As part of the Observatory for News Innovation in the Digital Society (OI2) project, the Gabinete de Comunicación y Educación of the Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona (UAB) and Radio Televisión Española (RTVE) conducted a study on universities offering degrees, postgraduate courses and research related to artificial intelligence (AI). This collaboration between UAB and RTVE seeks to identify academic institutions actively involved in the advancement of AI education and research.
The study highlighted several universities in Spain and Latin America that offer AI-focused programmes, including:
- Universitat Autónoma de Barcelona (UAB): part of the European network of excellence in AI research.
- Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya (UPC): Offers a PhD programme in AI.
- Universidad Nacional de Colombia: has a research group dedicated to AI development.
- Universidad Veracruzana: hosts the Artificial Intelligence Research Institute (IIIA).
- Universidad Comillas ICAI: Provides a degree in Mathematical Engineering and AI.
- In addition, other universities, such as the Universidad Católica de Ávila, the Universidad Internacional de Valencia and the Universidad de Malaga, offer Master’s Degrees in AI and related fields.
Santiago Tejedor, director of the Gabinete de Comunicación y Educación of the UAB highlights that these initiatives strengthen AI innovation and development, positioning universities as centres of excellence in AI education and research. As the world increasingly relies on AI technologies, academia plays a relevant role in preparing students for careers in this rapidly evolving field.
The Gabinete de Comunicación y de Educación is a consolidated group specialised in scientific research and dissemination, which belongs to the Department of Journalism and Communication Sciences of the UAB. Recognised by AGAUR (Agència de Gestió d’Ajuts Universitaris i de Recerca) of the Generalitat de Catalunya as a Consolidated Research Group on the basis of its trajectory, projection and development, it develops projects and research in the field of convergence between communication and education. Since its creation, it has developed initiatives aimed at integrating, with awareness and freedom, communication technologies in the so-called global or knowledge society.
Under the direction of Santiago Tejedor, the Gabinete organises several of its own Master’s Degrees, such as the Master’s Degree in Travel Journalism (on-site and online), the Master’s Degree in Communication and Education, the Master’s Degree in Environmental Communication and the Master’s Degree in Political and Electoral Communication Management. The group has a wide and varied collection of publications, in the form of scientific articles, books and book chapters, and other works, which is constantly being renewed. It also has a laboratory for teaching innovation projects, transfer and new formats that are conceived and developed from a perspective based on creativity and multidisciplinary work. Every year, the Gabinete organises an academic expedition that travels around the world with students from different universities and degrees. This is the Tahina-Can Expedition, which has been awarded as the best educational project in Spain. It also has the portal Tu Aventura, the educational platform InfoEDU and the newsgames and science project Reporter@s de la Ciencia.