International AI expert Sandra Wachter as a speaker, awarding of the Mariella Schurz Prize for the first time
Creativity and innovation are the cornerstones of science and research and key drivers of today’s economy. It is therefore particularly important to us to bring top local researchers to the forefront and honor them in a festive setting. I am particularly excited about our Houska Talk guest this year, Professor Sandra Wachter from the University of Oxford. She will address current global developments in the field of artificial intelligence, which have a significant impact on the European location. We cordially invite everyone who is interested to follow the award ceremony of the Houska Prize 2024 live on the internet.
Erich Hampel, Chairman of the B&C Private Foundation
Vienna (OTS) – With the Houska Prize, the B&C Private Foundation honors top Austrian research that is relevant to Austria as a business location. With a total endowment of 750,000 euros, it is the largest private prize for applied research in the country. This year, 15 projects have the opportunity to receive the golden Houska Prize statue at the festive award ceremony on April 25, 2024 in the Aula der Wissenschaften in Vienna. The internationally renowned AI expert and lawyer Sandra Wachter from the University of Oxford was invited as a speaker. In addition, in memory of Mariella Schurz, the long-time Secretary General of the B&C Private Foundation, the Mariella Schurz Prize is awarded in collaboration with the BG/BRG Klosterneuburg. The awards ceremony will be streamed live www.houskapreis.at transmitted.
The B&C Private Foundation established the Houska Prize in 2005 to promote economically relevant research in Austria. Outstanding projects are honored in the categories “University Research”, “Non-University Research” and “Research & Development in SMEs”. A total of 15 domestic research projects were nominated by top-class advisory committees and a jury. You have the chance to win the main prize of 150,000 euros per category. In accordance with its purpose, the B&C Private Foundation is committed to strengthening Austria as a business location and promoting entrepreneurship.
Erich Hampel, CEO of the B&C Private Foundation, emphasizes: “Creativity and innovation are the cornerstones of science and research and key drivers of today’s economy. It is therefore particularly important to us to bring top local researchers to the forefront and honor them in a festive setting. I am particularly excited about our Houska Talk guest this year, Professor Sandra Wachter from the University of Oxford. She will address current global developments in the field of artificial intelligence, which have a significant impact on the European location. We cordially invite everyone who is interested to follow the award ceremony of the Houska Prize 2024 live on the internet.
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AI expert Sandra Wachter in the Houska talk: “How intelligent is artificial intelligence?”
Sandra Wachter, a doctor of law and internationally renowned expert in the field of IT, will address the question: “How intelligent is artificial intelligence?” in the traditional “Houska-Talk” program item. She deals with the ethical challenges in dealing with artificial intelligence and the balance between technological progress and ethical principles. The discussion will include questions about responsibility and the moral implications of AI decisions, algorithmic bias and profiling. Wachter is Professor of Technology and Regulation at the Oxford Internet Institute, University of Oxford. There she researches the legal and ethical implications of artificial intelligence, big data and robotics as well as the regulation of the Internet and platforms.
Mariella Schurz Prize in cooperation with the Bundesgymnasium Klosterneuburg
The Houska Prize in its current form was significantly influenced by Mariella Schurz, the long-time Secretary General of the B&C Private Foundation, who died suddenly and unexpectedly in November 2022 at the age of 47. Due to their commitment, the prize has acquired an important status in the promotion of top Austrian research. In her honor, the Mariella Schurz Prize will be awarded for the first time this year at the event.
“Education and research were two matters close to Mariella Schurz’s heart, who achieved a lot in these two areas. The prize that we award in their name combines these funding priorities of the B&C Private Foundation,” explains B&C Foundation Board member Erich Hampel. In collaboration with the BG/BRG Klosterneuburg, all 15 nominated projects, regardless of the categories, were subjected to an additional assessment, in which the student body acted as a jury. An 11th grade class, together with their teachers, integrated the projects into lessons as an interdisciplinary topic over several weeks and evaluated and assessed them from their young perspective. At the award ceremony, the winning project will be announced live on site by two members of the class community. In addition to the specially designed Houska Prize statue, the prize includes material value of 5,000 euros.
Awards ceremony via live stream www.houskapreis.at
The Houska Prize 2024 will be awarded in a festive setting in front of around 400 expected guests from business, science and research. The awards will be announced on Thursday, April 25, 2024 at 7:00 p.m. via public livestream on the B&C website (www.houskapreis.at/livestream), Facebook (www.facebook.com/BCGruppeAT) and YouTube (www.youtube.com/houskapreis/live) transmitted.
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About the B&C Private Foundation:
The B&C Private Foundation (www.bcprivatstiftung.at) is an independent Austrian foundation that has pursued the goal of promoting Austrian entrepreneurship since it was founded in December 2000. This is achieved in particular through long-term majority investments via the B&C Group in the Austrian industrial companies AMAG Austria Metall AG, Lenzing AG and Semperit AG Holding and through investments in technology growth companies (www.bcgruppe.at). The B&C Private Foundation promotes Austria as a business and business location through numerous projects and initiatives that actively contribute to improving the economic and legal framework conditions in Austria. These include the Houska Prize (www.houskapreis.at), the location initiative eXplore! (www.explore.university) and the MEGA Education Foundation (www.megabildung.at).
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