Trust takes the international stage

Research in Germany has featured the image film of the Research Center Trustworthy Data Science and Security (RC Trust) in its July focus on IT security and cybersecurity. The contribution was initiated through Ruhr University Bochum’s content partnership with Research in Germany and highlights the role of trustworthy artificial intelligence, machine learning, and cybersecurity in shaping secure digital societies.

Research in Germany, an initiative addressing international researchers and presenting Germany as a research location, dedicated its July topic to IT security and cybersecurity. Alongside projects from several German research institutions, the feature includes the RC Trust film under the title Building trust in Artificial Intelligence, Machine Learning, and Cybersecurity – University Alliance Ruhr.

The film introduces the interdisciplinary research approach of the RC Trust, a joint research center of the University Alliance Ruhr, in which Ruhr University Bochum, TU Dortmund University, and the University of Duisburg-Essen combine their expertise. The RiG feature places this work in the context of a broader challenge: how digital technologies can be designed in a way that makes them secure, understandable, and trustworthy.

At the center of the film are two RC Trust researchers: Prof. Bilal Zafar, whose work addresses questions of artificial intelligence and society, and Prof. Alexander Marx, whose research focuses on causality and robust machine learning. Together, their perspectives show why trust in digital systems is not only a technical issue, but also depends on explanation, human-centered design, and interdisciplinary collaboration.

The successful placement also underlines the value of joint communication within the UA Ruhr. The topic was brought forward by Ruhr University Bochum as part of its Research in Germany content partnership, helping to make the work of the RC Trust visible to an international audience of researchers, students, and science stakeholders.