The Alexander von Humboldt Foundation invites Germany-based early- and mid-career researchers from various research fields to apply to participate in a symposium, organised jointly with the Brazilian Federal Agency for Support and Evaluation of Graduate Education (CAPES), focusing on the theme of “AI for Good: Global Responsible Innovation and Business Transformation”.
The symposium will take place from 24 to 27 September 2026 in Brazil and aims to incentivise and establish international engagement and collaboration between researchers working in both countries in a broad range of disciplines. It is designed to encourage the exchange of ideas across both disciplinary and national boundaries by adopting a format that will allow for extensive discussion and debate, and other networking opportunities.
By uniting three dimensions – AI for Good, Responsible Innovation, and Business Transformation – the theme of the conference underscores the urgency of shaping AI as a force for positive change. It invites a global dialogue on how to leverage AI’s transformative power in ways that are not only technologically advanced but also socially just, ethically grounded, and globally inclusive.
The BRAGFOST 2026 symposium will include the following sessions:
- Empowering SMEs with AI: Bridging the innovation gap
- Generative AI for next-generation education and research
- Trustworthy AI in the era of Large Language Models
- Synthetic data for scalable and secure AI development
Researchers are eligible to apply provided that they
- are based in Germany,
- work in Germany at a research institution,
- have completed a PhD within the last 15 years (at the time of the symposium),
- are fluent in spoken and written English.
Applications must be submitted online until 11 January 2026.
