TRENDS in Europe: Promoting interfaith dialogue and artificial intelligence cooperation

By Dr. Mohammed Abdullah Al-Ali*

Amid the growing global efforts to foster peace, stability and prosperity across different regions, TRENDS Research & Advisory continues to embody its noble civilisational mission of promoting dialogue, peace and bridge-building among nations and peoples.

Since its founding, the centre has championed intellectual engagement as a pathway to coexistence and mutual understanding. Equally significant is its ongoing series of international research tours, spanning East and West, which aim to strengthen knowledge partnerships that drive societal progress, particularly in the fields of technology and artificial intelligence, which are widely recognised as the engines of global advancement in the decades ahead.

In this context, TRENDS conducted a research tour in Europe last week, covering two key countries: Italy and Germany. The tour aimed to establish further partnerships with intellectual and cultural institutions, actively contribute to addressing international challenges, and exchange experiences to promote peaceful coexistence among nations and counter extremism and terrorism through practical strategies that strengthen global solidarity and establish dialogue as a cornerstone of human prosperity.

In Italy, the first stop of the European tour, the focus was on reinforcing the values of interfaith dialogue and coexistence among peoples and cultures. TRENDS organised a dialogue session at the papal headquarters in the Vatican with Monsignor Dr. Yoannis Lahzi Gaid, member of the Vatican Secretariat of State and Representative of the Holy See to the Higher Committee of Human Fraternity.

It was followed by a broader symposium at the Pontifical Institute for Arabic and Islamic Studies (PISAI) with the title “Peace and Tolerance in a Turbulent World: Interfaith Bridge-building and the Role of Dialogue”. Both events underscored that interfaith dialogue is not a matter of intellectual luxury but is a necessity and vital to curbing exclusionary ideologies, countering extremism, and ensuring peaceful coexistence based on universal human values that uphold the dignity and rights of every individual, regardless of faith or ethnicity.

Reaffirming its commitment to dialogue and knowledge exchange, TRENDS, in the presence of Abdulla Ali Al-Subousi, UAE Ambassador to the Italian Republic, inaugurated its virtual office in Rome, serving as a bridge to academic institutions and think tanks across Italy. The centre also signed a cooperation agreement with the Pontifical Institute for Arabic and Islamic Studies (PISAI) and held fruitful discussions with experts from the Centro Studi Internazionali (Ce.S.I.) in Rome.

These engagements reflect TRENDS’ vision of fostering intellectual collaboration with leading global research institutions and countering extremist ideologies through evidence-based, enlightened perspectives.

From Italy, TRENDS continued its European research tour to Germany, where it took an active part in the 77th Frankfurt Book Fair. The centre showcased its wide range of scholarly publications promoting the values of tolerance, coexistence, and the rejection of extremism in all its forms. Artificial intelligence also featured prominently in TRENDS’ intellectual engagements at the fair and in its discussions with research institutions and partners.

This was exemplified by a major symposium organised by the centre under the title, “The Role of AI in Security: Balancing Technological Limits and Human Responsibility”. The session provided an invaluable opportunity to contribute to the ongoing global dialogue on the rapid evolution of AI technologies and their integration into security infrastructures, counterterrorism, border control and military strategy, as well as the potential threats arising from the misuse of intelligent systems by extremist organisations.

During the fair, TRENDS signed three memorandums of understanding with the Guangzhou Institute for the Greater Bay Area, the Federal Association for Economic Development and Foreign Trade (BWA) in Berlin, and Humanity Without Borders, with the aim of strengthening research and knowledge cooperation with these leading institutions.

Experience has shown that peace is forged through ideas and requires the collective efforts of all to nurture and sustain it, both regionally and globally. Guided by dialogue and the values of coexistence and tolerance, TRENDS remains committed to building bridges of understanding and rejecting all forms of violence, extremism and hate speech.


*The writer is the CEO of TRENDS Research & Advisory