s historical landmarks—including its Cathedral and San Isidoro—and the annual Student Prize Award Ceremony.
The Summer School 2025 once again demonstrated EMILDAI’s commitment to advancing dialogue and research at the crossroads of law, data, and artificial intelligence, while nurturing the next generation of experts shaping Europe’s digital future.
