EUNICoast is hosting its first international conference from 4 to 6 November in Le Havre. Inter-Alliance AI Laboratory: Education, Research, Practice will bring together students, teachers, researchers and institutional leaders from EUNICoast and partner European university alliances to tackle a shared challenge: how do we integrate AI into higher education responsibly, practically, and collectively?
Key details
Dates: 4–6 November 2026
Venue: Maison de l'Étudiant, Université Le Havre Normandie, Le Havre, France
Organised by: EUNICoast, hosted by Université Le Havre Normandie
Open to: Students, teachers, researchers, and institutional leaders.
Registration: Details available starting in June 2026
Three days, three dimensions
- 4 November — AI and Teaching and Learning: Alliance experience-sharing, students/faculty co-presentations, and hands-on AI-Challenge Labs.
- 5 November — AI Policy and Sovereignty: sessions on the EU AI Act and ethics in institutional practice, plus a practical workshop on AI tools for everyday administrative tasks, open to all participants.
- 6 November — AI and Research: parallel sessions on AI integration across coastal and maritime dimensions areas, from coastal heritage and marine resource management to blue economy and infrastructure, closing with a round table.
Poster sessions run across all three days: other Alliances,doctoral students and student associations are encouraged to submit.
Take Part in the Event
Researchers, academics, Master’s and PhD students, as well as institutional contributors, are invited to submit abstracts and share their work with the wider EUNICoast community. This is an opportunity to showcase innovative projects, research outcomes and collaborative initiatives connected to Artificial Intelligence and the five EUNICoast HUBs:
- HUB 1: Identities, Local Knowledge, and Cultural Heritage in Islands & Coastal Communities
- HUB 2: Blue Circular Economy, Port Logistics, and Sustainable Blue Tourism
- HUB 3: Governance, Planning, Management, and Monitoring of Islands and Coastal Communities
- HUB 4: Health, Biodiversity Protection, Nature-based Solutions, and Sustainable Exploration of Coastal/Marine Resources
- HUB 5: Engineered and Data-driven Solutions for Coastal Infrastructures, Marine Renewable Energy, Marine Safety, and Navigation Systems
Selected contributions will be presented during the conference sessions on 6 November 2026.
Submission deadline: 15 August 2026
Contribute to the Inter-Alliance AI Challenge Labs by proposing a concrete challenge currently faced within your alliance, institution or professional environment. Participants are invited to formulate a real-world problem related to the use of AI in higher education, research, governance, student services or collaboration practices. Contributions should briefly explain: what is happening, who is affected, where the challenge appears, and why it may also concern other European alliances.
The AI Challenge Labs will take place on 4 November 2026 from 2:00 pm, through six parallel sessions bringing together participants from different European university alliances and disciplines.
Selected challenges will be developed into chapters of an edited volume on AI in higher education, published after the conference.
Submission deadline: 15 August 2026
Grounded in ongoing work
The programme draws on initiatives already under way across the alliance, including the EUNICoast GenAI Master Guide, the UIB AI UpSkilled project, the REDIE (Red Iberoamericana sobre Ética Digital e IA Educativa - Ibero-American Network on Digital Ethics and Educational Artificial Intelligence) network, and the NORMANTHIIA regional AI training initiative involving ULHN and partner institutions across the Normandy region.Registration details and the call for poster submissions will be available starting May 2026.
