AI systems are being developed at an increasing pace and are already present in virtually every aspect of our lives. There is a consensus that, due to their potential impact, such systems must be carefully regulated. Europe has taken the lead, recently passing the AI Act, the first regulation concerning AI systems in the world. This opens a new scenario where AI and law professionals will have to work together at the different steps of the life cycle of AI systems, from their conception and development to the resolution of any potential problem derived from their use. The first step for a proper collaboration is good communication and understanding, and that requires both kinds of profiles being able to understand the basic ideas behind the others' work.
About the course
Content
The program will have 6 ECTS, divided into three different sections. The first section aims at providing a general introduction to some basic concepts about AI, computer science and law. Then, the second section will include the presentation of the main challenges that arise both in the AI and the legal domain. The final part of the BIP will be devoted to the joint interdisciplinary discussion of the challenges in real life scenarios. While the first two sections are mostly personal work, the activities in the last section will be done in groups.
Learning Outcomes
- Define and explain key AI concepts such as machine learning, deep learning, evaluation of models, etc.
- Identify the primary national and international regulatory frameworks related to AI (GDPR, AI Act, etc.).
- Analyze the ethical and legal challenges associated with AI development and use (privacy, algorithmic bias, liability).
- Identify and analyze the primary technical challenges in AI system development (data quality, interpretability, scalability).
- Collaborate with professionals from various disciplines (legal, ethical, engineering) to develop AI solutions.
Programme
The virtual part of the program will develop the profile-specific introduction and the technical and legal challenges. This part will include mainly asynchronous activities (readings, videos, self-assessment tests, etc.), complemented with some synchronous sessions. The contents in this part are structured in four blocks:
- Introduction to AI (What is AI?, what is an Algorithm, AI in the digital world, types of data, AI paradigms, etc.)
- Introduction to law (what is law, law theory, families and areas of law, the EU chart of fundamental rights, criminal law, etc.)
- Technical challenges (Fairness, explainability, interpretability, privacy, etc.)
- Legal challenges (data protection, the AI act, discrimination, AI and criminal offences, etc.)
The joint interdisciplinary discussions of the challenges that arise in real life scenarios will be held mainly during the on-site week (that will take place in in Donostia / San Sebastián), although the online synchronous sessions will be used to promote the joint discussion.
Assessment
Online tests. These tests will assess the understanding of the basic concepts
Participation in the discussions. Making, answering, and commenting on questions in both the online forums and the synchronous sessions
The work in groups will be evaluated both based on the participations observed during the on-site sessions and on the exposition of the results achieved by the group.
Lecturers
- University of the Basque Country: Usue Mori, Olatz Arbelaitz, Borja Calvo
- Universtity of Göttingen: Zully Ritter, Anne Christin Hauschild
- University of Ghent: Eva Lievens, Griet Verhenneman, Yvan Saeys
- University of Uppsala: Andreas Kotsios
- Comenius University Bratislava: Petra Dražová, Marek Kordík
Course dates
On-site: 20th of April (9:00 CEST) - 24th of April (14:00 CEST) 2026, in Donostia / San Sebastián (Basque Country)
Online: 12th of January - 27th of March 2026. The online part is mostly asynchronous, hence each student can do the work according to their individual preferences. For the synchronous sessions, doodles will be launched to agree on the most suitable time for the lessons.
How to apply?
Entry requirements: Enrolled in a bachelor, master or PhD programme from technical disciplines or law
Students from all ENLIGHT partner universities are eligible to participate. Students will be selected at each of these universities separately. Students interested in the course need to apply via their home university. They should contact their faculty or programme to verify whether it can fit in their curriculum and to ensure academic recognition of the credits obtained. The home university will select the permitted number of students, inform the students as soon as possible, and then send these names to the host institution. Unsuccessful students will be placed on a waiting list and may get a place, if other universities do not use all their allocated places.
Please select your home university below and contact your ENLIGHT coordinator for further information on the application process or consult the linked information.
- University of the Basque Country:
This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. - University of Bern: Application instructions for students at the University of Bern
- University of Bordeaux:
This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. - Comenius University Bratislava:
This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. - University of Galway:
This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. - Ghent University:
This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. (see information about BIP's) - University of Groningen:
This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. - University of Göttingen:
This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. (for BIP’s) orThis email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. (other courses) - University of Tartu: Application instructions for students at the University of Tartu
- Uppsala University: Application instructions for students at Uppsala University
Contact
With any questions about the course, contact