About the course
This course was created for researchers, teachers, and academic professionals who wanted to integrate artificial intelligence into their daily work — responsibly, efficiently, and without losing control over quality.
It wasn’t a course about theory or hype. It was a hands-on program, where participants learned to use concrete AI tools for research, writing, and data analysis. Each module included live demonstrations and practical exercises that could be applied right away.
The course was delivered as part of a PNRR project of the "Ion Mincu" University of Architecture and Urbanism in Bucharest, for over 250 participants in 3 series.
Project "Digital Transformation of the "Ion Mincu" University of Architecture and Urbanism" 2022-2026, project code: 169368083, Financing Contract no. 14020/16.09.2022, financed through PNRR, Component C15: Education, Investment 16: Digitization of universities and their preparation for the digital professions of the future.
AI tools featured
Research & Literature
Writing & Language
Data analysis
presentation
AI Detection
What was learned — 4 modules
1. Introductory workshop (2h)
Solid foundations for using AI in research:
- Ethics and regulations regarding AI in academia
- AI-generated content detection
- Prompt engineering — how to communicate effectively with an AI model
- The TRACE framework for structured prompts
- Introducing essential tools: ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini
2. Academic Writing with AI (2h)
Practical workshop with laptop, focused on:
- Searching and discovering scientific literature with AI
- Extracting key information from articles (NotebookLM, SciSpace)
- Improving the quality of academic texts in English
- Tools: Semantic Scholar, Litmaps, Consensus, Paperpal, Kimi, NotebookLM
3. Data analysis with AI (2h)
Practical workshop with laptop, focused on:
- Quantitative processing: statistical analysis, visualizations, graphs
- Qualitative processing: theme extraction, automatic structuring, text coding
- Automate repetitive analysis tasks
- Tools: Gem – a personalized Gemini, AISheets, Gemini
4. Office Hours — Open Consultation (4h)
Free session for questions, demonstrations and discussions:
- Troubleshooting on own research projects
- Personalized demonstrations on real cases
- Discussions about the implications of AI in research and education
- Open format
What participants said
„"Her courses are a game changer absolutely. […] Mădălina Cocea is the kind of person you want to have around, because once she makes time for you, she is all-in. "Any question you have, she'll explain what she knows about that stuff."”
— Alexandra Teodor, Ph.D., researcher in urban morphology
(from blog article)
„"This course was really useful, I understood much better how these tools work and how to use them."”
— STEFAN, participant UAUIM
„"It was very useful and well structured. Thank you also for the materials you sent!"”
— Emilie, architect
„"Very useful and excellently organized!"”
— Cosmin, participant UAUIM
„"It's very useful for us!"”
— Soni, architect
„"Thank you very much for the information, for your time, and for the unconditional support you provided."”
— Anka, participant UAUIM
Methodology
Practically, not theoretically — Each module included live demonstrations and exercises that participants did on their laptops, with their own research materials.
TRACE Framework — A structured method for building effective prompts: Task, Context, Request, Action, Example.
Critical thinking — The focus was on critical evaluation of AI results, not blind trust. We actively discussed hallucinations, limitations, and ethical risks.
Flexible format — The course was delivered online, via Zoom. Recordings were made available to participants for replay.
About me
Mădălina Cocea — Science communication specialist, with experience in the area between research and the general public. I have delivered this course to over 260 researchers and teachers at UAUIM Bucharest, and I continue to work with academic and research institutions on the responsible integration of AI.
I write about science communication on comunicarestiintifica.ro, I publish the Science & Communication newsletter and offer consulting on communication strategy, research promotion and practical use of AI.
Contact me
Do you want an AI course tailored to your team or organization? I deliver customized courses for universities, research institutes, and organizations that want to responsibly integrate AI into their work.
Need 1-on-1 guidance on using AI in research, writing, or data analysis? Schedule a consulting session.
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