KU Leuven Summer School on the Law, Ethics and Policy of Artificial Intelligence

Title

Summer School on the Law, Ethics and Policy of Artificial Intelligence

Lecturer

General inquiries about the Summer School can be directed here, aisummerschool@kuleuven.be

Academic Coordinator : Nathalie Smuha , nathalie.smuha@kuleuven.be

Academic Assistant: Victoria Hendricks , victoria.hendrickx@kuleuven.be

Content and organization

About the KU Leuven AI Summer School

In 2021, KU Leuven organised the first edition of the Summer School on the Law, Ethics and Policy of Artificial Intelligence (AI). Given the programme’s overwhelming success, three editions have taken place thus far. The fourth edition will take place from 1 to 10 July 2024.

The Summer School aims to provide a comprehensive overview of the various legal, ethical and policy-related issues around AI and algorithm-driven processes more broadly. As these technologies have a growing impact on all domains of our lives, it becomes increasingly important to map, understand and assess the challenges and opportunities they raise. This requires an interdisciplinary approach, which is why we are collaborating across faculties and departments to organise this Summer School. The programme’s goal is to offer participants the latest insights on AI from various perspectives, and in particular the fields of law, ethics and policy.

The lectures are provided by renowned academics, policy-makers from EU and international institutions as well as practitioners, allowing participants to grasp not only the theoretical but also the practical implications of the use of AI in these fields.

The Summer School’s intended audience concerns postgraduate students who already obtained a master’s degree and junior/senior researchers from various disciplines, as well as policy analysts, lawyers and legal experts, civil servants, members of civil society organisations, AI practitioners, and other professionals with an interest in broadening their understanding of AI and its impact on society.

Participants receive a certificate of attendance with the equivalence of 3 ECTS credits. Those interested also have an opportunity to share their research with fellow participants through a research presentation session.

Thus far, the Summer School has taken place as a hybrid event, enabling participants to join both on campus and online.

Applications

Information about the application process can be found on the application page. For direct access to the application form, click here. Only the KUL application forms will be taken into account.

The application process for the Summer School’s 2024 edition is open until 27 March 2024 midnight.

In their application form, applicants are asked to provide:

A cover letter of max. 500 words explaining their background and motivation for enrolling to the Summer School;
A CV in PDF format; and
At least one letter of recommendation in PDF format (including the signatory’s name, title and signature). Depending on your profile, the recommendation(s) can be academic or professional in nature.

The results of the selection process will be communicated to applicants by mid-April.

Places in the programme are limited to ensure the quality and depth of the interactions and discussions. English proficiency is required (though no certificate of language proficiency will be asked). In addition to the quality of applications, the selection committee also aims to ensure a diverse cohort of participants.

Tuition fee

In 2024, the Summer School will once again be offered in a hybrid format (*). In the application form, applicants will be able to indicate their preferred participation format (or indicate that they would be happy to participate in either format). Here below we list the tuition fees in each case:

1) Tuition fees for the on campus programme:

For postgraduate / PhD students: €825
For senior researchers, civil servants and employees of civil society organisations: €995
For other professionals: €1250

This fee includes all the classes and course materials, lunches, coffee breaks, social activities and a closing dinner. It also includes the certificate of attendance with the equivalence of 3 ECTS credits. Note that this fee does not include accommodation. For information about accommodation in Leuven, please consult the KU Leuven housing website.

2) Tuition fees for the online programme:

For postgraduate / PhD students: €595
For senior researchers, civil servants and employees of civil society organisations: €750
For other professionals: €995

This fee includes all the classes and course materials, access to the online learning platform, and a certificate of attendance with the equivalence of 3 ECTS credits. (*) We reserve the right to only offer the programme on campus, depending on the amount of online applications received.

The general terms and conditions for enrolling in certified continuing education programmes at KU Leuven can be found here. Please note the following cancellation policy:

Until 24 May 2024: 50% reimbursement of the tuition fee.
From 25 May 2024: no reimbursement of the tuition fee.

Scholarships

This year, we expect to be able to offer three scholarships in the form of a tuition fee waiver, aimed at ensuring that meritorious applicants who would otherwise not be able to afford the course, can nevertheless participate. In their application form, those applying for a scholarship will be able to upload an additional letter in which they set out the reasons why they believe to be eligible for a tuition fee waiver.

In addition, successful applicants from LDC countries will receive a tuition fee discount of €150.

Address

KU Leuven Faculty of Law and Criminology

Tiensestraat 41, box 3424

3000 Leuven

Belgium

Level

Postgraduate students who already obtained a master's degree and junior/senior researchers from various disciplines.

Course Duration

9 days

Course Type

Seasonal School

ECTS

Summer school fee includes all the classes and course materials, lunches, coffee breaks, social activities and a closing dinner. It also includes the certificate of attendance with the equivalence of 3 ECTS credits.

Participation terms

KU Leuven is solely responsible for the organisation and selection of participants for the summer school. The summer school is only accessible according to the KU Leuven's application and selection process contained on the summer school website. Only the KU Leuven application process & form will be considered. If you are an AIDA Student* already, please a) enroll in the course in the AIDA system, in order for this course to be included on your AIDA Course Attendance Certificate AND b) register on the KU Leuven course site (https://www.law.kuleuven.be/ai-summer-school/application) - If you are not an AIDA Student, follow only the instructions in step (b) contained in the KU Leuven course site. *AIDA Students should have been registered in the AIDA system already (they are PhD students or PostDocs that belong only to the AIDA Members list).