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 advances, challenges, experimental frameworks, and concrete solutions in training, research, and innovation.

The day will open to the general public at 5:30 p.m. with a lecture by Michel Robert, Director of CINES, on the theme "Artificial Intelligence at the Heart of a Responsible Digital Revolution," followed at 6:30 p.m. by the official launch of the IA Montpellier Méditerranée association.

Program

9:00 a.m.: Welcome coffee

9 :30 a.m.: Opening remarks by Philippe Augé, President of the University of Montpellier, and 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, Chief Executive Officer of the American Hospital of Paris.

11 a.m.: Roundtable discussion

Research AI and global health: the AI revolution and the challenges of fundamental research in both health and AI

Hosted by Jacques Mercier, Vice President Research UM, 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 Montpellier University Hospital, PhyMedExp.

• How has UM addressed global health issues through major projects, such as ExposUM?
• How do health issues fuel fundamental research in both health and core artificial intelligence, and how do these two fields feed into each other?
• How can we bridge the gap between the needs expressed by practitioners and the connection with "core AI" experts? Illustrations from recent Junior Professorships in AI at Montpellier.

12:30 p.m.: Lunch buffet

2:00 p.m.: Round table discussion 

AI and health in education: a shift in teaching practices

Hosted by Agnès Fichard-Carroll, Vice President of Education and University Life at UM, and David Cassagne, Vice President of Digital Education at UM, with the participation ofMaurice Hayot, Professor at UM, Faculty of Medicine Montpellier-Nîmes, PhyMedExp, Director of ESNByUM, Christelle Reynes, MCF at UM, Faculty of Pharmacy, IGF, and Emmannuel 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 p.m.: Round table discussion 

Innovation and partnerships in AI and healthcare: success stories from Montpellier

Hosted by Philippe Combette, Vice President of Partnerships and Innovation at UM, 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 mission, 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 companies in the healthcare sector?  

4 p.m.: Round table discussion 

Experimenting with AI in healthcare, regulatory and technical frameworks

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

• How can AI be tested in compliance with regulatory and ethical frameworks?
• In which technical environments are AI tests conducted? What are the sovereignty issues and what are the solutions?

5:00 p.m.: Break

5:30 p.m.: Conference open to the general public

Artificial intelligence at the heart of a responsible digital revolution

with Michel ROBERT, Professor at the University of Montpellier (LIRMM/Polytech), Partnership Chair, ISIA-Polytech Montpellier "Responsibility, Ethics, and Impact of Digital Technology," Director of CINES.

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

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

7:00 p.m.: Cocktail reception