International Research Collaboration in the Age of AI
International research collaboration has always been one of the most fascinating and complex areas of research management and administration.
It brings together different institutions, cultures, expectations, systems, and ways of working. It asks us to navigate distance, time zones, regulation, trust, communication, and coordination — often all at once.
For many of us working in research support, it is exactly this complexity that makes international collaboration so interesting, but also so demanding.
Now, as AI enters an already complex international environment, the questions become even more important.
What happens when AI becomes part of international research collaboration?
What new opportunities does it create?
What new tensions, risks, and management challenges does it bring?
And how do we make sense of all this in a way that is practical, responsible, and useful for the people doing the work?
This conversation brings together two highly relevant and timely dimensions of research management practice: the growing complexity of international collaboration and the rapidly expanding role of AI in research-supporting work.
Rather than treating these as separate topics, this session will explore what happens at the intersection between them — and why that matters now.
This is not just a theoretical presentation. It is an opportunity to reflect on what many institutions are already beginning to face: new questions around governance, management, communication, responsibility, and the human dimension of collaboration in an AI-enabled environment.
This expert talk will also help open the way to the panel discussion on 29 May, creating space for a broader community conversation on the issues, opportunities, and future implications of AI in international research collaboration.
If you work in research development, partnerships, research management, governance, contracts, strategy, or wider research support, this session will offer a valuable space to step back and think more clearly about where things are heading.
🔍 In this session, we will explore:
• Where international collaboration and AI are beginning to intersect
What are the major issues emerging at this intersection, and why should research organisations be paying attention now?
• What this means for research management offices
How might AI affect the operational, organisational, and management realities of supporting international research collaboration?
• The human side of the picture
As AI becomes more present, what happens to trust, judgement, communication, and relationships across international partnerships?
• What comes next
What future issues are likely to emerge, and how can research managers and administrators begin preparing in a thoughtful and responsible way?
💬 The session will conclude with a 15-minute Q&A, giving participants the chance to bring in their own questions, experiences, and perspectives.
Speakers:
James Casey is a veteran research executive and attorney with 30 years of research management experience. He is the academic community leader and a founding adjunct associate professor in the CUNY M.S. in Research Administration and Compliance Program, and in August 2026 assumes the role of faculty academic coordinator for the Program. He received the NCURA Distinguished Service Award in 2009 and is a member of the U.S. Supreme Court and Wisconsin Bars.
Marjo Michon is an experienced research management professional with a strong track record in leading teams and delivering high-impact international projects. She currently leads a team of eight experts and has over a decade of experience across France and Finland. She has successfully secured competitive funding, including Horizon Europe and ERC grants, and is skilled at connecting researchers, institutions, and international partners to drive effective collaboration and strong results.
📩 Can’t attend live?
Register for the AIRON newsletter to receive a written summary of the event and highlights from the Q&A:
https://dashboard.mailerlite.com/forms/397067/149961960673249059/share
🌐 You are also warmly invited to join the AIRON community on LinkedIn to continue the conversation with peers across research operations:
https://www.linkedin.com/groups/14495341/ See less