Towards Excellent Robotics and Artificial Intelligence at a Slovak university

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The TERAIS project aims at transforming the Department of Applied Informatics (DAI) at COMENIUS UNIVERSITY in Bratislava (UKBA) to a workplace of international academic excellence and an outstanding example for other HEIs in Slovakia. To achieve this, the project aims to: (1) prepare conditions for systematic development of human capital and research capacity of DAI UKBA, (2) establish sustainable networking and collaboration links with partner institutions/within UKBA, (3) boost scientific profile of DAI towards mitigating the research and innovation gap, (4) establish institutional research support structures at UKBA. The partnership will comprise, in addition to DAI UKBA, the Knowledge Technology team at UNIVERSITÄT HAMBURG in Germany - with exceptional expertise in neural networks, deep learning and crossmodal learning for developmental robotics - and two units at ISTITUTO ITALIANO DI TECNOLOGIA in Italy - with excellent experience in humanoid robotics, control using physical and simulated robots and human-robot interaction. The project will be based on 4 pillars: (1) PEOPLE - aiming at creating a life-long career development system at UKBA; (2) NETWORKING - focusing on strengthening collaboration links with international partners and the business community; (3) RESEARCH - focusing on cognitive robotics, a part of embodied artificial intelligence, in which all project partners have outstanding expertise; and (4) SUPPORT - directed towards building the necessary research support structures at UKBA. The project will leverage a broad range of channels, such as staff/student exchanges, joint events/proposals/publications and specific dissemination/communication tools. The project is expected to contribute to promoting research excellence at different levels (UKBA: DAI, Faculty, University; Slovakia; international scientific community) and achieving wider economic and social impacts - with UKBA serving as a key agent of transformation.