The TALOS Lab excitedly reports the visit of Dr Maria Papadopoulou, Assistant Professor of Digital Humanities and Classical Philology and Director of the TALOS AI4SSH Lab (University of Crete), to Al Wasl University in Dubai on 8 January 2026, shortly after the university resumed activities following the winter break.

During her visit, Dr Papadopoulou met with Prof. Mohamed Ahmed Abdel Rahman, Member of the Board of Trustees and Chancellor of Al Wasl University, and Prof. Mohamed Sahbi ben Amor Baazaoui, Director of the Center for Linguistic and Narrative Studies. The meeting took place following Prof. Baazaoui’s initiative to establish an institutional dialogue between the two universities.

Discussions focused on the forthcoming Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between Al Wasl University and the University of Crete, which is expected to be signed in the near future. Particular emphasis was placed on identifying concrete pathways for collaboration with the TALOS AI4SSH Lab, including the development of joint research and educational initiatives in areas of shared interest.

Al Wasl University is strongly oriented toward the Humanities, with significant activity in Library and Information Science and Artificial Intelligence. During the meeting, the Chancellor highlighted the university’s strategic priority of enhancing student employability through stronger links with the labour market, alongside the systematic expansion of its international partnerships. He also expressed his interest in visiting Crete, internationally recognised for its cultural heritage and Mediterranean diet.

The visit marks an important step toward strengthening academic ties between the two institutions and lays the groundwork for sustained collaboration in the fields of AI, Digital Humanities, and Humanistic Studies.