News: The Role of Science in the Modern World – Artificial Intelligence. The Challenge of the 21st Century

The Role of Science in the Modern World – Artificial Intelligence. The Challenge of the 21st Century

The conference ‘The Role of Science in the Modern World – Artificial Intelligence. The Challenge of the 21st Century’ was held on November 6, 2025, organized by the Romanian Academy and the Academy of Sciences of Moldova, in partnership with the Academy of Agricultural and Forestry Sciences “Gheorghe Ionescu-Șișești”, Technical Sciences Academy of Romania, the Romanian Academy of Medical Sciences, and the Romanian Academy of Legal Sciences. The conference took place in a hybrid format, allowing both in-person and online participation.

In his opening speech at the conference, Acad. Ioan-Aurel Pop, President of the Romanian Academy, emphasized that artificial intelligence (AI) is central to sustainable development with wide-reaching benefits across all domains – from medical science to culture and art. He also drew attention to the dangers posed by the aggressive use of AI.

Acad. Ion Tiginyanu, President of the Academy of Sciences of Moldova and Co-President of RENAM, delivered the welcoming speech. He underscored the vital role of science in the modern world, stating: “The United Nations’ declaration of 2024-2033 as the International Decade of Science for Sustainable Development reminds us of our collective responsibility to use science as an engine of global progress and stability. Today, more than ever, collaboration between scientific researchers, the community, and decision-makers in areas crucial to society is essential. We are called upon to develop innovative solutions that address the complex challenges of our time and to protect our scientific and cultural heritage, the values that define us.” He highlighted that AI is no longer just an emerging technology; it has become an essential element transforming many aspects of life. While AI offers significant benefits, it also raises ethical and social questions that require responsible and coordinated action. It is important not only to engage in constructive dialogue, but also to take decisive measures to address current challenges and opportunities. By consolidating efforts and fostering cooperation, we can realize our shared vision and ensure that science, including AI, continues to lead us toward a better future.

This major event was attended by representatives of RENAM – Dr. Peter Bogatencov, Chair of the Management Board at RENAM, and Dr. Grigore Secrieru, Secretary of the Management Board at RENAM.

RENAM, as the national research and education network integrated with GÉANT’s pan-European network, leverages the existing opportunities and actively participates in international collaborations. At the global level, national research and education networks (NRENs) ensure advanced connectivity of the local academic community (researchers, professors, academic staff and students) with the rest of the world and provide technical solutions for international scientific collaboration and education of the young generation in the global society.

With the agreement recently signed between the EuroHPC Joint Undertaking (EuroHPC JU) and GÉANT, Europe takes a major step in strengthening its supercomputing ecosystem. This new federated, ultra-high bandwidth network builds upon the reliable and secure GÉANT network infrastructure that has served European science for decades to create a hyperconnected infrastructure with transmission capabilities in the terabits-per-second range. Set up in partnership with GÉANT, this infrastructure expands upon the established multi-country ecosystem and leverages the reach and expertise of European NRENs, and will greatly enhance data exchange between EuroHPC supercomputers, national supercomputers, AI Factories, quantum facilities, as well as research and data centres across Europe.