SUTE Professors and Students Visit CAIRO.thws as Part of the DAIL Project
As part of the DAAD-funded project “Disinformation and AI Law” (DAIL), the Technical University of Applied Sciences Würzburg-Schweinfurt (THWS) welcomed professors, students, and colleagues from the State University of Trade and Economics (SUTE, Ukraine) to its Center for Artificial Intelligence (CAIRO.thws).
Focus on Interdisciplinary Exchange at CAIRO.thws
A central part of the visit were several working days at CAIRO.thws, where law and IT students engaged with current topics at the intersection of artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, and legal regulation. The program combined lectures, workshops, and collaborative formats, enabling participants to connect theoretical perspectives with practical insights.
Expert Workshop
The event kicked off with an expert workshop on disinformation and AI law, featuring Olena Andriienko (National Academy of Legal Sciences, Ukraine), Patrick Aichroth (Fraunhofer Institute, Ilmenau), Dr Jessica Fling (JUN Legal, Würzburg), Prof. Dr Natliia Mazaraki (SUTE, Ukraine), Dr Iryna Stroyko (solicitor, Ukraine) and Prof. Dr Dr Eric Hilgendorf (University of Würzburg) as external speakers. Further insights into the topics of AI and disinformation were provided by project partners and researchers involved in the DAIL initiative, namely Associate Professor Dr Tamara Kortukova, Associate Professor Dr Hanna Ilchenko and PhD candidate Roman Shpyrka (all from SUTE, Kyiv) and, on behalf of THWS, Prof. Dr Ivan Yamshchikov and Prof. Dr Ralf Roßkopf, who presented the overarching research context and the project’s objectives.
Hackathon
One key element was the DAIL Hackathon, organized by Prof. Dr. Ivan Yamshchikov and Prof. Dr. Ralf Roßkopf. In interdisciplinary teams, SUTE students worked together with students from THWS’s international master’s program in Artificial Intelligence (MAI) on approaches to identifying and addressing AI-driven disinformation. The format fostered exchange between technical and legal viewpoints and highlighted the interdisciplinary nature of the topic.
Expert Perspectives on Disinformation and Security
The CAIRO.thws program was complemented by a series of expert talks on disinformation and digital security. Sven-Eric Fikenscher (University of Public Services in Bavaria, CEPOLIS) presented insights from the Horizon Europe FERMI project, focusing on risk assessment and mitigation of fake news. Dr. Heiko Michael Edlinger contributed perspectives on strategic security governance and holistic risk management. In addition, representatives of the investigative organization Correctiv shared practical approaches to fact-checking and the detection of AI-generated misinformation.
Further perspectives on AI and disinformation were provided by project partners and researchers involved in the DAIL initiative, including Prof. Dr. Ivan Yamshchikov and Prof. Dr. Ralf Roßkopf, who introduced the broader research context and objectives of the project.
Insights into Applied Research at THWS
In addition to the activities at CAIRO.thws, the group visited the Robotics Center (CERI) in Schweinfurt, hosted by Prof. Dr. Tobias Kaupp, where participants were introduced to current developments in autonomous systems and AI-based perception. An additional programme item was a visit to the Technology Transfer Centre in Ochsenfurt (TTZ-WUE), where Prof. Dr Benjamin Weggemann and his team provided insights into applied cybersecurity research and the transfer of scientific results into practice.
The visit concluded with a certificate ceremony recognizing participation in the program. Certificates were presented by Prof. Dr. Ralf Roßkopf (THWS) and Associate Professor Dr. Tamara Kortukova (SUTE). The ceremony marked the completion of the joint activities and the intensive exchange over the course of the week.
The DAIL project is funded by the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD) with support from the German Federal Foreign Office. The collaboration between THWS and SUTE will continue beyond this visit, with further joint activities planned in the areas of AI, law, and cybersecurity.
In this context, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Tamara Kortukova, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Hanna Ilchenko, and PhD candidate Roman Shpyrka (all SUTE, Kyiv) are currently spending an extended research stay of one month at CAIRO.thws as part of the DAAD East-West Dialogue project, further strengthening the ongoing academic exchange
For additional insights into the visit from the perspective of SUTE, have a look to their full blog post: https://knute.edu.ua/blog/read/?pid=50698&en
