On 23–24 April 2026, the AI-TransformED consortium gathered at the Faculty of Technical Sciences, University of Novi Sad, for the project’s official kick-off meeting. Over two intensive and highly collaborative days, partners came together to align on the project’s strategic direction, clarify roles and responsibilities across work packages, launch the first implementation activities, and establish a strong common foundation for the work ahead.  

The meeting agenda reflected the project’s ambitious scope. Day 1 focused on the project’s strategic overview, partner flash introductions on institutional experience with AI in education, and detailed micro-planning for WP2, including the AI readiness assessment toolkit, stakeholder consultation processes, the C4GAP framework, and the development of institutional AI-GTF-informed roadmaps. The programme also included interactive workshops on AI readiness and co-creation of the C4GAP framework, as well as a short lecture on building AI learning assistants to support meaningful learning. Day 2 then turned to communication and dissemination, project management and governance, quality assurance, and the next immediate action points for the consortium. The meeting concluded with a visit to Vega IT, offering an additional industry perspective on AI products, internal AI adoption, and the skills expected from future graduates and professionals.  

For European Academy, the kick-off meeting marked an important milestone in the launch of WP6 – Communication, Dissemination and Exploitation. During the morning session on Day 2, EA presented the first draft of the Communication & Dissemination Strategy (CDS) together with the project’s Brand Book, introducing the consortium to the strategic communication logic, the visual identity system, the digital ecosystem already in place, and the first practical materials available to partners. The presentation highlighted the role of communication and dissemination in supporting visibility, stakeholder engagement, uptake of project results, and long-term sustainability, while also presenting the project website, social media channels, templates, branding assets, and communication-related KPIs. 

EA also facilitated Workshop 3: Strategic Planning of Dissemination, Communication and Exploitation Activities (M2–M6), designed to move from strategy to action. Using a purpose-built workshop canvas, partners worked together to identify priority audiences, refine key messages, map stakeholder networks, match communication channels to target groups, and define realistic communication and dissemination actions for the first implementation period. The canvas encouraged partners to think concretely about audience needs, channel selection, stakeholder outreach, push and pull communication actions, and the practical route from visibility to engagement and uptake. Additional workshop materials, including a tailored “7 Ps of Marketing for Erasmus+ Projects” worksheet and a strategic planning canvas, helped structure the discussion in an interactive and accessible way. 

What made the kick-off especially valuable was the strong sense of shared purpose across the consortium. The meeting was not limited to formal presentations; it also created space for practical discussion, peer exchange, and early co-creation. From AI readiness and stakeholder consultation to communication planning and governance, the discussions in Novi Sad made it clear that AI-TransformED is beginning its journey with a strong collaborative spirit and a clear commitment to building ethical, inclusive, and pedagogically meaningful approaches to generative AI in education and training. 

At EA, we are proud to contribute to this shared effort by leading the communication and dissemination dimension of the project and helping shape the public identity, visibility, and outreach of AI-TransformED from the very beginning. The kick-off meeting offered an excellent opportunity to align the consortium around both the substance and the visibility of the project — and to ensure that the work developed in the coming months will be communicated clearly, consistently, and strategically to all relevant audiences.