AI and Health – Global Health in the Age of AI

On September 25, 2025, the University of Montpellier will bring together the academic community and its partners for a day dedicated to the theme “AI and Health – Global Health in the Age of AI” to explore advancements, challenges, experimental frameworks, and concrete solutions in the areas of education, research, and innovation.

The event opens to the general public at 5:30 p.m. with a lecture by Michel Robert, Director of CINES, on the topic “Artificial Intelligence at the Heart of a Responsible Digital Revolution,” followed by the official launch of the IA Montpellier Méditerranée association at 6:30 p.m.

Program

9:00 a.m.: Welcome coffee

9:30 a.m.: Opening remarks by Philippe Augé, President of the University of Montpellier, followed by a presentation of the UM’s AI roadmap by David Cassagne, Vice President for Digital Technology in Education, and Anne Laurent, Vice President for Open Science and Research Data

10 a.m.: Lecture by Benoît Gallix, Radiologist, Professor of Medicine, and Chief Executive Officer of the American Hospital of Paris.

11:00 a.m.: Roundtable discussion

Research and Global Health: The AI Revolution and the Challenges of Fundamental Research in Both Health and AI

Moderated by Jacques Mercier, Vice President Research the University Research Montpellier, with the participation of Mircea Sofonea, University of Montpellier (PCCEI, Faculty of Sciences), ExposUM project; Julie Josse, Director of Research , IDESP, PREMEDICA project team; Michael Sioutis, Junior Professor at the University of Montpellier, LIRMM; and Claire Daien, Doctor of Medicine and Science, university hospital practitioner in Rheumatology at the Montpellier University Hospital, PhyMedExp.

• How has UM addressed global health issues through major projects, using ExposUM as an example?
• How do health challenges drive basic research in both health and core artificial intelligence, and how do these two fields feed into one another?
• How can we bridge the gap between the needs expressed by practitioners and the connection with "core AI" experts? Examples from the recent Junior Professorships in AI at the University of Montpellier.

12:30 p.m.: Lunch buffet

2:00 p.m.: Panel discussion 

AI and Health in Education: A Shift in Teaching Practices

Hosted by Agnès Fichard-Carroll, Vice President for Education and Academic Life at UM, and David Cassagne, Vice President for Digital Education at UM, with the participation ofMaurice Hayot, Professor at UM, Faculty of Medicine Montpellier-Nîmes, PhyMedExp, Director of ESNByUM; Christelle Reynes, Associate Professor at UM, Faculty of Pharmacy, IGF; and Emmanuel Le Clezio, Professor at UM, Faculty of Science, IES.

• How is AI revolutionizing health studies?
• How can we train students in the two complementary fields of health and engineering to meet the challenges of tomorrow?

3:00 p.m.: Panel discussion 

Innovation and Partnerships in AI and Healthcare: Success Stories from Montpellier

Moderated by Philippe Combette, Vice President of Partnerships and Innovation at the University of Montpellier (UM) and coordinator of the Montpellier University Innovation Cluster (PUI), with the participationof Eric Sturm, Head of Digital Innovation at 113; Michaël Chekroun, Director of the MedVallée initiative; and Emmanuel Lebouder, Head of Innovation at EurobioMed (subject to confirmation).

• How did Montpellier rise to the top?
• What role do research and innovation play for innovative healthcare companies?  

4:00 p.m.: Panel discussion 

Experimenting with AI in healthcare: regulatory and technical frameworks

Moderated by Jacques Mercier, Vice President Research the University of Montpellier (UM) and Chair of the Scientific and Ethics Committee of the Montpellier University Hospital’s Health Data Warehouse (EDS), with the participation of Michel Robert, Professor at UM (LIRMM/Polytech), holder of the joint chair, ISIA-Polytech Montpellier “Responsibility, Ethics, and the Impact of Digital Technology,” Director of CINES; Pierre-Emmanuel Milhiet, Director of Research CNRS, CBS, and Director of the Biology-Health Research Cluster at UM; and Emmanuel Faure, CNRS Researcher (LIRMM CNRS).

• How can we test AI systems in compliance with regulatory and ethical frameworks?
• In what technical environments are AI tests conducted? What sovereignty issues arise, and what solutions are available?

5:00 p.m.: Break

5:30 p.m.: Public lecture

Artificial Intelligence at the Heart of a Responsible Digital Revolution

with Michel ROBERT, Professor at the University of Montpellier (LIRMM/Polytech), ISIA-Polytech Montpellier Joint Chair in “Digital Responsibility, Ethics, and Impact,” and Director of CINES.

6:30 p.m.: Official launch of the IA Montpellier Méditerranée association

In the presence of representatives from the founding members: the Occitanie-Pyrénées-Méditerranée Region, Montpellier Méditerranée Métropole, the University of Montpellier, Montpellier University Hospital, Digital 113, and La French Tech Méditerranée.

7:00 p.m.: Cocktail reception