IU Research May/June 2026: AI Institute, Digital Health and ISPC | E-Commerce Institute Cologne
The IU Internationale Hochschule research office has published its Newsletter #28 for May and June 2026 – and it impressively demonstrates the breadth and societal relevance of research at IU. New third-party-funded projects in Artificial Intelligence, health and social innovation, a new AI Research Institute, successful symposia and the upcoming ISPC 2026 in Switzerland: the E-Commerce Institute Cologne summarises the most important highlights.
Important Facts
- New IU AI Research Institute founded: focus on human–AI collaboration – who decides when AI is used, how much trust it deserves, and how expertise changes when AI use becomes routine.
- Over 20 new third-party funding applications submitted – from AI in social work and radicalisation research to sustainable destination development.
- 2 new research projects launched: DBU Streulicht (resource-efficient manufacturing) and evaluation of inclusive youth welfare (Johanniter, until 2029).
- 3rd IU Health Symposium – opened by Prof. Dr. Richard C. Geibel – on the theme “Digital Empowerment in Healthcare” on 22 May 2026 at IU Campus Cologne.
- ISPC 2026 on 10/11 September 2026 at FHNW in Brugg, Switzerland – programme committee: Prof. Dr. Richard C. Geibel, Prof. Dr. Darius Zumstein and others.
- 20 publication scholarships awarded – including works on LLM hallucinations, AI in brand development and AI in vocational training.
- Best Paper Award for Alicia Unland, Marc-André Heidelmann and Kristina Schaaf on extraversion, neuroticism and AI usage (IARIA).
- Journal of Global Responsibility classified in SJR category Q1 for the first time – co-editor: Prof. Dr. Willy Legrand (IU).
New IU AI Research Institute: Putting People at the Centre
The newly founded IU AI Research Institute focuses on a crucial question: not how capable AI is – but how people work with it. How does a nurse, a marketing analyst or a student decide when AI should be used, to what extent its results can be trusted, and when to take back control themselves?
“AI is not the bottleneck. The person who doesn’t know how to collaborate with AI is. That is a skills gap – and skills gaps can be measured and closed.”
— IU AI Research Institute, founding mission 2026
The Institute addresses a research gap that is highly relevant in an e-commerce context: how do judgement, problem-solving ability and professional identity change when AI use becomes permanent and routine? A question that affects not only healthcare professionals – but also content teams, logistics planners and customer service staff in digital retail.
3rd IU Health Symposium: Digital Empowerment as a Future Theme
On 22 May 2026, the 3rd IU Health Symposium took place at IU Campus Cologne under the theme “Digital Empowerment in Healthcare” – opened by Prof. Dr. Richard C. Geibel. The keynote was delivered by Günter Wältermann, CEO of AOK Rheinland/Hamburg, who presented advances in the electronic patient record (ePA), the e-prescription and AI-based platform strategies for statutory health insurance.
For the first time, the symposium was integrated with the IU Students Symposium – enabling students to present their own projects and receive feedback from professors and industry partners. Topics such as digital health literacy, interoperability and trust in AI-based technologies formed the focus of the expert contributions. The close connection to the Springer publication “Digitales Empowerment im Gesundheitswesen” – to which Prof. Dr. Geibel contributed two chapters – underlines the continuous bridge between research, teaching and practice.
Selected New Third-Party Projects and Applications
| Project name | Topic | Funder |
|---|---|---|
| KI vor Ort in Sachsen | Local language models for social work | SAB (ESF Plus) |
| exist ProTender | AI agents in public procurement (construction) | BMWE start-up grant |
| DEMOJUG | Youth democracy monitor – anti-democratic attitudes | BMFTR |
| JUVIS | Digital fraud vulnerability among young people | BMFTR |
| PROFIDIS | Deradicalisation work in the context of Islamism | BMFTR |
| Immersive Points | AI-assisted memory spaces for sustainable destination development | Bavarian Centre for Tourism |
| RESTORE-LEARN | Educational support for displaced learners in Ukraine | EU LUKE Joint Call |
ISPC 2026: In Switzerland – and Prof. Dr. Geibel on the Programme Committee
The IU research office also highlights the 6th ISPC 2026 – the International Scientific-Practical Conference –, which takes place on 10 and 11 September 2026 in hybrid format at FHNW in Brugg, Switzerland. The theme: “Digital Management for a Fast-Changing World”. Programme committee: Prof. Dr. Richard C. Geibel, Prof. Dr. Darius Zumstein (FHNW), Prof. Dr. MaryAnne Hyland (Adelphi University) and Prof. Dr. George Lazarashvili (East European University).
All details on registration and the Call for Abstracts are available on the ISPC page of the E-Commerce Institute Cologne.
Publication and Conference Scholarships: Students Research AI, LLMs and Brands
20 publication scholarships were awarded in the winter semester 2025/26. Notably, several of the recognised works address Artificial Intelligence – from calibrated handling of LLM hallucinations (Adrian Ryser) to AI in brand development (Louisa Edokpayi), AI in vocational training (Lars Kölker) and multimodal pass receiver prediction in football using Large Language Models (Frederic Pieper). IU also awarded 7 conference scholarships for events ranging from Gamescom to the International Conference on Business Informatics.
Academic Context
The research activities documented in Newsletter #28 reflect a trend that the E-Commerce Institute Cologne under the direction of Prof. Dr. Richard C. Geibel also pursues in its own research agenda: AI is not an isolated technology topic, but a cross-cutting societal phenomenon that spans healthcare, youth welfare, democracy research and digital retail.
The founding of the AI Research Institute and the large number of AI-related third-party projects make one thing clear: at IU, AI is not studied as an end in itself, but consistently in the context of human competence, social participation and ethical responsibility. This is also a guiding principle for e-commerce – whether it comes to Green Nudges, algorithmic transparency or the responsible use of AI in customer interactions.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
What is the new IU AI Research Institute?
The IU Internationale Hochschule AI Research Institute was founded in 2026 to study human–AI collaboration scientifically. It focuses on questions such as: when should AI be used, how much trust does it deserve, and how does human judgement change through sustained AI use?
What was the theme of the 3rd IU Health Symposium 2026?
The 3rd IU Health Symposium on 22 May 2026 focused on “Digital Empowerment in Healthcare”. Opened by Prof. Dr. Richard C. Geibel, it addressed topics including the electronic patient record, e-prescription, digital health literacy and trust in AI-based technologies.
When does ISPC 2026 take place?
The 6th ISPC – International Scientific-Practical Conference – takes place on 10 and 11 September 2026 in hybrid format at FHNW in Brugg, Switzerland. Prof. Dr. Richard C. Geibel is a member of the programme committee.
What are IU publication scholarships?
IU awards publication scholarships each semester for outstanding student theses. Supervising professors can nominate students by 31 March and 30 September respectively. In the winter semester 2025/26, 20 scholarships were awarded, many for work in the fields of AI and digital transformation.
How can I participate in IU research activities?
The IU research office holds regular funding information sessions (next date: 30 July 2026, 3:00–4:30 pm, online via Teams – in English). There is also the monthly “Research @ IU” series with thematic focus areas. Contact: forschung@iu.org
Source: IU Internationale Hochschule Research Office, Newsletter #28, May/June 2026. forschung@iu.org | www.iu.de/forschung