Project Team

The project brings together 40 academics from 7 European universities and 8 institutes. Our expertise spreads across the entire range of the Humanities & Social Sciences allowing us to bring a global perspective to debates around AI and the digital in teaching. Below you will find the project team listed by university.

Jagiellonian University of Kraków

Cillian Ó Fathaigh – Assistant Professor of Philosophy. Based at the Institute of Philosophy, Jagiellonian University (Kraków), he is a Marie Skłodowska-Curie Fellow leading the “Recognising Injustice in the Digital Public Sphere” project. His research draws on contemporary European philosophy to explore online activism and how marginalized groups use digital platforms to contest social injustices.
Magdalena Zych – Assistant Researcher of Information Studies. Affiliated with the Institute of Information Studies at Jagiellonian University, she specialises in user experience, information behaviour and data storytelling. Her work applies cognitive approaches to the assessment of relevance in multimodal texts, exploring how users interact with and evaluate information in digital environments.
Anastasiia Plakhotnyk – AIHUMS101 Scholar. Assistant Researcher of Sociology. Based at the Institute of Sociology, Jagiellonian University (Kraków), she specializes in migration studies and qualitative research methods. Her work examines the social adaptation of migrants and the transformation of social capital, employing in-depth interviews and focus groups. She is the author of publications on projective techniques in migration research, online focus groups.
Żaneta Kubic – Associate Professor of Information Studies (Jagiellonian Library/Collegium Maius). She holds a joint role with the Institute of Information Studies and the Jagiellonian Library. An expert in academic librarianship and book history, she studies knowledge management and the history of science and culture in libraries, including how technological change affects access to information in Poland’s oldest university library.
Jakub Petri – Associate Professor of Philosophy (Aesthetics). A faculty member in the Department of Aesthetics at Jagiellonian University, Dr. Petri’s interdisciplinary research spans the aesthetics of urban space and embodiment. He obtained his PhD with a thesis on urban aesthetics, and his work covers pragmatist aesthetics and intercultural perspectives on how city environments shape human perception.

University of Bologna

Valeria Zotti – Associate Professor of French Linguistics. Part of the Department of Modern Languages, Literatures, and Cultures at the University of Bologna, she specializes in French language and translation studies. Her research focuses on lexicography and linguistics – from the lexicology of French vocabulary and translation challenges to corpus linguistics and variation in Francophone language (including Quebec French).
Chiara Lucifora – Junior Assistant Professor of Philosophy. Based in the Department of Philosophy at Bologna, she works at the intersection of cognitive science and technology. Her research explores how artificial intelligence and virtual reality can be used to study human cognitive and behavioral processes in realistic settings, bridging psychology and philosophy. Dr. Lucifora also has experience at the CNR Institute of Cognitive Sciences and co-manages an extended reality research lab.
Stefano de Giorgis – Postdoctoral Fellow, Institute of Cognitive Sciences & Technology. Affiliated with the ISTC (CNR) and collaborating with University of Bologna, Dr. de Giorgis’s work lies in artificial intelligence and knowledge representation. He focuses on cognitive semantics and semantic web technologies, developing AI systems (like knowledge graphs and ontologies) that integrate symbolic reasoning with human cognition.
Aldo Gangemi – Full Professor of Informatics (Philosophy). A professor in the Department of Philosophy at Bologna (with an informatics focus), he is renowned for his work in semantic technologies and AI. Prof. Gangemi’s research blends methods from the Semantic Web, natural language processing, and cognitive science to extract and represent knowledge patterns, with applications ranging from data integration to open data in fields such as medicine and law.
Francesco Bianchini – Associate Professor of Logic and Philosophy of Science. Dr Bianchini’s research focuses on the philosophy of science, epistemology, cognitive science, and artificial intelligence. He has published widely on topics such as scientific explanation, consciousness, and the epistemological implications of AI and robotics. He also engages in academic evaluation, science policy, and interdisciplinary teaching across the fields of cognitive science, philosophy of mind, and emerging technologies.
Elena Lamberti – Full Professor of North American Literatures. In the Department of Modern Languages, Literatures, and Cultures at Bologna, Prof. Lamberti is a specialist in Anglo-American modernist literature and cultural memory. She examines literature’s intersection with media and technology – from modernist fiction and war literature to media ecology – often drawing connections to figures like Marshall McLuhan and exploring how literature and cognitive science inform each other.
Sebastiano Moruzzi – Associate Professor of Philosophy (Language Theory). Teaching in the arts and philosophy area at Bologna, he is an analytic philosopher focusing on philosophy of language. His research spans issues of vagueness, epistemology, and logic, investigating how language and truth are understood in analytic philosophy. Dr. Moruzzi has a background in philosophy of language (PhD) and has worked on the problem of vagueness and belief revision in his postdoctoral research.
Filippo Ferrari – Senior Assistant Professor of Philosophy (Language Theory). A faculty member at Bologna (Department of the Arts), Dr. Ferrari’s work lies at the crossroads of epistemology, philosophy of language, and logic. He investigates the nature and norms of truth and disagreement – for example, how people disagree about taste or morality – as well as issues in social epistemology such as post-truth and science denialism.
Laura Sartori – Full Professor of Sociology (Political and Social Sciences). Prof. Sartori teaches in the Department of Political and Social Sciences at Bologna and researches the societal impact of digital technology. She examines how ICT and AI affect social inequality and innovation, with current projects on algorithmic management, platform economies, and the biases of AI in fields like education and healthcare .
Valentina Presutti – Associate Professor of Digital Humanities (Modern Languages). At the University of Bologna’s Department of Modern Languages (LILEC) and also a researcher at CNR, she is a leading figure in semantic web research. Dr. Presutti’s work focuses on AI and knowledge representation: she develops ontologies, knowledge graphs, and automatic knowledge extraction techniques, and has coordinated major EU projects on semantic technologies.
Paolo Torroni – Associate Professor of Computer Science and Engineering. A faculty member in Bologna’s Department of Computer Science, Dr. Torroni’s expertise is in artificial intelligence systems. He specializes in areas like natural language processing, multi-agent systems, and computational logic, and has led multiple research projects on AI applications. He also heads a language technologies lab, developing AI-driven solutions with explainable and logic-based approaches.
Ana Pano Alaman – Associate Professor of Spanish Linguistics. Serving in the Department of Modern Languages at Bologna, she teaches Spanish language and linguistics. Her research areas include the pragmatic and linguistic analysis of digital communication and political discourse in Spanish, as well as the history of scientific and artistic translation. Dr. Pano Alamán also engages in digital humanities initiatives and international projects studying language in the media.
Rita Gramellini – PhD Student in Modern Languages, Literatures and Cultures. A doctoral student at Bologna, she focuses on corpus linguistics, digital humanities and machine translation, with a particular interest in the language of Fine Arts. In her research, she explores AI-generated translations of multilingual cultural heritage texts and investigates how these outputs can be refined through human intervention.
Antonella Luporini – Senior Assistant Professor of English Linguistics. At Bologna’s Department of Modern Languages, Dr. Luporini works on corpus stylistics and language pedagogy. Her projects include software-assisted literary stylistics (using digital tools to analyze literary texts) and research on how computer-mediated communication impacts learning English as a second language. She also studies metaphor and discourse, particularly in financial language, bridging linguistic analysis with educational practice.

University of Edinburgh

Serdar Abaci – Lecturer in Data & Digital Literacies (Education). Dr Serdar Abaci is Lecturer (Asst. Prof.) in Data Literacies and Digital Learning at the Moray House School of Education and Sport, with fifteen years of experience in research and evaluation of educational technologies. He leads teaching digital education across Initial Teacher Education (ITE) programmes. Recent projects include “AI in Secondary Schools”, which has developed resources to support critical AI literacy skills to equip young people for living and working in the age of AI.
Katie Pleming – Lecturer in French & Francophone Studies. Part of the School of Literatures, Languages and Cultures at Edinburgh, Dr. Pleming is an early-career scholar focusing on contemporary French literature and film. Her research explores postcolonial and feminist themes in French and francophone cinema, especially the work of female filmmakers. She has written on the ethics and politics of film (e.g. Marguerite Duras and Claire Denis) and co-leads projects on digital public space and European cultural thought.
Jen Ross – Professor of Digital Culture and Education Futures. Co-Director of Edinburgh’s Centre for Research in Digital Education, Prof. Ross’ work focuses on education and cultural heritage futures, emerging technologies (including Generative AI), digital cultural heritage engagement and interpretation, open and online education, and issues of self-presentation, surveillance and trust. She also co-directs a postgraduate programme in Education Futures and authored a 2023 book on digital futures for learning.
Lisa Otty – Director of the Centre for Data, Culture & Society and Head of Data-led Methods and Research Technology (Edinburgh Futures Institute). Dr Otty leads an interdisciplinary methods hub focused on building capacity for data-led and applied computational research in the arts, humanities, and social sciences. With a background in digital humanities and textual scholarship, she oversees a portfolio of research support services, strategic projects and activities including an extensive skills development programme.

University College Dublin (UCD)

Naomi McAreavey – Associate Professor of English. Dr McAreavey is a scholar of early modern literature in UCD School of English, Drama & Film. Her research focuses on writing in seventeenth-century Ireland, especially women’s writing. She is also a Fellow in Teaching and Academic Development in UCD, working on a project on student-staff-partnerships, and has led a team navigating the impact of generative AI on teaching and learning in UCD College of Arts and Humanities.
Rachel Farrell – Assistant Professor of Education. Dr. Farrell teaches in UCD’s School of Education and is the Director of the Professional Master of Education program. Her expertise is in teacher education and curriculum innovation. She works on technology-enhanced learning in teacher training – for example, using virtual reality to boost pre-service teachers’ skills – and has interests in sustainability and cybersecurity education as well.
Shane Bergin – Associate Professor of Science Education. A physicist-turned-education researcher at UCD’s School of Education, Dr. Bergin focuses on informal science learning and public engagement with science. He has led initiatives to bring science beyond the classroom (earning recognition from the American Physical Society) and studies how education policy and innovative teaching methods can foster scientific curiosity. His work often emphasizes making science accessible and exciting through outreach and media.

KU Leuven (Belgium)

Aleksandra Kuczerawy – Postdoctoral Fellow in IT Law. Dr. Kuczerawy conducts research at KU Leuven’s Centre for IT & IP Law (CiTiP). She works on cutting-edge issues in digital law, including artificial intelligence, big data, and smart city governance, while continuing her longstanding research on internet intermediary liability and platform regulation. Her expertise covers content moderation, freedom of expression online, and how legal frameworks can ensure accountability of online platforms.
Evrim Tan – Postdoctoral Fellow in Public Governance. Based at KU Leuven’s Public Governance Institute, Dr. Tan’s research lies in public administration and digital governance. He examines decentralization and local government capacity, and how emerging technologies like blockchain and AI can be integrated into public governance systems. He leads projects on blockchain-based public services and contributes to understanding how digital innovations can improve government efficiency and trust.
Margherita Fantoli – Assistant Professor of Digital Humanities. Prof. Fantoli (tenure-track) is part of KU Leuven’s Faculty of Arts, where she bridges classical scholarship and computational methods. She teaches in the Advanced Master of Digital Humanities and specializes in applying computer-assisted techniques to literature and historical texts. For example, her work includes stylometric analysis of Latin texts and using AI tools to study ancient manuscripts, highlighting how digital methods can shed new light on humanities research.
Katrien Verbert – Professor of Computer Science (HCI/Augment Group). Prof. Verbert leads the Augment research group at KU Leuven and is known for her contributions in human-computer interaction and explainable AI. Her research focuses on interactive recommender systems and visual analytics: she designs user-friendly recommender interfaces and develops human-centered explainable AI techniques, often applied in domains like e-learning and health. She has been a key figure in making complex AI systems more transparent and user-centric.
Tim Van de Cruys – Associate Professor of Computational Linguistics. A faculty member in KU Leuven’s Faculty of Arts (Linguistics Research Unit), Dr. Van de Cruys heads the Centre for Computational Linguistics. His research field is natural language processing, with a particular focus on semantics and the unsupervised modeling of meaning in language. He works on topics like distributional semantics, automated interpretation of language, and the application of AI methods to understand linguistic phenomena.
Leen Sevens – Educational Innovator (Humanities & Social Sciences). Dr. Sevens works in KU Leuven’s Humanities and Social Sciences Group Services as an educational technologist. With a PhD in computational linguistics, she brings research expertise in language technology to her role in educational innovation. She helps integrate digital tools (including AI) into teaching, and her prior research spanned pictographic languages, text simplification, and user interfaces for language learning. In her current position, she supports faculty in adopting new technologies to enhance learning outcomes.
Leah Budke – Information Specialist Digital Scholarship in the Humanities (KU Leuven Libraries Artes). Dr. Budke is the digital humanities specialist on the Artes Research team. Her primary responsibility is to provide support in the area of digital humanities for researchers, students, and staff at KU Leuven Faculty of Arts. Her work includes one-on-one research consultations, organizing trainings on digital tools and methods, collecting and facilitating access to resources, and teaching the basics of digital scholarship. In addition to supporting DH initiatives at KU Leuven, she is an active member of the Belgian DH community and a co-organizer of the DH Virtual Discussion Group for Early Career Researchers in Belgium. She also maintains a strong interest in digital humanities pedagogy and works to stay informed about current research trends in the field.

Leiden University

Alina Karakanta – Assistant Professor of Machine Translation. Dr. Karakanta is part of the Leiden University Centre for Linguistics, where she specializes in machine translation. Her research sits at the crossroads of translation studies, computational linguistics, and machine learning. She investigates how AI can improve translation quality (including subtitling and audiovisual translation), and explores interdisciplinary approaches to enhance machine translation systems’ performance and usability.
Francien Dechesne – Associate Professor at the Center for Law and Digital Technologies (eLaw), Leiden Law School. With a background in computer science, mathematics and philosophy, her research and education currently center around Artificial Intelligence and its interactions with society: demystification of the technology, identifying and explaining societal impacts, and investigating different strategies towards responsible AI.
Matthijs Westera – Assistant Professor of Humanities & AI. Dr. Westera holds a unique position at the Leiden Centre for Linguistics and the university-wide AI initiative (SAILS). A computational linguist by training, he researches the interface of AI and human language – particularly formal pragmatics and semantics in dialogue. He explores how artificial intelligence models language understanding and communication, studying things like how AI can grasp context and implied meaning in conversation, thereby linking cognitive linguistics with machine learning and logic.

Complutense University of Madrid (UCM)

Gavin Rae – Associate Professor of Philosophy. Dr. Rae teaches in the Department of Logic and Theoretical Philosophy at UCM. He specializes in post-Kantian European thought, where he works at the intersection of sociopolitical philosophy, ontology, psychoanalytic theory, theories of subjectivity, and ethics. Topics that he has published on include agency, epistemology, evil, foundations, law, sexuality, technology, and violence
Sonia Madrid Medrano – Lecturer of Classical Philology. Sonia Madrid Medrano is Lecturer at the Department of Classics at Complutense University of Madrid. Her main research interests focus on Late-Antique and medieval epigraphic and literary texts, chiefly about women, and feminine representations. Her approach to these textscomprehends textual and epigraphic editions as well as literary analyses leaning on agency and women’s identit(ies). She has published several chapters, as well as articles in scholarly journals, on these subjects.
Emma Ingala Gómez – Associate Professor of Theoretical Philosophy. Prof. Ingala teaches in UCM’s Department of Logic and Theoretical Philosophy and is affiliated with the University’s Feminist Research Institute. She holds dual doctorates in Philosophy and in Psychoanalysis/Psychopathology, and her research connects continental philosophy with psychoanalytic and feminist theory. Her work engages with thinkers like Nietzsche and Freud, exploring questions of subjectivity, gender, and the personal–political nexus through a theoretical and psychoanalytic lens.
Eduardo Valls Oyarzun – Associate Professor of English Literature. Eduardo Valls Oyarzun is Associate Professor of English Lit. at Complutense University of Madrid. His research explores nineteenth-century British literature, especially the influence of Nietzsche on Victorian aesthetics, Modern literature and neo-Victorian culture. He has published widely on authors such as Oscar Wilde, Joseph Conrad, and on neo-Victorian film. He currently serves as Vice Dean for Academic Affairs at UCM’s Faculty of Philology. He is also PI of Project BREX-ID on the construction of identity in contemporary British narratives.