From September 22 to 23, the China-Europe Civilization Forum: Artificial Intelligence and Smart Cities was successfully held at the University of Luiss in Italy, gathering scholars and experts to explore the intersection of AI, smart cities and cross-civilizational dialogue.

The China-Europe Civilization Forum: Artificial Intelligence and Smart Cities is held at the University of Luiss in Italy from September 22 to 23. [Photo/ruc.edu.cn]

The forum was jointly organized by Renmin University of China (RUC) and the University of Luiss, and co-hosted by RUC's School of Smart Governance, the Strategic Research Institute of Smart Governance and the journal Economic and Political Studies (EPS).

As a key academic platform under the China-Europe Civilization Forum, the conference leveraged the strengths of both universities. Themed "Mutual Learning of Civilizations in the Digital Era", participants engaged in in-depth discussions and seminars on AI and smart city topics. The conference aimed to foster the exchange of research findings, promote innovative urban governance models, address challenges related to civilizational interactions and further consolidate the academic foundation for China-Europe dialogue.

Antonio Majocchi, deputy rector for internationalization at the University of Luiss, delivers a speech. [Photo/ruc.edu.cn]

At the opening session, Antonio Majocchi, deputy rector for internationalization at the University of Luiss, emphasized that the conference represents a milestone in the long-standing cooperation between the two universities. He also highlighted achievements in student and academic exchanges, as well as in joint China-Italy-US degree programs.

During the conference, Du Peng, former vice-president of RUC, dean of the School of Population and Health, and editor-in-chief of EPS, along with his delegation, engaged with Antonio Majocchi on deepening bilateral cooperation. They agreed to partner on research projects, faculty and student exchanges and the co-development of case study repositories, aimed at advancing collaboration to a deeper level.

Following the conference, RUC scholars visited the University of Luiss Data Lab and Italy's Enlabs/Zest Innovation Center for academic research and exchanges. They discussed practical application of emerging technologies, including research support and commercialization in universities, content innovation and ethical standards in journalism, as well as efficiency optimization and management challenges in smart transportation.

Experts engage in lively discussions during the conference on research challenges in smart governance, differences between China and Europe in governance and potential directions for future collaboration. [Photo/ruc.edu.cn]