Activities
Events
AI-DOC Research Seminar
AI-DOC Research Seminar 11.–14.11.2025 at Aalto Campus
Program can also bee seen here.
Tuesday 11.11. Hands-on workshop (In-person/Online) - Otakaari 1, H304/link to follow later
Topic: Reproducibility and open-science practices in machine learning: introductory course
Description: Reproducibility is fundamental in science, yet often overlooked in machine learning. This one-day workshop introduces the key tools and practices that make ML workflows reliable, shareable, and open. We will start from the basics of reproducible software environments (e.g. mamba/conda, containers), then explore data and model versioning (DVC, Hugging Face tools), training pipelines (single vs multiGPUs, checkpointing), model sharing (model cards, licensing), and open-science practices. The program mixes short talks with hands-on exercises and is designed for a very diverse audience: clear take-home lessons for beginners, and practical tips and advanced tools for experienced researchers.
Instructors (tentative list): Hossein Firooz, Enrico Glerean, Yu Tian, Simo Tuomisto
Prerequisites and materials: An active user account in a Finnish organisation (we will use CSC resources which requires HAKA login). Materials will be shared with the participants a few days before the event.
Wednesday 12.11. Expert talks - Otakaari 1, H304
AI-DOC Director, Prof. Arno Solin (Aalto): AI and Ethical Challenges
Senior Legal Counsel, Maria Rehbinder (Aalto): AI Act, Copyright and AI
AI & HPC Solutions Architect, Niki Loppi (NVIDIA): Details to follow
Thursday 13.11. AI Day: https://fcai.fi/ai-day-2025
For registration, please see the email / Slack message sent to the AI-DOC students.
Friday 14.11. AI-DOC Seminar: You are expected to participate on this day & bring a poster - Otakaari 24, Dipoli
Keynote Speaker: Professor Laura Ruotsalainen, University of Helsinki
PhD Journey Session: Navigating PhD mobility opportunities and experiences
Poster Presentations: AI-DOC posters
Events
Aalto Inventors Innovation Training Program
Aalto Inventors Innovation Training Program for AI-DOC Researchers
We are thrilled to announce the opening of the Aalto Inventors innovation training program for AI-DOC researchers this fall. Please register here by Thursday 25.9. and embark on an exciting innovation journey!
We want to encourage every curious mind to join: This program is designed as a first experience in innovation, so no prior knowledge or ready ideas are needed.
We have a limited number of places in the program at a first-come, first-served basis.
Program overview:
Inventors is a field-specific innovation training program designed specifically for researchers like you to discover the potential of their work and to turn scientific breakthroughs into real-world impact. You will meet industry and academic thought leaders from the field AI and receive hands-on training in impactful communication, funding opportunities, intellectual property and business thinking.
The program consists of 8 training sessions organized on the Aalto campus in Espoo, starting on 7.10.2025 and finishing on a final event on 29.1.2026. Detailed info on the sessions, participation requirements and schedule is included below.
Why join?
Enhance Your Skills for Your Future Career: Learn how to build impact, secure funding, and protect your ideas
Expert Guidance: Receive mentorship from academia, industry, and law professionals to navigate the AI innovation ecosystem
Expand Your Network: Connect with fellow researchers, industry experts, and entrepreneurs in your field
Official Recognition: Receive a certificate upon program completion + possibility of earning 1 ECTS credit
Ongoing Support: Join the Inventors alumni network for continued support and collaboration
The Aalto Inventors program was first piloted in spring 2025 with excellent feedback (4.64/5 rating and NPS 64). We look forward to growing the program and giving access to innovation training to the whole AI-DOC network.
Preliminary schedule:
Module 1: Foundation & Tools for Entrepreneurial Researchers
7.10. Kick-off event: Why AI Innovation Matters & Program Introduction 9:00-12:00
21.10. From Research to Problem validation 9:00-12:00
Module 2: Intellectual Property & Market Strategy
5.11. IPR for AI Researchers 9:00-12:00
19.11. Industry Networking 9:00-12:00
2.12. Customer Discovery Deep Dive 9:00-12:00
Module 3: Communication & Commercialization
16.12. From Problem to Solution-Ecosystem-Fit & AI Startup Insights 9:00-12:00
13.1. Storytelling, Communication and Funding Pathways 9:00-12:00
29.1. Final event: Innovation Showcase & Graduation 13:00-16:30
Practicalities:
Modes of study: Pre-reading, training sessions, group work and final presentation
Credits: Possibility to gain1 ECTS
Participation requirements: Participation in the kick-off, final event and 4/6 training sessions is required for program completion. Participation is on-site only, except for participants outside the Helsinki area (LUT University, Tampere University, University of Eastern Finland, University of Jyväskylä, University of Oulu, University of Turku, University of Vaasa and Åbo Akademi University), who can participate online in three (5.11., 16.12. and 13.1.) sessions.
Register now here: https://forms.office.com/e/t0R745BUy5
If you have any questions about the program or signing up, please don’t hesitate to reach out to us: Sanna-Maija Kiviranta, AI-DOC Manager – sanna-maija.kiviranta at aalto.fi
News
AI-DOC received Aalto Research Impact Award
In the ceremony, AI-DOC was represented by Arno Solin, Sanna-Maija Kiviranta, and Kaisa Pekkala.
The Finnish Doctoral Program Network in Artificial Intelligence (AI-DOC) received this year's Aalto University Research Impact Award along with two other doctoral pilots (CIMANET and QDOC) and ELLIS Institute Finland.
All four still have a lot of work ahead in ensuring even more impact, but this is a great recognition of the work this far.
News
What makes us find AI creative?
Events
Industry Connect
Industry Connect – Matchmaking in AI and Software Engineering Doctoral Research Pilots
Join us for an engaging afternoon where doctoral researchers, supervisors, professors, and industry leaders come together to make valuable connections! The purpose of the networking event is to enhance collaboration and create opportunities for doctoral researchers to transition seamlessly from academia to industry roles. This event is organized with Technology Industries of Finland and is intended for the doctoral pilots in Artificial Intelligence and Software Engineering.
Date: Monday, May 12th at 11.30–16 (starting with lunch)
Place: Clarion Hotel at Helsinki Airport, Taivastie 3, Vantaa (not to be confused with Clarion Aviapolis)
Participation fee: 130 € (to be covered by the individual PhD projects)
Programme:
11.00 Registration opens
11.30-12.30 Lunch
12.30-13.00 Meet the Researchers – companies matched with PhD candidates
How to prepare: Please prepare a powerpoint slide or two so that you can discuss your topic with the industry representatives. Note: it cannot be a poster, since there will not be an opportunity to arrange poster stands.
13.00-13.20 Opening & info session:
- Leena Pöntynen, Technology Industries of Finland
- Iida Lähdemäki, AI Finland – AI 1000 Program
- International House Helsinki – Finnish Job Market Overview
13.20-13.45 Keynote: Jarkko Pellikka, Nokia
13.45-15.30 Matchmaking Sessions – student groups visit companies, matched based on research interests
15.30-16.00 Open Networking
Photos: Sanna-Maija Kiviranta / Aalto University
Events
AI-DOC launch
The official launch event of the AI-DOC program was held in February 2025. The event took place at Aalto University and brought together over 100 participants across Finland.
Photos: Margot Lepetit / Aalto University
Events
Pre-launch
The pre-launch event was organized together with FCAI’s community event and pre-NeurIPS fest in November 2024.
Calls
AI-DOC recruitment calls
The first AI-DOC call was organized in spring 2024, followed by the second call in autumn 2024. Altogether 100 new PhD students were recruited to work in fundamental AI and machine learning research and in five application areas.
News
Doctoral pilot launching
Finland’s Ministry of Education and Culture has announced the allocation of 255 million EUR to universities for piloting new practices in doctoral education for three years starting in 2024. The proposal from the Finnish Center for Artificial Intelligence flagship, "Finnish Doctoral Program Network in Artificial Intelligence", was granted 100 new doctoral positions (25.5 million EUR). The national consortium across 10 universities will educate 100 new PhDs in artificial intelligence research.