Prof. Dr. Vladimir M. Cvetković, Full Professor of Disaster Risk Management at the University of Belgrade – Faculty of Security Studies, has been officially appointed as a member of the Management Committee of COST Action CA25171 – ODIN-AI: Ocean Disaster Intelligent Network using AI, representing the Republic of Serbia.
The COST Association confirmed the acceptance of his nomination as Serbia’s Management Committee member in this international research network.
A European Network Connecting Artificial Intelligence and Disaster Risk Management
COST Action ODIN-AI establishes a pan-European and transdisciplinary research network dedicated to accelerating the application of artificial intelligence and machine learning in operational oceanography and the management of ocean-related and coastal disasters.
The Action will focus on improving forecasting, risk assessment and early warning systems for:
- coastal flooding;
- storm surges;
- marine heatwaves;
- harmful algal blooms;
- interconnected and cascading coastal hazards;
- other ocean- and climate-related disaster risks.
ODIN-AI will support the development of physically consistent and explainable AI models, interoperable operational frameworks, regional pilot solutions, training programmes and guidelines for the responsible use of artificial intelligence. The Action will run from 20 October 2026 to 19 October 2030.
Serbia’s Contribution to Responsible AI for Disaster Risk Reduction
As a member of the Management Committee, Prof. Cvetković will participate in the strategic coordination of the Action, decision-making processes, international networking and the development of collaborative research activities.
His contribution will focus particularly on:
- disaster risk assessment and multi-hazard methodologies;
- early warning systems and anticipatory action;
- disaster preparedness and community resilience;
- risk perception, risk communication and crisis communication;
- institutional trust in AI-generated warnings;
- translation of AI model outputs into actionable information for decision-makers;
- ethical, transparent and responsible application of artificial intelligence;
- training, simulation exercises and capacity-building activities;
- involvement of civil protection institutions and emergency management practitioners;
- cooperation with researchers and institutions from Serbia and the Western Balkans.
The planned engagement includes contributions to working groups addressing advanced AI models for disaster prediction, societal impacts, policy uptake, regional pilots, training, ethics, trust and responsible artificial intelligence.
Strengthening Serbia’s Position in the European Research Area
This appointment creates new opportunities to strengthen the international visibility of the University of Belgrade, the Faculty of Security Studies and Serbia’s disaster risk management research community.
Participation in ODIN-AI will facilitate:
- joint scientific publications;
- development of European research proposals;
- exchange of data, knowledge and methodologies;
- international training schools and scientific workshops;
- inclusion of early-career researchers;
- collaboration with civil protection and emergency management institutions;
- transfer of research results into policies and operational practice.
The research team from the Faculty of Security Studies combines expertise in disaster risk management, early warning, community resilience and crisis communication with knowledge of artificial intelligence, machine learning, cybersecurity, databases, information visualisation and data integrity.
Through this engagement, Serbia will contribute to the development of safer, more explainable and more socially responsible AI-supported systems for disaster prediction, preparedness and response.
